Irish Sailing President Boosts Active Irish Presence at Paris Boat Show

11th December 2018

Joan Mulloy, Irish Sailing President Jack Roy, and Tom Dolan at the Paris Boat Show Credit: Rosemary Roy

Paris is big enough and busy enough to accommodate the unrest of the Gilets Jaunes in one part of the city, and yet continue to run an International Boat Show in another part of town, a boat show which is the focus of world sailing every year in the early part of December writes W M Nixon

The 2018 Paris Boat Show currently underway has seen an unprecedented level of Irish involvement, with Gerry Salmon and John O’Kane of MGM Boats in town for the unveiling of the new Jeanneau Sunfast 3300 and other up-to-the-minute goodies from their comprehensive range of suppliers, while the high octane energy provided by La Solitaire URGO Figaro has already seen the focus close in on the annual offshore racing awards ceremony.

This saw our own Tom Dolan up there with a coveted podium place for his breakthrough as the overall third rookie (bizuth) in the Figaro 2018 season. Also in town is Joan Mulloy of Mayo, who this year became the first Irishwoman to complete the Figaro Solo, racing the BIM-sponsored Taste the Atlantic, a Figaro 2 which - in a subtle bit of marketing - didn’t actually mention Ireland anywhere in the naming and livery, yet everyone knew it was an Irishwoman at the helm.

tom dolan prize2 A long way from being alone out on the ocean….Tom Dolan under very public interrogation at the Paris Boat Show. Photo: Jack Roy

In enthusiastic support of our two Figaro sailors is Irish Sailing President Jack Roy and his wife Rosemary. Jack Roy has been hooked on the special challenge which the demanding French short-handed offshore racing scene provides for Irish sailors ever since he went to help provide on-the-spot support for Tom Dolan in the buildup to start of the Minitransat 2017, and his enthusiasm is such that he and Rosemary went to Paris at their own expense. Yet there’s no doubting that the presence of the main man in Irish sailing has been adding some real power to the impact made by our sailors, and their hopes and plans.

figaro three3 Just keep buying the Lottery tickets….the new foiling Figaro 3 is a magnet for the serious offshore brigade in Paris. Photo: Jack Roy

One of the highlights of the show saw the focus on the Beneteau stand, where the draw was made for the 50 new foiling Figaro 3s for 2019’s Golden Jubilee series – the first 50 are either already built, or nearing completion, with the fleet accumulating in a compound near Nantes. The draw confirmed that one each will go to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy, and by April the word is that a third one will go the way of Ireland’s current “Sailor of the Year” Conor Fogerty of Howth, though instead of focusing on the Figaro circuit, he has indicated that initially, he will be seeing what sort of impact the new boat will make introducing young sailors to the Irish Sea offshore racing scene.

figaro foil4 So this was what all the fuss was about? The foil for the new Figaro 3 looks to be the essence of simplicity, but it took hours, days, weeks and months of testing before the shape was finalized. Photo: Jack Roy

Meanwhile, there’s much interest in what the actual course will be for the Figaro 2019, as a head of steam is building up to persuade the organisers that it should come to Cork at some stage. Certainly, Jack Roy has been lobbying with this in mind, and another big beast of the Irish sailing jungle, Enda O Coineen, has been prowling through the Paris Boat Show in support of the same mission.

Published in ISA

About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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Irish Sailing

The Irish Sailing Association, also known as Irish Sailing, is the national governing body for sailing, powerboating and windsurfing in Ireland.

Founded in 1945 as the Irish Dinghy Racing Association, it became the Irish Yachting Association in 1964 and the Irish Sailing Association in 1992.

Irish Sailing is a Member National Authority (MNA) of World Sailing and a member of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

The Association is governed by a volunteer board, elected by the member clubs. Policy Groups provide the link with members and stakeholders while advising the Board on specialist areas. There is a professional administration and performance staff, based at the headquarters in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Core functions include the regulation of sailing education, administering racing and selection of Irish sailors for international competition. It is the body recognised by the Olympic Federation of Ireland for nominating Irish qualified sailors to be considered for selection to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games. Irish sailors have medalled twice at the Olympics – David Wilkins and Jamie Wikinson at the 1980 games, and Annalise Murphy at the 2016 games.

The Association, through its network of clubs and centres, offers curriculum-based training in the various sailing, windsurfing and powerboating disciplines. Irish Sailing qualifications are recognised by Irish and European Authorities. Most prominent of these are the Yachtmaster and the International Certificate of Competency.

It runs the annual All-Ireland Championships (formerly the Helmsman’s Championship) for senior and junior sailors.

The Association has been led by leading lights in the sailing and business communities. These include Douglas Heard, Clayton Love Junior, John Burke and Robert Dix.

Close to 100 sailors have represented Ireland at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Membership of Irish Sailing is either by direct application or through membership of an affiliated organisation. The annual membership fee ranges from €75 for families, down to €20 for Seniors and Juniors.