A fleet featuring Olympic medallists and some of the world's leading ILCA sailors completed three races on the opening day of the ILCA Coaches Regatta in Dún Laoghaire on Friday.
The three-day event runs through to Sunday and serves as a key training opportunity ahead of the ILCA World Championships later this summer.
Fifteen sailors competed in the ILCA 7 fleet and 14 in the ILCA 6 fleet. Competitors represented Ireland, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Hungary, Croatia, Cyprus and the United States.
Among the high-profile entries are Australian Olympic gold medallist Matt Wearn, Cyprus Olympic silver medallist Pavlos Kontides, Croatian Olympic silver medallist Tonči Stipanović and Hungary's Maria Érdi, a world champion and Olympic finalist.
Silver Standard — Cyprus Olympic silver medallist Pavlos Kontides (212431) races on Dublin Bay during the opening day of the ILCA Coaches Regatta in Dún Laoghaire. Photo: Con Murphy
Irish interest is led by Olympians Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon in the ILCA 7 fleet, while Abby Murphy and Eve McMahon represent Ireland in the ILCA 6 fleet.
Race organisers reported ideal conditions for the opening races, with a south-westerly breeze ranging from 10 to 20 knots providing excellent racing across Dublin Bay.
The regatta is also being used to trial new race management technology. The race committee is testing the Vakaros RaceSense system for race starts and finishes.
A further innovation being evaluated is the use of an electric trolling motor aboard the pin-end RIB. The system allows race officials to hold station and adjust the start line quickly without deploying an anchor.
The event continues through Sunday with further racing scheduled ahead of the ILCA World Championship season in August and September.
The attached RaceSense reports provide a detailed breakdown of each race using the Vakaros RaceSense system, which combines GPS tracking and automated race management technology.
The reports show key performance data including starting accuracy, race times, positions around the course and fleet movements, giving sailors, coaches and race officials a detailed picture of how each race unfolded.
The Dún Laoghaire regatta is being used to evaluate the RaceSense system ahead of major international events, with organisers assessing its potential to enhance race management, improve starting procedures and provide valuable post-race analysis for competitors.
Download the RaceSense reports below.
