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Displaying items by tag: Ancasta

Yacht broker Ancasta has announced its line up for Poole Harbour Boat Show 2017, which takes place from 19th to 21st May 2017. As one of the UK’s largest Beneteau power and sail dealerships, it will be presenting the Beneteau Oceanis 38.1 and 41.1 as well as the popular Swift Trawler 30 and 44 motor yachts.

Both the Beneteau Oceanis 38.1 and 41.1, which debuted in the UK in Autumn 2016, are designed with Finot-Conq hulls and Nauta interiors. The Oceanis range continues to offer a variety of different layouts, from number of cabins and bathrooms to a choice of galley layout, enabling clients to customise their boats to suit their style of sailing.

The Swift Trawler models at the show combine classic style and design with modern technology and boast incredible sea-keeping qualities for long distance or coastal cruising. Uninterrupted windows allow light to flood into the saloon. The Swift Trawler 30 is the newest in the latest generation of the range.

Poole Harbour Boat Show is open Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May from 10am to 5.30pm.

Published in Boat Sales

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust have proudly been handed ownership of their highly anticipated new yacht, which will enable them to better support young people from the North of England and Scotland particularly those with mobility issues resulting from their cancer treatment.

Dame Ellen MacArthur, who founded the Trust with the aim of rebuilding young people's confidence in their recovery from cancer, joined Ash Overton of Ancasta, and Head of Charities Clara Govier from People's Postcode Lottery on the boat at the 2016 Southampton Boat Show to receive the keys.

The purchase was made possible after the Trust received an additional £200,000 at the People's Postcode Lottery Charity Gala from players of People's Postcode Lottery to invest into a yacht to improve the experience of young people at their newest base in Largs, Scotland, which opened in early 2013. With advice and support from Beneteau, Ancasta and Hamble Yacht Services Refit and Repair the boat was carefully selected, purchased and modified to best support the requirements of the Trust's young people.

Ellen expressed the charity's gratitude, "It's been a big day for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, it's a step that wouldn't have been possible without the massive support from players of People's Postcode Lottery, the Ancasta Group, and Beneteau so a huge thank you!" She continued "A magnificent job really has been done".

This is an important purchase for the Trust and the young people it supports, as it will improve the quality of the experience for those with mobility issues. The Trust supports a number of young people who have suffered from brain tumours and sarcomas, treatment of which affects their coordination, balance or may result in an amputation, limiting their ability to move around a boat.

Modifications made by Hamble Yacht Services Refit and Repairs to the boat, such as the fitting of extra handrails and altering the cabin space, will allow young people with these issues to have a better quality experience. The stern of the boat also lowers to pontoon height to enable easier access when the young people are embarking and disembarking from the boat.

Further to this, the yacht will expand the Trust's capacity to be able to offer 'Day Sails' for the families of young people who are too ill to join the four day trips.

Ancasta, the largest yacht brokers in Europe, have supported the Trust from the start of the purchase process enabling them to secure the Beneteau Oceanis 45. Ash Overton of Ancasta commented, "It has been a wonderful project to be involved with, working closely with the Trust to select and modify a yacht perfect for their needs. We can't wait to see it in action".

The yacht will now make its way up to the Largs base where it will join the Trust's operations ready to start the sailing season in spring 2017.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is a national organisation set up 13 years ago by internationally renowned yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur that gives young people in recovery from cancer the opportunity to take part in sailing trips to rebuild their confidence. The Trust works with every young person Principal Treatment Centre in the UK and a growing number of Designated Units in the UK. It receives no government funding and relies entirely on voluntary donations to provide sailing trips free of charge to the young people.

Published in Marine Trade
McConaghy Boats has appointed Ancasta International Boats Sales as the dealer for UK and Ireland. McConaghy's are arguably the world leading race boat manufacturer. They are seen as the standard setters for exquisite composite construction. Their list of achievements within racing yacht construction is unrivalled and Ancasta Group is delighted with this new partnership.

