SAILING/Weekly Column: Accusing the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) of "negligence" in its management of the world sailing rankings, Irish Olympic Star crews have been successful in a bid to have the Miami-based 2002 Bacardi Cup reinstated as a full ranking event that will now count for valuable funding in the build-up to Athens 2004.
The issue highlights the financial dependency of the Irish Olympic squad on world-ranking points and how Irish Sports Council grants are allocated.
In a strongly-worded letter to the governing body, seen by The Irish Times, Dublin Star helmsman Max Treacy accuses the ISAF of inconsistency: "We entered the Bacardi Cup in good faith and in reliance on the representation that this would count towards our world ranking. The fact this has now been excluded has potentially cost us €15,000 in respect to our world ranking. Not to mention the savings that could have been made by basing our training in Europe during the winter months."
Sydney Olympian Mark Mansfield, who finished sixth in last week's Northern Hemisphere Spring Championships, joined Treacy in the campaign mounted by Star sailors worldwide to have the event reinstated. But the the decision, say ISAF, to exclude the 75-year-old Bacardi event from ranking points was taken as the event is an invitational event and it does not follow class rules for advertising and crew weight.
The ISAF stance did not hold water, however, and the strength of protests against the decision forced the governing body in to an embarrassing climb-down "for the good of the sailors" and to re-issue the Star Class Rankings at www.isaf.org this week.
Now in 14th place overall, the result of this week's lobbying brings Treacy and Anthony Shanks closer to Royal Cork rivals Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins who retain fourth.
In offshore sailing, the 92ft Leopard, chartered by a Sligo team to make a serious challenge at the course record, has been forced to withdraw its entry from the 2002 Round Ireland Race (June 22nd) as a result of serious damage suffered en route to a British boatyard.
In North Dublin, 12 three-boat teams of Ireland's leading Optimist sailors are expected to compete in the under-16 Inter-Club Optimist Team Racing Championship at Howth YC on Sunday for the Vice-President's Trophy. Teams from Lough Derg YC, Royal St George YC and the host club are among those competing. The overall winners will be invited to represent Ireland at the European Inter-Club Championship for the Grand Optical Champions Cup, to be held in Trento, Italy, in August.
Now in its 119th season, the first DBSC race of the 2002 season, sponsored by Dublin Port Company, was held last week. From now until October, nearly 2,000 sailors of all ages in 17 classes will compete for series honours.
Speed Boat: illbruck's record:
John Kostecki and the flu-ridden crew of illbruck crossed the finish line off La Rochelle at 13.44 GMT yesterday to complete a remarkable Atlantic crossing in just over 10 days. Winning this leg puts illbruck on top of the podium for the fourth time in the nine-leg long Volvo Ocean Race.
The daily run of 484 miles (to be ratified as a world record) was celebrated by the team and around 100 illbruck guests.
There are still 16 points to be rewarded for the next two legs and the next competitor ASSA ABLOY is just eight points behind.
