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Displaying items by tag: Dublin Bay

It was plane sailing when Larinka berthed at the town marina in Dun Laoghaire this afternoon. The unusual sight of a winged sail jutting above the breakwater made her an obvious target for boating folk. The interesting vessel is the last of four Zephyr 43 Walker Wingsail tris designed by John Walker and built in the Royal Naval Dockyard in Davenport Plymouth. Built in 1991 the boat has a cruising speed of eight knots and a top speed of 14. Photo from Dun Laoghaire today and a youtube video below:

larinkawingsail

Plane Sailing: Larinka is berthed in Dun Laoghaire marina

Published in Dublin Bay
Tagged under

America's Cup legend John Bertrand is among 42 entries received for the Etchells World Championships coming to Howth Yacht Club later this month. A quarter of the fleet are Irish but entries are also coming from Australia, Bermuda, USA and Sweden. Bertrand and his crew are coming from Victoria in Australia. Bertrand skippered Australia II to victory in the 1983 America's Cup, ending 132 years of American supremacy. Bertrand won the bronze medal in the Finn competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He is a member of Royal Brighton Yacht Club in Melbourne Australia, and currently competes in the Etchells class boats. The Howth entry list as at July 30th can be downloaded below.

Published in Howth YC

HOWTH YACHT CLUB. TUE + SAT SERIES 3 (RACE) 03/08/2010 17 Footer SCRATCH: 1, Rita Lynch/Curley; 2, Aura I Malcolm; 3, Oona P Courtney; 17 Footer HCAP: 1, Aura I Malcolm; 2, Pauline O'Doherty/Ryan; 3, Rita Lynch/Curley TUESDAY SERIES 3 (RACE) 03/08/2010 Puppeteer SCRATCH: 1, Mojo Stanley/Callen; 2, Ibis G May; 3, Pinocchio Swan/Davidson; Puppeteer HPH: 1, Mr. Punch NiBhraonain/Wilson; 2, Pinocchio Swan/Davidson; 3, No Strings T Harvey; Squib SCRATCH: 1, Chatterbox J Kay; 2, Shadowfax P Merry; 3, Arctic Fox G Barry; Squib HPH: 1, Chatterbox J Kay; 2, Shadowfax P Merry; 3, Arctic Fox G Barry; Etchells SCRATCH: 1, Kootamundra Wattle O'Grady/Reilly; 2, Jabberwocky S Knowles; 3, Northside Dragon J Bourke; SB3 SCRATCH: 1, Sharkbait Duncan/Moran; 2, Sin a Bhuifl Guinness/Costigan; 3, Investwise D Quinn

Published in Howth YC

DUBLIN PORT Dublin Bay Sailing Club Results for 3 AUGUST 2010

CRUISERS 2 - 1. Cor Baby (Keith Kiernan et al), 2. Red Rhum (J Nicholson), 3. Borraine (Ean Pugh)

CRUISERS 3 - 1. Papytoo (M.Walsh/F.Guilfoyle), 2. Rattler 2 (Austin Whelan), 3. Grasshopper 2 (K & J Glynn)

CRUISERS 4 - 1. Aslana (J.Martin/B.Mulkeen), 2. Maranda (Myles Kelly), 3. Artemis (J.Giles)

GLEN - 1. Pterodactyl (R & D McCaffrey), 2. Glenshesk (L.Faulkner et al)

RUFFIAN 23 - 1. Shillelagh (J.Caldwell/D.Barber), 2. Diane ll (Bruce Carswell), 3. The Sting (Richard O'Keefe et al)

SIGMA 33 - 1. White Mischief (Timothy Goodbody), 2. Pippa lV (G.Kinsman/K.Blake/M.O'Brien), 3. Pastiche (John Peart et al)

