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Greystones J/122 Kaya Takes Early Lead in 12-Boat ICRA Class Zero Championships

3rd September 2021
Kaya, Frank Whelan's J/122 from Greystones Sailing Club was the winner of the first coastal race for Class Zero
Kaya, Frank Whelan's J/122 from Greystones Sailing Club was the winner of the first coastal race for Class Zero Credit: Afloat

It's first blood to Kaya, Frank Whelan's J/122 from Greystones Sailing Club after a closely fought light air coastal race in the ICRA Championships that finished this afternoon under spinnaker on Dublin Bay.

Despite a limp forecast, a relatively solid light easterly breeze prevailed for the impressive 12-boat fleet that has gathered at the NYC for the first cruiser-racer National Championships in two years. 

Much fancied in these conditions were both the debutante Kaya and Royal Cork Yacht Club's Jump Juice but as it turns out, the well-sailed County Down First 40, Forty Licks (Jay Colville) from Royal Ulster squeezed into second place between the pundit's two favourites.

Of course, Conor Phelan's Ker 37 Jump did well to start at all given the extent of the hull repair that was finished only hours before this morning's race start. 

The impressive 12-boat fleet Cruisers Zero fleetThe impressive 12-boat ICRA Nationals Cruisers Zero fleet Photo: Afloat

Another Northern Ireland entry, the Beneteau 40.7 Game Changer from Cockle Island Boat Club took fourth with Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie of the host club in fifth place.

Back in the Game - Jump Juice was back on the water after repairs in time for this morning's first coastal race of the ICRA Championships Photo: AfloatBack in the Game - Jump Juice was back on the water just in time for this morning's first coastal race of the ICRA Championships Photo: Afloat

Results are here. Racing continues over the weekend.

Published in ICRA
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The Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) Information

The creation of the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) began in a very low key way in the autumn of 2002 with an exploratory meeting between Denis Kiely, Jim Donegan and Fintan Cairns in the Granville Hotel in Waterford, and the first conference was held in February 2003 in Kilkenny.

While numbers of cruiser-racers were large, their specific locations were widespread, but there was simply no denying the numerical strength and majority power of the Cork-Dublin axis. To get what was then a very novel concept up and running, this strength of numbers had to be acknowledged, and the first National Championship in 2003 reflected this, as it was staged in Howth.

ICRA was run by a dedicated group of volunteers each of whom brought their special talents to the organisation. Jim Donegan, the elder statesman, was so much more interested in the wellbeing of the new organisation than in personal advancement that he insisted on Fintan Cairns being the first Commodore, while the distinguished Cork sailor was more than content to be Vice Commodore.

ICRA National Championships

Initially, the highlight of the ICRA season was the National Championship, which is essentially self-limiting, as it is restricted to boats which have or would be eligible for an IRC Rating. Boats not actually rated but eligible were catered for by ICRA’s ace number-cruncher Denis Kiely, who took Ireland’s long-established native rating system ECHO to new heights, thereby providing for extra entries which brought fleet numbers at most annual national championships to comfortably above the hundred mark, particularly at the height of the boom years. 

ICRA Boat of the Year (Winners 2004-2019)