#ANNALISE MURPHY - The Daily Sail reports on a busy few days ahead for Irish Olympic sailing star and August Sailor of the Month, Annalise Murphy.

As previously covered on Afloat.ie, the 22-year-old - who scored Ireland's best Olympic sailing result in 32 years at London 2012 in the Laser Radial class - will today join the crew of the Omani MOD70 yacht Oman Sail-Musandam in Dublin Bay as part of the MOD70 European Tour, in celebration of the 19th anniversary of the Round Ireland speed record set by the late Steve Fossett.

Meanwhile, Murphy is also busy supporting her fellow UCD students selected as Ireland's representatives in the 2012 Student Yachting World Cup, to take place in La Rochelle, France late next month.

Murphy, who returned to UCD this week to complete the degree in science she deferred for her Olympic training three years ago, said: “I’m great friends with the guys on the team from either sailing or my first year in UCD.

"They’re a really strong team and have a really good chance of winning at the World Cup. I wish them the best of luck."

#mod70–When Steve Fossett's 60ft trimaran Lakota came into Dun Laoghaire Harbour after setting a well nigh unbeatable Round Ireland record in September 1993, it was Dublin Bay's first introduction to the new generation of ultra-light speed machines, which were sweeping away long-standing time achievements by the fastest mono-hulls and the earlier waves of offshore multihulls.

Until this week, Lakota was our benchmark for the sharp end of multi-hull development. And she was a very good boat in her day. But as of midnight Wednesday, we're up to speed with the very latest thinking. The arrival of the five boats of the MOD 70 class at the end of Leg One of their European Tour has brought the awe-inspiring presence of machines which are 15 per cent bigger than Lakota, yet considerably lighter, and much faster.

That is, if they get the wind. Originally, the plan had been to race from Kiel out of the Baltic north of Scotland, then south to Dun Laoghaire. But the forecast – subsequently fulfilled – of gales in the high latitudes led to a re-routing through the English Channel. In this upside-down summer, they found precious little wind down south.

Manoeuvring for the start with a boat that seems as wide as it's requires special skills. Photo: WM Nixon

But as they're one designs, they'd brilliantly close racing. The lead changed several times, and the finish in the faintest zephyrs on Wednesday night just minutes before midnight saw the three front runners crawl across the line in just 77 seconds. That would be impressive in club racing. But in a 1300 mile offshore race, it's sensational.

Michel Desjoyeaux and his crew racing Foncia snatched it from Yann Guichard on Spindrift by 32 seconds, with Sebastian Josse and the Groupe Edmond de Rothschild team 45 seconds further back. Another 35 minutes elapsed before Steve Ravusin brought Race for Water to the finish. And then 1 hour and 34 minutes behind the leader, the fifth-placed Oman glided across in virtual calm, the crew including international multihull legend Brian Thompson who was with the late Steve Fossett – as were the National YC's Con Murphy and Cathy MacAleavey – when Lakota did the business 19 years ago.

When they went out for the first three City Races yesterday, hopes were high that the MOD 70s would get the kind of breezes in which they become truly spectacular, as the early afternoon gave a hint of a decent sea breeze filling from the southeast. But in early September, even when summer is doggedly clinging on, there just isn't the dynamic to create a fresh onshore wind, and though boats speeds of up to 14 knots were recorded in mid-afternoon, the winds were mostly light.

But it provided an ideal setup to observe these extraordinary machines in close-up, and for this reporter it was an excellent opportunity to tick several boxes at once, as we went to sea aboard Hal Sisk's remarkable 63ft "motor launch" Molly Bawn, an exquisite Nigel Irens design, built in Denmark, which is so easily driven in her elegant hull that they're able to measure fuel consumption by the litre.

So it was a dizzy combination, the sheer style of Molly Bawn, and the five MOD 50s zooming about with a deceptively relaxed air. A bit too relaxed in the case of Oman – they missed the first race through clobbering a rock with a daggerboard in Scotsman's Bay while being too enthusiastic about getting near the spectators on shore, though I think it was a little unkind of one non-sailor to comment that this was the most exciting thing that happened all afternoon.

