#malahide – Two Malahide sailors, Gemma McDowell and Sarah McKernan, travel to the USA this week to represent Scouting Ireland and Malahide Yacht Club at the William I Koch International Sea Scout Sailing Regatta in Long Beach, California. The two scouts earned the right to compete by winning the Irish Scout Sailing Championship on the Broadmeadows last August.
The biennial regatta will see teams from Brazil, England, Ireland, Finland, Poland, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago square off against their American counterparts from a dozen states in a week of competition in Flying Junior sailboats. Gemma and Sarah will also compete as part of international eight-man crews on board Catalina 37s.
The week-long regatta will end with an awards dinner where America's Cup-winning skipper and philanthropist Bill Koch will present the Koch Cup to the winning team.
Scouting Ireland Sea Scout Commissioner, Stephen Taylor, will travel with the team along with Kate O'Farrell, team manager, and Colum McCaffrey who has coached the team.