#icra – A series of feeder races to Kerry for the 2013 Irish Cruiser Racer Association (ICRA) Nationals at Tralee Bay Sailing Club (TBSC) could swell numbers to 70 boats or higher for the Fenit event according to estimates coming from ICRA's annual conference in Kilkenny on Saturday. PDFs of the Notice of Race, entry form and event advert and flyer are available for download below.

The major event for Fenit Bay next season will be preceded by the WIORA West Coast Championships (June 12 - 14th 2013) and as both events will be staged in the same week along with a shore based family based Sea Breeze festival, the Kingdom is preparing for a big celebration of sailing 'craic' next Summer.

TBSC are also aiming to contribute to 'The Gathering' initiative by inviting overseas crews to sail back home for a racing week in the most westerly port in Europe.

Championship organiser Brian O'Sullivan previewed the June 13-15 event for the ICRA delegates on Saturday and there was a lively discussion on making the national championship a no-discard event as well as writing new alternative on the water penalties into this year's sailing instructions.

O'Sullivan confirmed feeder races will include the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle (D2D) race (June 8th) with D2D race organiser Martin Crotty offering to accommodate as many ICRA racers for the 180–mile race from the National Yacht Club. Races from Galway and Cork have also been designed to encourage as many boats as possible to head west.

Estimates indicate that a 40-boat WIORA fleet will be supplemented by at least 30 or more Dublin and Cork visitors giving respectable championship fleet sizes.

Although ICRA and Fenit organisers concede the remote location from the big Dublin cruiser fleets might be an obstacle on reasons of cost in the current climate, the decision is nevertheless in keeping with ICRA's ethos of sharing the championships around the coast on a yearly basis. (The next championships is scheduled for Dun Laoghaire at the Royal Irish YC in 2014).

Course types were also discussed on Saturday. Research from the 2012 ICRA championships in Howth showed cruiser racer fans are split on course types. Some favour windward leeward courses but others are keener on round the cans course configurations. International Race Officer Alan Crosbie will lead the race management team on the water.

A mix of courses produces more accurate results under the IRC handicap rule and as there appears to be a ground swell away from pure windward-leeward courses the intention in Fenit is to run three separate course types over the two seven race WIORA and ICRA series from Brandon Point to Kerry Head.

#KERRY SAILING – Tralee Bay Sailing Club will honour Sophie Browne's dinghy sailing exploits at its Fenit clubhouse in County Kerry on March 16th.

The special TBSC Supper Party will kick start the 2012 sailing season and the New Zealand exploits of 14-year-old Sophie Browne at this year's Optimist dinghy world championships will be recounted.

Browne finished ninth overall and was rewarded a home with the January Sailor of the Month Award.

According to commodore Jacqui Browne many TBSC members would not have been in touch with the club since sailing ended last year, so this is a wonderful opportunity for Oppy sailors, dinghy sailors, keelboat sailors, crew members, friends and family to come along and meet up and have a chat about the upcoming events organised in this years sailing calendar.

There will be a cold buffet served on the night as well as a slideshow.

#SAILOR OF THE MONTH – Sophie Browne of Tralee Bay and Royal Cork is Afloat.ie/Irish Independent "Sailor of the Month" for January after taking the Silver Medal in the Girls Division in the Optimist Worlds in New Zealand. She added it to the Gold in the Girls, and fourth overall, which she won from an enormous fleet in the last major European regatta of 2011, at Palma, Mallorca in December.

Sophie in action abroad in Palma (top) and at home

It's some going when you're just fourteen. Sophie is back at school now, trying to make up for lost study time. But if she gives it the same total dedication she put into each sailing campaign during recent years, she'll sail into a good leaving cert in due course.

Dedication is the name of the game, and the Browne family in Tralee are a byword for it. Normally, the adjudicators for the Sailor of the Month are very reluctant to make the award to the most junior helms. They grow up so quickly, there's something ephemeral about it all.

But even at only fourteen, there's nothing ephemeral about Sophie's success. Other kids may think too much about the glitzy side of championships, but Sophie Browne is well aware of the sheer hard work and unglamorous dedication which goes into that podium place.

After the big regatta in Palma in December, the European Optimist squad went out to New Zealand with high hopes. But the pre-Worlds and the Worlds were salutary experiences. Thoughtful observers were well aware of the rising talents of southeast Asia, and South America too, as well as New Zealand and Australia, but for most it was a daunting learning experience.

It's Singapore which is most clearly setting the pace. Kimberly Lim from the vibrant city-state was both top girl, and the new world champion. Sophie Browne was second in the girls, but was back in 13th overall. Yet she was still one of the best of the Europeans – the top British sailor, for instance, was back in 21st.

It's the first time a 14–year old helm has taken the monthly sailor title. We've had younger sailors sharing a title as crews on a Mirror dinghy, but this is the first driver. And we're certain sure it won't be the last we'll hear of Sophie Browne of Tralee Bay in international sailing.

#NORTH SAILS SEMINAR – US Sailmaker Bill Gladstone of North Sails returns to these shores for a nine stop lecture tour of Ireland starting this Saturday at the country's biggest club, the Royal St George YC in Dun Laoghaire. Gladstone was last here in 2009 and the series proved popular. From Dun Laoghaire the North Sails seminar heads West to Galway Bay. The full schedule is below.

Gladstone has been teaching sailing and racing for over 30 years. Topics this week, for the €20 pay at the door event, include starting tactics, upwind trim, wind shift Strategy to spinnaker trim and handling.