Published in Glen

On Monday 26 July, the Grande Senegal, a brand new vessel that was only launched this year for Italian shipping giant, Grimaldi Lines, docked in Dublin after a 9,600km voyage from Douala, Cameroon, along Africa's mid-western coast.
Onboard was a large-scale consignment of Irish Defence Forces military equipment from Chad, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The charter of the 47,218 gross tonnes marked the final phase in the withdrawel since April of Irish Defence Forces from UN-peacekeeping duties in the troubled land-locked central African state. The Irish-based troops had already flown home in advance of the military hardware.
In total, 3,000 tonnes of equipment was shipped which included 208 TEU (20-foot long containers) 75 trucks, 4x4s, armoured vehicles and an assortment of trailers and fuel bowsers.
The cargo was first moved from Defence Force facilities based at Goz Beida, in eastern Chad, across 900km of desert to the Chadian capital, N'Djamena. From there the equipment was divided with sensitive cargo flown to the port of Douala. The remaining cargo was taken on another 900km road-trip to Ngaoundere, in northern Cameroon. Upon arrival at Ngaoundere, the cargo was transferred by rail for 650km to Douala, finally completing the journey to the African port.
The transportation was undertaken during the impending threat of the rainy season which can pose serious difficulties for all modes of
wheeled transport to the extent that renders progress to be difficult if not impossible. The major logisticical exercise was one of the most
challenging operations experienced by the Defence Forces.
With the equipment loaded at Douala, Grande Senegal set sail on 13 July bound for Dublin. The long-distance passage took a fortnight to arrive at Dublin, where the ConRo (Containers and Roll-On Roll-Off) vessel discharged vehicles through the stern-mounted door ramp.
Once the equipment was disembarked at the quayside, the Gardai and Defence Forces provided joint escorts to the vehicle-conveys, to ensure a speedy exit out of the port, destined for military barracks. Grande Senegal is one of seven Grande 'Angola' class newbuilds built at the Uljanik Shipyard, Pula, Croatia. Each 210 metre-long ConRo vessel can combine a load of 2000 vehicles and 800 TEU, or alternatively a maximum of 1,360 TEU. The Grande Senegal departed Dublin the next day for Amsterdam.

The_new_multi-purpose

The new multi-purpose vessel, Grande  Senegal fitted with stern-vehicle ramp, berthed at Alexandra Basin, Dublin on 26 July. Photo © Jehan Ashmore/ShipSNAPS
Published in Ports & Shipping

A strong entry of 112 including Chile's Matias Del Solar, currently ranked seventh in the world, competed for the Connaught Laser championships this weekend on Dublin Bay. Hosted by the National YC under international race officer Con Murphy, the three Saturday races were sailed in a 10-15kt shifty westerly. Sunday saw alight breeze swing from NW to SW and then back around to North andeventually an Easterly, resulting in several postponments andultimately 2 of the planned 3 races being sailed. The Radial fleet hadthe largest fleet of 48 boats and was won Annalise Murphy from thehost club with Christopher Eames from Strangford in second. Thestandard fleet was duly won by Matias Del Solar from James Espey ofBallyholme and the 4.7s were won by Howth's Diana Kissane from fellowclub sailor Cillian Mc Creer. A number of the competitors includingDel Solar, Espey and Murphy are now enroute to Weymouth for next weeks Olympic Sail for Gold regatta where similar conditions to Dublin Baycan be expected.Full results attached:-
A strong entry of 112 including Chile's Matias Del Solar, currently ranked 7th in the world, competed for the Connaught Laser championships over the August holiday weekend on Dublin Bay.

Hosted by the National YC under international race officer Con Murphy, the 3 saturday races were sailed in a 10-15kt shifty westerly. Sunday saw a light breeze swing from NW to SW and then back around to North and eventually an Easterly, resulting in several postponments and ultimately 2 of the planned 3 races being sailed.

The Radial fleet had the largest fleet of 48 boats and was won Annalise Murphy from the host club with Christopher Eames from Strangford in second. The standard fleet was duly won by Matias Del Solar from James Espey of Ballyholme and the 4.7s were won by Howth's Diana Kissane from fellow club sailor Cillian Mc Creer.

A number of the competitors including Del Solar, Espey and Murphy are now enroute to Weymouth for next weeks Olympic Sail for Gold regatta where similar conditions to Dublin Bay can be expected.

