In a new partnership forged for the 2003 World Championships to be staged in Ireland, Seβn Craig and Ben O'Donoghue race in the Flying Fifteen National Championships at Kinsale this morning.
The pair, who are noted for their success in Laser II and Enterprise dinghies, have entered the keelboat class having had some early success this season in D·n Laoghaire's waterfront regattas. Two races are scheduled for today.
The regatta has attracted 40 boats from nine clubs but current holders John Lavery and Gerry Donleavy will not be defending their title as a pairing.
Lavery, with crewmen Paul Maguire and Peter Bowring, is lying eighth overall at the Dragon World Championships in Copenhagen going into the final race this morning.
Strangford Lough's Darren Martin - the helmsman of the highest-placed Irish boat (11th overall) at the 2001 World Championships in Durban - is contesting the title, as is Dunmore East's Shane Statham and Ken Wigan, winners of the North East Championship.
On Dublin Bay, only after the final, sixth race was over on Sunday did Wicklow county councillor Derek Mitchell know for certain the 2001 Ruffian 23 Irish crown was his, following a 10-year bid for the title.
After accepting his award at the National Yacht Club, he called on the State to provide public launching slips, and other facilities, especially in heavily populated areas. Mitchell, who is chairman of the council's Greystones Harbour Plan Group, has embarked on an ambitious plan to provide at least two public slips, a 290-berth marina and space for eight marine-related organisations at the east coast town.
Meanwhile, Damien Bracken and Allen Parker achieved a clean sweep in the GP14 dinghy fleet at the Leinster Class Championship at Clontarf in June. The north Dublin pairing are aiming to stage a repeat performance in tomorrow's Ulster Championship at Cushendall, North Antrim.
The class stays north for its national championships at Ballyholme in August, which is also the venue for the UK Nationals in 2002 and the World Championships in 2006.
On Sunday, in an event to mark the first use of Guglielmo Marconi's invention of the wireless over 100 years ago, D·n Laoghaire's J24 class are staging a series of three to five short races from the National Yacht Club.
In a mock-up of the first wireless reportage of a sporting event, the J24s will relay the results, as Marconi did, to the old harbour master's house ashore. The event is in aid of the Irish Youth Sailing Club.
For tickets phone Eamonn Elliot on 086-601 6715.