For more information, contact the club, Maurice O'Connell ([email protected] / 086 2364200) or Nigel Young ([email protected] / 087 2514434)

2012 SEMINAR SCHEDULE

Royal St George Yacht Club.....28 January 2012
9:30 am - 1:30 pm
National Yacht Club..................30 January 2012
7 pm - 11 pm
Galway Bay Sailing Club...........31 January 2012
7 pm - 11 pm
Tralee Bay Sailing Club...........01 February 2012
7pm - 11pm
Royal Cork Yacht Club.............02 February 2012
7pm - 11pm
Kinsale Yacht Club...................03 February 2012
7pm - 11pm
Royal Irish Yacht Club.............04 February 2012
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Howth Yacht Club....................06 February 2012
7pm - 11pm
Royal Ulster Yacht Club*......... 07 February 2012
7pm - 11pm

Pay at the door. €20 per person. *RUYC £18 per person.

To add to the festivities Tralee Bay Sailing Club are delighted to welcome anyone next Sunday between 2pm-5pm who would like to try out a range of water based activities for free!

Just come along to Tralee Bay Sailing School opposite the beach parking area in Fenit to see the range of water craft we have for you to try out. We will have kayaks, dinghies, motor-boat ribs and some larger cruising boats available for the afternoon. You will also be able to find out more information about the range of sailing & kayaking courses we offer throughout the summer from June to August inclusive.

Our Clubhouse will also be open where you can sit and relax with some refreshments from our bar whilst also enjoying the wonderful views Tralee Bay has to offer.

For further information contact:

Jacqui Browne 087-2610447 or Diarmuid Dineen 087-2531083

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.traleebaysailingclub.com

The IODAI Optimist Trials concluded in Dun Laoghaire this weekend at the Mitsubishi Youth Regatta with a fine win for Sophie Browne. The Tralee Bay Sailor raced a consistent series with blinding boatspeed to pip long term leader Sean Donnelly (NYC). The purpose of the trials is to select teams to represent Ireland at the World, European and German Championships. The Royal Cork continued its recent history of fine results with 7 of the 18 available places being filled by club members.

By winning the trials, Browne has now taken up the option of travelling to New Zealand in December 2011 to represent Ireland at the Optimist World Championships.

The following sailors were selected by the trial process to represent Ireland at the European Championship which will be held in Portugal in July 2011: Sean Donnelly, HYC, Peter McCann RCYC, Harry Whitaker RCYC, Eoin Lyden RCYC, Jil McGinley RCYC Cliodhna Ni Shuilleabhain KYC and Megan Parker SSC

The team selected to travel to the German National Championships include Robert Dickson HYC , Daire Cournane KYC, Sean Waddilove Skerries SC, Richard Hogan HYC, Adam Hyland RSGYC, Ronan Cournane KYC, Sean Gambier Ross KYC and Fergus Flood HYC, Aoife Hopkins and Alacoque Daly Tralee Bay SC.

In addition 10 sailors were chosen for the Irish under 12 squad who will compete in the Optimist UK National Championships.

Glen Cahill and the crew of the J109 Joie de Vie from Galway Bay Sailing Club were crowned overall winners of the West Coast Super League 2010 in both IRC & Echo at the prize giving held last Saturday night at Foynes Yacht Club.

The Murphy Marine Services sponsored league was an extracted series of seven events on the West Coast of Ireland and is organised by the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association with the help from various clubs involved which where Galway Bay Sailing Club, Tralee Bay Sailing Club, Clifden Boat Club, Foynes Yacht Club and the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland.

Simon Mc Gibney (WIORA Commodore) Glen Cahill, Jennifer Cuddy, Chris Law, Bobbi O Regan (WIORA) Bernard McCarthy. More prizegiving photos below

The events where the Tralee Bay Sailing Club Regatta, West Coast Championships hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club, O'Sullivan Marine 100 Mile Race, Clifden Boat Club Regatta, Galway Bay Sailing Club Regatta, Northwestern Offshore Racing Association Regatta hosted by Galway Bay Sailing Club and Foynes Yacht Club Regatta.

In excess of sixty boats took part in the various events during the League and the final placing where not decided until the Foynes Yacht Club Regatta was completed.

Joie de Vie had a very impressive season wining Class 1 in no less than four of the seven events including the West Coast Championships and fought off stiff competition from Raymond McGibney's Dehler 34 Disaray from Foynes Yacht Club, who finished overall runner up in both IRC & Echo and Liam Burke's Corby 33 AWOL from Galway Bay Sailing Club who collected the most competed events WIORA Trophy and Rob Allen's Corby 36 Mustang Sally from the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland.

Results after all seven events completed -

Overall IRC & ECHO

Overall IRC & ECHO Winner – Glen Cahill's J109 Joie de Vie Galway Bay Sailing Club

Overall IRC & ECHO Runner up - Raymond Mc Gibney Dehler 34 Disaray Foynes Yacht Club

Class Prize & The most competed events WIORA Trophy

Liam Burke's Corby 33 AWOL Galway Bay Sailing Club

Class Prize

Rob Allen Corby 36 Mustang Sally Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland

Awol: Bobbi O Regan (WIORA) Nigel Thornton, Noreen Mc Carthy, Simon Mc Gibney (WIORA Commodore)

Disaray Crew: Simon Mc Gibney (WIORA Commodore) Edward Enright, Fionn Mc Gibney, Louise Barrett, Rory Mc Gibney, Bobbi O Regan (WIORA) Raymond Mc Gibney

Mustang Sally: Simon Mc Gibney (WIORA Commodore),  Rob Allen, Bobbi O Regan (WIORA)

Fenit Harbour Company has launched a new website to promote its harbour and marina facilities, one of the most westerly marinas in Europe. Using the slogan, 'Tralee's Hidden Gem', Chairman of the Harbour commissioners, Brian O'Sullivan outlined plans for the harbour and its 'untapped potential' at an official launch at nearby Tralee Bay Sailing Club last Friday. The new website is HERE.