#BOATS FOR SALE – Whether you are looking to step straight into a race prepared X-34 for winning regattas or a well prepared 34 footer for performance cruising an X-34 on the Afloat boats for sale site,  represents an excellent opportunity to acquire astylish, great all-rounder built in 2011. The yacht is for sale at £145,750.

Brokers X Yachts Ireland say this model has a white hull with optional grey waterline stripes and matching canvas work, while down below she has the mahogany hand rubbed satin finish varnish work with contrasting light upholstery throughout. She is provided with a new set of cruising North Sails and the base pack of B&G instruments can easily be added to for either a race or cruising owner. For a test sail and more details check out the boat here

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Our Boats for Sale website has been updated. We've listened to the needs of you, the buyers and sellers to bring you the site Ireland needs for boat sales.

Firstly, our aim is to generate Ireland's largest stock of quality boats for sale, in order to do this we've introduced a modest charge of €10 to list your boat for 60 days. We've simplified the steps involved to advertise your boat, and once you've walked through them here are some of the advantages your boat has to gain maximum exposure...

• Our aim is to offer Ireland's largest range of quality boats for sale.
• With upwards of 3,000 visitors per day and 70% of traffic from search engine queries, Afloat.ie is the number one boating portal site in Ireland.
• Your boat will be added to Ireland's largest boating mailing list with over 10,000 subscribers, giving your boat more exposure both at home and abroad
• There's tips too for buyers and sellers covering choosing a boat, asessing value, financing a boat, advertising a boat for sale and the necessary paperwork.
• Our aim is to provide an independent quality alternative where Irish boat buyer can meet Irish boat seller at a cost-effective price.

#JOBS – Lough Ree Yacht Club is seeking Dinghy Instructors, racing Instructors and advanced sailing instructors for its Junior Sailing Course in July. Application Forms are available on www.lryc.ie

 

#OLYMPIC – Now that Ireland's Star, 49er and Laser Radial places are secure for the Olympics, attention now turns to delivering at the event itself. We're only 200 days or so out from the first race of the Olympic sailing regatta so it's no surprise squad members are already back on the water.

This weekend the Star pair Peter O'Leary and David Burrows and Laser Radial helmswoman Annalise Murphy are training in Miami, getting ready for Monday's first race of US Sailing's Miami Olympic classes regatta, an event that is an important indicator in the build up to Weymouth.

If the celebrations from Perth are anything to go by many at home are now expecting big things from our sailors in July.  Expectations are such that a sailing medal has become a realistic proposition. In the pressure cooker atemosphere of the Olympic Games that's an awful lot for a small team to shoulder especially when some performances at the ISAF worlds in Perth showed no improvement since the Summer.

As has already been pointed out in a December Irish Times Sailing Column there is some inconsistency in Irish performances that must be ironed out first if there is to be any bigger celebrations in Olympic year.

Beyond the glowing reports beamed back from Perth there is a need for a critical appraisal of the Olympic sailing performance (with a positive bias) so any problems can be addressed.

There should be no grumbling about such coverage, no-one can argue with the facts.

Criticism about inconsistency is needed. And our more senior Olympians need public criticism if they are to improve.

Ireland's only sailing medal came at the 1980 Moscow Olympics when 62 countries decided to boycott the games. It's not popular to mention that or that since then Ireland has not had a top eight finish.

This time it will be different say the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) who have already pointed to the podium in Weymouth.

There is no doubting the very high standard of results already coming from the Olympic team. Two medal race performances and one just outside at the ISAF worlds this month in Perth are great achievements just months from the Olympic regatta itself. Many nations would pay good money just to be in Ireland's position right now. But behind the celebrations there is concern over season long inconsistencies that followed the team to Perth.

Except for two race blips in both the Star and the Laser Radial where Irish boats counted two bad races apiece, Ireland would have been in the medals in Perth, a first for Irish sailing at an ISAF world championships.

In an overall regatta context this means it's not only about having brilliant races, it's also about not having bad ones.

