The unofficial Channel Handicap championship (CHS) of the world, with a car as first prize, will add extra spice to next July's Ford Cork week format at Crosshaven, where organisers are already expecting to beat 1996's record entry for the biennial regatta.
Royal Cork's Yacht club's reputation for innovation continued with a mail shot this week to 3,000 CHS sailors worldwide, circulating details of the biggest prizes to be made in Irish sailing.
Organisers are expecting a significant increase on 1996's 400 boats, and are specifically targeting professional sailors in a new, grand prix-style class, open to yachts with CHS handicaps of 1.125 and above.
The Puma cup will be a class zero event open to professionals and Category B sponsorship, which could become, according to organiser Clayton Love, the CHS championship of the world. The prize for the winning yacht is a Ford Puma, valued at approximately £17,450.
The balance of Cork's 16 fleets will be divided into handicap and One design classes, who will - on registration - be entered in a lottery known as the Ka challenge for further car prizes.
Under the new international rules of sailing, an application has been made to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) to stage the Puma cup, but discussions are continuing as to the status of the Ka challenge. Permission under international rules - as well as an ISAF fee - may be required.
Meanwhile, tonight at the Royal St George YC, Dun Laoghaire, Bob and Bairbre Stewart's Little Bear becomes the 113th winner of the Waterhouse shield for the most successful handicapped yacht of the 1997 season at Dublin Bay Sailing Club's prize giving.
In the one design classes, David Meeke and Jim Woods will be presented with the George Arthur Newsome Memorial award for their top performance in Flying 15 racing.
Class prizes in Cruisers One will be shared between Stuart Kinnear's team in Scenario Encore, who won two ECHO and one CHS series, and Little Bear, from the Royal Irish Yacht Club, who won one ECHO and three CHS series. Sean Lemass, skippering Nyala, took the remaining ECHO prize.
In Cruisers Two, Austin and Gwen Whelan in Rooster and Paul D'Alton's Country Girl each won two series, in CHS and ECHO respectively. The remaining series went to four different boats - White Knight (Con Mulcahy), Bendemeer (Gerry Kinsella), Boomerang (Paddy Kirwan) and Eliminator (John Hall).
In the One design classes, the Dragon fleet attracted four new entries this season, bringing their numbers to 24. Three of the four series prizes in this very competitive fleet were won by Michael Halpenny in his first full year sailing Susele. Donal O'Connor, in Glenluce, won three series and both overall events in the Glen class who, along with the Dublin Bay 24s, celebrated 50 years of association with Dublin Bay SC. In the J24 class, Cries of Passion (Bryan Maguire) and Crazy Horse (Frank Heath and Ivan Schuster) each took a midweek series, but Tim Goodbody, in White Mischief, won both the Saturday series and the Goodbody Trophy.
Peter Dee and Paddy Varian had a highly successful season in the Ruffian Scamp, topping the 34-boat fleet, the largest class racing in the bay. They won both midweek and Saturday overalls, were first in three series and were second to Ruffles (Con Moran) in the remaining series. Both the Flying 15 and Mermaid classes continue to race with the keelboats during the week and with the dinghies on most Saturdays. In the Mermaids, both the first series went to Aideen (J O'Neill and D Brennan), while Una C (Dermot O'Neill) and Kim (Barry Neill) each won one of the second series.
With 13 entries, the Fireballs were easily the largest dingy fleet. Louis Smyth, in Cuddlebug, took the honours on both Tuesdays and Saturdays in the second half of the season, and Smokin' Gun (Michael Creighton) and Dizzy (Alastair Court) took one series each.
The Irish Sailing Association has made a proposal to the Minister for Finance that buoyancy aids and lifejackets should be zero rated for VAT. The ISA say that this would reduce the cost to people going afloat. They have also asked the Minister to consider the removal of VAT on marine radio equipment and safety harnesses.
