SAILING:The reputation of the old adage "third time lucky" will be on the line in the background of a meeting of the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) next week when the cream of Ireland's club sailors gather to consider next year's Rolex Commodore's Cup.
Luck itself may not officially feature on the agenda but it surely has played a deciding role in the outcome of the last two events that have both proved that the Irish most certainly are not favoured by this most fickle commodity.
The vagaries of the weather off the south coast of England in mid-summer along with those of the Royal Ocean Racing Club organisers have been well documented and do not bear repeating except to mention that the learning curve of the most cohesive effort of Irish sailors continues its steep course.
"From the previous campaign, all of the participants are very committed towards going again and a few others have expressed interest as well," ICRA's Fintan Cairns said yesterday. "There's every possibility of having another three, three-boat teams. Next Wednesday will determine actual commitment."
Cairns points to positive moves by the RORC in their Notice of Race that appear to confirm that they have listened to the feedback after the 2006 event where Ireland narrowly missed delivering a 1-2-3 rout of the event.
The prospect of sending four teams (of three boats) is not being ruled out either which would be the maximum permissible under the event rules and would be regarded as a clear signal of Ireland's intentions.
Cairns is aware of the previous events' lessons and sounds a note of caution too. "Remember, it's still the RORC's ball and on their own pitch too," he said.
Meanwhile, the prospect of another large contingent of Irish boats in Cowes will doubtless recall the charges of in-fighting amongst the team last year when Irish boats on different teams became embroiled in rules protests.
While an impression of disharmony may have been well-founded, the incident actually highlighted that all three teams were truly engaged as rivals also and not part of some Celtic conspiracy to "team-race" close contenders from other countries as was done to an Irish squad in 2004.
Ahead of Wednesday's meeting in Portlaoise, ICRA crews entering the annual Saab Cruiser National Championships at Crosshaven in two months time have until Monday to enter and receive a substantial discount for the event. A fleet of 100 cruisers from around Ireland is expected, reportedly including 25 boats from the west coast.
Search on for country's best all-rounders of the board
Irish windsurfers are set to enjoy a season of variety following the announcement by the IWA of their summer programme. Free sports may not always enjoy the prominence of large club-based organisations but the country's popularity as an international destination is alive and well.
The search for Ireland's best board-sailor is now on for the single place on the Fiat Freestyle team that brings together surf, skateboarding, BMX, snowboarding and windsurfing.
Prospective "riders" are invited to submit action videos of up to two minutes duration on YouTube or alternatively attend the Fleadh Seoil at Malahide next weekend where 2006 champion Federico La Croce will be on hand to provide expertise and head the selection panel.
This week sees the championship decider with the Irish Windsurfing Association and UK Wave Sailing Association following the Four-Nations event at Castlegregory. Coaching and tuition with WOWI - Women of Windsurfing Ireland - is also on the programme for the weekend.
Meanwhile, the IWA have secured the Galway-based health food company lifes2good as sponsor of their Olympic programme.
