Three Irish yachts boarded by Customs in the French port of Lorient have been fined for failing to produce proper registration papers issued by their country of origin. Defending the Irish yachtsmen, the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) considers the French action illegal under EU law.
The requirement, if it is to be widely enforced, marks a departure from the previous French policy which has been to accept a normal "Certificate of Identity".
In a strongly worded letter to the French ambassador in Dublin the ISA has sought an explanation and the refund of the fines. Jean Luc Florent, charge d'affaires at the French embassy, told The Irish Times yesterday that he was conscious of the difficulty and had reported the matter to the authorities in Paris.
The problem seems to be over differences in domestic legislation between the two countries. In France certification is compulsory, in Ireland it is voluntary. Currently there is no compulsory registration for pleasure craft in Ireland and the only way of obtaining the papers demanded by Lorient Customs is to undertake full "Part One" registration. This cumbersome process requires extensive documentation which can often run to several hundred pounds and it is almost impossible for older yachts that have had several owners.
According to John Crebbin, chairman of the ISA's cruising committee, the action taken against the three Irish yachts may have been illegal: "We believe that the French are acting in breach of the Single European Act in preventing the free movement of second hand goods. Why they should suddenly become hostile is a mystery."
Royal Cork skipper John Daly, who sailed to Lorient in June, spent three hours at the hands of the Customs: "To say that I was annoyed was a gross understatement - the injustice of the way we were treated, fined and told to leave French waters within 15 days. I won't be going back."
In the course of a three-hour interview Daly rang the ISA using the yacht's mobile phone and secretary-general Paddy Boyd argued on behalf of the Crosshaven crew, but to no avail. After his intervention the phone was inadvertently left on and ISA officials were able to listen in on the threat to seize the Cork yacht.
Meanwhile, on the Irish east coast the six-race Heineken Autumn League reaches its climax at Howth Yacht Club tomorrow with the final race for the 218 boats competing in 10 classes. The most intriguing battle promises to be in Class 0 where the early series lead of Roy Dickson's Cracklin' Rosie has been reduced to just a quarter of a point by host club rival Mustang Sally.
In the 1720 sportsboat class, Robert Dix in Lemon - with a 1.25 points lead - needs to stay close to brother-in-law Richard Burrows in Bond Girl to secure the title.
The Murphys from Dunmore East in Midnight Express are on course for a CHS/ECHO double in Class 1 with 2.50-point and one-point lead respectively over local boats Equinox (John McDonald) and Mystique (Robert and Rose Michael). Changeling (Jameson/McManus) heads the Classic Division. Class 3 is a Howth dominated series with Conor Nolan's Two Step a fraction behind leader Ian Switzer's Gung-Ho. In the Howth Seventeen class, Paddy Cronin's Gladys and the Fitzgibbon/Mulligan partnership in Isobel are contenders for the top place.
Cruisers 2, Puppeteer, Shipman, Folkboat and Squib classes already have winners. Eddie Kay (on CHS), David Lovegrove, Gerry O'Neill, Graham Wilson and Andy Sargent have respectively wrapped up those classes, although the ECHO placings are still to be decided.
