In the past month stopover ports have also been confirmed in India and China and the USA but ports were only awarded the lucrative stopovers if they could first guarantee an entry in to the race.
Bourke is particularly pleased in securing Galway – giving the race an Atlantic sprint leg from Boston.
The Irish project admit that building the fastest monohull boat in the world to a tight timetable will be no mean feat.
Durability will be a key factor to consider this time round. In the 2005/6 race two boats were out of Leg 1 on the first night while another limped on with damage.
Typically there is a six-month design process and a nine month build on the 70–footer.
The 2008 race starts from Alicante, Spain in October 2008.
In the Southern Ocean in 2006 keels gave big problems, with another boat hitching a ride on a ship and one going back for structural repairs – only to be dismasted later. But for the rest of the fleet, speeds were phenomenal and a second 24 hour world monohull record was lodged.
Build costs range anywhere between 3 to 8 million Euro depending on options. Design research work for an Irish boat has already been completed: the team have a designer in mind. The boat ideally needs to be in build by this October. The boat could be built here or abroad. The builder of the winner of the last race ABN Amro was Killian Bushe of Crosshaven in Co. Cork.
In his third visit to the city in six months, Bourke will be flown over Galway bay by helicopter as part of sitec inspection before meeting Galway businessman John Killeen, chairman of successful bidders 'Let's Do It Ltd.'
The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) has admitted it is struggling to cope with the workload involved in processing ECHO and IRC applications. The backlog – of up to five weeks – has become a source of early season frustration for classes in computing handicap results that may now need to
be back-dated.
In a letter to clubs CEO Herry Hermon has promised to quickly 'relieve the situation' with the appointment of additional staff.
Resolution of the problem cannot happen fast enough: one hundred boats in four divisions will race for national handicap honours at the Saab Irish Cruiser Racer National Championships in Crosshaven in just under a month's time.
Three times winner of Division One Anthony O'Leary will be back in action – but in a new boat and in a new division – when the regatta kicks off on his home waters at Royal Cork; it runs from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th June.
Adding spice to the fleet will be a huge cross-section of cruisers including 12 boats from Ireland's 2007 Commodore's Cup team.
Twenty-five boats are coming from the West coast including Simon McGibney's
championship winning boat ‘DisaRay’.
Yesterday, (Thursday) the association announced a five boat squad (see panel) for an Olympic dress rehearsal event that takes place in Qingdao, China this August. But there was no nomination for the Laser because of the poor string of Irish results posted so far in the single-handed class.
With only 15 months to go the Olympic regatta itself the ISA have extended the deadline until after the Laser European championships to see if either Ballyholme's James Espey or Dun Laoghaire's Roger Craig can make a finish in the top 16 nations.
In less than a month's time 75% of the nation places at the 2008 Olympic games come up for grabs at the ISAF World Championship (28th June – 13th July) which takes place in Cascais, Portugal.
Ireland could be represented in up to six classes but only a top result in Cascais, at what is typically a very windy venue, will confirm this.
The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Week fleet has reached 435 boats to date and it's the newest class on the bay that is boasting the biggest numbers.
The SB3 sportsboat has attracted 45 entries for its class start in the biennial regatta that runs from July 12th – 15th.
The next biggest single fleet of the 20 racing classes racing is the Fireball dinghy with 30 boats.
2007 Pre-Olympic squad
Debbie Hanna: Laser Radial class
Russell and Matt McGovern: 49er class
Gerbil Owens and Phil Lawton: 470 class
Tim Goodbody: Finn class
Star: Maurice O'Connell and Ben Cooke
