Irish Tokyo Bid in 49er Skiff Races Will Be Streamed Live from Auckland

19th November 2019

Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove of Howth are one of two Irish teams competing for an Olympic berth in Auckland next month Credit: Afloat

Irish sailing fans can look forward to seeing two Irish teams bid for an Olympic berth at the 49er World Championships live in New Zealand next month thanks to new streaming technology announced by the international class association.

As Afloat reported previously, a top-eight position is needed to secure Ireland’s single place at next year's Tokyo Olympics by Ryan Seaton (a double Olympian) and Seafra Guilfoyle or rivals Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove who have each shown how capable they are this season at separate events.

The International 49er and Nacra17 Class Associations, along with the host club Royal Akarana Yacht Club, have announced a partnership with New Zealand streaming platform SidelineApp which will see the upcoming Oceania and World Championships broadcast in their entirety, live and available to sailing fans around the world.

In addition to the Sky Sport New Zealand broadcast announced in September, the additional coverage by SidelineApp will see each and every race broadcast live and on demand.

“We are tremendously excited to partner with SidelineApp and deliver such comprehensive coverage to our dedicated sailing fans. For the first time ever, the moments that matter in an Olympic sailor's life can be shared in real time with their friends, family, clubs, supporters, and countrymen as they unfold,” said 49er and Nacra17 Class President Marcus Spillane who is also a member of Ireland's Olympic Steering Group.

The 2019 Hyundai World Championships will be of huge importance for the sailors and nations competing, and now fans will have the opportunity to be part of the action. Alongside the three World Championship titles on the line, Olympic qualification and selection is up for grabs for the majority of the competitors. The Oceania Championships, November 25-27, and World Championships, December 3-8, will herald a new era of the sport’s coverage.

The Regattas

The 2019 Hyundai World Championships will be the most important event in the sailors’ calendars in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, held in July and August next year. For the world’s best, it is the measuring stick for how they stack up as a fleet, plus there are at least 15 Olympic qualifying berths on offer among the three classes; four in the 49er, five in the Nacra 17 and six in the 49erFX. Only 20 teams per fleet will earn the privilege of representing their country at the Olympic Games, and many top sailing nations are yet to qualify for Tokyo 2020.

49er FX Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallists Martine Grael & Kahena Kunze (BRA)

The 2019 Hyundai Oceania Championships will serve as the warm-up regatta for the three classes prior to the 2019 Hyundai World Championships. As the contintental championships for the Oceania region, world ranking points are on offer as well as offering one last opportunity for teams to make any last minute adjustments to their sailing before the Hyundai World Championships begin.

Racing begins on 25th November with the three-day Oceania Championships, followed shortly after by the 2019 Hyundai World Championships, raced from 3rd to 8th December. Live broadcasting will be available from two of the four courses during the Oceania Championships, in addition to the extensive World Championships coverage.

The Sailors

Racing will feature some of the world’s best sailors, including New Zealand’s own Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalists and America’s Cup champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in the 49er, alongside their fellow Kiwis and Rio 2016 silver medallists in the 49erFX, Alex Maloney and Molly Meech.

The list of Olympic medallists and World Champions continue throughout the 49er fleets, including the 2017 49er World Champions Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell (GBR) and Rio 2016 49erFX gold medalists Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) plus reigning European and World Champions Annemiek Bekkering and Annette Duetz (NED). The Nacra 17 foiling multihull repeats the gold medal standard, featuring Santiago Lange and his crew Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG), gold medallists from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and London 2012 49er Olympic gold medallist and Japan SailGP skipper Nathan Outteridge, combining with his sister Haylee (AUS).

In total there are 14 Olympic Gold medalists competing at the regatta; Peter Burling (NZL), Blair Tuke (NZL), Santiago Lange (ARG), Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG), Martine Grael (BRA), Kahena Kunze( BRA), Sime Fantela (CRO), Nathan Outteridge (AUS), Tamara Echegoyen (ESP), Iker Martine z(ESP), Tessa Parkinson (AUS), Anna Tobias (USA), Jonas Warrer (DEN), and Sophia Bekkatorou (GRE).

