ISAF World Sailing Rankings Released, Annalise Murphy Ranked 15th

2nd February 2015

#isaf – The ISAF World Sailing Rankings for 2 February 2015 have been released. Irish Laser radial sailor Annalise Murphy, who placed seventh overall in Miami last week, is ranked 15th, Belfast's lough's Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern are world ranked 16th in the 49er skiff and club mate James Espey is 45th in the mens Laser division. Full rankings in all classes are here.

Laser

By his own standards, Tom Burton (AUS) was off the pace at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella, finishing down in 18th. However with a number of medal winning performances already behind him, he holds on to World #1.

Philipp Buhl (GER) claimed the World Cup Miami title but only after his nearest rival Nick Thompson (GBR) suffered an equipment malfunction that allowed the German to pass in the Medal Race. Buhl's victory gave him the full 200-points and he leapfrogs up from World #30 to World #7.

Thompson meanwhile moves up to World #2 as Robert Scheidt (BRA) slips to World #3.

Miami was a vital regatta for all of the competitors with valuable ranking points up for grabs. A top performance would prove significant and that was certainly the case for the 14th placed Jesper Stalheim (SWE) and the eighth placed Rutger van Schaardenburg (NED).

Stalheim picked up 175 points whilst van Schaardenburg received 186. They move back into the top 30 at World #20 and #21 respectively, securing an invitation to ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères.

Alex Mills Barton (GBR) and Kristian Ruth (NOR) also sneak into the top 30 at World #29 and World #30.

Several 50-point regattas across the world also see chops and changes in the middle of the rankings.

Laser Radial

There is no change to the leading Laser Radial trio with the Miami podium finishers all solidifying their top position. Bronze medallist Marit Bouwmeester (NED) sits at World #1, silver medallist Evi Van Acker (BEL) is at World #2 and Anne Marie Rindom (DEN), Miami gold medallist, completes the top three.

There are plenty of movers and shakers below them with the 200-point ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami and several 50-point regattas ensuring so. With the top 30 receiving invitations to ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères, the fight for position in Miami was fierce.

Alison Young (GBR) moves back into the top 30 after a busy period of racing. Wins at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne and Sail Sydney combined with a ninth at the ISAF Worlds and a fourth at the Sailing World Cup Final had left her at World #38. A hard fought fifth in Miami pushes her back into the top places and she sits at World #18.

At the cut off point for Hyères invitations, Joyce Floridia (ITA) and Fernanda Decnop (BRA) both move into the top 30, counting the key points they secured at World Cup Miami. For Paloma Schmidt (PER), a 45th in Miami was not enough to solidify her position in the top 30 and she misses out by four points.

Finn

Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) retained World #1 in the Finn following a silver medal performance at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami. The Croatian has three consecutive second place finishes to his name, ensuring a sublime haul of points.

Giles Scott (GBR) holds a perfect ranking score of 800 points after he extended his winning streak in Miami. However, the Briton only counts five regattas to his ranking whilst those around him count six. Scott is positioned at World #7.

Zsombor Berecz (HUN) moves back into the top 30 after he won gold at the 50-point Palamos Christmas Race at the back end of 2014. The current World #30 takes the final Hyères invitation. Palamos silver medallist Milan Vujasinovic (CRO) also moves into the top 30. He is at World #20.

49erFX

Having dominated the 49erFX over the last 12 months, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) comfortably sit atop of the rankings on 988 points.

North American gold and a World Cup Miami bronze ensured their position was solidified and they are 69 points clear of World #2 Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN).

Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) finished second at the Midwinters before sealing World Cup Miami gold with a day to spare. With the full 200 World Cup points coming their way they move up to World #3.

Interestingly, since the 49erFX's first ranking release on 12 December 2012, there have only been two World #1s, the Brazilians and Kiwis. But as crews continue to master the equipment, they'll look to spring some surprises on the road to Rio.

