SAILINGWith less than one week before the first gun, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta has passed the 500-boat entry level at close of entries yesterday.
The massive fleet will compete at Ireland's largest sailing competition for four days. The event has also attracted a new healthy following of overseas entries since its inaugural edition two years ago.
The range of entries is as broad as the sport with a fine mix of the competitive and recreational.
With designs ranging from super high-tech racing machines to traditional wooden boats and dinghies, a showcase for the sport can be expected and the magic ingredient of the weather is the only item beyond the organising committee's reach.
Sifting through a fleet of this size and its estimated 3,000 competitors to find the best racing is no easy task - all levels up to semi-professional crews will be competing.
But the event has attracted good support and some "solus" classes will feature exceptionally close competition.
Fresh from the recent battles on the south coast, the IRC handicap fleets that sailed in the Saab ICRA Cruiser Championships followed by last weekend's Sovereign's Cup in Kinsale will be sending most of their key champions to the east coast to compete.
Expect Class One National Champion Eamon Crosbie on Teng Tools to be in fine form following his class win at last week's British IRC Nationals, where he narrowly missed the overall national title there.
Class Two champion Barry Rose from the Royal Cork YC on Obsession VI won't be competing as he has committed to competing in the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association annual championship at Clifden this week.
Last week's overall winner of the Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale is also an unknown quantity at this stage due to crew time pressure.
Class Three National Champion John Twomey and his crew on Shillelagh are in preparation mode for their campaign for selection to the Paralympic Regatta in China next year.
The class zero national champion is Blondie III and would normally expect to be facing competition from local supremo Colm Barrington, except he has now moved into the Class Super Zero category where he'll be sailing his new Transpac 52 footer against three others of the type plus a Rogers 46.
Barrington was in action last weekend in Cowes at the British IRC Nationals and while placed third, might well have won this class had he not missed two races due to gear breakages.
Nevertheless, he reported huge enthusiasm for the TP52 and the sight of this fleet if breeze arrives should make for great viewing.
Moreover, Barrington was sailing his previous Irish-based Gloves at Block Island Race Week two weeks ago where he won his class and also best international competitor.
Ironically, although the lowest scoring boat at that event, he failed to collect the overall US title as the system there for deciding the overall winner penalised any winner for finishing too far ahead of the rest of the class.
Meanwhile, at Caiscais yesterday, Ireland's Maurice O'Connell and Ben Cooke received a boost to their Star class Olympic campaign when the pair succeeded in qualifying for the Gold fleet final series by finishing 12th overall.
This is the second time this year they have achieved this result but as 75 per cent of the national places for the Olympic regatta are decided at the Caiscais ISAF World Championships, the pair must hope to finish 11th or better in the finals.