By the time Oman re-joined for Race 2, Michael Desjoyeaux with Foncia was showing the sort of consistency which wins any boat racing series. These freakish machines, with hulls so narrow that the main crossbeam is actually thicker, really do race more or less like normal boats, which takes some skill in pre-start manoeuvres. But then, the sudden acceleration which results from getting the trim just right, means that massive gaps open out in seconds.

Weird and wonderful – a Mod 70's very slim main hull is narrower than the depth of the crossbeam. Photo: WM Nixon

Equally, of course, huge leads can disappear in a waft of wind. By the third race, Foncia was firmly in the points lead, and a new westerly drifting down the bay was indicated by the aroma of several happy barbecues ashore, not least at the National YC where hundred of happy punters were finding that this business of racing state of the art multihulls can be a notably thirst and hunger inducing affair.

Apres sailing at the National YC – quite something for a September evening after the worst summer on record. Photo: WM Nixon

For a September evening after the worst summer on record, it was wuite something. Today, with Dun Laoghaire en fete, the five boats will be showing their exceptional speed potential with an afternoon of racing and speed trials from 2.0pm to 5.0 pm off Dun Laoghaire harbour and along the coast to Sandycove point. Then tomorrow afternoon it's back to serious work – Leg 2 of 1215 miles from Dun Laoghaire to Cascais in Portugal, with a good sou'wester in prospect.

While the MOD 70 circuit is the new sailing going very public indeed, down in Kinsale they're geared up for one of the classics of international sport, a week of racing for the Dragon Gold Cup which dates back to 1937. A remarkable fleet of 60 boats has converged on the south coast port, and with Simon Brien from Belfast Lough already putting down a marker by winning the class's historic Edinburgh Cup back in July, the thriving Irish fleet includes several favourites for the Gold.

Meanwhile both the 1720s and the Laser SB20 (formerly the Laser SB3) were showing they're in good heart with major championships last weekend, Mark Mansfield and Terry English of Crosshaven taking the 1720 Euros at Baltimore in the last race, while Ben Duncan of Howth emerged from the pack to win the SB20 Nationals.

This weekend at Malahide, we've a geographical conundrum. At its newly refurbished dinghy headquarters on the Broadmeadow, Malahide YC is hosting more than a hundred very junior helms in the International Optimist Connacht Championship. Is this inter-provincial confusion, or what? We're assured that Malahide is the Connacht of Howth, and geography can be stretched from there.

#mod70 – The National Yacht Club rolled out the red carpet for its MOD70 European tour visitors this afternoon with the Irish London Olympic sailing team making its presence felt on and off the water.

The MOD70s are the latest in Ocean Racing craft and are crewed by some of the most experienced ocean sailors in the world.

A fickle south easterly breeze tuned inside out by close of play but not before the much fancied Foncia took a well earned double. Scroll down for further race reporting from Dublin.

Ireland's Olympic Games race officer Jack Roy was in charge of the Scotsman's bay course and in spite of a reported early grounding the five boat trimaran fleet had a series of quick round the cans races in the 8 to ten knots of south easterly breezes.

The trimaran racing crewed by international hot shots such as the winner of the Volvo Ocean Race Franck Cammas was escorted by a small armada of support vessels and Dun Laoghaire spectators boats. Among those out on the water for the end of season spectacular was Afloat's own WM Nixon who was on Hal Sisk's Molly Bawn along with Dun Laoghaire regatta's Ciara Dowling. Volvo Ocean Race officer Bill O'Hara from Belfast was aboard a RIB and on the water jury duty. The National Yacht Club's Dara Totterdell was on RIB duty too and the National Yacht Club's platform manager Olivier Proveur was also afloat.

Estimates that thousands lined the shore may well have been exaggerated but there was certaintly interest in the giant craft navigating so close to the Dublin Bay shoreline.  The festival atmosphere was helped by by a commentary given by Olympic 470 helmsman Ger Owens from the nearby East pier.