Tess Lloyd and Caitlin Elks (AUS) took the honours at the Oceanic Championship and continue to march up the rankings. They move up four places to World #14.

49er

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami bronze was enough for Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN) to retain World #1 in the 49er. Joel Turner, sailing with Iain Jensen, picked up silver in Miami and as a result Turner moves from World #40 to World #18 and will receive a Hyères invitation for himself and usual crew Lewis Brake.

Turner came in for Nathan Outteridge who missed out on Miami competition for personal reasons. Jensen will revert back to sailing with his usual helm. Outteridge and Jensen sit at World #24 but only count four regattas to their point's total.

Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) put together a steady string of Miami results that ultimately handed them the title. They did not win a race across the series of 13 but 11 top ten performances gave them the edge. They remain at World #3.

A 23rd in Miami was enough for Federico and Arturo Alonso (ESP) to re-enter the top 30 at World #27. Jacapo Plazzi and Umberto Molineris (ITA) move to World #30 after a 31st in Miami. Both crews will receive invitations to ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères.

Men's 470

Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) retain World #1 in the Men's 470 after two medal winning performances in Miami, USA. They claimed the North American title in advance of ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami but were made to settle for silver at the main event. They sit 25 points clear of World #2 Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE).

Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) finished behind the Australians at the 100-point North American regatta but had their revenge by securing a seven point victory at World Cup Miami. As a result they shift up to World #3.

Japan's Tetsuya Matsunago and Yugo Yoshida are the big movers this month. The Japanese pair picked up bronze at the 470 North Americans before sealing a tenth at World Cup Miami. As a result, they have moved up to a personal best of World #5 from World #19.

Palamos Christmas Race silver medallists Guillaume Pirouelle and Valentin Sipan (FRA) sneak into World #30, thus securing an invitation to World Cup Hyères. At World #31 Antonio and Joao Rosa miss out on an automatic invitation by 24 points. Their chance to qualify will come at Princess Sofia Trophy regatta in Palma, Mallorca, Spain.

Women's 470

New Zealand's Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie move back to World #1 in the Women's 470 having dominated ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella. Taking the full 200-points the Kiwis are 99 points clear of Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan (BRA).

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) finished 27 points off the Kiwis in Miami, however with a silver medal coming their way they move up to World #7 from World #21.

Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (AUT) took the gold at the 100-point North American Championship in advance of their ninth at the World Cup. They sit at World #11.

France's Maelenn Lemaitre and Aloise Retornaz took 50-points away from the Palamos Christmas Race regatta at the end of 2014 and remain at World #24.

There are no shock entries into the top 30 after many of the leading teams used Miami to solidify their spot top 30 status.

Men's RS:X

It was an up and down week in the Men's RS:X, with consistency a rarity on Miami's challenging track. Nonetheless, the form racers came to the forefront.

Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) claimed gold which promotes him up to World #13 from World #29. Silver for Thomas Goyard (FRA) moves him up to World #3 a personal best and bronze medallist Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) retains World #1.

Sebastian Fleischer (DEN), Joan Cardona Bocarando (ESP) and Ivan Pastor (ESP) all move into the top 30 after solid Miami performances and subsequently qualify for ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères.

The 100-point RS:X African Championship title went the way of Algeria's Hamza Bouras. The Algerian moves up to World #105, a personal best.

Women's RS:X

Flavia Tartaglini (ITA) holds on to World #1 in the Women's RS:X in spite of a disappointing final day in Miami. The Italian was on the course side in the Medal Race and dropped out of the honours. Nonetheless her fourth place was enough for her to retain her position at the top of the rankings.

The Netherlands' Lilian de Geus and Russia's Olga Maslivets were major benefactors of Tartaglini's downfall. De Geus took silver which pushes her up to World #4, a personal best, and Maslivets' bronze sees her climb up to World #25 from World #38 to secure a Hyères invitation.

Bryony Shaw (GBR) claimed a comprehensive Miami victory, solidifying her spot at World #2.