Take Murphy's season as an example. In her last two world cup regattas she has finished fifteen times in the top ten and has won ten races. Her win rate at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta on the Olympic course itself in July was matched only by Britain's Ben Ainslie. Inconsistency prevented her from taking first place in both events.

More recently in Perth, Murphy won four races, more than any other sailor in her fleet. Her average position excluding discard was seventh. If she had scored seventh in her two worst races, she would have won the regatta by five points. Instead a couple of bad results kept her sixth overall. Sixth in a fleet of such world class competitors is nevertheless a top result for Murphy and a personal best to boot.

Annalise's performance graph set against the top three overall in the Perth Laser Radial class

It was the same for the Irish Star sailors. Having to count a 33 and a 24 in Perth was a killer blow for O'Leary and Burrows. In the 41 boat Star fleet only one of the top three overall won an individual race but the top three rarelynever fell out of the top ten.

Local celebrations and favourable press coverage aside O'Leary and Burrows and Murphy will not be satisfied with results as they stand.

Peter O'Leary and David Burrow's peformance against the top three in Perth

Olympic qualification is in the bag so the question now is what can be done to turn them from world class sailors, which undoubtedly they are, into medal winners?

There are under 200 days to go. There must be a plan to eliminate current inconsistencies. It starts next Monday in Miami.

Whether it is starting technique, tactical decision-making or boat speed issues it is time to put all possible resources into a team that has got the greatest chance of moving Irish sailing on from Moscow.

#TALL SHIPS – Sail Training International has appointed a new Chief Executive. He is Peter Cardy, Chief Executive of the charity Aquaterra and a former Chief Executive of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). He joins the STI team at its offices in Gosport, England, this month.

Peter has an MSc in Social Policy and a BA in Social Theory and Politics. His career began in adult education and then moved into general management. He has been the Chief Executive of several major charities, and in his current assignment with Aquaterra he has a staff of 350 and runs a budget of £14million. His career has also given him international experience, and current volunteer appointments include: Patron of the Sea Change Sailing Trust, a member of the RYA Government Affairs Committee, and Visiting Fellow at the Cass Business School, City University (London).

Peter Cardy is the new Chief Executive of Sail Training International

Peter's first sail training experience was at the age of 15, since when he has undertaken countless voyages on sail training vessels of all sizes. He has been a volunteer crew on a number of vessels and sails regularly with the Jubilee Sailing Trust as Watch Leader.

He has helped Sail Training International in recent years with advice on regulatory issues and other assistance. In early 2010, while Chief Executive of the MCA, he facilitated and joint-hosted with Sail Training International a reception for Flag State Regulators at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation.

"Peter is clearly uniquely well qualified to manage Sail Training International as our Chief Executive and help lead the organisation to further success," says Nigel Rowe, STI's President and Chairman. "He is well known to us, he is an experienced sail trainer, and he has considerable expertise in senior management roles in the charity sector. He will make a significant contribution to our work."

"I have always admired Sail Training International for its diverse activities in developing and promoting sail training around the world and for what it has achieved over the past decade," says Peter Cardy. "Sail training was certainly a life-changing experience for me as a boy. Working with STI's Trustees, staff, members and international cadre of volunteers will enable me to make a very direct contribution in the international arena to an activity I love."

#BANTRY2012 – A spectacular display of seamanship for Cork this Summer will be officially launched by Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney TD on January 27th when details of the Bantry 2012 Challenge are revealed. As well as a top sporting story organisers say it's also a tale of how tight knit coastal communities across the world have forged strong interantional links thanks to an initial idea in West Cork.

300 competitors from 16 nations are expected in July when replicas of the Bantry Bay longboat, the oldest surviving vessel in the French navy are raced under sail and oar.

The international crews will take part in a week long event in ten events both on and off the water. The prestigious event for the West cork venue is known as the 'Atlantic Challenge Bantry Bay Gig World Championships'.

