SAILING: A LINE-UP of 75 boats is expected for the annual Irish Cruiser Racing Association national championships at the Royal Cork Yacht Club that gets under way this morning off Roche's Point.
Defending overall champion Rockabill V, owned by Paul O'Higgins, is not competing due to a delay in a winter re-fit, though the fleet retains a strong field.
Anthony O'Leary's Antix in Class Zero, as the winning Commodore's Cup team, stands-out, but so too does his son Rob on the converted 1720 Sportsboat Antix Beag in Class One. A father/son showdown despite the different classes wouldn't be a first.
Other likely front-runners include Ian Nagle and Paul O'Malley's Jelly Baby from Crosshaven, while J109 sistership Jetstream, owned by Peter Redden from Dun Laoghaire, is also highly-fancied by ICRA officials.
Despite the range of boat sizes across the five classes, four of which have national titles to be won under IRC handicap, the depth of talent among the smaller boats suggests 2011 could yet deliver an overall champion from these ranks.
The exotic Tiger from Crosshaven, which delivered an almost unequalled performance at last year's championship in Class Three, is one candidate, as is paralympian John Twomey on Shillelagh, who gave a master-class in heavy-airs sailing three years ago when he won the class title.
The clutch of Corby-designed Class Two boats such as Allure from Kinsale, the locals on Yanks $ Francs or Kodachi from Cove have also proved strong contenders.
Irish Cruiser Racing Association - National Championships 2011 Entry list
Class Zero: Antix (Anthony O'Leary - RCYC); Gloves Off (Kieran Twomey - RCYC); Jump Juice (Conor Phelan - RCYC); Aquelina (James, Sheila Tyrrell - Arklow SC); Roxy 6 Ro(bert Davies - RCYC); Impetuous (Richard Fildes - SCYC); Crazy Horse (Chambers, Reilly - HYC).
Class One: D-Tox (Donal O'Leary - RCYC); True Pennance (Colman Garvey, Martin Darrer - RCYC); Antix Beag (Robert O'Leary - RCYC); Eos (David Scott - KYC); Axiom (Michael O'Neill - RIYC); Aztec (Peter Beamish - RIYC); Jelly Baby (Ian Nagle, Paul O'Malley - RCYC); Jetstream (Peter Redden - RIYC); Raptor (Denis Hewitt RIYC); Exhale (Derry Good - RCYC); Ellida (Ria Lyden - RCYC); Dexterity (Alan McEneff/Team Foynes - Foynes Yacht Club); Xerxes (LD O'Neill - RIYC); Felix (Michael, Gretta Wallace - RCYC); Tux (Mary O'Keeffe - RCYC).
Class Two: Kodachi (Denis Ellis - Cove SC); Alpaca (Paul, Deirdre Tingle - RCYC); Ruthless (Conor Ronan - Sligo YC); Caesium (Shaun, Kathy Doran - Ballyholme YC); Slack Alice (Shane Stratham - WHSC); Magnet (Kieran, Liz O'Brien RCYC); Wicked (Mark Mendel - RCYC); Thundebird (Denis Coleman - RCYC); Bad Company (Desmond/Ivers /Deasy - RCYC); Yanks $ ffrancs (Vincent O'Shea - RCYC); Allure (Brian Goggin - Kinsale YC); Disaray (Raymond McGibney - Foynes YC); Maximus Paddy Kyne (HYC/WHSC); Zoom (Nicola, Stuart Harris - WHSC); King One (Dave Cullen - Howth YC); No Excuse (Ted Crosbie - RCYC); Aramis (Pat Vaughan - RCYC); Big Deal (Derek Dillon - Foynes Yacht Club).
Class Three: Anchor Challenge (Eamonn Rohan - KYC); Tiger (Neil, George Kenefick/James O'Brien - RCYC); Flashheart (Mike Webb, Tom Bailey - KQYC); No-Gnomes (Leonard Donnery - RCYC); Blackfun (Jamie McDowell - Royal Port Nicholson YC); Running Wild (Sullivan Brothers - RCYC); Whyte Knight (Fergus Coughlan - Cove SC); Bedlam (David Doyle - Cove SC); Junebug (Sarah Hyde, Annette Foley - RCYC); Prometheus (Paul Murray - RCYC); Powder Monkey (Liam Lynch - Tralee Bay SC); Cri-Cri (Paul Colton - RIYC); Jaguar (Gary Fort - Tralee Bay SC); Impacunious (Edward Rice RCYC); Shillelagh (John Twomey - KYC).
Class Four (White Sails): Gaelic Kiwi (Kevin O'Connor - Cove SC); Sundancer (Alan Mulcahy - Kinsale YC); Granny Knot (Michael Sexton - KYC).
Class Five (White Sails): Samba (John Downing - RCYC); Sweet Dreams (Batt, Helen O'Leary - RCYC); Split Point (Seamus Gilroy - RCYC); Xtension (Conor O'Donovan - RCYC); Lady T (Micheal Lynch - RCYC); Molia (Denis Murphy - RCYC); Charisma (Des Lyons, Aine Dunne - KYC); Rythm (James O'Brien - Glandore); Expression (Billy, Hillary Duane - RCYC); Julia B (Bill O'Mahony - RCYC); Phaeton (Clive Doherty RCYC);