It was certainly a successful if sedate debut for the European tour opn Irish waters and as the fleet and its supporters headed back to harbor the 238 metre Crystal Symphony cruise liner departed Dublin Port and the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) turned out for its end of season race, all in all a busy afternoon on the capitals waters.

Tomorrow, Irish Olympic Sailor Annalise Murphy is to sail onboard Oman Sail as part of the MOD70 European Tour. This is to celebrate the 19th anniversary of the Round Ireland speed record which was achieved by the late Steve Fossett onboard the trimaran Lakota with Brian Thompson who holds 20 world speed sailing records and is sailing onboard Oman Sail as part of the MOD70 European Tour. Also sailing tomorrow are former Irish Olympic sailor Cathy McAleavey and Con Murphy who were also part of the Lakota crew in 1993 and are parents of Annalise.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company has organised a festival on the East Pier for the event including food stalls, craft market, children's entertainment and street theatre. This event continues until Sunday.

Todays Results:

Race 1

1st Spindrift

2nd Foncia

3rd:   Race for Water

Race 2

1st Foncia

2nd Spindrift

3rd Edmund de Rothschild

Race 3

1st Foncia

2nd Edmund de Rothschild

3rd Race for Water

Outline Programme

Saturday 8th September 
10am – 6pm Food courts, farmers market, fairtrade & ethnic stalls, craft stalls,
family entertainment, vintage amusements

2pm Dublin City Races and Speed Matches. Vantage points from the East Pier to Sandycove with live commentary from the East Pier.

Sunday 9th September
10am – 6pm Food courts, farmers market, fairtrade & ethnic stalls, craft stalls,
family entertainment, vintage amusements

3pm Start of Leg 2 Dublin (Dun Laoghaire)-Cascais.
Vantage points from the East Pier to Sandycove with live commentary from the East Pier.

Additional race reporting from the MOD70 Euro tour below:

Very early in the first race FONCIA struggled a little, but after that they were the team which were most cohesive and consistent around the race course, their victory in the third race being the hardest earned when the gentle SE'ly was turned inside out and left the race arena riddled with very calm patches.

The afternoon started well for Yann Guichard's Spindrift crew but ended in frustration. They won the first race, were runner's up in the second. But after they lead the final race they sailed into a localised millpond off Sandy Cove on the first downwind and the chasing pack sailed around them.

The start line was set within 100 metres of the East Pier and Race direction set the short leg of the triangle shaped course almost parallel to the pier, which gave the assembled crowd of spectators a close up view of much of the action.

After making the best starts in Kiel, it looked as if FONCIA had carried that momentum forward to Dublin Bay when they broke the start line first, but it was Guichard's Spindrift racing and Race for Water which had better speed. FONCIA were fourth at the top gate of the course.

On the first downwind Guichard and crew wisely chose the inshore path and were rewarded with a good lead which they held to the finish. FONCIA took second, Race for Water third and Groupe Edmond de Rothschild fourth.

After touching the bottom before the start Musandam-Oman Sail took the precaution to return to the harbour at the National Yacht Club to make an assessment of possible damage. They were back in action for Race 2 and Race 3.

In the second race FONCIA managed the start well and were able to lead all the way around the course from Spindrift racing. With the breeze slightly more to the south it made the course a little more one sided.

But it was the third race which was the most random and most difficult. That was obvious from the start when the breeze was extremely light in the start area. Guichard's crew seem to be most attuned to what was happening and set up on a high lay line for the start line, which allowed them to use their gennaker twice to build speed to get them to the line. That proved key as the MOD70 with the black hull and sails, was able to escape to what might otherwise have been an unassailable lead.

Musandam-Oman Sail and Groupe Edmond de Rothschild found themselves with hardly any wind at all, only 20 metres close to the pier where the new offshore breeze was just not reaching.  It was a matter of four or five minutes before this unfortunate duo made it across the line.

As Spindrift racing lead up the second leg the breeze folded completely as a N'ly wind generated by a big, dark cloud crawled progressively down the arena to partially replace the S'ly.