Nacra 17

Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) successfully defended their ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami title with a day to spare. By taking maximum points at the 200-point regatta they hold on to World #1.

Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (GBR) took silver in Miami and remain at World #6. Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) sneaked onto the Miami podium and sit at World #2.

Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning (NED) finished fourth, moving them back into the top 30.

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Irish Olympic Sailing FAQs

How long has Ireland been sailing at the Olympics?

Ireland’s representation in sailing at the Olympics dates back to 1948, when a team consisting of Jimmy Mooney (Firefly), Alf Delany and Hugh Allen (Swallow) competed in that year’s Summer Games in London (sailing off Torquay). Except for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Ireland has sent at least one sailor to every Summer Games since then.

Who has sailed for Ireland at the Olympics, and when?

How many Olympic medals has Ireland won in sailing?

Ireland has won two Olympics medals in sailing events, both silver: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson in the Flying Dutchman at Moscow 1980, and Annalise Murphy in the Laser Radial at Rio 2016.

Who is on the current Irish Sailing Olympic team?

The current team, as of December 2020, consists of Laser sailors Finn Lynch, Liam Glynn and Ewan McMahon, 49er pairs Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle, and Sean Waddilove and Robert Dickson, as well as Laser Radial sailors Annalise Murphy and Aoife Hopkins.

What is the National Governing Body for sailing in Ireland?

Irish Sailing is the National Governing Body for sailing in Ireland.

Who is responsible for selecting Ireland’s Olympic sailors?

Irish Sailing’s Performance division is responsible for selecting and nurturing Olympic contenders as part of its Performance Pathway.

What is the Performance Pathway?

The Performance Pathway is Irish Sailing’s Olympic talent pipeline. The Performance Pathway counts over 70 sailors from 11 years up in its programme.The Performance Pathway is made up of Junior, Youth, Academy, Development and Olympic squads. It provides young, talented and ambitious Irish sailors with opportunities to move up through the ranks from an early age. With up to 100 young athletes training with the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway, every aspect of their performance is planned and closely monitored while strong relationships are simultaneously built with the sailors and their families

Who is the Irish Sailing Performance head coach?

Rory Fitzpatrick is the head coach of Irish Sailing Performance. He is a graduate of University College Dublin and was an Athens 2004 Olympian in the Laser class.

Who is Irish Sailing’s Performance Director?

The Performance Director of Irish Sailing is James O’Callaghan. Since 2006 James has been responsible for the development and delivery of athlete-focused, coach-led, performance-measured programmes across the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway. A Business & Economics graduate of Trinity College Dublin, he is a Level 3 Qualified Coach and Level 2 Coach Tutor. He has coached at five Olympic Games and numerous European and World Championship events across multiple Olympic classes. He is also a member of the Irish Sailing Foundation board.

Who is the most famous Irish Olympic sailor?

Annalise Murphy is by far and away the biggest Irish sailing star. Her fourth in London 2012 when she came so agonisingly close to a bronze medal followed by her superb silver medal performance four years later at Rio won the hearts of Ireland. Murphy is aiming to go one better in Tokyo 2021.

Who are the Irish Sailing Performance coaching staff?

Under head coach Rory Fitzpatrick, the coaching staff consists of Laser Radial Academy coach Sean Evans, Olympic Laser coach Vasilij Zbogar and 49er team coach Matt McGovern.

How is performance sailing in Ireland funded?

The Irish Government provides funding to Irish Sailing. These funds are exclusively for the benefit of the Performance Pathway. However, this falls short of the amount required to fund the Performance Pathway in order to allow Ireland compete at the highest level. As a result the Performance Pathway programme currently receives around €850,000 per annum from Sport Ireland and €150,000 from sponsorship. A further €2 million per annum is needed to have a major impact at the highest level. The Irish Sailing Foundation was established to bridge the financial gap through securing philanthropic donations, corporate giving and sponsorship.

What is the Irish Sailing Foundation?

