Ten Irish boats from the 41 international entries for the forthcoming BMW J24 European Championships at Howth are availing of the opportunity to practise in the same race area this weekend by competing in the J24 Eastern Championships hosted by Malahide Yacht Club and sponsored by Malahide Marina.

The event will provide six races over two days, with Neil Murphy as Principal Race Officer, and the favourite to add to his string of titles will be Flor O’Driscoll on ‘Hard on Port’, who recently retained the national championship at Lough Erne.

Among those expected to challenge that supremacy are former champion Stefan Hyde and Howth’s Fergus O’Kelly while John Murphy and Martin Darrer in the recently-acquired ‘Sayonara’ could also be in contention. The forecast for the weekend is for fresh south-westerlies which will test the fleet fully in advance of the Europeans which start on September 12^th.

That event has attracted 41 entries with the latest entrant from Hungary bringing to nine the number of nations represented at that major championship. Seven of the top eight finishers in the recent UK J24 Nationals in Weymouth are travelling for the event, with a multi-national crew on ‘Reloaded’ (Mark Penfold) sailing under the US flag.

Entries for the BMW J24 European Championships, to be hosted by Howth Yacht Club in two weeks’ time, have now reached the 40-boat mark from eight nations, making for an impressive fleet when racing starts on September 12^th.

Irish and British entries account for 13 boats each, there are eight from Germany and two from Italy, while Holland, USA, France and Greece each have one representative.

“We are delighted with the entry level,” said Organising Committee Chairman Derek Bothwell. “Forty boats represent 200 sailors plus additional numbers with family members in Howth for the event, so it is a major occasion in every respect.” A social programme has also been arranged to keep the visitors entertained after racing each day.

Flor O'Driscoll's Hard on Port will be sailing in Howth

The 10-race series starts on Monday 12^th under the control of PRO David Lovegrove and his team, and is preceded by three days of registration and measurement and a practice race on Sunday 11^th.

Irish entries will have the opportunity of extra practice on the European race track the previous weekend when neighbouring club Malahide YC hosts the J24 Eastern Championships over two days