SAILING:For 10 days the eyes of the sailing world will focus on Dublin Bay as young sailors battle for racing glory, writes DAVID O'BRIEN

WITH THE Olympic regatta just around the corner, two events feature on the news calendar for Irish sailing this month – one pointing to the foundation for the sport, the other to its future.

The former sees the 125th anniversary of Dublin’s pre-eminent contribution to the international sport of sailing. Around the world, the modern sport of sailing is governed by rules that were formulated in Dublin in 1874, so it’s no exaggeration to say Dublin Bay is the cradle of yacht racing.

But these were just the racing rules, and there was much more to come from Dublin. A decade or so after that event, in 1887, the world’s first one-design class – the Water Wag dinghy – was produced on these same waters by Thomas B Middleton of Shankill.

The 13-foot Victorian hull is still racing today, a vibrant symbol of how important Dublin Bay waters have been to the development of the global sport.

As the Wags celebrate their 125th birthday, it’s particularly fitting to see another international spotlight for Irish sailing – the staging of the Four Star Pizza World Youth Sailing Championships. For 10 days, the eyes of the sailing world will be concentrated on these waters, as the very best young sailors from across the globe battle for racing honours in what will be the biggest event of its kind ever staged in Ireland.

The designs in use on Dublin Bay this month are light years removed from Mr Middleton’s vision. You only have to peek into a dinghy cockpit to understand how these craft require great skills and a lot of balance. Modern dinghy sailing is complex, with exotic sails, eggshell hulls and an array of controls all required to make these “butterflies of the sea” skim across the surface of the water.

Next Saturday, July 14th, the battle for world championship honours gets under way, and a home team drawn from the main sailing centres of Dublin, Cork and Belfast are hoping a home water advantage can put them in the hunt for medals among a massive fleet of 350 sailors and 63 nations. (See separate Irish Team story.)

The Royal St George Yacht Club is hosting the championship in association with its neighbouring clubs, the National Yacht Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Racing takes place over three different race areas on Dublin Bay – a horse-shoe shaped bay open to the east and about six miles cross which allows for fair racing.

Dublin Bay is subject to tide and although the speed of the current is not excessive, it is often of tactical importance. The bay’s size means it is capable of accommodating large fleets and multiple courses.

Winds are predominantly driven by the North Atlantic weather systems passing over the country, resulting in a prevailing southwesterly breeze giving a range of sailing conditions. However, as any local sailor will testify, the weather in July can bring four seasons in any one day.

Racing is divided into boys’ and girls’ fleets, but there is open racing with mixed crews too. (See panel for schedule of races.)

Open to competitors aged under 19 in the year of the championship (ie, for Ireland, under 19 on December 31st next), the Youth Worlds occupies a unique place in the sailing calendar. Simply getting to the championship is a major achievement for most as entry is limited to one boat per nation per event, meaning sailors first having to win through their national qualification series.

The boats are all fully rigged and supplied by the Dublin competition organisers and there are also disciplines involving single-handed and double-handed boats in windsurfers, catamarans, skiffs and dinghies.

With the experience of reconnaissance visits to three consecutive ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships including Zadar in Croatia, the Irish organising team is charged with delivering a memorable 2012 event on Dublin Bay.

Dún Laoghaire has a reputation for staging top-class events. In 2005, all the waterfront clubs joined together to put Dún Laoghaire back on the sailing map and a combined clubs regatta was organised, aiming to attract thousands of sailors back to the cradle of racing.

It was an instant success and Volvo Dún Laoghaire week is now the biggest regatta in Ireland and one of the biggest across the entire Irish Sea area, with upwards of 400 boats competing.

Brian Craig ran that event in 2005 and he is on the helm again next week with a team of up to 400 enthusiastic volunteers.

Even the title sponsor has a strong sailing connection. Chairman of Four Star Pizza Michael Holland is an avid sailor, having completed many cruises and one voyage from the Arctic to Antarctic.

The hope now among the sailing community is to build on the success of next week’s ISAF event to bring Dún Laoghaire back to the forefront of world sailing so future international events can be staged here too. It’s a nice idea for a sailing harbour that celebrates its bicentenary in 2017.

Mr Middleton would be proud.