Irish Olympic Sailors Face Test At Aquece Rio as Breeze Fails To Materialise

17th August 2015

Light winds for the Olympic Test event in Rio

#aquecerio – Irish Olympic sailors have dropped out of the top ten in each of their competing disciplines at Aquece Rio. The Olympic test event approached its half way stage in Rio yesterday leaving Irish sailors with a lot of work to do if they are to be in the hunt for medals at the Olympic dress rehearsal this weekend.

49er skiff pair Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern dropped nine places overall from sixth to 15th place yesterday when they scored 20 and 15 yesterday.

The 49erfx girls Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey from Dun Laoghaire are 12th overall after a single race day, commenting on Facebook after sailing: 'Today we headed out of Guanabara Bay to the Atlantic Ocean for a spot of offshore racing... Unfortunately there was absolutely no wind and we spent a good few hours drifting around in the swell trying not to get sea sick! We were then sent inside the bay where there was a glamour breeze, so as soon as a course area became free we were back on for racing. We managed to get one race in before the sun started to set over Rio. We scored a 13th which leaves us in 13th place overall'. [12th according to official scoreboard - Ed]

It was certainly a day of contrasts with Rio's inside course areas playing host to all of the day's competition.

Conditions have not suited the Irish Laser sailors on the Providence Resources sponsored team. In a tough few days for Radial sailor Annalise Murphy, the National Yacht Club helmswoman finished a disappointing 27th to be 27th overall from 28. Belfast's James Espey is 28th from 38.

A steady 10-12 knot southerly breeze inside Guanabara Bay under a beating Brazilian sun enabled some interesting racing for the competitors. Meanwhile, outside of Guanabara Bay, it was a different story as the wind failed to materialise for the sailors to compete.

With the fleets sailing inside completing their scheduled races, the decision to move those from outside the Bay to inside was made, enabling a single early evening race for each fleet.

In total, the Pão de Açúcar, Escola Naval and Ponte courses played host to eight fleets who completed 15 races between them.

Results are here

49er and 49erFX

The 49er sailors enjoyed four good races on the Pão de Açúcar racing area and Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) revelled in the conditions. Burling and Tuke took three race wins on the day and as a result have lifted themselves up to top spot. Their other result, which was an 11th, is their discarded score.

Several teams enjoyed good results on the day. Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) sailed their way to a bullet and two thirds after a disappointing opening race where they came through in 18th. The Germans sit fifth overall.

Kings of consistency, Manu Dyen and Stephane Christidis (FRA) posted four results in the top ten and are sixth. Out of the 20-boat fleet they are the only crew who count a full scorecard of single figure scores.

The 49erFX fleet were scheduled to sail on the Niteroi course but light winds meant they were unable to sail on that course. With six racing areas being tested throughout the week the Race Management team have great flexibility with racing areas and the decision to move to the Pão de Açúcar course was made.

In a light early evening breeze the Pan-American Games gold medallists Victoria Travascio and Maria Sol Branz (ARG) took the single race victory over Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA). The Argentineans, light wind specialists, have enjoyed the breeze they've faced so far and occupy second place.

Overnight leaders Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) discard their 11th place and hold on to top spot.

Laser and Laser Radial

Heading into the day the Laser and Laser Radial sailors were prepared for a big challenge on the Pai course, the furthest racing area away from Marina da Gloria. Out in the open sea, big winds and waves were predicted but both failed to materialise.

In the end, the flatter waters of Escola Naval were used for a single race apiece.

Tuula Tenkanen (FIN) took the single Laser Radial race win and is third overall. Gintare Scheidt (LTU) continues to lead the pack.

In the Laser, Tom Burton (AUS) crossed the finish line 19 seconds ahead of Nick Thompson (GBR) for his first win of the week and as a result is seventh overall.

Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) holds onto his lead even though he finished in 16th place.

The Laser, Laser Radial, Finn and 49erFX will catch up on their schedule on 18 August whilst the 49er and Nacra 17 fleets enjoy a day of rest. The Men's and Women's RS:X will be back in the mix on Tuesday as they get down to the business end of the competition.

Racing commences at 13:00 local time.

Published in Olympic

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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.