SAILING:A PLACE on the Irish World Youth squad is the prize this morning for three separate crews battling it out in the final day of racing for the youth championships in Schull, west Cork.
One hundred and sixty eight sailors are afloat for a combined Irish Sailing Association (ISA) event that has, as top prize, three all-expenses paid trips to Brazil this July for the ISAF Youth World championships.
Dún Laoghaire’s Matty O’Dowd and Carrickfergus’ Chris Penney finished yesterday’s breezy rounds neck and neck in the 27-boat Laser radial class.
Three planned races were cut to two as winds tipped 20 knots from the east.
In the double-handed 420 dinghy, the Royal Cork combination of Rob Lehane and Iarlath Kennedy continue the tussle with Timmy Ó Laoire and Brian Kelleher, but in the girls division Dún Laoghaire’s Jane Butler and Jenny Andreasson already look clear for Brazil.
The Easter event that has achieved a bumper entry includes racing for Fevas and Toppers.Colm O’Regan retained the Optimist Pathway title when racing in this class, which finished on Wednesday.
Staying with small boat news, the UK dinghy scene is in mourning following the tragic death of legendary helmsman Richard Estaugh (51) last weekend. Estaugh, from the West Midlands, held over 10 world championship titles, 15 national titles, and he won the ultimate test, the Endeavour trophy twice.
He was a frequent traveller to Ireland where he had a dedicated following in the GP14 and Enterprise classes especially.
Meanwhile, Weeks after the decision was announced not to raise the Asgard II from the French seabed, there appears to be no progress made on the promised new ship. In February Coiste an Asgard said it was “hoping to pursue this as soon as possible”.
In the meantime, the Naval Service is to use one of its yachts, the Creidne, for a restricted sail training programme. But it is still not ready according to the Asgard office and will not be until July. Clearly several months of sail training time will be lost.
Irish Cruiser Racer Association (ICRA) Commodore Barry Rose has called a meeting of interested skippers for a 2010 Irish Commodore’s Cup team at the Radisson Hotel, Cork Airport, on Wednesday, April 29th. As well as discussion to establish levels of interest from participants, there will also be a presentation of ICRA’s management approach to the 2010 campaign.
After expensive damage in the South China Sea and a withdrawal from leg five, it looked all but over for Ger O’Rourke’s Round the World odyssey.
There were few predicting this week’s performance by Delta Lloyd, following its refit. It currently lies second in the Volvo Ocean Race on the leg from Rio de Janeiro to Boston.
There are less than 170 nautical miles left to the scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha and winds have dropped below the nine knot mark as the fleet were due at the gate by midnight.
The only first generation boat in the race has a new mast, new rewired electronics, new running back stay system, new main sail, A2, J2, R2, a new hydraulic pump for keel ram system, and all systems reconditioned.
The Limerick yachtsman, meanwhile, has updated his own position in relation to arrangements with the charter of the veteran boat to Delta Lloyd.
O’Rourke will not be sailing but is still involved as owner along with his construction company, Chieftain Group and Village Banking as two co-sponsors along with Delta Lloyd.
