Sailing News round-upAn Irish Commodore's Cup trials series is one possible outcome from next week's meeting of Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) officials who can decide to send as many as four teams to next June's event in Cowes.
ICRA commodore Fintan Cairns has convened a follow-up meeting as a result of the number of skippers planning to go forward next year.
Next Wednesday's meeting at 6pm at the Green Isle hotel, Newlands Cross, Dublin, will hear how teams are to be composed and how many Ireland intends to field.
Ireland's single team in 2004 led the series for most of the regatta, only to end up third following a slip in the closing stages. That performance has fuelled interest in the event.
Although Cairns is urging consensus on any indicator trial series that may emerge from next week's meeting, one possible outcome is that a trial series may have to be established to select up to four, threeboat Irish teams.
Likely skippers, including Colm Barrington, Eamonn Conneelly and Mark Mansfield, will be attending the meeting that is set to be more focused than previous affairs, given that regatta organisers, London's Royal Ocean Racing Club, have published handicap break points for next June's event.
In other cruiser news, having finished third last year in Belgium, Dún Laoghaire's Terry Madigan, Enda Connellan and Shay Moran looked like they had this year's Half Ton Classic Cup in the bag with a big points lead going into the last race of the series in Dinard last week.
The Dun Laoghaire half-tonner Blue Berret Pi lined up for the final race in pole position, but with only minutes before the start her propeller became fouled with weed.
Although attempts were made to free the prop, the sole Irish entry in the 30-boat regatta had to complete the non-discardable coastal race with the substantial handicap in tow.
As a result, she lost her grip on the title, finishing overall, as she did in 2004, a creditable third to France's Ginkgo (Patrick Lobrichon) and Hakuna (Jean-François Mata Nouel) second.
The news, however, that the Half Ton Classic Cup is to come to Dublin in 2007 as part of Dun Laoghaire week means Blue Berret Pi can make it third time lucky and on home waters to boot.
In sports-boat news, Scotland's Ruairidh Scott is leading the 1720 European Championships on Lake Garda, with Robert Eckstein of the host club, Fraglia Vela Riva, second and Dún Laoghaire's Maurice O'Connell third.
Howth Yacht Club hosts the Anglo Irish Bank Helmsmans' Championships this weekend, with 24 helms from the major sailing classes invited to attend an event that is being sailed this year in Etchell's keelbooats.
HELMSMANS' CHAMPIONSHIPS: M O'Connell - Star Olympic; C Peelo - Europe Olympic; G Owens - 470 Olympic; T Chaix - Laser Standard; R McDonald - Laser Radial; L Hanley - Shannon One Design; N Butler - Fireball; T Corcoran - GP14; J Nyhan - Multihulls; C Sheridan - Wafarer; D Joyce - Mermaid; B Espey - 49er; B Willis - Flying 15; A O'Connell - Squib; F Heath - J24; S Brien - Dragon; A Kirwan - Ruffian; K Collins - Etchell; D Mulligan - Howth 17; P Gilmore - E-Boat; R Grealish - Cruiser 0; D Crosbie - Cruiser 1; P Gregory - Cruiser 2; R Kearney - ISA Wild Card.
FIXTURES
Saturday: Helmsmans' Champs, Howth YC; Dragon South Coast Champs, Glandore Harbour YC; Mermaid National Youth Champs, Skerries SC; Topper Traveller, East Down YC.
Sunday: Helmsmans' Champs, Howth YC; Dragon South Coast Champs, Glandore Harbour YC; Mermaid National Youth Champs: Skerries SC; Topper Traveller, East Down YC; DMYC Kish September Series