Overall there are 206 teams competing from 41 nations comprising 412 athletes.

Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallists Martine Grael & Kahena Kunze (BRA)

The Technology

The 2019 Hyundai World Championships broadcast will include some of the latest 4G bonding technology and include tracking of every team using TracTrac, on board 4G cameras thanks to Icarus Sports, drones and stabilised on-water cameras. Swiss Timing’s 2D & 3D graphics, featured at recent World Sailing events, will be incorporated into the broadcast package, as will the Sky Sport regatta coverage.

The broadcast will be hosted by New Zealand’s Jesse Tuke, the younger brother of Olympic 49er gold medallist Blair Tuke, and feature commentary with analysts and sailing experts, special guests and interviews from the sailing world

“It’s a tricky sport for traditional broadcasters to comprehensively cover due to the many moving parts, the number of cameras needed to cater for large fleets, and the technology of streaming vision away from land,” SidelineApp founder Luke Thompson said. “4G has opened the floodgates for providing reliable streaming content across the globe, and we’re really focused on the new 4G bonding and 5G technologies coming to the market.”

How to Access

Live streaming will be available via our live portal at both 49er.org/live and Nacra17.org/live. Access to the Oceania broadcast will be provided free of charge for sailing fans around the world.

SidelineApp’s World Championships package can be purchased for the early bird price of 9.95 Euros for all LIVE and On Demand. After November 30 the package is 14.95 euros. *Geoblocked territories, if any, will be confirmed prior.

“While it is not traditional to have subscription based coverage for sailing, we do think it could be the best way forward. As the class that has pioneered live coverage since 2012, we have only been able to offer a single course area for up to three days of a championship. If the sailing public can get behind this type of comprehensive coverage, we have a chance to take a long-term leap forward in what we can offer passionate sailing fans globally,” said classes manager, Ben Remocker.

Published in Tokyo 2020, Youth Sailing, Northern Ireland Waters

Published in Tokyo 2020

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49er

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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

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.

©Afloat 2020

Tokyo 2021 Olympic Sailing

Olympic Sailing features a variety of craft, from dinghies and keelboats to windsurfing boards. The programme at Tokyo 2020 will include two events for both men and women, three for men only, two for women only and one for mixed crews:

Event Programme

RS:X - Windsurfer (Men/Women)
Laser - One Person Dinghy (Men)
Laser Radial - One Person Dinghy (Women)
Finn - One Person Dinghy (Heavyweight) (Men)
470 - Two Person Dinghy (Men/Women)
49er - Skiff (Men)
49er FX - Skiff (Women)
Nacra 17 Foiling - Mixed Multihull

The mixed Nacra 17 Foiling - Mixed Multihull and women-only 49er FX - Skiff, events were first staged at Rio 2016.

Each event consists of a series of races. Points in each race are awarded according to position: the winner gets one point, the second-placed finisher scores two, and so on. The final race is called the medal race, for which points are doubled. Following the medal race, the individual or crew with the fewest total points is declared the winner.

During races, boats navigate a course shaped like an enormous triangle, heading for the finish line after they contend with the wind from all three directions. They must pass marker buoys a certain number of times and in a predetermined order.

Sailing competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo are scheduled to take place from 27 July to 6 August at the Enoshima Yacht Harbour.

Venues: Enoshima Yacht Harbor

No. of events: 10

Dates: 27 July – 6 August

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Dates

Following a one year postponement, sailing competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo are scheduled to take place from 23 July 2021 and run until the 8 August at the Enoshima Yacht Harbour.

Venue: Enoshima Yacht Harbour

No. of events: 10

Dates: 23 July – 8 August 2021

Tokyo 2020 Irish Olympic Sailing Team

ANNALISE MURPHY, Laser Radial

Age 31. From Rathfarnham, Dublin.

Club: National Yacht Club

Full-time sailor

Silver medallist at the 2016 Olympic Games, Rio (Laser Radial class). Competed in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018. Represented Ireland at the London 2012 Olympics. Laser Radial European Champion in 2013.