Cruiser fleets lured west

West coast yacht-racing organisers are pointing to what they see as a fortuitous gap in this season's national regatta schedule to encourage most of Ireland's cruiser fleets to go west this summer.

"On top of foot-and-mouth restrictions that may discourage Irish participation in next month's Scottish series, and with neither Cork Week or the Round Ireland Race scheduled in 2001, Irish sailors will have to look elsewhere this year," says Sligo Yacht Club's Tim Corcoran.

Entries to Kinsale Sovereign's Week is also limited to 100 boats and Corcoran has been quick to use the capping of the south coast's premier event to suggest three west coast alternatives to lure visitors from the east and south coasts this year.

Between them, the three-day Northwest Offshore Racing Association (NORA) Championship on Clew Bay, the Westport and Fenit Feeder Race (108 miles) and the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association (WIORA) Championship on Tralee Bay - all on successive weekends - provide more than enough excuse to travel.

The first big event of the year, the NORA regatta from June 29th to July 1st, takes place at Rosmoney outside Westport. Run by Mayo Sailing Club, advance entries indicate over 40 boats will be joining last year's winner, Martin Reilly's First 31.7 Extremity from Sligo.

The WIORA regatta, held from the new Fenit Marina from July 11th to 14th, looks set to attract a considerable entry this year.

With just one weekend between NORA and WIORA, a feeder race has been set up to encourage the fleet south from Mayo to Kerry. Starting at Rosmoney on Friday, July 6th, boats should finish at Fenit on the following day. The feeder race will offer competition under IRC and ECHO.

Spearheading the Sligo fleet are Martin Reilly's First 31.7 Extremity and Seamus Farrell's JOD 35 Eauvation, both of whom have had extensive experience and some success on the Clyde, in Cork Week and in the Howth October league last year.

Mayo's fiercely competitive fleet will be headed by Robin Smith's First 30E5 Rockabill, John Gordon's First 30ESM Aurora, John Lambe's Mustang 30 Addict and Ian Gaughan's faithful GK29 Privateer.

Galway, of course, fields the indomitable GK34 Joggernaut (Donal Morrissy and friends), Niall Quinn's Sigma 33 Finesse and a chasing pack of pretenders sailing Formula 28s, Boleros and Impalas.