Dublin may land Admiral's Cup

Dublin is set to be the big winner when the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) announce the revised format for the next Admiral's Cup on January 9th at the London Boat Show. It is understood that Dublin meets the criteria needed to host the event under its new format.

Officials from the London-based club have declined to give exact details but all aspects of this international team event for offshore racing yachts, including the venue, have been subjected to a radical overhaul.

Having been firmly rooted in Cowes since 1957, a break from tradition would answer calls for a complete revision of the event. Previously, the Admiral's Cup mixed "around the cans"- style races with fixed courses and longer overnight races. The event culminated in the 605-mile Fastnet Race that ended in Plymouth and was considered to be the world championship of offshore racing.

Full details of the new format will be revealed on January 9th and attention is also certain to focus on the composition of the team boats. Options include using an all "one-design" format or mixing in handicapped boats under a particular system.

The new D·n Laoghaire Marina would be a critical factor in deciding to stage the event in Ireland, and other advantages include:

Modern facilities with immediate access to the racing grounds;

Proximity to ports and airports and a capital city;

Four large yacht clubs and an established sport in the area;

Experienced race management teams with proven records for hosting international events.

The Admiral's Cup is a biennial event between three-boat teams representing various nations and was for many years considered the Grand Prix of ocean racing from its heyday in the 1970s and early 80s until a decade ago. More recently, international differences over handicapping systems plus a tired format has seen a decline in entries - resulting in cancellation of this year's contest.

Nevertheless, while numbers gradually fell from a high of 23 teams to an average of seven in recent years, the quality of the competition remained high, attracting the world's top professional sailors racing on boats funded by sponsorship and wealthy owners.

Many of the crews would have an Olympic background mixed with America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race ambition.

Ireland's connection with the Admiral's Cup began in the late 1960s and reached a peak in the 1970s and '80s at the height of the International Offshore Rules (IOR) popularity. Names such as Harold Cudmore, Ron Holland, Archie O'Leary, Hugh Coveney and Denis Doyle became synonymous with the event. The presence of the Irish team in Cowes was considered by locals to be an essential part of the Admiral's Cup and the crews were warmly welcomed as worthy ambassadors for the country during troubled times.

For dozens of talented young sailors, the Admiral's Cup represented a gateway to a full-time career in the yacht racing industry. While the current Volvo Ocean Race has significantly more Irish crew members taking part since 1990, this total of six pales against the record of New Zealand which, from a country of similar proportions to Ireland, has representatives at every level of the industry throughout the world.

Howth's Gordon Maguire was a winning helm in 1989, while in the 1997 Admiral's Cup, Tom Roche's Mumm 36-footer Jameson was the third boat of the victorious United States team. Irish involvement has been maintained in the Fastnet Race and at Cowes Week for numerous club-level boats that continue to collect major prizes.

Ireland remained active at the event until 1995 when high costs and the proliferation of professional sailors saw an end to regular team representation at Cowes.