Full results attached below for download in pdf format.
Published in Racing

 

DUBLIN PORT Dublin Bay Sailing Club Results for 31 JULY 2010
BENETEAU 31.7 - 1. Levante (B.Leyden/M.Leahy), 2. Magic (D.O'Sullivan/D.Espey), 3. Violet Flame (B.Murphy/L.Osbourne)
BENETEAU 31.7 ˆ ECHO 1. Violet Flame (B.Murphy/L.Osbourne), 2. Kernach (Eoin O'Driscoll), 3. Levante (B.Leyden/M.Leahy)
CRUISERS 0 - ECHO 1. Lively Lady (Derek Martin), 2. WOW (George Sisk), 3. Tsunami (Vincent Farrell)
CRUISERS 0 - 1. WOW (George Sisk), 2. Lively Lady (Derek Martin), 3. Tsunami (Vincent Farrell)
CRUISERS 1 - ECHO 1. Jump The Gun (M.Monaghan/J.Kelly), 2. Something Else (J.Hall et al), 3. Indecision (Declan Hayes et al)
CRUISERS 1 - 1. Something Else (J.Hall et al), 2. Aztec 3 (Peter Beamish), 3. Gringo (Tony Fox)
CRUISERS 2 - ECHO 1. Peridot (Jim McCann et al), 2. Bendemeer (Gerald Kinsella), 3. Jawesome 11 (V.Kennedy/M.Dyke)
CRUISERS 2 - 1. Peridot (Jim McCann et al), 2. Jawesome 11 (V.Kennedy/M.Dyke), 3. Bendemeer (Gerald Kinsella)
CRUISERS 3 - ECHO 1. Gung Ho (G & S O'Shea), 2. Saki (Paget McCormack et al), 3. Papytoo (M.Walsh/F.Guilfoyle)
CRUISERS 3 - 1. Gung Ho (G & S O'Shea), 2. Supernova (K.Lawless et al), 3. Hard on Port (Flor O'Driscoll)
FLYING FIFTEEN - 1. Gekko (S & P Nolan), 2. Snow White (Frank Burgess), 3. Kooigjug (K Dumpleton)
GLEN - 1. Glenluce (D & R O'Connor), 2. Glenshesk (L.Faulkner et al), 3. Glencorel (B.Waldock/K.Malcolm)
RUFFIAN 23 - 1. Diane ll (Bruce Carswell), 2. Ruff Rider (Ronan Lee), 3. Ripples (Frank Bradley)
SHIPMAN - 1. Euphanzel lll (Louis McSherry et al), 2. Whiterock (Henry Robinson), 3. Macro One (Joseph Murray)
SIGMA 33 - 1. Gwili Two (D.Clarke/P.Maguire), 2. Elandra (R.Hance et al), 3. Popje (Ted McCourt)
WHITE SAIL CRUISERS - ECHO 1. Arwen (Philip O'Dwyer), 2. Calypso (Howard Knott), 3. Windshift (R O'Flynn et al)
WHITE SAIL CRUISERS - 1. Arwen (Philip O'Dwyer), 2. Windshift (R O'Flynn et al), 3. Calypso (Howard Knott)

 

Published in DBSC
Sole Irish competitor at the OK Dinghy European championships Tim Goodbody of the Royal Irish YC, Dun Laoghaire has taken second overall in Medemblik, Holland today.

The final round brought sunny skies and high temperatures, but more of the same shifty, tricky winds that have plagued the week. Bartosz Rakocy (POL) took the title with a fifth place in race nine, while Tim Goodbody (IRL) took second and Jorgen Lindardtsen (DEN) took third.

Published in Racing

The ports of Dublin and Cork are scheduled to receive a record 139 cruiseships in total this year, bringing 180,000 visitors and crew. Many more of these cruiseships are due to visit over the next two months and stretching into late Autumn. Between €35-55m is expected to be generated into the Dublin region from high-spend cruise visitors
while a further €5m is predicted for the local economy at Cork, writes Jehan Ashmore.

