What is the Naval Service?

The Naval Service is the Irish State's principal seagoing agency with "a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements". It is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles.

Where is the Naval Service based?

The Naval Service is based in Ringaskiddy, Cork harbour, with headquarters in the Defence Forces headquarters in Dublin.

What does the Naval Service do?

The Naval Service provides the maritime component of the Irish State's defence capabilities and is the State's principal seagoing agency. It "protects Ireland's interests at and from the sea, including lines of communication, fisheries and offshore resources" within the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Naval Service operates jointly with the Army and Air Corps as part of the Irish defence forces.

When was the Naval Service formed?

The Naval Service was established in 1946, replacing the Marine and Coastwatching Service set up in 1939. It had replaced the Coastal and Marine Service, the State's first marine service after independence, which was disbanded after a year. Its only ship was the Muirchú, formerly the British armed steam yacht Helga, which had been used by the Royal Navy to shell Dublin during the 1916 Rising. In 1938, Britain handed over the three "treaty" ports of Cork harbour, Bere haven and Lough Swilly.

How many ships are in the Naval Service?

The Naval Service has nine ships - one Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV), three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), two Large Patrol Vessel (LPV) and two Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV). Each vessel is equipped with State of the art machinery, weapons, communications and navigation systems.

What are the Irish Navy ship's names?

The ships' names are prefaced with the title of Irish ship or "long Éireannach" (LE). The older ships bear Irish female names - LÉ Eithne, LÉ Orla, LÉ Ciara, LÉ Roisín, and LÉ Niamh. The newer ships, named after male Irish literary figures, are LÉ Samuel Beckett, LÉ James Joyce, LÉ William Butler Yeats and LÉ George Bernard Shaw.

Are Irish Naval Service ships armed?

Yes. The 76mm Oto Melara medium calibre naval armament is the most powerful weapon in the Naval Services arsenal. The 76mm is "capable of engaging naval targets at a range of up to 17km with a high level of precision, ensuring that the Naval Service can maintain a range advantage over all close-range naval armaments and man-portable weapon systems", according to the Defence Forces.

How is the fleet managed and maintained?

The Fleet Operational Readiness Standards and Training (FORST) unit is responsible for the coordination of the fleet needs. Ships are maintained at the Mechanical Engineering and Naval Dockyard Unit at Ringaskiddy, Cork harbour.

Who is the head of the Irish Naval Service?

The Flag Officer Commanding Naval Service (FOCNS) is Commodore Michael Malone. The head of the Defence Forces is a former Naval Service flag officer, now Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett – appointed in 2015 and the first Naval Service flag officer to hold this senior position. The Flag Officer oversees Naval Operations Command, which is tasked with the conduct of all operations afloat and ashore by the Naval Service including the operations of Naval Service ships. The Naval Operations Command is split into different sections, including Operations HQ and Intelligence and Fishery Section.

What is the Intelligence and Fishery Section of the Irish Naval Service?

The Intelligence and Fishery Section is responsible for Naval Intelligence, the Specialist Navigation centre, the Fishery Protection supervisory and information centre, and the Naval Computer Centre. The Naval Intelligence Cell is responsible for the collection, collation and dissemination of naval intelligence. The Navigation Cell is the naval centre for navigational expertise.

What is the Fishery Monitoring Centre?

The Fishery Monitoring Centre provides for fishery data collection, collation, analysis and dissemination to the Naval Service and client agencies, including the State's Sea Fisheries Protection Agency. The centre also supervises fishery efforts in the Irish EEZ and provides data for the enhanced effectiveness of fishery protection operations, as part of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The Naval Computer Centre provides information technology (IT) support service to the Naval Service ashore and afloat.

How are shore operations managed?

