Strong winds forecast for Lough Derg means heavy weight crew are at a premium this morning as skippers attempt to gain a late advantage in selecting crew for tomorrow's Waterways Ireland sponsored All Ireland Sailing Championships at Dromineer.

A line up of 16 of the countries top helms have accepted the invitation to compete for the All Ireland title that carries with it a €160 entry fee and a €1,000 damage deposit.

Crews weighing as much as 125kg will be sailing in this weekend's event that does not have a weight limit. A number of the helms moved yesterday to find heavier crew as early forecasts showed westerly winds gusting to 30 knots on Lough Derg.

Skippers can compete in the event with two crew, not necessarily regular ones, making crew changes a possibility.

Boat speeds, especially upwind, can be improved in the selected J80 keelboats by increasing crew weight and hiking the 26-foot keelboats, according to skippers.

Sailing instructions will only issue for the event this morning and it is not known if the organisers will prohibit hiking in the expected fresh conditions.

Although forecasts show strong gusts over the weekend the mean wind speeds appear manageable in the 10-15mph range.

The only hat-trick winner of the event, Royal Cork's Nicholas O'Leary will not be defending the title. Names of the 16 invitees, drawn from dinghy and keelboat classes, were published two weeks ago. Among those attending is O'Leary's father Anthony representing Cruiser Class Zero and his Crosshaven club mate, the 2011 1720 National Champion Mark Mansfield, a past winner of the event.

As earlier reported on Afloat.ie Nicholas O'Leary is one of 12 invitees – either national champions or top ranked sailors – who are unavailable to attend. Only 16 of 28 invitees accepted the invitation by the entry deadline.

The 16 competing helms are: