New venue Howth attracts elite

The highest accolade in Irish Sailing, the coveted Eagle Star `Champion of Champions' title, will be decided at Howth Yacht Club for the next two years after a successful rebirth at the Royal Cork YC. The national authority has announced the new venue as interest grows in the event scheduled for 28th & 29th October.

Returning to Dublin also brings a marked contrast in the craft used to decide the title. While the 1720 Sportsboat worked well in Crosshaven for the 1998 and 1999 events, Puppeteer 22 footers without spinnakers will be sailed by the competitors this year.

In its previous guise, the Helmsman Championship rotated from large club to small and from region to region. Each utilised fleets of one-design boats that were either in plentiful supply at the venue or specific classes would be requested to assist by providing enough boats.

When dinghy classes were used, enthusiasm was muted. With criticism flowing from several sources, change was needed to re-ignite interest. With keelboats permanently in the event formula, few if any refusals are anticipated by the Irish Sailing Association, who reckon that more than the 24 places could be needed.

With a move to keep the event at bigger venues and using boats that can be sailed by a diverse range of sailors, all the elements appear to be in place. The changes are welcome and will address why some class champions used shy away from taking on `the best of the rest'. Whether from fear of comparison or simple unavailability, the net result is that often the true champions deferred their place to another top sailor from that class.

Shying away from the Champion of Champions is understandable. No matter how keen a sailor someone might be, for any amateur to compete against the likes of Mark Mansfield, the defending title holder and a host of other household names, is a challenging prospect.

Extracting a purely athletic attribute from yacht racing can be difficult. A combination of mental and physical agility, something akin to a light aerobics session crossed with a game of Backgammon, broadly describes Sailing.

But Sailing goes further: the skill of seamanship, acquired over a lifetime is frequently the crucial element in determining the success of a sailor. As land-based creatures, we don't naturally take to the water without a considerable sense of achievement for merely returning safely, usually to be discussed at length over a meal or a few drinks.

The social aspect to the sport often confuses the issue for many non-participants. The range of classes sailed in Ireland sees this social aspect in greater or lesser measures depending on the level of competition involved. For the Champion of Champions event, the full gamut is on show for all to see. In a way, the honour of the class is at stake.

This is not to say that the success or otherwise of a competitor in October is proportional to the sociability of their class - far from it.

But for many Irish sailors, their world is their own class, with rivalries and competition as intense as any other class. So when the October Bank-Holiday weekend comes around, on the course off Howth will be the cream of Irish sailing athletes, fresh from Olympic and international competition, Alongside these elite competitors will be the best of Irish club level sailors, racing on an otherwise equal footing and where simply qualifying will be the achievement mark of true champions.