This headquarters includes specific responsibility for the Executive/Operations Branch duties. The Naval Service Operations Room is a coordination centre for all NS current Operations. The Naval Service Reserve Staff Officer is responsible for the supervision, regulation and training of the reserve. The Diving section is responsible for all aspects of Naval diving and the provision of a diving service to the Naval Service and client agencies. The Ops Security Section is responsible for the coordination of base security and the coordination of all shore-based security parties operating away from the Naval base. The Naval Base Comcen is responsible for the running of a communications service. Boat transport is under the control of Harbour Master Naval Base, who is responsible for the supervision of berthage at the Naval Base and the provision of a boat service, including the civilian manned ferry service from Haulbowline.

Does the Naval Service undertake overseas missions?

Naval Service ships have undertaken trade and supply missions abroad, and personnel have served as peacekeepers with the United Nations. In 2015, Naval Service ships were sent on rotation to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean as part of a bi-lateral arrangement with Italy, known as Operation Pontus. Naval Service and Army medical staff rescued some 18,000 migrants, either pulling people from the sea or taking them off small boats, which were often close to capsizing having been towed into open water and abandoned by smugglers. Irish ships then became deployed as part of EU operations in the Mediterranean, but this ended in March 2019 amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the EU.

How can I join the Irish Naval Service?

Essentially, you have to be Irish, young (less than 32), in good physical and mental health and with normal vision. You must be above 5'2″, and your weight should be in keeping with your age.

Are there women in the Naval Service?

Yes, women have been recruited since 1995. One of the first two female cadets, Roberta O'Brien from the Glen of Aherlow in Co Tipperary, became its first female commander in September 2020. Sub Lieutenant Tahlia Britton from Donegal also became the first female diver in the navy's history in the summer of 2020.

What is a Naval Service Officer cadet?

A naval cadet enlists for a cadetship to become an officer in the Defence Forces. After successfully completing training at the Naval Service College, a cadet is commissioned into the officer ranks of the Naval Service as a Ensign or Sub Lieutenant.

What training is involved in becoming a Naval Service officer cadet?

A cadet trains for approximately two years duration divided into different stages. The first year is spent in military training at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Cork. The second-year follows a course set by the National Maritime College of Ireland course. At the end of the second year and on completion of exams, and a sea term, the cadets will be qualified for the award of a commission in the Permanent Defence Force as Ensign.

What qualifications are required to become a cadet?

A cadet trains for approximately two years duration divided into different stages. The first year is spent in military training at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Cork. The second-year follows a course set by the National Maritime College of Ireland course. At the end of the second year and on completion of exams, and a sea term, the cadets will be qualified for the award of a commission in the Permanent Defence Force as Ensign. The Defence Forces say it is looking for people who have "the ability to plan, prioritise and organise", to "carefully analyse problems, in order to generate appropriate solutions, who have "clear, concise and effective communication skills", and the ability to "motivate others and work with a team". More information is on the 2020 Qualifications Information Leaflet.

When can I apply to become a Naval Service cadet?

When you are 18 years of age or over and under 26 years of age on the date mentioned in the notice for the current competition, the officer cadet competition is held annually and is the only way for potential candidates to join the Defence Forces to become a Naval Service officer. Candidates undergo psychometric and fitness testing, an interview and a medical exam.

Where is the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI)?

The NMCI was built beside the Naval Service base at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, and was the first third-level college in Ireland to be built under the Government's Public-Private Partnership scheme. The public partners are the Naval Service and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the private partner is Focus Education.

What is a Naval Service recruit?

A Naval Service recruit enlists for general service in the "Other Ranks" of the Defence Forces. After successfully completing the initial recruit training course, a recruit passes out as an Ordinary Seaman and will then go onto their branch training course before becoming qualified as an Able Body sailor in the Naval Service.

What qualifications are required to become a Naval Service recruit?

No formal education qualifications are required to join the Defence Forces as a recruit. You need to satisfy the interview board and the recruiting officer that you possess a sufficient standard of education for service in the Defence Forces.

What training is involved in becoming a Naval Service recruit?

Recruit training is 18 weeks in duration and is designed to "develop a physically fit, disciplined and motivated person using basic military and naval skills" to "prepare them for further training in the service. Recruits are instilled with the Naval Service ethos and the values of "courage, respect, integrity and loyalty".

