Paul Ó Riain, one of the country's elite band of sailors who have represented Ireland internationally, is working with Waterways Ireland to create the first All-Ireland Counties Sailing Championship.

He has come up with the idea of a Waterways Ireland Inter-Counties Sailing Championship, which will be held on Sunday, June 26, at the Grand Canal Dock in Dublin.

Waterways has responsibility for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of inland navigable waterways, principally for recreational purposes. It is one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies established under the British-Irish Agreement of 1999.The waterways under the remit of the body are the Barrow Navigation, the Erne System, the Grand Canal, the Lower Bann, the Royal, the Shannon-Erne Waterway and the Shannon Navigation.

"What we intend is to make sailing centre stage in midsummer," he told me. "We are inviting teams from counties throughout Ireland to battle in the heart of Dublin for the first time to see which county has the best sailing team."

The invitation is not limited to clubs only.

"Sailors from around Ireland are invited to form teams composed of a crew of up to 5 people capable of handling a 27ft keel boat, including at least 1 female, to represent their counties in what will be the battle of the sailing tribes and colours of Ireland. We will find out which county is the best. This is the chance to find out. Racing will be in a series of sprint heats of approximately 20 minutes each leading to semi-finals and finals to decide the winner."

With boats constantly in close quarters, both with each other and the quayside walls, this should be a testing and somewhat 'thrilling' experience for the sailors! It should also be an entertaining spectacle for the public with viewing areas on the quay walls and at Grand Canal Square.

The championship will be sailed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A fleet of the 1720 one-design boats, 27 feet in length, will be provided so that teams compete on a level basis, making skill the deciding factor.

The website is www.waterwaysracing.com

This builds on the Liffey Docklands Challenge which initiated sailboat racing on the Liffey near the city centre. The Grand Canal Dock is part of Ireland's inland waterways system and comprises forty-four acres of non-tidal freshwater in Dublin's Docklands. It has its own marina and a watersports centre, with adjacent hostelries and restaurants, as well as the Grand Canal Theatre.

"This event will be a centrepiece in the Docklands Summer Festival," says Paul, who competed in the French single-handed Figaro Race and is one of those developing the Irish Double and Solo Racing Group. The event will be sponsored by Waterways Ireland.

"We are delighted to do so and hope for participation from both North and South, in keeping with our own remit as an All-Ireland inter-governmental agency," said Martin Dennany, the Waterways Marketing Director. "We are looking forward to this historic dock in Dublin becoming a sailing centre for the challenge."