Poolbeg mourn tragic loss

SAILINGALTHOUGH A period of great highs is in prospect for Irish sailing over the next two weeks, it has been preceded by tragedy after a coastal race turned to disaster for a Poolbeg crew last Sunday.

On the outskirts of Dublin bay, a 46-year-old Dublin yachtsman (whose name has not yet been released by the club) died last Sunday morning following a man overboard accident on a coastal passage from Wicklow to Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club in Dublin city, the coastguard has confirmed. Other details of the accident and rescue attempt are limited.

The yacht Alannah, a 30-footer, issued a Mayday off Bray Head, stating there was "a man in the water" and a coastguard helicopter was alerted.

Bray Sailing Club also heard the Mayday and responded with its fast rescue craft. Conditions were choppy with a south-easterly breeze of 14 knots.

The Poolbeg Club was staging its annual 25-mile "Codling race" to Wicklow at the weekend. The return leg from Wicklow Sailing Club on Sunday morning was a race for the Seán Whiston Perpetual Cup.

According to the coastguard, a vessel in the vicinity, the Galway hooker Naomh Cronan, recovered the yachtsman from the water and he was transferred to Tallaght hospital by helicopter.

Bray gardai later confirmed the fatality, the first in a yacht race here for over 20 years and now the subject of a Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) enquiry.

Meanwhile, in Dún Laoghaire, 136 SB3s have assembled at the National Yacht Club this morning for Monday's first race of the SB3 World Championships. Billed as the biggest one-design keelboat regatta ever held here, entries are still being taken and some of the latest additions represent Ireland's best hope of success.

Just in is Olympic Star helmsman Peter O'Leary who has teamed up with Beijing team-mate Tim Goodbody. Double Olympic race winner Ger Owens is also sailing. The trio top off a 58-boat Irish fleet that is taking on an established UK fleet of identical size. The balance of the fleet is made up of entries from as far a field as Australia, the United Arab Emirates and the Ukraine.

Officially part Chinese and Dutch, the two Irish entries in the Volvo Ocean race are making their presence felt in Alicante, just two weeks to the first in port race.

Late entry Ger O'Rourke, after a six-day delivery from Cork, was barely off the boat on Wednesday night before daring others to underestimate him. "We wouldn't be here if we didn't think we can win," he said.

It's positive talk from the Limerick property developer with the Dutch sponsor who is the eighth and final entry in the race. And why not? Ireland can claim a quarter of the Volvo Ocean racing fleet. The Chinese-Irish Green Dragon team is taking globalisation further still with a mix of crew and a British skipper Ian Walker.

Finally, the Irish Marine Federation (IMF) has welcomed news that the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is taking on the responsibility of developing the marine leisure sector, but yesterday a department spokesperson maintained the decision to take on this role had not yet been confirmed.

The Department of the Marine's leisure section sank without trace six months ago when the department was split across five other departments.