What is a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) career training?

On the progression up through the various ranks, an Able Rate will have to complete a number of career courses to provide them with training to develop their skills in a number of areas, such as leadership and management, administration and naval/military skills. The first of these courses is the Naval Service Potential NCO course, followed by the Naval Service Standard NCO course and the Naval Service senior NCO course. This course qualifies successful candidates of Petty officer (or Senior Petty Officer) rank to fill the rank of Chief Petty Officer upwards. The successful candidate may also complete and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership, Management and Naval Studies in partnership with Cork Institute of Technology.

What is pay like in the Naval Service?

Pay has long been an issue for just the Naval Service, at just over 1,000 personnel. Cadets and recruits are required to join the single public service pension scheme, which is a defined benefit scheme, based on career-average earnings. For current rates of pay, see the Department of Defence website

Displaying items by tag: Paris 2024

5th April 2024

ILCA 7 Welsh Wizard Micky Beckett Claims Sofia Hat-Trick in Mallorca

Great Britain’s Micky Beckett has won ILCA 7 gold with a day to spare, on day five of the World Cup Series at the 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar. Matching Beckett’s feat and conquering the Nacra 17 mixed multihull fleet before their Medal Race are Italy’s reigning World and Olympic Champions Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti. This leaves eight gold medals yet to be decided on Super Saturday on the Bay of Palma.

From an Irish perspective, Paris qualified Finn Lynch lies 21st in the ILCA 7 after discarding 53rd in race 10, Paris qualified Eve McMahon 14th in the ILCA 6 and Seafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan are 23rd in the 49er skiff.

Beckett’s victory is his third back-to-back in consecutive years at this key indicator event in the men’s Olympic dinghy. The Welshman, who is targeting gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, has beaten a 193-strong fleet that is stacked with all of the recent Olympic and World Championship medal winners. Twenty-six-year old Beckett’s achievement is all the more impressive as he wins the event with a day to spare, just as he did on these same Palma waters a year ago.

Hat-trick for Beckett

“Winning this three times in a row really is something very special, not least because it is the first World Cup I did 10 years ago and honestly then I got hammered,” said Beckett. “But to come back after the regatta was cancelled in 2021 [due to COVID] and win three times in a row is incredible. I am a little bit lost for words and still surprised it is something I have been able to do. It is such a difficult class, everyone is here, everyone comes here and brings their A-game and so to come out on top of an entry of 193 - that’s a huge number of people to beat.”

This is an important psychological victory at a critical time in the Olympic year, according to Beckett. “Sailing is about details, do the details well, manage the risk well and don’t get distracted - that is the key. And I guess I have managed the risk well this week. I have dug myself out of trouble a few times this week by having good boatspeed. That has helped a lot. And keeping your head out, watching ahead is key as this is quite a changeable race track.

“Compared with the Marseille Olympic race track this is different and it requires a certain, nuanced skill set. Some things are clearly working for me but there is plenty more to do. I will enjoy this, I will enjoy the Medal Race tomorrow and then get back to work soon.”

Italians dominate again

Patience and razor-sharp focus were key also in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull class where Tita and Banti won the Sofía title for the third time, victorious also in 2018 and 2022 when they took the event’s top overall trophy.

Going into Saturday’s Medal Race, Tita and Banti have an insurmountable 24 points margin over their young compatriots Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei, who won last year’s Olympic Test Event in Marseille.

Banti was quite matter-of-fact about the victory: “Actually it was a strange Palma, I don’t remember a Palma like this, a lot of light winds, but finally we got some good races, foiling races and light wind races. So we’re happy because Palma is the first event after winter training. It means we have done a good job with our training, but this is only the first step because we have many things to work on, to win the Olympic Games which is our aim this year.”

