SAILING: Royal Cork Yacht Club are seeking a replacement sponsor for next year's Cork Week Regatta following the withdrawal this week of Ford Ireland after 12 years as title sponsors.
The "number one fun regatta in the world", as it is dubbed, draws in an estimated €6 million for the local economy and stands comparison with Germany's Kieler Woche (Kiel week) in June and Florida's Key West regatta in January.
Although the loss of the deal has occurred 12 months before the next event, Admiral David O'Brien is confident the 2004 regatta will succeed with or without title sponsorship.
"Nothing stays the same, you have to look forward," he said.
"The thanks of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and sailors far and wide go to Eddie Murphy and his team at Ford Ireland for their magnificent support of the event since 1990. Our priority now is to follow up on several genuine approaches for the 2004 event."
From humble beginnings in the early 80s the regatta has become a cornerstone of Bord Fáilte's marine tourism strategy.
The club recorded a profit of €520,000 after the 2002 event, with 70 per cent of the competitors coming from Britain.
Although the biennial week - which attracts over 70,000 people - has an appeal similar to that of Britain's Cowes week, the Royal Cork ambition is to attract more continental yachts.
Plans for the 2004 regatta include - for the first time - the new Maxi Z86 class led by Roy Disney of the United States, an ardent Royal Cork supporter.
"This loss won't cause any grief. The regatta is an international commodity now so there will be plenty of scope for Royal Cork - even in this climate," said one senior Cork source.
Meanwhile, as one car marque reverses out of sailing sponsorship another one pulls up.
The National Yacht Club have received an 11th-hour boost to the staging of their Flying Fifteen World Championships at the end of this month off Dún Laoghaire.
New Zealand's team equipment landed in Dublin Port on Wednesday, just in time for Subaru Ireland's announcement as title sponsor. And Subaru managing director Neville Mathews has added extra spice with the announcement of a new trophy for the top Irish crew in the 94-boat fleet.
The entry list for both the pre-world championships (July 29th-31st) and the world championships (August 3rd-9th) is published online (visit www.nyc.ie).
Staying in Dún Laoghaire, the inaugural AJ Mooney Marine Gallantry awards will be launched by the Irish Sailing Association at the Royal St George Yacht Club this evening (6 p.m.) following an endowment by Clayton Love jnr.
The awards, which will recognise significant accomplishments in seamanship, commemorate the respected Dublin Bay sailor Jimmy Mooney.
The world's second-ranked Star helmsman, Mark Mansfield of Crosshaven, has confirmed he will seek to put the selection procedure dispute for the Athens Olympics before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
A CAS decision on Mansfield's complaint into ISA selection procedure changes will be final and binding on all parties involved.
But given the schedule of Olympic-class regattas, it is unlikely any arbitration will take place until after the Cadiz, Spain, regatta in September.