The inshore area off Sandy Cove developed the biggest hole in the breeze which swallowed the race leader which remaining rooted to the spot while the pack behind were able to see their predicament and try to do something different.

FONCIA managed to pick their way up this second leg with the best breeze. Race for Water and Groupe Edmond Rothschild took the longest and most offshore route, but sailed in consistent pressure for much of this leg. After taking the lead before the top gate Desjoyeaux and crew were able to extend while Josse and the Groupe Edmond de Rothschild team were rewarded with second. Spindrift racing finally took fourth, ahead of Musandam-Oman Sailing.

Three further City Races scheduled for Saturday starting at 2 p.m.

Dun Laoghaire City Race after three City Races

1- FONCIA (Michel Desjoyeaux) 11+12+12 = 35 points

2- Spindrift racing (Yann Guichard) 12+11+9 = 32 points

3-Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse) 9+10+11 = 30 points

4- Race for Water (Stève Ravussin) 10+9+10 = 29 points

5-Musandam-Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) 8+8+8 = 24 points

Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) skipper-helm FONCIA: "For sure you can be more satisfied to come ashore with good results after a day like that, it was not easy but the crew worked hard to take every opportunity that came to use and I think we did a good job with that. Our starts were not so good. The first one was bad and we had to do a lot to get back into that race.

In fact there is a committee working all the time to make decisions where we go and what we will do, between myself Charles (Caudrelier) and Xavier (Revil) depending on what is happening, but at the end of that process I am on the helm and sometimes take the decision depending on what I feel on the helm and see in the sails. We have a good organisation on board though, a good mood and good confidence on board and that makes a difference because everyone is good here, it is very tight."

Yann Guichard (FRA), skipper-helm Spindrift racing (EUR); "It was not great but not bad for us. The first race was good for us and the last race we lead for one leg with that big advantage but we saw the wind dropping, we tried to gybe and get out of there but there was nothing we could do. We were stopped.  This is part of the game though, you sail close to the shore and the wind will drop like that, that is the game we play."

#mod70 – Like giant exotic creatures from another planet the MOD70 Trimaran fleet arrived in Dun Laoghaire overnight after their first leg from Kiel in Germany. With one colourful hull suspended in air even early morning joggers on Dun Laoghaire's East Pier stopped to view the new arrivals into the Carlisle basin. Sails down and safely berthed near the town bandstand the five boat fleet there is no sign of life on board this morning as the 70-foot long craft dwarf all locally based craft at the National Yacht Club, adding a touch of Autumn glamour to the East coast port.

After around 1400 miles and three and a half days of hard racing from Kiel to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland just 77 seconds finally separated the top three MOD70 one design trimarans when the MOD70 European Tour leaders broke the finish line in a dying breeze just after midnight on Dublin Bay.

Four of the Trimarans are along side the Carlisle pier and one is berthed on the National Yacht Club pontoon

It was a heart-stopping conclusion to the first of the five offshore legs which takes the fleet from Germany to Genoa, Italy with stops in Dublin, Cascais and Marseille. Michel Desjoyaux's crew of FONCIA had only seized the lead from long-time pacemakers Spindrift racing within the final 15 miles of the finish.

But within 50 metres of the finish line in the fickle, patchy breeze they had slowed to a crawling two knots.

They only just squeezed across the finish line, 31 seconds ahead of Yann Guichard's Spindrift racing which in turn only just held off Sébastien Josse's hard driving young crew on Groupe Edmond de Rothschild who missed out on second by only 46 seconds.

"It was tough the whole time." Commented double Vendée Globe winner Desjoyeaux, skipper of FONCIA" We kept in contact with Spindrift in particular most of the time and then Groupe Edmond de Rothschild seemed to be the biggest threat, but we just never gave up and it paid off on the finish. We played all the little wind shifts and our sail trimming to get ahead and had to constantly trim and adapt to the conditions to get ahead of Spindrift racing."