Moroz and Maeder flying high

For Daniela Moroz and Max Maeder who go into the final day at the top of the Formula Kite leaderboards, their reward is to take two wins into the four-rider final. In the first-to-three-wins format, this puts the American and Singaporean riders on match point. They’re only one race away from taking their respective Sofía titles, whereas the rest of the top 10 have a steeper mountain to climb.

470s finely balanced

The 470 mixed dinghy medal title is perfectly balanced with France’s Camille Lecointre and Jérémie Mion carrying just a single point’s advantage over Spain’s new world champions, Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman.

The Spanish are ahead of three German crews all engaged in a fierce Olympic trials - Malte and Anastaysia Winkel, Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort, and Theresa Löffler and Christopher Hoerr who are all separated by just three points.

Their 2022 world champions Luise Wanser and Philipp Autenrieth painfully miss out on the Medal Race by a single point. And last year’s winners, Japan’s 2023 world champions Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka, make the Medal Race while their selection rivals Tetsuya Isozaki and Yurie Seki don’t - which should ensure Okada and Yoshioka take the Olympic spot.

Spain on top in the 49er

The 49er men’s skiff Medal Race will see Spain’s Diego Botin and Florian Trittel, will carry an almost negligible four-point margin into the title showdown, while in the 49er FX women’s skiff Norway’s European champions Helene Næss and Marie Rønningen were overhauled by Italy’s Jana Germani and Georgia Bertuzzi today and lead by a single point. Both crews have a sufficient advantage to be more or less assured of gold or silver.

Érdi takes ILCA 6 lead

Hungary’s Maria Érdi, the reigning European champion, assumed the lead in the ILCA 6 women’s dinghy event after Australia’s Mara Stransky had what she had expected to be third place annulled for a BFD disqualification in the first race, a mistake she then compounded by being gun-shy on the second start which left her 34th.

Windsurfing Showdown

Powerful Pole, Pawel Tarnowski, has a trio of top French iQFOiL windsurfers, including 2021 world champion Nico Goyard set to challenge for the Sofia title while the women’s Palma title final could be one of the most exciting of the final day, which looks set to be raced in the morning in a north-easterly offshore breeze.

The 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by Iberostar will bring the curtain down on Saturday. The Medal Races (or Medal Series for iQFOiL windsurfing and Formula Kite), the races that will decide the podiums in each discipline, are scheduled to start at 10:00 am, with light winds according to the weather forecasts. The trophy ceremony will take place at 20:00 in Ses Voltes, at the foot of Palma Cathedral.

Final day schedule

Starting Order, first warning signal:
COURSE AREA 1: Nacra 17 10:00 49er 10:45 49er FX 11:30
COURSE AREA 2: Formula Kite Men 10:00 Formula Kite Women 10:10
COURSE AREA 3: iQFOiL Women 10:15 iQFOiL Men 11:00
COURSE AREA 4: ILCA 6 10:15 ILCA 7 11:00 470 11:45

Published in Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing

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Paris 2024

29th March 2024

Irish Olympic Dinghy Sailors Set to Compete in 53rd Trofeo Princess Sofia in Mallorca

Over 1,100 sailors from 75 countries have arrived in the Bay of Palma, Mallorca, Spain for the 53rd edition of the Trofeo Princess Sofia, which is set to run from April 1 until April 6. Among the participants are Irish sailors aiming for the Paris Olympic Games later this year.

In the ILCA 7 class, the National Yacht Club’s Finn Lynch, who is selected for Paris, and Howth’s Ewan McMahon (no longer an 'independent' campaigner but back on the national squad) will be competing against the top sailors in their class, striving for a podium place and testing their skills ahead of the summer’s major regattas.

Meanwhile, recently crowned Afloat Irish Sailor of the Year 2023, Eve McMahon, will represent Ireland in the ILCA 6 class. McMahon, who finished fourth at the U21 ILCA European Championships in Pollensa, Spain, last week, will be up against a strong fleet that includes current world champion Anne Marie Rindom from Denmark.

The Royal Cork duo of Seáfra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan, who are still in the running for the Irish berth in the 49er class for the Paris 2024 games, will be the only Irish 49er attending this event.

