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He has sent out an alert for Géry Trentesaux’s team who plan to use several regattas in these islands in the build-up to their defence of June’s Commodore’s Cup at Cowes. Radio silence from across the channel has done nothing to dent preparations for the SAAB sponsored Cruiser National championships that runs from May 9–16 at Howth, with boats from O’Rourkes home port of Kilrush and the Royal Western YC also expected to push the fleet over the one-hundred mark. This year the emphasis is very much on all-comers, with racing provided for classes zero, one, two and three. Although class zero may yet have international participation, it is certain to feature Ireland’s Commodore’s Cup entries, but it will also be possible to race for championship honours without an endorsed racing certificate under ECHO handicap. There are forty entries to date. Meanwhile, the opening race of the Mathews Chandlery April League at Kinsale was certainly one to blow away the winter cobwebs. To put it a another way, it was a good start to the sailmakers’ repair service for the season. The forecast was for a blustery southerly breeze with heavy and prolonged thundery squalls – and that is exactly what they got. Right on cue at 12 noon the first rain started to fall. There was an excellent turnout with four fleets sailing and, as usual, Alan Crosbie did the honours as Principal Race Officer, setting the committee off at the mouth of the harbour and using the Black Head as the weather mark. With the exception of two over-eager competitors in Class 2, the fleets got cleanly away. All the boats headed for the right-hand side of the course because of a natural bend in the wind as it swept in around the Old Head. However, it was when the boats started to return on the off wind leg a squall hit the fleet. Some spinnakers were blown and very few were able to carry them. Two notable exceptions being Mariner’s Cove in Class 0 and Zoom in Class 2. On the final leg, when all the boats were turning to finish, the worst squall yet hit the fleet with rain and high wind and the water showing a lot of white. By this stage Mariner’s Cove and Meridian had finished, thus escaping the worst of the weather and leaving the rest of the fleet to battle their way home. Once more it was Zoom that managed to carry her spinnaker all the way back to the finish. It was particularly tough for the smaller boats. Graham Marron’s Starflash, Flashpoint, surfed her way beautifully down the waves but did not do enough and had to be content with second place, with first going to Alan Mulcahy’s Sundancer.