New ISA president from Dinghy circles

THE Irish Sailing Association announced yesterday evening that Neil Murphy has been elected president of the ISA by the association's council. The appointment ends weeks of speculation following Roger Bannon's surprise resignation at the end of March.

Murphy has been a vice president responsible for implementing the ISA's new training and coaching programme and was previously responsible for racing and the inshore committee.

He comes from a dinghy sailing background, primarily in the Enterprise class but occasionally sails Lasers as well as being involved in some cruiser racing. He was commodore of Malahide Yacht Club in 1987 and 1988 and has been involved in the ISA since 1989.

Greystones SC's Alan McCracken, who currently chairs the Youth sailing committee responsible for training 2,500 young people annually succeeds Murphy.

The other officers of the association remain Donal Lynch (Glandore Harbour YC) as vice president for boating, and Maria Walsh (Dunmore East) as vice president for racing. Paddy Maguire (Royal St George YC) is treasurer while Riocard O'Tiarnaigh (Sutton DC) continues as honorary secretary.

Roger Ban non has been coopted to serve on council along with Kenneth Ryan. Appointed to the executive committee are Harry Gallagher (SDC) and John Crebbin (R St G YC).

The season continues to gather momentum this week. The first Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association event gets underway tomorrow from Howth to Douglas, Isle of Man. The race is being used by several crews as training for the Round Ireland in less than two months' time.

Keelboat racing on Dublin Bay appears to have been relatively unaffected by the new HSS ferry's arrival. But one unforeseen side effect of the vessel is that while virtually no surface wake is apparent, a considerable undertow from the catamaran's sizeable underwater pontoons is causing problems on the shoreline, particularly at low water.

A surge of water means that boats either launching from slipways or moored alongside can cause intense pitching and unsuspecting persons can be caught off guard. Such is the power of the surging motion that there have been reports of a club launch breaking its lines and a yacht actually grounding during the rise and fall of water.