Fitzpatrick stays in contention

SAILING/Round Up: Howth's  Tom Fitzpatrick lies third overall in a world class fleet at the Sail Melbourne regatta this morning despite the replacement of regular crew Frazer Brown. David O'Brien reports.

Fitzpatrick, with Australian Euan McNichol - 29er world champion - on board, immediately notched two race wins in the 15-race series on Port Phillip Bay.

Brown and Fitzpatrick are the sole Irish 49er trialists for Athens but in a setback for the campaign, a bruised kidney, sustained in training, will keep Brown out of the high performance boat for a significant amount of time in Australia.

The pair were in their third month of intensive training and competition in Australia - a plan aimed at giving them a solid grounding before the start of the European circuit in two months' time.

The injury problem is compounded by the fact that the six-day event is the only Southern Hemisphere International Sailing Federation (ISAF) grade one regatta.

Italian brothers, Pietro and Gianfranco Sibello, have taken an unassailable lead in the 49er class. They finished 2-1-3 yesterday for a total of 17 points, and are trailed by Chris Nicholson and his crew Michael Blackburn, who are on 26 points after a 1-3-1 score yesterday.

Fitzpatrick and McNichol finished yesterday with an 8-2-5 result for 35 points.

The 49er's continue tomorrow on their windward/leeward courses with a final two races.

Elsewhere, a new prestige open class which will be introduced at this year's Ford Cork Week should end pot-hunting at the event.

Following victories for race boats in the top four classes at the last running of the event, the race committee has decided to separate all grand prix race boats from IRC (International Rule Club) handicap boats, and put them in a class of their own.

For both cruiser-racers and grand prix yachts at Cork, this will provide the maximum-sized class for their own type, the very best racing and the fairest chance of success.

The Cork committee, with the help of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), has devised a formula for an IRM (International Rule Measured) Class that applies to boats between nine metres and 16 metres in overall length. It is based on DLR (Displacement to Length Ratio) of 145 or lighter, a hull factor of 10.4 or racier, and an age of 1995 or younger.

This will include all the recognised grand prix raceboats: the Farr 52, IC45, Ker 11.3, Farr 40 and the new Ker 9.8, as well as one-offs like Peter Morton's Mills 50, Stephen Bailey's IRM-optimised Sydney 40, Jason Ker's one-offs Roaring Meg and ShakerMaker II, Stimpson's new IRM 41 and the new Corby 48, building for Richard Matthews.

Cork's move will ensure that all the grand prix raceboats compete together in a spectacular class of up to 50 boats.

Peter Morton, head of Farr International, UK, welcomed the development, saying: "If other regattas do the same thing then IRM will be successful and IRC can be given back to those it belongs to - the club production cruiser/racer."

Top racing boats that do not automatically come into IRM under the Cork formula, such as Corby's other one-offs Nokia (ex Barlow Plastics) and Gloves Off, will be invited to join the grand prix racing fleet.

Concerns that some IRC racers might be forced into the IRM class, where they may be uncompetitive, are unfounded, since boats may apply for dispensation if they feel that they have been unfairly treated.

The IRM class association has also proposed to Cork that it excuse professionals in IRM class, the ISAF Sailor Classification required for the other classes at Cork. This will assist Cork in achieving its desire that professionals sail in a separate class.

The main corinthian competitor fleets require Group One and Two ISAF Classification for all crew by May 1st.