J/24 World Championship Starts in Howth, Ireland

The BMW J24 World Championship, which has attracted 40 entries form 10
countries, gets underway in earnest at Howth Yacht Club tomorrow (Monday 26th)
with the first two races in the week-long event.

A practice race today on the water’s between Lambay Island and Ireland’s Eye in light
northerly/north-westerly winds saw half the fleet fail to complete the course,
as is customary, while former Irish Champion JP McCaldin from Lough Erne took
line honours ahead of Japanese entry Koji Matsumoto and G. Bonanno of Italy.

Among the favourites for the World title are defending champion Mauricio
Santa Cruz (Brazil), Ian Southworth (GB), Tim Healy (USA) and Luis Olcese
(Peru). Eleven Irish crews qualified for the event, with the young Howth U-25
crew on ‘Euro Car Parks Killcullen’, the new Irish champions, heading the local
challenge.