Two years ago, as previously reported in Afloat, the Bantry Bay crew, soared in second place, while representing Ireland in the Atlantic Rowing Challenge in Midland Canada.

Competing on Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes the Bantry Bay Crew displayed huge amounts of physical and mental strength as they accomplished first place in their first three races.

The Atlantic Challenge is held every other year and sponsors a friendly contest of seamanship in Bantry Bay gigs. Founded by an American native Lance Lee, the Atlantic Challenge aims to build trust among nations and form a community of youth and adults from many countries, while also encouraging the practice of traditional maritime skills.

The boats measure almost 40-foot in length and hold 13 crew. Each boat uses a mainsail, foresail and mizzen.

The competition starts in Bantry on July 21st.

#WORRAL THOMPSON – Mischievous spoofers have taken to YouTube to poke fun at Anthony Worrall Thompson who appears at Malahide Rugby Club this Saturday on Olympic sailing fundraising duty for Irish pair Scott Flanigan and Ger Owens. The Ready Steady Cook star shamed for his Tesco shoplifting this week is judging a celebrity Chef night in aid of the Olympic 470 trialists at the North Dublin venue.

The TV star has apologised for his "stupid and irresponsible actions" on Monday after he was caught shoplifting cheese and wine from a Tesco store.

The Irish Olympic duo have organised two teams for the Cook in. One team with sports personalities and the second team with entertainment and political personalities. Worrall Thompson will be presiding as judge of the Malahide competition.

He was arrested at the supermarket in Henley on Thames, London after failing to pay for items at the self-service checkouts five times in 16 days.

In one comical clip that appears on youtube, a shopkeeper pokes fun at the troubled presenter in a tongue-in-cheek foul-mouthed rant.

Another spoof video superimposes Worrall Thompson's head onto footage of another shoplifter being apprehended instore.

For Saturday night, the Olympic duo have organised two teams for the Cook in. One team with sports personalities and the second team with entertainment and political personalities.

There will be four on each team and they will have a choice of preparing dishes with either beef or salmon.

'We hope that Anthony will be the judge and sample the finished dishes giving marks out of ten' say the Olypmic pair.

The event will be filmed live from the kitchen and streamed onto the big screen in the function room for guests to view.

Following his arrest, the 60-year-old released a statement claiming he intends to "seek the treatment that is clearly needed".

He added: "I am not the first, and I certainly won't be the last person to do something without rhyme or reason - what went through my head, only time will tell.

"Of course, I must also apologise sincerely to Tesco, with whom I'm had a long and genuine working relationship, and to all the staff at the Henley branch, many of whom I've got to know over the years.

"Once again, I am so sorry and hopefully in the future I can make amends."

Tickets for Saturday night's event are €100 or €1000 for a table of ten. There is Live music on the night and an auction with Denis Drum including the following items: Signed Munster Rugby Jersey, Signed Leinster Rugby Jersey, Signed Irish Rugby Jersey, Grand Slam Rugby tie donated by Ollie Campbell, Signed Irish Soccer Jersey, Four ball with Philip Walton, A painting by Alan Kenny. Contact 01 8453459 for bookings. Cheques made payable to Ger Owens.

The second half of DMYC’s Frostbite series was initiated on Sunday, 8th January, when amongst others, 12 Fireballs, contested the first race of Series 2. While they may not have had things entirely their own way on the water at the start, there is a familiarity to the final race results with Messrs Butler & Oram in 1st place and Messrs Rumball & Moran in 2^nd.

This scribe was not part of the proceedings but my information is that pre-launch, the wind was getting up to 30knots which put the prospect of racing in severe jeopardy. However, the wind abated and in mildish conditions (10º for January), six rounds were sailed inside Dun Laoghaire’s harbour. With a mean wind direction of 270º, right was the way to go, but I am told that Butler/Oram went left which left them playing catch-up. Rumball/Moran thus played the part of pathfinder ! The wind moderated to about Force 4 for the duration of the race.