For Desjoyeaux's crew there was the satisfaction of adding to their Betfair City Race series points win in Kiel, whilst for the Guichard team there was the disappointment at losing out on a leg which they lead for most of the 1238miles distance, through the full range of conditions. But, equally, Guichard reflected that the finish was so close that they might as easily have finished third. And for Josse and his Groupe Edmond de Rothschild team there is the considerable satisfaction of having put together an accomplished performance that came so close to winning.

In fact it was a fitting climax to an engaging first leg which has offered the five strong fleet of MOD70 trimarans a good share of each type of wind conditions, from a robust beat around the Skagen point on the tip of Denmark, a tactical light winds beat in the North Sea, through a high speed plunge down the Channel to Land's End, averaging close to 30kts for a sustained period, and finally a 200 mile beat up the Celtic Sea to the nerve shredding finish.

Though FONCIA lead out of Kiel last Sunday night, Spindrift racing took the lead on the W coast of Denmark on the speedy descent to the North Sea. And from there until the final miles they had looked like the team most likely to win.

In contrast Stève Ravussin's crew on fourth placed Race for Water started only modestly, finishing their Monday morning with a deficit of some 70 miles or so on the leaders. But they worked hard to come back and in the end they were just over 34 minutes behind the winner.  Spindrift racing had FONCIA within sight for most of the race and it turn Groupe Edmond de Rothschild were close to the FONCIA since the Channel.

Sidney Gavignet and his crew of Musandam-Oman Sail were unfortunate to lose the breeze as it shut down. Finishing fifth they had been duelling for the entire course with Race for Water, which counts with Volvo Ocean Race winner Franck Cammas and Thomas Coville on board.

MOD70 European Tour, Leg 1 Kiel to  Dun Laoghaire, 1238 miles (times inGMT)

1-Michel Desjoyeaux (FONCIA) 23h 19 '09 Sept. 5 in 3d 10h 49' 09

2-Yann Guichard (Spindrift racing) at 23h 19 '40 in 3d 10h 49' 40 (+31secs)

3-Sébastien Josse (Groupe Edmond de Rothschild) at 23h 20 '26 in 3d 10h 50' 26 (1min 17secs)

4-Steve Ravussin (Race for Water) at 23h 54 '25 in 3d 11h 24' 25 (+35min 16sec)

5-Sidney Gavignet (Musandam, Oman Sail) at 00h 54 '00 Sept. 6 in 3d 12h 24' 00 (1h 34m 51sec

#DUN LAOGHAIRE NEWS - Dun Laoghaire will play host to sailing’s most exciting new global championship series when the MOD70 European Tour visits from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 September.

Ireland has hosted many of the world’s top sailing events during 2012 and the welcoming of this new series surely positions Ireland as one of the best sailing locations in the world. The MOD70 fleet - Race For Water, FONCIA, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, Spindrift Racing and Musandam-Oman Sail - will be hosted by the National Yacht Club (NYC) and the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company (DLHC), and a five-day family festival will be held on the East Pier to celebrate the arrival of the most innovative racing trimarans in the world.

The festival will include food courts, a farmers' market, Fairtrade and ethnic stalls, craft stalls, street entertainers and vintage amusements.

On Friday 7 September and Saturday 8 September the MOD70s will be competing in Dublin Bay in the Dublin City Race and Speed Match Races, and there will be live commentary from the East Pier. The trimarans will then leave Dun Laoghaire at 3pm on Sunday 9 September for the start of the second leg of the European Tour from Dun Laoghaire to Cascais.

Gerry Dunne, CEO of the DLHC, said: "We are delighted to welcome the world’s most innovative trimarans to Dun Laoghaire Harbour which has witnessed 200 years of maritime history. 1.4 million people walk the East Pier on an annual basis and we hope that the hosting of this global event will attract many more people to our beautiful harbour in September."

The high-speed MOD70 class of trimarans are a new innovation for sailing, and have already proven to be the fastest offshore one-design class in the world. Each MOD70 is completely identical, built from the same moulds, so that success – both inshore and offshore – reflects the skills of the sailing crew and not any technological advantage.

