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Mark Mansfield

Mark Mansfield

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Four-time Olympian Mark Mansfield is a Professional Sailor. More on Mark here

Read Mark Mansfield's pick of the top race yachts on the market next season below
Olympian and Sailing Coach Mark Mansfield runs through the options available for an owner looking to buy a new boat for racing in the 30 to 50-foot range and picks his top 15 from the market Having sailed in numerous…
A clean Class One start at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta under International Race Officer Bill O'Hara from Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough. As well as being an Olympic sailor himself, O'Hara has officiated at the Volvo Ocean Race and the Olympic Games
Olympic helmsman Mark Mansfield, who is now a sailing coach, provides some sailor-focused thoughts for Race Officers Over the past few years, I have been competing in various sailing events throughout Ireland, the UK, Europe and the USA. Very often…
There's a great line up of 2020 IRC sailing fixtures already lined up
Irish Olympic helmsman Mark Mansfield picks his big (and smaller) events coming up for the Irish cruiser classes in 2020 The 2019 season is only just coming towards its end and already owners and crew are looking ahead at what…
Outrageous—J109 on her way to class win at Sovereigns Cup 2019 using Carbon Uni Titanium main and headsail
Olympic sailor Mark Mansfield who is an agent for UK Sailmakers Ireland offers his five top tips for those looking at buying new sails this year. 1. Correct Size Sails Make sure the new sails are the correct size. IRC…
The J109 'Outrageous' with UK Uni Titanium Main and Non overlapping J1 headsail —notice how far inhauled it is
Olympic keelboat helmsman Mark Mansfield of UK Sailmakers Ireland discusses headsail options  If you go back 20 years, or even 15, most designs coming out had large overlapping (headsail goes outside the shrouds) headsails to give them power in the light airs.…
Scottish Series fleets were generally small in the IRC classes, except the RC35 class
Cork Harbour Olympic helmsman and Sailing Professional Mark Mansfield competed in May's Scottish Series and gives his views on the fleet at Tarbert. I raced as tactician on Stuart Cranston's new acquisition, The Ker 32, Hijacker from Strangford Lough. This boat was previously Checkmate which…
George Sisk's Farr 42 'Wow' from the Royal Irish Yacht Club going fast downwind in an ISORA race on Dublin Bay
Four-time Olympic Helmsman, Sailing Coach and Agent/Consultant for UK Sailmakers Ireland, Mark Mansfield explains how the Helm and Trimmers on larger keelboats and cruisers should be in continual communication to go fast on the race course Following on from the…
XP44 "Maestro" – 1st place Corinthian Division at the 2018 ORC European Championships
Recent orders from some of Ireland’s largest racing yachts have made for a busy winter period for the UK Sailmakers Ireland team writes Mark Mansfield. Last year the Farr 43 “WOW” and the new J121 “Jackhammer” were feature boats for UK Sailmakers Ireland;…
The Beneteau 31.7 race boat 'Indigo' competing on Dublin Bay. The Summer racing season is less than 100 days away so now is the time to prep your boat for the 2019 season says sailing coach Mark Mansfield in his top tips article below
Following on from his top tips articles for upwind and downwind helming techniques, UK Sailmakers Ireland agent and sailing professional/coach Mark Mansfield gives tips for prepping your race boat for the sailing season ahead. Tip #1—Improve Bottom Finish So many…
The Farr 42 Wow sailing downwind after a reaching start to an ISORA race on Dublin Bay
Olympic Helmsman Mark Mansfield, who is a Consultant for UK Sailmakers Ireland, gives his ten top tips on sailing fast – and in control – downwind. This article follows his previous tips on upwind helming Tip #1 Downwind steering in strong winds, while running,…
Author Mark Mansfield on the helm of a J109 at the start of the 2016 Round Ireland Race from Wicklow
Mark Mansfield, racing consultant and agent for UK Sailmakers Ireland, gives Afloat.ie readers ten top tips on helming techniques. It's an area where he has extensive experience, having competed in four Olympic Regattas, over 30 World and European Championships in various…
Brian and John Hall's J109, Something Else from Dun Laoghaire
Mark Mansfield, Professional sailor and UK Sailmakers Ireland agent, goes through some tips for improving your boat rating relative to its speed. Mark has been involved in many campaigns and projects from Quarter Tonners, Half Tonner, J109’s, Commodores Cup boats,…
Asymmetric or Symmetric? Which Spinnaker Type to Use & How To Set It
Sailing Professional Mark Mansfield, who is a Racing Consultant with UK Sailmakers Ireland, goes through the different spinnaker sail options and how to set and control each of them. This is the latest in a series of information articles produced…
Top performers adjust their standing rigging (shrouds and forestay) for every five knots of wind
In his first article in the ICRA /  UK Sailmakers Series, Racing Consultant Mark Mansfield wrote about tuning a fractionally rigged mast. His second article featured changing gears in different wind conditions while racing. In this final article, the four time Olympic helmsman…
A well set–up Beneteau 31.7 racing on Dublin Bay. There are good gains to be made in adjusting the rig regularly – read how how to set up the mast and sails for best performance upwind in different wind conditions below
Mark Mansfield, Racing Consultant for UK Sailmakers Ireland, previously wrote about tuning a fractionally rigged mast. In this latest article, in association with ICRA, the four time Olympian describes how to set up the mast and sails for best performance upwind in…
The Waterford A35 yacht Fools Gold, winner of the 2017 Sovereign's Cup and Welsh IRC Championships
People seem to think that tuning a fractional rig is very difficult. In reality, it is not that hard as Mark Mansfield, Professional sailor and racing consultant/agent for UK sails Ireland, describes below in the first part of a series of 'How To'…
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