Commodores' Cup victory of 1978 remembered

SAILING:AS IRISH sailing prepares to honour the team that brought the Commodores' Cup home after a 10-year wait, the fact Ireland previously won the cup 32 years ago will be news to many involved.

It turns out a single Irish team won the event in 1978 beating an English team, the only other entry that year.

What amounts to a lost chapter in the history of the cup reveals Ireland’s long-standing love affair with the top prize in cruiser-racing.

The 2010 achievement is being celebrated on November 13th at the Irish Cruiser Racer (ICRA) Conference in Cork and at a gala dinner in honour of the team at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven that night.

After mounting multiple teams, considered favourites going into the 2006 and 2008 events but failing to win either, the Royal Cork boats Antix, Marinerscove.ie and Roxy VI secured the cup in August.

The win is the highlight of the sailing year and it is the centrepiece of an action-packed conference that will reflect on a job well done, the same as in 1978.

Back then the Commodores’ Cup was also staged in Cowes. It was hosted by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. Only two teams registered, Ireland and England, so it became a match-racing event. The teams consisted of a One Tonner, a Three Quarter Tonner and a Half Tonner in the existing rating bands of the day.

The Irish team consisted of Jack Connor’s Sheer Magic, from Carrickfergus, Poppy, a contention 33, on charter from John Deans to Pat Donovan and Silver Shamrock skippered by Harry Cudmore.

The English team consisted of Green Highlander, Samsara and Red Hot Granny.

Crew line-up included Cork sailmakers John and Des McWilliam and Dick Gibson.

The races consisted of three inshore races, one middle distance and the event culminated in a channel race, similar to today’s event.

The ICRA conference takes place at Carrigaline Court Hotel in Carrigaline, Co Cork. The conference, with sessions from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, will take in all aspects of cruiser racing.

The final report of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board into the loss of the brigantine sailing ship STV “Asgard II ” on September 11th, 2008, will be published this morning.