After spending their entire winter season training in Lanzarote, which has similar conditions to Palma, this regatta will serve as a good test for the pair. However, it is important to note that this World Cup will not stand as a test event for the Irish Olympic boat selection, led by Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove.

Both the men's and women's dinghies will have 10 races plus a medal race, while the men’s skiff will have 15 races plus a medal race.

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15th March 2024

90 Nations to Compete in Hyères for Semaine Olympique Française and Last-Chance Regatta

The world’s best Olympic sailors have made Hyères on the French Riviera their meeting spot each April for more than 50 years.

And this year the stakes are even higher, as the 55th edition of Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères - TPM from 20-27 April will be the final opportunity for sailing’s elite to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

French Olympic Week 2024 comprises two events hosted concurrently: The ‘Qualified Nations’ in Hyères harbour, with two participants for each nation and class; and the Last Chance Regatta which will bring together the nations that have still to qualify for Paris 2024 to compete for the 39 places still up for grabs.

SOF 2024 banner

All 10 Olympic classes will be competing in both events: ILCA (men’s and women’s single-handed dinghy), 49er (men’s and women’s skiff), Nacra 17 (mixed multihull), 470 (mixed double-handed dinghy), Formula Kite (men’s and women’s kitefoil) and iQFOiL (men’s and women’s windsurfing).

This exceptional line-up means that “La SOF” is set to break its record for the number of participating nations in Hyères, with nearly 1,000 athletes and 500 support staff from 90 countries across five continents expected.

And among them will be Irish 49er pairs Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, and Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan who will be looking to make up for a disappointing 49er Worlds to clinch Ireland’s single spot in the men’s skiff event in Marseille this summer.

The schedule for the week looks like the following:

The Semaine Olympique Française:

Friday 19 April: welcome and registration
Saturday 20 April: welcome and registration
Saturday 20 April: opening ceremony
Sunday 21 April to Wednesday 24 April: iQFOiL and Formula Kite qualifying rounds
Monday 22 to Friday 26 April: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 and 470 qualifying rounds
Thursday 25 April: iQFOiL and Formula Kite Medal Races
Saturday 27 April: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 and 470 Medal Races
Saturday 27 April: Prize-giving and closing ceremony

The Last-Chance Regatta:

Thursday 18 April: welcome and registration
Friday 19 April: welcome and registration
Saturday 20 April: opening ceremony
Sunday 21 April to 24 April: iQFOiL and Formula Kite qualifying rounds
Sunday 21 to Thursday 25 April: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 and 470 qualifying rounds
Thursday 25 April: iQFOiL and Formula Kite Medal Races
Friday 26 April: Medal Races: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 and 470
Saturday 27 April: Prize-giving and closing ceremony

For more details, including the Notice of Race, see the SOF website HERE.

Published in Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing

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2nd March 2024

Irish 49er Skiff Sailors Gear up for 49er Class World Championship and Olympic Selection Trials

Irish 49er skiff sailors are set to compete in the 49er class world championship in Lanzarote, Canary Islands from March 4th to March 10th, 2024. With less than five months left before the Paris 2024 Olympics, this event marks an intensive phase for the Irish sailors.

Two Irish boats will be contesting a three-event selection trials to decide who will be nominated by Irish Sailing to the Olympic Federation of Ireland for inclusion in the Olympic Team. Although a place in the men's skiff event for the games has already been secured, the Irish sailors are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations for the Olympics.

Veteran Olympians Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove will return to Lanzarote to compete in the event where they qualified for Tokyo 2020 just three years ago. In 2020, the duo secured bronze at the Spring Championships and will be seeking at least a top ten finish or a podium place next week.

Royal Cork sailors Seafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan will contest an Olympic trial for Paris 2024 at the 49er class world championship in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, next week Photo: World Sailing

Crosshaven's Seafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan, campaigning independently of Irish Sailing's senior squad, are also chasing selection and will be looking to see the fruits of their intensive winter training paying off and recently landed a sponsorship deal. The Cork Harbour pairing will also aim to secure Sport Ireland carding status with a good performance in Lanzarote, which is the first of the three-event trials series.