The initial focus of this new partnership is on the Ker 40; the Jason Ker Designed IRC racer. In addition to the Ker 40, Ancasta will also be promoting the McConaghy 38; an out and out lunatic machine that conforms to no rules and just goes fast upwind and downwind!

The Ker 40 is anticipated as being the next big step in IRC racing. It performs beautifully upwind whilst being exhilarating downwind. This fusion of TP52 inspired performance mixed with an ability to compete under IRC rating is a combination that offers something unique at a price which is very inclusive.

Nick Griffith MD of Ancasta commented: "We are all very excited about the Ker 40, the challenge under IRC has always been to produce a competitive boat under 50' that is also exciting to sail. I have been so impressed with Jason's efforts with the Ker 46 Tonnere and we see the 40 as the next step in that development. At last a full blown 40' race boat competing under IRC. Happy days indeed!"

Ancasta through its extensive network will be handling all the sales and marketing as well as providing the highest standard of after sales care and support. The first two Ker 40's coming to the UK will be based at Hamble Yacht Services in time for this seasons racing.

Published in Marine Trade

Irish Olympic Sailing Team

Ireland has a proud representation in sailing at the Olympics dating back to 1948. Today there is a modern governing structure surrounding the selection of sailors the Olympic Regatta

Irish Olympic Sailing FAQs

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.

  • 1948 – London (Torquay) — Firefly: Jimmy Mooney; Swallow: Alf Delany, Hugh Allen
  • 1952 – Helsinki — Finn: Alf Delany * 1956 – Melbourne — Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1960 – Rome — Flying Dutchman: Johnny Hooper, Peter Gray; Dragon: Jimmy Mooney, David Ryder, Robin Benson; Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1964 – Tokyo — Dragon: Eddie Kelliher, Harry Maguire, Rob Dalton; Finn: Johnny Hooper 
  • 1972 – Munich (Kiel) — Tempest: David Wilkins, Sean Whitaker; Dragon: Robin Hennessy, Harry Byrne, Owen Delany; Finn: Kevin McLaverty; Flying Dutchman: Harold Cudmore, Richard O’Shea
  • 1976 – Montreal (Kingston) — 470: Robert Dix, Peter Dix; Flying Dutchman: Barry O’Neill, Jamie Wilkinson; Tempest: David Wilkins, Derek Jago
  • 1980 – Moscow (Tallinn) — Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson (Silver medalists) * 1984 – Los Angeles — Finn: Bill O’Hara
  • 1988 – Seoul (Pusan) — Finn: Bill O’Hara; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; 470 (Women): Cathy MacAleavy, Aisling Byrne
  • 1992 – Barcelona — Europe: Denise Lyttle; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; Star: Mark Mansfield, Tom McWilliam
  • 1996 – Atlanta (Savannah) — Laser: Mark Lyttle; Europe: Aisling Bowman (Byrne); Finn: John Driscoll; Star: Mark Mansfield, David Burrows; 470 (Women): Denise Lyttle, Louise Cole; Soling: Marshall King, Dan O’Grady, Garrett Connolly
  • 2000 – Sydney — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, David O'Brien
  • 2004 – Athens — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, Killian Collins; 49er: Tom Fitzpatrick, Fraser Brown; 470: Gerald Owens, Ross Killian; Laser: Rory Fitzpatrick
  • 2008 – Beijing (Qingdao) — Star: Peter O’Leary, Stephen Milne; Finn: Tim Goodbody; Laser Radial: Ciara Peelo; 470: Gerald Owens, Phil Lawton
  • 2012 – London (Weymouth) — Star: Peter O’Leary, David Burrows; 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; Laser Radial: Annalise Murphy; Laser: James Espey; 470: Gerald Owens, Scott Flanigan
  • 2016 – Rio — Laser Radial (Women): Annalise Murphy (Silver medalist); 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; 49erFX: Andrea Brewster, Saskia Tidey; Laser: Finn Lynch; Paralympic Sonar: John Twomey, Ian Costello & Austin O’Carroll

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

©Afloat 2020