The vision of the Irish Sailing Foundation is to generate the required financial resources for Ireland to scale-up and execute its world-class sailing programme. Irish Sailing works tirelessly to promote sailing in Ireland and abroad and has been successful in securing funding of 1 million euro from Sport Ireland. However, to compete on a par with other nations, a further €2 million is required annually to realise the ambitions of our talented sailors. For this reason, the Irish Sailing Foundation was formed to seek philanthropic donations. Led by a Board of Directors and Head of Development Kathryn Grace, the foundation lads a campaign to bridge the financial gap to provide the Performance Pathway with the funds necessary to increase coaching hours, upgrade equipment and provide world class sport science support to a greater number of high-potential Irish sailors.

How are the funds raised for the Performance Pathway spent?

The Senior and Academy teams of the Performance Pathway are supported with the provision of a coach, vehicle, coach boat and boats. Even with this level of subsidy there is still a large financial burden on individual families due to travel costs, entry fees and accommodation. There are often compromises made on the amount of days a coach can be hired for and on many occasions it is necessary to opt out of major competitions outside Europe due to cost. Money raised by the Irish Sailing Foundation will go towards increased quality coaching time, world-class equipment, and subsiding entry fees and travel-related costs. It also goes towards broadening the base of talented sailors that can consider campaigning by removing financial hurdles, and the Performance HQ in Dublin to increase efficiency and reduce logistical issues.

What is the organisation structure of the Performance Pathway?

The ethos of the Performance Pathway is progression. At each stage international performance benchmarks are utilised to ensure the sailors are meeting expectations set. The size of a sailor will generally dictate which boat they sail. The classes selected on the pathway have been identified as the best feeder classes for progression. Currently the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway consists of the following groups: * Pathway (U15) Optimist and Topper * Youth Academy (U19) Laser 4.7, Laser Radial and 420 * Development Academy (U23) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX * Team IRL (direct-funded athletes) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX

What is the governance structure for performance sailing?

The Irish Sailing performance director produces a detailed annual budget for the programme which is presented to Sport Ireland, Irish Sailing and the Foundation for detailed discussion and analysis of the programme, where each item of expenditure is reviewed and approved. Each year, the performance director drafts a Performance Plan and Budget designed to meet the objectives of Irish Performance Sailing based on an annual review of the Pathway Programmes from Junior to Olympic level. The plan is then presented to the Olympic Steering Group (OSG) where it is independently assessed and the budget is agreed. The OSG closely monitors the delivery of the plan ensuring it meets the agreed strategy, is within budget and in line with operational plans. The performance director communicates on an ongoing basis with the OSG throughout the year, reporting formally on a quarterly basis.

What is the Olympic Steering Group?

Due to the specialised nature of Performance Sport, Irish Sailing established an expert sub-committee which is referred to as the Olympic Steering Group (OSG). The OSG is chaired by Patrick Coveney and its objective is centred around winning Olympic medals so it oversees the delivery of the Irish Sailing’s Performance plan.

How is progress monitored on the Performance Pathway? Who decides when sailors are selected or dropped?

At Junior level (U15) sailors learn not only to be a sailor but also an athlete. They develop the discipline required to keep a training log while undertaking fitness programmes, attending coaching sessions and travelling to competitions. During the winter Regional Squads take place and then in spring the National Squads are selected for Summer Competitions. As sailors move into Youth level (U19) there is an exhaustive selection matrix used when considering a sailor for entry into the Performance Academy. Completion of club training programmes, attendance at the performance seminars, physical suitability and also progress at Junior and Youth competitions are assessed and reviewed. Once invited in to the Performance Academy, sailors are given a six-month trial before a final decision is made on their selection. Sailors in the Academy are very closely monitored and engage in a very well planned out sailing, training and competition programme. There are also defined international benchmarks which these sailors are required to meet by a certain age. Biannual reviews are conducted transparently with the sailors so they know exactly where they are performing well and they are made aware of where they may need to improve before the next review.