The first race of 2012 saw Owen Laverty and Ed Butler make their first appearance in the Frostbites and they were rewarded with 3rd place on the finish which also resulted in them winning the day’s mugs.

#SAILING CLUBS - Sailing enthusiasts on AIB's staff have taken a blow to the wallet as the bank is to stop paying club membership fees for employees, the Irish Independent reports.

In an e-mail seen by the paper, AIB head of human resources John Conway said the cuts - which came into effect on 1 January - were the result of a review of benefit structures within the bank, which is dealing with "ongoing problems".

The change brings to an end two benefits-in-kind that had been considered significant attractions for new employees, the other being special lending rates for staff members.

Up till the end of 2011, AIB covered 50% of club membership fees up to €1,250 for rank and file employees, and 100% of fees up to €2,500 for management. Bank of Ireland staff continue to receive similar perks.

The moves comes not long after the Irish Sailing Association's announcement of proposals to revise its sailing club membership fee structure.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the ISA will convene an EGM next month to discuss changes to the 'joint membership scheme' in favour of a "single fee formula that is proportionate to a club's membership subscription income".

The Irish Independent has more on the story HERE.

 

#CLIPPER - Derry-Londonderry continues to make steady progress towards Singapore on their southerly route as they maintain their lead over the last 24 hours. In a cruel twist of fate Gold Coast Australia's surge of success on their northerly route has today seen frustration as they split from the rest of the fleet and slip to fifth position.

The current race, Race 7, from Gold Coast to Singapore provided the Clipper Race Committee with many different routes which could have been specified for the fleet, each with a number of significant hazards.

Race Director, Joff Bailey, explains, "After significant research and discussion with regional Navy forces including the Royal Navy and the Pirate Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur the route selected.

"North of Papua New Guinea and through the Celebes and Sulu Seas; is considered by myself, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and the Race Management Team as the least risky of all the options. That said it is not without its risks as we have seen with the cyclones two weeks ago but they are low and risk mitigating actions are being taken.

"The week ahead is going to be an interesting period of time as once the fleet enters the Celebes Sea in a few days time the crews will have to cope with very light winds, navigational hazards that are poorly charted and also the potential threat of piracy. As such the Race Committee will be taking certain risk mitigating actions to ensure that the fleet have the best chance to navigate these hazards safely.

"Over the next few days we will be explaining in the daily report the details of the actions by the Race Committee which will include temporarily suspending racing, Stealth Mode for certain periods, freezing the Race Viewer and permitting the skippers to use their engines if required. Don't be alarmed if some or all of the teams go into Stealth Mode for three or four days, that is part of the mitigating actions we are taking and the Race Office is still in regular contact with the fleet as well as tracking each boat every hour."

Further details of the action to be taken by the Race Committee will be included in tomorrow's Daily Update.

Currently most northerly boat, Gold Coast Australia skipper Richard Hewson reports, "Since the start of the race my tactics have been to head north to the reliable trade winds to make our way across the Pacific to Asia in the best time possible. Normally trade winds are stronger away from the Equator to about 12 degrees north. This race we seem to be experiencing far from normal conditions as Gold Coast Australia once again sits to the north of the fleet, sails flapping as we roll around in the swell becalmed."

Despite the setback, the team is remaining positive with the tactical decision made, "For now there is not much more to do but to have a laugh, continue fixing the medium weight spinnaker and wait for wind!" Richard added.

As the teams receive details of a "very mixed bag of wind" forecast by meteorologist and winning skipper of Clipper 2002, Simon Rowell, this race has certainly become a race of two halves and the changing weather has seen the teams have a clear division of tactics, with just over half the fleet heading south, and the other half, north.

On board Derry-Londonderry, skipper Mark Light, says "We are still hanging on to our coveted first position and making good, steady progress towards our destination - the Celebes Sea gate! There is definitely a feeling of nervous excitement around our boat at the moment as we strive to keep her moving forward as fast as we can and in the right direction!"

