Key Yachting Ltd has announced that four-time Olympian Mark Mansfield, has been appointed the representative in Ireland for their four ranges; J Boats, Grand Soleil, Nautitech Catamarans, and Tofinou.
Key Yachting is the sole agents for these performance brands in the UK and Ireland and has not had a specific Irish agent for a number of years.
New Grand Soleil 48 Performance
Marie-Claude Heys, MD of Key Yachting said “We are really excited to have Mark join the Key Yachting family. Mark already knows and sails with many of our owners in Ireland, so is perfectly placed to assist them with any technical issues, and of course, help them upgrade their boat when the time comes! Mark is a top sailor and we are hopeful that he will help to sustain the fantastic reputation our J Boats, in particular, have in Ireland.”
J Boats
The premium cruiser-racer range that includes the IRC top-level winner J/112e, the newly launched J/99, and the fastest-growing One Design keelboat in the world, the J/70.
J112e Davanti Tyres
Grand Soleil
A very well known range of top quality Italian produced cruiser-racer and cruising yachts. Recent successes in Ireland on the racing front have come from Frank Whelan’s Grand Soleil 44, Eleuthera which has won nearly everything she has competed in, Nieulargo, the Grand Soleil 40 Owned by Denis Murphy from Royal Cork has also been a top performer, winning both the April and Autumn leagues this year. A number of years ago, the Grand Soleil 43, Quokka, featured on the Winning Irish Commodores Cup Team in 2010. This range combines fast easily driven hulls, with very comfortable cruising interiors.
Grand Soleil Long Cruise 42
Nautitech
The French premium catamaran builder which has recently introduced the Nautitech 46 Flybridge model, which will be exhibited at the January Dusseldorf boat show.
New Nautitech 46 Flybridge
Tofinou
Tofinou Yachts are a brand of top of the range Day sailors and cruiser racers and will also be showing at the Dusseldorf show.
Mark Mansfield
Mark Mansfield is well known in the Irish sailing and marine market. Following 30 years working in the banking sector, he turned sailing professional/sailing coach/consultant five years ago and has had considerable success in that area. Mark is also an agent for UK Sails Ireland.
Mark has completed in four Olympics and has won at virtually every level in sailing, from numerous 1720 titles to European wins in the Star and IRC Europeans, and Irish Champion of Champions. Mark has achieved success at virtually every IRC Regatta around the UK and Ireland including the Scottish Series, UK IRC Champs, Irish IRC Champs, Spi Ouest Regatta, and Dun Laoghaire Regatta.
Mark is a contributor to Afloat and written on many performances and race orientated subjects here
More to follow, but Mark will be on the J Boats and Grand Soleil stands at the Dusseldorf Boat Show from the 18th to the 26th of January. J Boats will be exhibiting the J/70 sportsboat, the J/99 Short Handed IRC Cruiser racer, and the J/112e Cruiser Racer, which is likely the most successful IRC boat over the last number of years in Europe.
Grand Soleil will be exhibiting the new Grand Soleil Long Cruise 42 Cruiser and the 48 Performance, only launched in 2019.
Mark can be contacted at [email protected] and by phone at 00 353 87 2506838.
