Irish J/24 Waterways Ireland Western Championships - Preview
by Michael Clarke 4 Apr 2005 21:23 BST
23-24 April 2005
Michael McCaldin and crew in Murder Picture have won the Irish J/24 Western Championships on numerous occasions © Irish J / 24 class
Fermanagh’s Lough Erne YC will host the Waterways Ireland J/24 Western Championship, on the weekend 23 & 24 April. This is the first of six big events in Ireland’s busy J/24 keelboat circuit, where the J/24s enjoy similar growth in activity and fleet size as in Britain and indeed world-wide.
Up to 20 boats and 100 sailors are expected on this scenic lake in North West Ireland, with boats from Dublin Bay, Belfast and Strangford Loughs on the coast, and from Loughs Neagh and Ree inland, trailed by road to join the local J/24 fleet, at the start of its 22nd racing season at Lough Erne YC, a Club that has hosted an annual J/24 event in almost all of those years. Local hero, Michael McCaldin, in Murder Picture, will hope again to emerge Western Champion.
There are 65 J/24s in Ireland. Up to 45 of them take part in Ireland’s six J/24 Championships, which will also include the Baily Bowl on Dublin Bay, 14 & 15 May, Eastern, Carlingford, 11 & 12 June, Northern, Carrickfergus, 30 & 31 July, and Midland, Lough Ree, 1 & 2 October.
Waterways Ireland also sponsored the Irish National J/24 Championship in 2003. A record 30 boats were at the Silver Anniversary 25th Irish National J/24 Championship in August 2004. Ireland’s 26th National J/24 Championship will be hosted by the National YC on 19–22 August.
The J/24 Association of Ireland is a part of the world’s most widespread and numerous keelboat class with J/24s in most yachting nations, and local fleets like Lough Erne’s on lakes and coasts world-wide. Likewise, the International J/24 World Championship rotates world-wide. Conveniently it will be in Britain this September where six J/24 helmsmen will represent Ireland.