Perfect conditions for first outing

A new light weight Carbon mast helped Howth's Cracklin' Rosie (Roy Dickson) to second overall in the first outing of the 1999 ISORA (Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association) calendar but it wasn't enough to hold off Welsh light air wizard Jackhammer, skippered by Andrew Hall, who held the lead for most of the direct course from Holyhead to Wicklow, leaving Irish sea marks Codling and South India to starboard.

After a short beat out of Holyhead harbour to the turning mark, it was a fast close spinnaker reach and, with a good breeze of around force three from the North West, a fast passage seemed likely.

Corwynt (Gwillym Evans) had an excellent start and first beat and led the fleet initially, but the conditions were perfect for Jackhammer with her powerful assymetric kite and she soon pulled ahead.

Codling mark and the Irish Coast were already close when the wind died away at around 3.00 p.m. making for a very slow and unpredictable last 12 miles. Crews worked hard to keep their boats on the pace, some of them peeling spinnakers as many as nine times, but for most of them it suddenly became a very real possibility that the tide would turn before they reached South India and they would be swept northwards away from Wicklow.

The first three boats managed to get in before the tide changed, with line honours and first place overall going to Jackhammer, followed by Howth's Crackling Rosie and then Corwynt.

In the closing stages Cracklin Rosie made serious gains as Jackhammer wallowed off Wicklow in little wind. They closed the gap from two miles to within 150 yards but it was not enough when the IRC2000 handicap was calculated.

Those who suffered most were the leaders of Class two, becalmed and drifting on the tide, some of them forced to kedge, while the slower boats came up from behind with the breeze, upturning the results. First across the line in Class two was David Cummaford's Converting Machine, who had led all the way after recovering from a disastrous start, but the race on handicap went to Grenade, with Emircedes (Michael Horgan and Peter Ryan) in second place and Changeling (Kieran Jameson) in third.

The second race of the series will take place on Saturday, June 5th from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli.

In Cork Harbour Denis Doyle at the helm of Moonduster won both handicap divisions and picked up two trophies in the first keelboat racing of the summer season at the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Despite light, flukey easterlies, Doyle took the Harbour Rock Cup in IRC2000, beating Harvest Moon (S McCarthy) into second. Doyle took the Never Never Land Trophy beating Ted Crosbie's Tranquility into second.

In a copy cat win Dave Hennessy sailing Luas, won both Class Two handicaps, with Eric Lisson's Sarabande the runner-up.

Staying on the South coast, conditions this week seemed ideal for the start of the season's evening races off Kinsale and despite a fresh start to the club's Ronayne Shipping May Midweek League on Wednesday Class one fell into a hole on the way out to the South East mark and every boat in the fleet was forced to retire.

Flor Riordan's Cheers was back to her old familiar spot at the head of Class two under both handicaps with the McCarthy's MacMagic hot on her heels. Tom Roche's Mardi Gras was third in ECHO (East Coast Handicapping Organisation) and John Twomey's Eithlinn third in IRC2000.

In Class three, John O'Regan's Runaway and Pat Salter's Ragtime battled it out for first position, Runaway beating Ragtime in ECHO and the positions reversed in IRC2000.

A new beach bye law that threatened windsurfing has been amended after a successful campaign by the Irish Sailing Association prior to the regulations coming into force next Friday (May 14th).

The ISA, along with the Irish Windsurfing Association and the East Coast Surfing Association successfully argued that the by-law as it stood would have been tantamount to a ban on windsurfing and sailing within 200 metres of the shore on north Dublin beaches. A sailor contravening the new ruling would have been liable to a fine up to £1,000.

"Further to our submission Fingal County Council have amended the bye-laws to allow these sailing and windsurfing anywhere except specific exclusion zones such as swimming areas" the ISA's Tony Wright said yesterday.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club yesterday announced that eight Challenges had been lodged for the 1999 Champagne Mumm Admiral's Cup which will be contested off the south coast of England, based at Cowes, and taking place between 12. The teams represent: Australia, Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, United States of America and Britain.

The chairman of the Admiral's Cup Management Committee, Terry Robinson, said that he was delighted with the excellent quality of Teams. Two more Challenges were in prospect.