A total of 75 crews from 28 countries will compete in the six-day series, which comprises a qualification round to decide the Gold fleet round. From there, the top ten boats will sail a short medal race to decide the podium.

The French Olympic Week in Hyeres followed by the 49er European Championships will complete the trials that emphasise best overall event standings rather than a boat-on-boat competition, James O'Callaghan, Irish Sailing's Director of Performance, said. "As with the ILCA7 for the men’s single-handed event, these trials will be decided on a low-points scoring basis," he added. "This incentivises both crews to concentrate on their best regatta score rather than winning the place for Paris 2024."

The single-handed events have already concluded, with Eve McMahon and Finn Lynch in the process of being nominated to the Olympic Federation of Ireland in their respective events at the Olympic regatta set for Marseille, which will begin at the end of July.

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23rd February 2024

ILCA 6 Helm Hannah Snellgrove Selected as the 11th Sailor for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Lymington sailor Hannah Snellgrove has been selected as the 11th sailor for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the British Olympic Association (BOA) announced on Tuesday. The 33-year-old will be competing in the women's dinghy class sailing the ILCA 6, formerly known as the Laser Radial, in Marseille this summer, taking on the world's best.

Snellgrove earned a country quota place for Team GB at the 2023 Sailing World Championships last August, finishing in 11th place, before securing her selection by finishing 10th at the 2024 World Championships last month. She joins a strong line-up of athletes, including Tokyo 2020 medalists John Gimson, Anna Burnet, and Emma Wilson, and two-time Olympian Saskia Tidey.

Snellgrove, who has also represented Britain at the Paris 2024 test event in Marseille and won a silver medal at the 2022 Princess Sofia Trophy regatta, expressed her delight at being selected for Team GB. "It's the biggest honour to be selected for Team GB," she said. "It's really humbling to think of all the things that people have done to help me during the course of my career."

Mark Robinson, RYA Performance Director and Team GB sailing team leader, praised Snellgrove's determination to reach this point. "It is a great pleasure to announce Hannah's selection to Team GB today," he said. "Such is the British Sailing Team's strength over many Olympic cycles, with only one representative allowed to represent Great Britain in each class at the Games, it is often a long journey for our sailors to reach this pinnacle. I am sure she will represent Team GB with this immense inner drive and will do us proud at Paris 2024."

Mark England, Team GB Chef de Mission, also congratulated Snellgrove on her selection. "Olympic selection is highly competitive, and Hannah has shown a huge amount of tenacity and resilience throughout her sailing career," he said. "I am delighted that she will be able to fulfill her Olympic ambitions this summer in Marseille."

Team GB has a rich history of excellence in Olympic sailing competition, having won 64 medals, including 31 golds, more than any other nation.

Former Team GB athletes Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills are the most successful male and female Olympic sailors of all time; Ainslie with four golds and a silver, Mills with two golds and a silver.

The sailors selected for Paris 2024 are:

John Gimson and Anna Burnet – Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17)
James Peters and Fynn Sterritt – Men’s Skiff (49er)
Freya Black and Saskia Tidey – Women’s Skiff (49erFX)
Emma Wilson – Women’s Windsurfing (iQFOiL)
Sam Sills – Men’s Windsurfing (iQFOiL)
Ellie Aldridge – Women’s Kite (Formula Kite)
Michael Beckett – Men’s Dinghy (ILCA 7)
Hannah Snellgrove – Women’s Dinghy (ILCA 6)

Published in Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing

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Paris 2024

23rd February 2024

McMahon Trails Lynch By Just Four Points Going into Final Races of ILCA7 Euros

Friday's final day of the second Irish Olympic trial for Paris 2024 in the men's ILCA 7 will be a tight contest at the European Championships in Athens.