A notable visitor due to grace Dublin Bay is the return of The World, albeit not strictly a cruiseship but the first custom-built time-share ship. The vessel is to dock in the capital for four-nights from 4-8 August and then sails overnight to Cobh, for two-nights from 9-11 August.

In essence, The World presents an exclusively unique lifestyle experience. Instead of passengers, there are 'residents' who live onboard. Residents of the 43,188 gross tonnes (GT) vessel don't merely occupy a cabin but own large-sized luxurously appointed private apartments that are 'home' complete with balconies.

On 9 August, Silver Cloud docks at Dublin from Oban, Scotland. Measuring 16,927 GT, the vessel may not be the largest with only 315 passengers, but is an ultra-luxury cruiseship, regarded as one of the highest standards in the cruise-sector industry.

Returning to Cork Harbour, Cobh awaits the mighty Independence of the Seas. At 154,407 tonnes, she is the biggest ever cruiseship to dock at any Irish port. With a massive 4,375 passenger capacity, attractions include rock-climbing or surfing-boarding  using a special pool. The 'Independence' berths mid-afternoon on 29 August for an overnight call, departing 18.00hrs the next day.

Among smaller cruiseships, the private-motoryacht like, Island Sky of 4,000 tonnes and with 200 passengers, calls to Dublin on 11 August, and may berth upriver close to the new Samual Beckett Bridge.

Those keen on traditional ships, can look forward to the visit of Classic International Cruises Princess Danae, built in 1955. The veteran is due 16 August, and her sister, Princess Daphne is expected 2 September. Unusually the 16,000 tonnes pair were converted from general cargo-ships for a career in cruising.

New cruiseship, Costa Luminosa (92,700 GT) costing US $ 548m makes a second call to Cobh on 3 September and is operated by Costa Cruises.
This is the first time the Italian company has ventured into Irish cruising waters.

Without doubt the largest Dublin caller this season will be Emerald Princess. The giant weighs some 113,000 gross tonnes and at 288m long will certainly provide a spectacle, with lights blaring over a dozen or so decks, during a dusk departure on 14 September.

Also entering service this year, P&O Cruises 116,000 tonnes new Azura, is set to visit Dublin on 23 September and Cork the next day. The Italian built newbuild cost US $ 535m and has a capacity for 3,076 passengers.

Ocean_Countess_departing_Dublin._Photo__Jehan_Ashmore_-_ShipSNAPS

Ocean Countess departing Dublin. Photo: Jehan Ashmore/ShipSNAPS

A newcomer to Irish ports is Cruise & Maritime Voyages Ocean Countess which is making round Ireland itineraries with calls at Cobh on 13 August and 12 September. Incidently the 'Countess' was converted into a troopship for the Falkland Islands conflict in 1982.

Jewel of the Seas (90,090 GT) makes a Cobh call on 7 September and exactly a month later returns, marking the last cruise-call to Cork in 2010 while Fred Olsen's Boudicca will be Dublin's last caller on 20 November.

For further information on other visiting cruiseships, please click links:

www.dublinport.ie/not-in-menu/cruise-ship-scheduled/

www.portofcork.ie/index.cfm/page/cruiseschedule2010

Published in Ports & Shipping
DUBLIN PORT Dublin Bay Sailing Club Results for 29 JULY 2010

BENETEAU 31.7 ˆ ECHO 1. Levante (B.Leyden/M.Leahy), 2. Prospect (Chris Johnston), 3. Fiddly Bits (Kevin Byrne et al)

BENETEAU 31.7 - 1. Prospect (Chris Johnston), 2. Levante (B.Leyden/M.Leahy), 3. Fiddly Bits (Kevin Byrne et al)

CRUISERS 0 - ECHO 1. Lively Lady (Derek Martin), 2. WOW (George Sisk), 3. Tsunami (Vincent Farrell)

CRUISERS 0 - 1. WOW (George Sisk), 2. Lively Lady (Derek Martin), 3. Tsunami (Vincent Farrell)

