The normal four-start race sequence will be expanded to five for this Sunday's first race of the impressive 70-boat fleet in the AIB-sponsored DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Dublin Bay.
The 2021 entry of several 40-foot and above entries (including the past double winner, Seamus Fitzpatrick’s First 50 Mermaid V from the Royal Irish Yacht Club) has led Race Organiser Fintan Cairns to consider a fifth gun, for a combined fleet comprising an eclectic mix of sailing cruiser types.
While largely a Dun Laoghaire Habour based event, there are boats coming from as far as Sligo to compete.
The fleet reached its bumper turnout close as the entry deadline was reached this week for the pre-Christmas fixture celebrating its 21st edition.
Joining Mermaid V is former DBSC Commodore Jonathan Nicholson's EL Pocko, a German Frers Puma 42 from the Royal St. George Yacht Club.
Another forty-footer is a former DBSC boat of the year, Patrick Burke's Prima Forte of the RIYC.
While the growth of the big boats might make the Turkey Shoot headlines, equally impressive is the solid number of one design keelboats types joining the short sharp seven-race series.
As well as J109s there are six J80s, eight 1720s and six 31.7s one-design keelboats competing. The J80s include a keen turn out of RSTGYC boats including the all-girl 'Jeorgettes' crew.
John Maybury's National Championship winning J109 Joker II is one of five entered.
There is strong representation too from the offshore fraternity with ISORA's Sunfast 3600s, Hot Cookie (John O'Gorman) and Yoyo (Brendan Coghlan) both in along with the latest 3600 Searcher skippered by Pete Smyth. So is Grzegorz Kalinecki's First 310 More Mischief.
The series is scored under modified ECHO handicap and runs until December 19th with First Gun each Sunday at 10.10 hrs.
The early forecasts for Sunday show west north winds of 15 knots gusting to 20, ideal conditions for cruiser-racing.
The entry fee is €70 and includes temporary membership of DBSC and the Royal Irish Yacht Club who are hosting the Series.