Trials leader Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) is in 14th place, with his sole rival for Paris Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) in 17th, trailing in this regatta by just four points.

The fluky winds have led to a high-scoring regatta, so much can still change on the final day depending on how many races can be sailed.

After sputtering in the very light winds of today's first race, Lynch bounced back to form as the wind freshened steadily during the afternoon to score a third and a race win in his 47-boat qualification fleet. McMahon (Howth also had a good day, including third and seventh places, in addition to a 20th.

Among the overall championship contenders is Omer Vered Vilenchik from Israel, the current leader.

Despite being just 17 years old, Vilenchik has demonstrated remarkable skill, particularly in the previous light wind conditions, where he achieved impressive results (5-2). He continued his strong performance by clinching victory in the first race on Thursday and securing another commendable result (1-22-5).

First and seventh in the men's division are from so far unqualified Olympic Games countries, indicating that the standard at this regatta is missing some of the top names as the world's ILCA 7 leaders now focus instead on preparations for Marseille's Olympic regatta in July.

With a good forecast of similar conditions for Friday, organisers will attempt to sail three fleet races, but the weather-disrupted schedule means the Olympic-style medal race for the top ten boats has been cancelled.

Top 5 – Senior Europeans:

Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR 13 pt
Alessio Spadoni ITA 18 pt
Eduardo Marques POR 19 pt
Dimitri Peroni ITA 21 pt
Valtteri Uusitalo FIN 21 pt

Top 5 – Olympic qualification:

Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR 13 pt
Zan Luka Zelko SLO 23 pt
Oskar Madonich UKR 27 pt
Georgios Papadakos GRE 33 pt
Karl Martin Rammo EST 35 pt

Published in Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing

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Paris 2024

20th February 2024

Eve McMahon Consistent in Light Winds at ILCA 6 Euros in Athens

After three races sailed, Paris 2024 qualified Eve McMahon of Ireland lies in 20th place at the ILCA 6 European Championships in Athens.

In light and flukey conditions that have delayed the racing schedule, the Howth star scored a consistent seven and a 12 in the 110-boat fleet.

Fierce competition is unfolding among the front-runners, vying for both European titles. Viktorija Andrulyte LTU (1-4-2) and Elena Vorobeva CRO (1-2-30) currently share the lead in the rankings and are tied on three points.

Maria Erdi HUN (3-5-3) stands third in the provisional podium with 6 points. Anne Marie Rindom (4-12-3) DEN and Louise Cervera FRA (12-3-4) follow closely with 7.

In the fight for the Olympic tickets and also among the Top 10 are Katrina Micallef MLT (30-4-4) and Ursula Balas CRO (9-10-1), with 8 and 10 points respectively.

More light winds are expected for Day 4 on Wednesday, organisers will again try for three races although once four have been completed the minimum standard for a championship event will have been reached.

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20th February 2024

Ireland's Lynch and McMahon Post Nearly Matching Scores in First Light Air Races of ILCA 7 Europeans in Athens

Paris 2024 Irish Olympic trialists, in their second of three trials, posted close results after the first races sailed at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Athens today.

Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) had almost matching scores in their respective qualifying fleets, with Lynch scoring 22nd followed by a fourth; McMahon had a 23rd, then a fourth also.

Two races were completed in between spells of near-calm conditions. The 140-boat fleet was only at sea for a few hours when they were recalled to shore as the wind died.

"It's up to the sailor at the moment to choose which way to sail, but the conditions are so hard to manage that I expected from before the event started that it would be a high-scoring event," commented Irish Coach Vasilij Zbogar.

Irish Olympic trials leader Finn Lynch completes a tack in the light winds at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Athens Photo: Matias Capizzano

With more light winds expected for Day 4 on Wednesday, organisers will again try for three races, although once four have been completed, the minimum standard for a championship event will have been reached.