"The National Yacht Club has played host to many world championships and in July this year we co-hosted the ISAF Youth World Championships. We are delighted that the MOD70s has chosen Dun Laoghaire to host a stopover on the European Tour and we look forward to thousands of people visiting Dun Laoghaire to enjoy the spectacle," said Paul Barrington, Commodore of the NYC.

The MOD70 European Tour starts in Kiel, Germany before visiting Dublin, Cascais near Lisbon and Marseille before finishing in Genoa, Italy. Over the five weeks of the MOD70 European Tour the teams will sail nearly 5,000 miles over five offshore stages.

The tour is the second event of the Multi One Championship, following on from July’s inaugural Krys Ocean Race which saw the MOD70s race the Atlantic from New York to Brest in France at remarkable speeds. The first three boats finished within less than two hours after traversing the Atlantic in less than five days, with the winning boat making more than 711 miles in one 24-hour period.

Already the MOD70 fleet has attracted a cross-section of some of the best ocean racing sailors in the world. Michel Desjoyeaux of France has twice won the Vendée Globe solo round the world race and skippers FONCIA. There are more than eight sailors across the different boats who hold round the world records including Britain’s Brian Thompson who sails for Musandam-Oman Sail.

Thompson has more than 20 offshore sailing speed records to his name and was the only Briton on board Banque Populaire V when the giant multihull set a new record for sailing non-stop around the world in January.

Marco Simeoni, president of MOD SA, said of Dun Laoghaire's hosting of the tour: "Local knowledge and local expertise in hosting world-class sailing events is widely appreciated. We thank all the institutions involved in this stopover and we look forward to spending five wonderful days in the heart of the local culture. Sports and entertainment is guaranteed in the Dublin Bay from 5-9 September!"

Programme of events

Wednesday 5/Thursday 6 September

• All day Wednesday: Estimated arrival of MOD70s
• 10am–6pm: Food courts, farmers market, Fairtrade and ethnic stalls, craft stalls, family entertainment, vintage amusements (every day)

Friday 7 September

• 2pm: Dublin City Races and Speed Matches Day 1 (vantage points from the East Pier to Sandycove with live commentary from the East Pier)
• 10pm: Firework display in Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Saturday 8 September

• 2pm: Dublin City Races and Speed Matches Day 2

Sunday 9 September

• 3pm: Start of Leg 2 from Dublin (Dun Laoghaire) to Cascais (vantage points from the East Pier to Sandycove with live commentary from the East Pier)

#DUBLIN BAY NEWS - The inaugural European Tour for the MOD70 trimaran class is set to come to Dublin next summer, pending agreement with the relative authorities in January.

The Irish Times reports that the National Yacht Club is at the head of efforts to include an event in Dun Laoghaire on the first tour for the new 70-foot design.

But apart from the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, there has so far been little support from local or national authorities despite organisers waiving the €250,000 franchise fee.

John McKenna of tour organiser OC Thirdpole says he is determined to ensure Dublin is included, and that costs will be borne by the competing teams.

However, he added: "The tour needs to be assured that it will have a major public occasion in Dublin if it is to commit to coming here."

The MOD 70 fleet – plans are afoot to bring the fleet to Dun Laoghaire and moor them off the National Yacht Club at the Carlisle Pier

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Dublin Bay welcomed its first MOD70 earlier this year when yachtsman Roland Jourdain tested his Veolia Environnement trimaran ahead of the Fastnet Race.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

Renowned yachtsman Roland Jourdain will be visiting Ireland next month to show off his new vessel ahead of the Fastnet Race.

A veteran of 60-foot monohulls, Jourdain will be in Dun Laoghaire from 4-5 August to test his new Veolia Environnement MOD70 trimaran, as well as select crews for next year's transatlantic races.

His new MOD70 is the second in a series of 12 that will begin racing next summer when six of the fleet race from New York to Brest in France. But the first test will be at the Fastnet, where he will race the only other MOD70 on the circuit.

The Veolia Environnement MOD70 will be berthed adjacent to the Royal St George Yacht Club for anyone curious to have a peek. For more details on the vessel and on Roland visit www.multionedesign.com and www.canyousea.com.