Displaying items by tag: Wing Foil

16th April 2024

Royal St George Yacht Club Launch Wing Foil Programme at Dun Laoghaire

To fly over water, almost silently is an amazing feeling. That’s according to Brendan Foley, Wing Foiling Class Captain at the Royal St George Yacht Club. Just this weekend six brand new wing foilers from the Royal St George got their first taste of this extraordinary and fast-growing sport.

Wing foiling, uses an inflated wing held in the hands as a power source and the foiler stands on an oversized surfboard, equipped with a hydrofoil under the board. Once foiling, speeds of 15-20 knots are achievable even by beginners. The speed, portability and low cost of the foiling gear has led to wing foiling becoming one of the fastest growing watersports in the world. So much so that it is under Olympic consideration as a sport for Los Angeles 2028.

The six debutant wingers hail from keelboats, dinghies and many had windsurfing backgrounds. Under the expert tutelage of Francois Colussi of Pure Magic Watersports, all six sailors managed to sail with a wing on an inflatable board and all foiled alongside a boat. The participants were buzzed and exuberant following a fun 2-hour session in Dun Laoghaire. Brendan Foley and Lorcan Little of the host club, both experienced wingers provided coaching and support alongside Francois.

Under the expert tutelage of Francois Colussi of Pure Magic Watersports, all six sailors managed to sail with a wing on an inflatable board and all foiled alongside a boat

Foiling has been growing in Dun Laoghaire over the past 2 years, with the INSS’s Kenny Rumball teaming up with Francois from Pure Magic Watersports to offer lessons. With Salthill beach at the back of the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire is ideally situated for flat water and westerly winds - all very conducive to learning the sport.

The debutant Royal St. George wingers hail from keelboats, dinghies and many had windsurfing backgrounds

The Royal St George is running introduction programmes for members all through Spring and over 50 people have expressed interest in getting into this new sport. Many parents of Oppie and ILCA sailors see the benefit in bringing the highly portable kit to events around the country where they can get on the water while their children sail. The weight of all the kit combined is less than 10kg. Other members are simply drawn by the buzz of foiling and challenging themselves to learn a new water sport.

Irish Sailing has also noted the sport's rapid rise, with Dave Garvey, Head of Training for IS, running instructor courses for wing foiling. The first one is happening this weekend in Kerry at Jamie Knox Watersports. A Dublin-based instructor training is planned for later this Spring.

With the rapid rise in the sport, gear is evolving rapidly, and choosing the right gear can be a minefield. The quick deal on online sites can sometimes lead to getting gear that is either too advanced or too easy. Talking to a Wing dealer in Ireland such as Pure Magic Watersports, Jamie Knox Watersports or Surfdock will allow you to research the correct gear. Also, talk to other wingers who have been sailing for two years or more, as they have great knowledge to share.

If other clubs around the country are interested in developing their own programmes, Brendan Foley is happy to connect and share what they have learned from the Royal St George Programme. For example, using plastic safety boats is much better than using inflatable semi-rigid boats when dealing with hydrofoils, as one member unfortunately found out with a burst sponson! As always, safety is key and again getting lessons from a club, registered school or watersports centre to get started are hugely helpful.

You can get more information on the Royal St George Wingfoil Programme here

Published in RStGYC

Tagged under

Offshore wind

ESB know the importance of offshore wind in tackling climate change and delivering net zero. Ireland has a unique capability given its prime location to take advantage of the potential of offshore wind. ESB are working hard to develop offshore wind projects for the benefit of everyone across society in Ireland and the UK. This includes ongoing engagement with marine users and local communities so ESB can deliver these significant projects.

Offshore wind will play a major role globally in our fight against climate change. It will help to replace energy generated by burning fossil fuels with that from a clean, safe and secure renewable energy source. Ireland’s geographic location on the exposed edge of the Atlantic presents us with a significant opportunity to generate electricity from wind – both offshore and onshore.

Power from onshore wind farms currently provide over one-third of Ireland’s electricity needs. But, whilst its marine area is many times the size of its landmass, Ireland’s offshore wind potential is only starting to be realised. ESB have a coastline stretching over 3,000km but only one operational offshore wind farm – Arklow Bank, with a capacity of 25 MW. In contrast, Belgium’s coastline is only 63km long, but it has already developed more than 2,000 MW of offshore wind. In Great Britain, with a coastline four times the length of ours, offshore wind generation now equates to over 440 Arklow Banks, with an installed capacity of 11,0000 MW as of late 2021.

The Irish Government's target to install 5,000 MW of offshore wind capacity in our maritime area by 2030 is set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021. It also has the objective to source 80% of Ireland’s electricity needs from renewables by the same year. In line with this, ESB is applying its professional and proven engineering expertise to the challenges set within the Climate Action Plan.

ESB are committed to playing a strong role in developing Ireland’s offshore wind potential for the benefit of the people of Ireland. This will be done in consultation with marine users and local communities, and with due care for the marine environment.