Annalise Murphy Returns to Weymouth for ISAF World Cup

2nd June 2015

#olympicsailing – The eyes of the sailing world will be back on Annalise Murphy when she returns to Weymouth next week with the world's Olympic medallists returning to the venue of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition for the next round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup. Murphy lost out on a medal in the closing stages of the London 2012 Olympics but did Ireland proud by posting its best Olympic result in 30 years. Annalise is in top form, winning silver at the Delta Lloyd regatta in Holland last week against some arch rivals and in condtions that might very well be repeated in windy Weymouth.

Weymouth and Portland, the fourth of six ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas in 2015, will welcome sailors across ten Olympic and three Paralympic events in Great Britain from 8-14 June 2015.

ISAF Sailing World Cup glory, a share of the €78,000 prize fund and Abu Dhabi final spots are on offer with racing commencing on 10 June culminating in the live Medal Races on Sunday 14 June.

The world's top 30 sailors from the 27 April 2015 ISAF World Sailing Rankings release were invited to Weymouth and Portland with the remaining receiving their spot at the qualification event, the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik, the Netherlands.

The Laser Radial Medal Race at London 2012 saw a four way shoot out for the medals between Lijia Xu (CHN), Marit Bouwmeester (NED), Evi Van Acker (BEL) and Annalise Murphy.

Xu went on to win gold and has since stepped away from the Laser Radial. Meanwhile silver medallist Bouwmeester, bronze medallist Van Acker and the fourth place Murphy all return to the waters for ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland.

"I have fond memories of Weymouth. [It was] a dream come true to become an Olympian in 2012," commented Bouwmeester. "It will be my first time back in the UK since 2012. I am very excited and looking forward to the nice waves in the bay."

Van Acker is also of a similar mind set in advance of competition, "I have great memories of Weymouth. The conditions during the Olympics were fantastic with good winds and sunshine every day. I'm looking very much forward going back to the Olympic venue.

"Winning an Olympic medal was something truly exceptional. My team and I worked so hard for it. My friends and family were cheering for us on the mountain [the Nothe]. It was a dream come true, although I still feel like I could have done better."

The level of the competition at the ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta has the potential to be higher than the Olympic Sailing Competition with multiple entrants per nation possible. The qualification system ensures the best of the best are in the 40 boat fleet, something Bouwmeester enjoys, "In my opinion this concept is the way forward.

"It's nice to have the big fleet qualifying events and then the high level World Cup events. It's nice to race with all the good girls in one fleet, just like the Olympics."

Van Acker added, "Racing in a 40 boat fleet in Hyères was definitely exciting. It's different in many ways, but good fun and good practice for the Olympics. Pressure is on from day one without a qualifying series and with only the top sailors competing.

"I expect fierce competition in Weymouth. The Laser Radial is a very competitive class and there is always a good battle going on between the girls. We are coming closer to the test event in Rio, many national trials are going on so everyone wants to perform at their best."

Ireland's Murphy missed out on an Olympic medal by just four points over the third placed Van Acker but looks back fondly on the venue, "I have a lot of great memories from Weymouth as I first competed there in the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2006. I like coming to Weymouth as it is so close to home for me and because I have spent so much time there everything is very familiar."

Murphy, like Bouwmeester and Van Acker, also pointed out the positives of the elite level competition, "It was really exciting racing with the top 40 boats in Hyères and it brings in a whole new dynamic to Olympic racing. If you make a small mistake you're most likely going to get punished for it as everyone is so close.

"I think you have to work extremely hard to succeed in the Laser Radial right now, everyone is extremely professional and if you're not giving it 100% it is very easy to get left behind."

Belgium's Van Acker will be the one to beat in Weymouth and Portland. Over the last 15 months she has finished on the podium at every ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta she's competed at, winning gold at the 2014 and 2015 Hyères editions and the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

Aiming to halt her run, alongside Murphy and Bouwmeester, will be Hyères bronze medallist Josefin Olsson (SWE), World #1 Alison Young (GBR) and World #3 Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN).

Laser

Pavlos Kontides (CYP) made history at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition by becoming the first athlete from Cyprus to claim an Olympic medal. With gold medallist Tom Slingsby (AUS) concentrating on the America's Cup and Rasmus Myrgren (SWE) stepping away from the boat, Kontides is the only returning Olympic Laser medallist in Weymouth and Portland.

"The best sporting moments of my life are obviously from Weymouth," explained a nostalgic Cypriot. "Scoring two bullets on the second day of the Olympics, holding the yellow jersey mid-way through and finally, glory for myself, my family, my team and my country's first ever Olympic medal.

"[Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland] is a perfect opportunity for me to visit the same place where it all happened. It will just always feel special to me and a strong bond will exist due to the memories.

"Of course I do remember a lot of rainy days as well during my preparation there," he said with a winking face on his email response.

Kontides will form part of an exceptional fleet of 40 strong Laser sailors in Weymouth and Portland. The 40-boat invitational fleets were introduced at World Cup Hyères and proved an immediate hit as Kontides explained, "This type of racing is challenging and exciting with no mistakes allowed.

"The start and opening of the race are even more important as recovery opportunities are less frequent due to the high level of the fleet and evenness in speed. Consistency is always key for a good result.

"Competition will definitely be tough and together with the conditions Weymouth is known for, hiking, strong changing current and a big swell will provide the sailors with fascinating racing."

The Laser is one of the most hotly contested Olympic fleets at the moment with a number of competitors consistently fighting for top honours. But what does it take to succeed? "Sailing is a sport which depends on many different parameters," explained Kontides. "Consistency is a must for success as you have to perform well in all kinds of conditions.

"In doing so you have to start good, sail fast and smart with low risk and finish every race as best as possible. You can always win a regatta without even winning an individual race."

Matt Wearm (AUS) recently won the Delta Lloyd Regatta by taking just a single race win from nine races. Consistency is certainly king in the Laser and Wearn comes into Weymouth and Portland eager to continue his good form, "The win in Medemblik has prepared me well for Weymouth. It gives me a great deal of confidence that I have the ability to be on the top of the podium.

"It was also great to be so consistent in the tricky conditions against some tough opponents.

"The Laser fleet as always is extremely competitive. It feels that you can go to any event around the world and you can expect to be racing the world's best. The depth in the fleet is incredible to that anyone from the top 20 in the world has the ability to win regattas.

"I feel Weymouth will be no exception to this and that it's going to be another incredibly tight regatta between the top few guys in the world. It is definitely now becoming the time where everyone wants to assert their dominance going in to the last year before the [Olympic] Games."

World #1 Tom Burton (AUS) heads into Weymouth in good form having won World Cup Hyères whilst Tonci Stipanovic (CRO), Nick Thompson (GBR) and Philipp Buhl (GER) will all make the journey to Weymouth and Portland well prepared.

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Annalise Murphy

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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.