Closely observing the north south divide, Mark reports of his team's unusual game play to maintain their poll position, "With a renewed focus, talk on board is often about how we can go even faster and quite often this comes down to reducing weight! Right now we are discussing various techniques". Ten suggestions are currently in the running and include an effort to eat all the food as quickly as possible and chopping crew's toothbrushes in half!

Despite a slow 24 hours for New York and with the loss of their Windex, the team has worked hard to keep moving in the low winds, their southerly tactic has seemed to of paid off as they move up to second place in the fleet.

"We know that we would lose out to the yachts to the north which we did, and now just hope we can keep them off. Our tactic is to stay south knowing that we will sail a bit slower that the other yachts but will be able to sail with good VMG (Velocity Made Good) to the gate," explains skipper, Gareth Glover.

"We could head north and increase our apparent wind which would give us more boat speed but we will have to come back down for the gate which the yachts to the north may have too and then we hope we will get back any lost miles."

Ocean sailing is not just about tactics, it is also important to look after the boat and keep equipment in good condition. Gareth reports that his team have been working hard to maintain New York, carrying out constant rig checks and running repairs continuing on their kites.

Meanwhile, Singapore's decision to stay south has rewarded the team as they move up to sixth place. Despite the light and fluky winds the home port entry is hoping to hold onto a little more breeze after a night of constant sail changes.

"Firstly it was chafe on a spectra loop from a Gibb shackle that sent our medium weight kite flying to leeward. On the next two occasions it was small holes caused by the kite collapsing occasionally and catching on various rough. This was fairly disappointing as we had been making excellent progress and I am sure that being under white sails for around three hours in total will have cost us a good six miles or so. Hopefully we can hold onto a little more breeze than the yachts to the south and continue to claw back ground on them until we can harden up a little past the bottom of Palau."

But it is not only the wind that is causing the team concern as Ben adds, "We are down to our last 50 tea bags!

"Our only conciliation is that they are at least Twinnings English Breakfast (surely the finest tea available.) Ironic really that a "Clipper" vessel should run out of tea. This will have a serious impact on our 1700 tea and cake daily meetings. Our caffeine and tannin hit will have to be replaced by either coffee or Milo. I personally struggle to get through the day without at least three cups of the delightful infusion and considered stashing a few bags in my cabin; but in the interests of keeping the team spirit alive we are going to try drying and re-using a few instead."

On board De Lage Landen, the team has been enjoying the wind that has greeted the Dutch entry as they sample their sails on the race towards the next gate.

Skipper Stuart Jackson says, "We are now nearly finished packing our forth spinnaker of the day, what had been a simple change to the medium weight soon turned into a quick drop as a hole appeared in it. Then shortly after hoisting again the clew decided to release itself, prompting another drop. So it has been a sweaty morning packing spinnakers below decks. Hopefully this one will decide to stay up until we want it to come down!"

The variable winds continue to affect Visit Finland and in the last 24 hours the team have slipped down to seventh place.

"During the last six hours we have gybed three times and made eight miles to the north, three to the south and two to the west! So there is plenty to keep us busy anyway! It would appear that the fortunes have turned to favour the more northerly boats for the time being which must be a relief for them," says Olly Osborne, skipper of the Finnish entry.

"Although we appear to have found our way back into more squally weather today, we did have a good run throughout the night which puts us about 600 miles from our way point."

On Geraldton Western Australia, skipper Juan Coetzer reports that his team has been experiencing "light and fluky winds" accompanied by "clear skies and soaring heat", which has caused problems for the Australian entry."Below decks, things are exploding. A carton of soya milk exploded in one of the lockers leaving a beautiful mess.

"There is a rather large obstacle in our way called the Palau Islands. For the last 300 miles we have been trying to go south of the island, but it's like a big magnet drawing us in. Unfortunately, I don't think we will get to see the Islands during day light," he added.

"A case of the 'haves and have not's'" is how skipper Rupert Dean describes the past few days on the race to Singapore. The changing weather has certainly made this a race of two halves, as Welcome to Yorkshire grapple with the variable winds with their competitors in sight.

