Last weekend saw the Irish Sailing Association stage selection trials for the forthcoming ISAF World Sailing Championships to be held in Dubai next March. While nine classes are scheduled for the event, the trials were held specifically for the keelboat fleet which is to be sailed in J22 footers.
Although this is the final year that the event is to be held in its current format - if ever again - the world's top sailors in the various competing disciplines are expected to attend making the event close to a mini-Olympic regatta for sailing. The provisional list of Irish sailors that will make up the 27 person squad reads like a who's who of established and emerging national talent.
The designated class for the recent trials was the 1720 Sportsboat and the event attracted a small but star-studded six boat line-up. Olympic Star class crewman David Burrows who is currently campaigning a singlehanded Finn dinghy for the Sydney 2000 Games emerged first of the bunch.
The other successful competitors for the remaining places in the J22 class were Mark Mansfield, Burrows' Olympic helm from last year's regatta at Savannah, sailmaker Mark Pettit (3rd) and 1720 National Champion Anthony O'Leary. Current Dragon National Champion and former World and European Champion John Lavery along with 1720 Sportsboat helm David Cagney were runner-ups.
Meanwhile, selection trials for the remaining Dubai classes are unnecessary as only the number of spaces available on the team have been applied for by Irish sailors. The other classes in use by the event apart from the Keelboat Open are J22 Women; 470 Men and women; Laser single-handed men and women (Radial rig); Match-racing women; and Open Hobie 16 for multihull sailors.
According to a list released by the ISA this week, the prospective helms for each discipline are at present: Keelboat Open; Skippers - David Burrows, Mark Mansfield, Mark Pettit - (two definites, possibly three); crews to be selected by above skippers; Keelboat Women: Maria Coleman; Double handed men; Tom Fitzpatrick/David McHugh; David Crosbie/Nicky Smith; Gerbil Owens/A N Other; Double Handed Women; Laura Dillon, Sinead Curran, Denise Lyttle. No crew nominees as yet; Singlehanded Men; Gareth Flannigan; Frank Dillon; Jon Lasenby; Single handed Women; Samantha Burrows; Maria McGrogan; Maeve Baxter; Match Racing Women; Maria Coleman; Laura Dillon.
The ISA issued a request for interested potential participants to contact the national authority in the August issue of Afloat magazine. Notices of race were issued upon request and no details were issued to clubs or classes. The team will finalised at the end of this month.
Meanwhile, this weekend sees the annual ISA Dinghy Team Racing Championship get underway at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire. The event is an indicator for the Miami Worlds next year while it is also useful practice in the build-up to the Team Racing World Championships that is set for the same Irish venue in 1999. The format as always, is a round robin knock-out followed by finals among the top crews from 12 competing teams, each comprising three Firefly dinghies.
Clubs from around Ireland as well as Britain are expected with the best crews centred on defending Irish champions Ballyholme YC and the local favourites of Royal Alfred YC. Their northern rivals count Paddy Oliver, Garreth Flannigan and Jamie Boag while the Alfred line-up is similarly potent, counting Olympic helm Marshall King, Sean Craig and Laser II European Champion Tom Fitzpatrick.
Spinnaker SC won last year and can be counted on to provide a strong visiting challenge; the West Kirby SC from Merseyside have still to be confirmed. Among the other top Irish teams are the Trinity Exiles with Conal Casey, Graham Elmes and James O'Callaghan listed as helms. Other clubs competing include Baltimore SC, Schull Community College, Howth YC, National YC and the host club.