CRUISERS 1 - ECHO 1. Axiom (M.O'Neill), 2. Something Else (J.Hall et al), 3. Indecision (Declan Hayes et al)

CRUISERS 1 - 1. Something Else (J.Hall et al), 2. Joker 11 (John Maybury), 3. Aztec 3 (Peter Beamish)

CRUISERS 2 - ECHO 1. Red Rhum (J Nicholson), 2. Kamikaze (P.Nash/B.McIntyre), 3. Peridot (Jim McCann et al)

CRUISERS 2 - 1. Red Rhum (J Nicholson), 2. Jawesome 11 (V.Kennedy/M.Dyke), 3. Smile (B O'Sulliva et al)

CRUISERS 3 - ECHO 1. Supernova (K.Lawless et al), 2. Hard on Port (Flor O'Driscoll), 3. Hyflyer (John Barnard)

CRUISERS 3 - 1. Supernova (K.Lawless et al), 2. Hard on Port (Flor O'Driscoll), 3. Cries of Passion (Bryan Maguire)

CRUISERS 4 - 1. Maranda (Myles Kelly), 2. Aslana (J.Martin/B.Mulkeen), 3. Rascal (K.Burke/S.Milner)

DRAGON - 1. Susele (Michael Halpenny), 2. Phantom (D.Williams/P.Bowring), 3. Chiang (Iain Finnegan)

FLYING FIFTEEN - 1. The Big Bow Wow (N.Meagher/N.Matthews), 2. As Good As It Gets (Alan Balfe), 3. Fifty Somethings (David Mulvin)

GLEN - 1. Glenmarissa (F.Elmes/W.Higgins), 2. Glendun (B.Denham et al), 3. Glencorel (B.Waldock/K.Malcolm)

RUFFIAN 23 - 1. Nuits St Georges (Alan Kirwan), 2. Diane ll (Bruce Carswell), 3. Ruffles (Michael Cutliffe)

SB3s - 1. Probably (William Riordan), 2. Alert Packaging (Justin Burke), 3. Design Security (Colin Galavan)

SHIPMAN - 1. Curraglas (John Masterson), 2. Poppy (Peter Wallis et al), 3. Macro One (Joseph Murray)

SIGMA 33 - 1. Rupert (R.Lovegrove/P.Varian), 2. White Mischief (Timothy Goodbody), 3. Leeuwin (Henry Leonard et al)

SQUIB - 1. Anemos (Pete & Ann Evans), 2. Kookaburra (P & M Dee), 3. Waverider (F.Gaynor/T.Bryan)

WHITE SAIL CRUISERS - ECHO 1. Afternoon Delight (Michael Bennett et al), 2. Calypso (Howard Knott), 3. Aurora (Ray Conway)

WHITE SAIL CRUISERS - 1. Calypso (Howard Knott), 2. Nauti-Gal (J & J Crawford), 3. Arwen (Philip O'Dwyer)

Published in DBSC
Page 96 of 103

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

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.

ROBERT DICKSON, 49er (sails with Seán Waddilove)

Winner, U23 49er World Championships, September 2018, and 2018 Volvo/Afloat Irish Sailor of the Year

DOB: 6 March 1998, from Sutton, Co. Dublin. Age 23

Club: Howth Yacht Club

Currently studying: Sports Science and Health in DCU with a Sports Scholarship.

SEÁN WADDILOVE, 49er (sails with Robert Dickson)

Winner, U23 49er World Championships, September 2018, and recently awarded 2018 Volvo Afloat/Irish Sailor of the Year

DOB: 19 June 1997. From Skerries, Dublin

Age 24

Club: Skerries Sailing Club and Howth Yacht Club

Currently studying International Business and Languages and awarded sports scholarship at TU (Technology University)

Featured Sailing School

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Featured Clubs

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Howth Yacht Club
Kinsale Yacht Club
National Yacht Club
Royal Cork Yacht Club
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Royal Saint George Yacht Club

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ICRA
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https://afloat.ie/resources/marine-industry-news/viking-marine

Featured Sailmakers

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Featured Blogs

W M Nixon - Sailing on Saturday
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