"Yesterday morning, Welcome to Yorkshire was making reasonable progress west, some 22 miles behind Visit Finland. Later that day we were very surprised to see Visit Finland on our bow, struggling to sail out of a massive windhole by heading north under white sails. Before we knew it we were in the same hole, requiring us to drop our spinnaker and do the same. This continued into the night, until we both found some wind and were able, once again, to hoist our spinnakers and head west," Rupert added.

"Unfortunately for us, following an epic squall and rainstorm this morning, we were becalmed again for a few hours, soon to learn that Visit Finland had regained eleven miles on us. So a period of mixed fortunes for both of us. We are now ghosting along with full main, staysail and Yankee 1, relived to be moving again, yet hoping that the north easterly trades will re-establish themselves soon, enabling us to make better speed towards our target."

Race 7, one of the longest in the series on the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, and after 19 days at sea, on board Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, cabin fever is starting to creep up on the team. Despite the challenges faced by Mother Nature, skipper Gordon Reid reports that his team always maintain a positive attitude after a night of no wind.

"Stuck in a windless hole, baking under the tropical sun, sweating like a blood donor at a vampire's tea party, being drenched in a tropical downpour for the fifth time in four hours we always keep the faith and remember what a great adventure we are undertaking."

In an effort to keep the Scottish entry moving, Gordon adds that the team have been working very hard, and praises the team on the crew's skill and determination as they execute a variety of sail changes in a bid to claw back position.

"So far today our sail change evolutions have included a change from the Yankee 1 and Staysail, to 'Big Frank' peel to 'Little Frank', swap to wind-seeker, back to Yankee 1, the main has been in, it's been out, we've had preventers on preventers off. Barber haulers here there and everywhere. We are now moving and in the right direction, a true testament to the skill and determination of the crew!"

Continuing to push forward is Qingdao, whose crew has been working hard changing sails after what skipper Ian Conchie describes as "A lovely 24 hours of spinnaker work!

"We hoisted the medium kite 24 hours ago and flew it until early this morning when we swapped for a lightweight. We have been making great progress all day trying to catch up the lead boats.When we dropped the medium weight we found some small holes which were quicklyrepaired my Dave and Lynn our sail repair team. Unfortunately we then noticed similar holes back in the medium weight so another quick change back to the lightweight only to find more holes so yet another change to the heavy while we fix both kites. As I type the lightweight is being repacked ready to be hoisted.

"In the meantime James has been up the rig and found the cause, a split pin in the rigging which had turned to make a great sharp edge for the kites to snag on.I think we can say that we have had enough spinnaker drop and hoist practice today and we are getting quiet slick at it now but the heat makes the repair and packing very sweaty indeed!" says Ian.

#OLYMPIC – Dublin Race officer Jack Roy has been congratulated by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) this morning on his prestitgious appointment as a race officer for the London Olympics. He had been shortlisted last November but confirmation of one of the top jobs in the sport of sailing has only been received today.

The National Yacht Club and Royal Irish Yacht Club member was one of only 25 rated for one of the most important roles in a race official's career. As reported in April last season Roy had been part of a panel of 25, from which 16 were chosen this week to run the London regatta.

Dun Laoghaire Race Officer Jack Roy who will officiate at the 2012 Olympic Sailing Regatta in London

Roy has already run the 2011 sailboard and Laser races at the Olympic test event as part of a 180–strong race management team.

Roy is based in Dun Laoghaire and is a former Flying fifteen champion sailor. A member of the National Yacht Club, he has acted as Race Officer for many World and European championships run on Dublin Bay in recent years including Flying Fifteen Worlds, Laser 4.7 Europeans, 2007 Etchell European Championships, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, Cork Week, and SB3 Worlds 2008.

The International Sailing Federation confirmed Roy's apponitment this morning as a member of the race management team at the 2012 London Olympic Games Sailing Competition which will take place in Weymouth (GBR) from 27 July through to 12 August.

His specific role on the race management team will be advised by ISAF shortly.