Lynch and McMahon are competing in the six-day series that also serves as part of the selection trials for the single national place already secured for the Men's single-handed event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

A young sailor named Omer Vered from Israel is currently leading in the ILCA 7 European Championship with a total of 7 points after the first two races. He managed to secure a fifth and a second place, which puts him in the running for one of the two Olympic spots offered by the event for Paris 2024.

Close contenders include Benjamin Vadnai from Hungary with 8 points and Pietro Giacomoni from Italy with 9 points after finishing 7th and 1st and 4th and 5th, respectively.

Zan Luka Zelko from Slovenia (6th and 5th) and Bruno Gaspic from Croatia (5th and 6th) are tied in the provisional Top 5 with 11 points each. If the race ended now, Zan Luka Zelko would secure the second Olympic berth for his country.

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18th February 2024

Lynch and McMahon Wait for Wind in Athens as Both Irish Olympic Trialists Make Top 25 of ILCA 7 World Rankings

As the second trial for the Irish Paris 2024 nomination was becalmed in Greece today at the ILCA7 European Championships, the February World Rankings reveal both Irish trialists are in the top 25.

Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club), who finished ninth at January's World Championships, is ranked 15th, while Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) reaches a new high at 25 in his independent 'Green Rebel' campaign.

High pressure over Athens left competitors without racing on the opening day of the Championships (Sunday, 18th February).

Lynch and McMahon were amongst the 141-boat ILCA7 class left waiting for the breeze to arrive. Although the fleet eventually went afloat, no racing was possible.

Top class sailing from Finn Lynch put the National Yacht Club sailor into the medal race of the ILCA 7 World Championships in Adelaide, Australia in January and puts him 15th in the world rankings Photo: Jack Fletcher

A similar forecast is predicted for Monday, though there are indications of wind for Tuesday.

Lynch has the upper hand on McMahon after the first of three trials at the Australian World Championships, but with a light wind forecast and some significant absences in Athens this week, there is an opportunity for McMahon.

As Afloat reported last November, despite achieving the necessary published criteria at a recent World Cup, the McMahon campaign says that his application for Sport Ireland funding for 2024 was "disallowed following a decision by Irish Sailing (IS) to invalidate the event’s qualification status".

The ISA then determined that the World Cup event in Almere did not meet the “minimum standard of fleet” to qualify as a carding event under the 2024 Carding Scheme rules.

Whatever the criteria may be, with only two sailors campaigning, February 2024's world rankings represent a standard McMahon's campaign will no doubt say merits his inclusion on the national team, which currently has only one ILCA 7 member.

Published in Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing

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1st February 2024

53rd Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca To Muster All 10 Paris 2024 Classes

Over 300 teams from more than fifty countries have already registered to participate in the 53rd edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar, the first regatta of the year that will see all ten sailing classes compete, which will also race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This highly anticipated showcase regatta will be held on the Bay of Palma from 29th March to 6th April.

The Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca is considered a world benchmark for Olympic classes and will be the first regatta of the year to bring all ten disciplines of the Paris 2024 Games together on the same racing waters. This event represents a key milestone in the athletes' final preparations for their Olympic dream.

300 teams from more than fifty countries have already registered to participate in the 53rd edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca

From 29th March to 6th April, the world's best specialists in the women's disciplines ILCA 6, 49er FX, iQFOiL Women and Formula Kite Women; the men's disciplines ILCA 7, 49er, iQFOiL Men and Formula Kite Men; and the mixed 470 and Nacra 17 will compete on the bay of Palma.

Since the registration opening in mid-December, more than 300 teams representing 51 countries have already registered, the advance guards for a fleet that will turn the Bay of Palma into the epicentre of world Olympic sailing.

According to Ferrán Muniesa, the event's sporting director, "We are in an Olympic year, and the Sofia will be the first multi-class event in which all the participants in Paris 2024 will meet up to race before the start of the Games next July. It will be a key event in the Olympic arena, a real dress rehearsal where the athletes can test themselves against their rivals that they will meet on the Marseille race course."

The event will be a decisive marker for many countries as they select their representatives for Paris 2024.

Published in Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing

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