Protest follows Cherokee record

A protest has been lodged against Jeep Cherokee within hours of the 60-footer smashing the Cork Dry Gin Round Ireland monohull speed in a time of 76 hours 23 minutes and 57 seconds. This time beat the 1990 record of British yachtsman Lawrie Smith by over eight hours.

The protest filed by the race officer Fergus O Conchobhair was made against the class one competitor under rule 88.1 of the International Rules of sailing and the sailing instructions because of an alleged failure by the yacht to make a mandatory radio check-in. Checkins are part of the race rules.

Last night skipper Colm Barrington told The Irish Times: "I confirm we called in at every point." Crew member Peter Wilson added that they had experienced problems in contacting coastal radio stations and spent over an hour trying to make contact on Channel 16 at the Fastnet Rock.

The race office confirmed they received no check-in at Eagle Island from Jeep Cherokee. They monitor the progress of the fleet - now reduced to 27 from 38 starters - for race records and safety reasons. The Jeep crew suspect because they gybed offshore - up to 40 miles at times - that they were beyond radio range and later spoke to the race office via mobile telephone according to navigator Brian Mathews.

Race organisers were alerted to the failure of a number of yachts to make the required safety calls to coastal radio stations and hinted last night that other protests could follow.

If the protest is upheld by a protest committee, it will decide on a penalty, as the sailing instructions state that failure to report may lead to "disqualification or other penalties". There was no time supplied on the official notice board for the protest hearing.

Regardless of the outcome of the protest Cherokee's lapsed time record is likely to stand. The crew, whose elapsed time record was confirmed by Wicklow Sailing Club, spoke of achieving speeds of up to 30 knots under asymmetric spinnaker off the west coast. They rounded the Fastnet Rock on Sunday at 6 p.m. and 22 hours later arrived at Tory Island covering a distance of 230 nautical miles. Apart from this incredible run most of the race was spent close hauled.

Mike Slade's Bridgestone F1 arrived in Wicklow two and half hours behind the water-ballasted 60-footer and it was a bitter-sweet homecoming for his Maxi crew. They had achieved their ambition and beaten the 1990 record which in turn had been eclipsed by Jeep Cherokee's new record only hours earlier.

The battle for CHS honours remains open and the Jeep Cherokee crew admitted that despite their huge lead on the water over the fleet, overall handicap honours would inevitably fall to some of the smaller 40-foot yachts now on their last leg of the course down the east coast.

Although details posted were provisional from Inistrahull it appeared that Welsh entrant Tim Little, on board the Sigma 400 Keep on Smiling, is in top place with Dun Laoghaire's Tom O'Connor on the Sunday Times-sponsored Prima 38 second and Little's Welsh club mate David Walters third.

Howth Yacht Club's Cracklin Rosie, a race favourite, had dropped to fourth place. Yachts reported to have retired include White Rooster (J Donegan, RCYC), Chez Youen (Y Jacob, Baltimore SC) Joliba (N Rollo, Wicklow SC) , Banzai (Pwhelli SC), Rebel (G Hanley, Howth YC), Mary P (N Prenderville, Kinsale YC), Army New Age Services (O'Grey, Army SC), Flyover (J Blaney, DMYC), Trinculo of Howth (M Fleming, Howth YC) , Youth Challenge 98 (E McDonald, Howth YC) and Chuckawalla (N Conlon, Mayo SC).