Howth may like to think of itself as the Dingle of the East Coast writes W M Nixon, but for the next three days from Friday June 27th, the Fingal peninsular port is taking aboard a distinct West Cork complexion with the Baltimore 1720 fleet setting the pace in Howth YC’s new Sportsboat Cup.
With a entry list pushing towards the 40 mark, more than a quarter of the total sportsboat fleet will be made up of the 1994–vintage Tony Castro-designed 1720s, the five-man boats which have found a new lease of life with a fleet centred around Baltimore Sailing Club.
Although several of the skippers are every bit as well known as active campaigners afloat from the Royal Cork YC at Crosshaven, the word is that when they sail forth in their 1720s, it’s the holiday place in Baltimore that they’re representing, and there’s no doubting the quality of the racing provided for the 1720s in the wide open spaces of Baltimore Harbour.
In one particular case there’s no doubt who is sailing for where either, with Robert O’Leary’s 1720 clearly named Jacob’s Bar making a point, though his father Anthony – a frontline sailor in 1720s for many seasons – stays firmly with his boat’s longtime name of Antix, now almost a generic term for O’Leary craft.
Anthony O’Leary will be racing his 1720 at Howth. Photo: Robert Bateman
However, although the golden oldies of the 1720 division will be making a fine show, in pure numerical standards it’s the SB20s which top the listings with a fleet of fourteen boats, though that will only get up to full strength as the Howth series morphs into the SB20 Eastern Championship. Names to watch include Olympian Peter Kennedy from the north, while Royal St George YC field a strong contingent including former stars in other classes such as Chris Arrowsmith and Marty Cuppage.
The Howth-based J/80s will be out in full strength, and though the chartering skippers are mainly Howth YC’s own, the net has been spread a bit wider to include Dara McDonagh of Courtown SC. And then the net has been spread a bit wider again with a ruling that, for this event, classic Quarter Tonners and Half Tonners will be seen as Honorary Sportsboats, with racing provided for them.