The entry is a feather in the cap of Wicklow organiser Dennis Noonan, who rolled out the double handed division as a trial fleet for the 2004 race.
Golding, one of the UK’s most prolific offshore racers was second in Jacques Vabre transat in 2003 and third in the Vendee Globe, 2004/5.
This will be Golding's first event starting in Irish waters and he will sail Ecover, an Open 60 in which he sailed round the world in 2004, with Graham Tourell on board for the Round Ireland.
In one design news, Irish Paralympic Sonar sailors John Twomey, Brian O’Mahony and Anthony Hegarty have won the Sonar Open Midwinter series this week in St. Petersburg, Florida.
This event was the US qualifier for Beijing, which attracted seven of the top 10 US teams including Athens bronze medallist John Ross, who finished fifth in the regatta.
“This was just the confidence boost we needed,” said helm John Twomey. “It’s the first international event in which we’ve participated since our setback at the Worlds.” Another boat collided with the Irish boat in a practice race the day before the Worlds in Perth in January. This resulted in a hole in the boat and serious injury to Twomey, who is still receiving medical attention for the damage to his arm.
Staying with keelboats, just two years since the introduction of the Etchells class to Ireland, the fleet has now grown to almost 30. The fleet’s second birthday sees the unveiling of its web site, www.etchells.ie, and there’s further cause for celebration with news that a new fleet is to start in Dun Laoghaire, with a strong possibility of another in Cork.
To date all the boats coming in to Ireland have been second-hand, although this year sees Dan O’Grady, Raz Beshoff and Paul Reilly bringing in the first new boat. They will compete in this year’s Worlds in Perth, Australia alongside David Burrows and the Norton brothers, Frank and Jack. Details on second-hand and new boats can also be found on the web site.
In team racing news, University College Cork has tightened its overall grip on the Irish team racing scene with victory in the Intervarsity Championship at Crookhaven in West Cork. The Cork squad of Frederick Cudmore & Jennifer Cuppage, Alex Barry & Sarah O’Leary, and George Kingston and Teresa O’Rourke saw off Trinity College Dublin in the final.
Sailors are being invited to join a cruise between North Wales and Dublin Bay from June 17 to July 1.
The European-funded ‘Cruise in Company’ trip is being run by North Wales Watersports and the Irish Sea Marine Sector, in partnership with the Irish Sailing Association, to promote cruising opportunities in the waters between North Wales and Ireland. The event is open to newcomers to cruising, as well as old hands.
For entry details, contact Stuart Gibson at North Wales Watersports on 01248 679 008, email [email protected].
The ISA AGM was held in the Lough Derg Yacht Club, Dromineer last weekend. Over 50 club representatives attended at which a resolution was passed to increase its board of directors to ten people and subsequently Peter Crowley (Royal Cork YC), and Alan Crosbie (Kinsale YC) were co-opted onto the board.
