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Displaying items by tag: Katie McAnena

Four years after windsurfing off Sligo’s Mullaghmore Head, Katie McAnena took advantage of the right wind and weather conditions to catch the infamous surf break again.

As The Irish Independent reports, the Galway-born GP launched her windsurf board late last month off Mullaghmore harbour.

With her on jetski was Chris McGloin to provide tow support.

Galway-born GP launched her windsurf board late last month off Mullaghmore harbour Photo: Clem McInerneyGalway-born GP launched her windsurf board late last month off Mullaghmore harbour Photo: Clem McInerney

“It’s exhilarating, the might of it and the sound of the ocean rumbling and roaring in your ears and vibrating under your feet,” McAnena told the newspaper.

“You’re looking at Ben Bulben and Ben Wiskin and Classiebawn castle and there can be dolphins, and it is just such a buzz to feel the power of Mullaghmore,” she said.

Conditions need to include a low Spring tide and a south-westerly wind to ride record waves at MullaghmoreConditions need to include a low Spring tide and a south-westerly wind to ride record waves at Mullaghmore Photo: Clem McInerney

She explained that conditions need to include a low Spring tide and a south-westerly wind – as well as having to be “in the right frame of mind”.

McAnena became the world’s first woman to windsurf “Jaws”, the surf break at Pe’ahi in Hawaii that can generate waves of more than 18 metres high, during a gap year from her medical studies in 2013.

Four years ago, she and her husband Finn Mullen were among five people to windsurf a record wave at Mullaghmore, recorded by videographer Clem McInerney.

She secured her tenth national windsurfing title in the highly competitive national wave championships in Kerry’s Brandon Bay off Castlegregory, Co Kerry, last October.

Published in Surfing
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#Windsurfing - History has been made in Hawaii with the first Irish woman ever to have windsurfed the infamous 'Jaws' surfing break, as The Irish Times reports.

Twenty-six-year-old Katie McAnena, a doctor from Galway, demonstrated perfect timing as she leapt into the water from an overhanging cliff.

An experienced windsurfer with four Irish women's championships to her name, McAnena told the paper how she maintained caution on the wave and stayed on its shoulder to ride it out.

“The sound and the feeling of it going through my bones was extraordinary, an out-of- body experience,” she said. “I haven’t managed to sleep since.” The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

It's been an exciting time lately for Ireland's women waverers, as just six months ago northwest surfing scion Easkey Britton became the first woman ever to surf in the waters off Iran.

Published in Surfing

RC35 Class

The concept of the RC35 Class is to bring together similar boats within a close handicap banding and to work with owners and crews to develop the best racing experience possible on the Clyde and the Irish Sea area. The Class is within a tight rating band (IRC 1.015-1.040) yacht racing will be in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Q: What is the RC35 ‘Rule’?
A: Qualifying yachts for the RC35 Class will sit within an IRC Banding of 1.015 to 1.040. In 2017 it is proposed that a tolerance of +/- 0.05pts will be permitted

Q: Are there any other criteria?
A: RC35 takes the most prevalent IRC racing boats on the Clyde and groups them within a fixed rating band. Qualifying boats will have an LOA 32ft—38ft and displacement of between 3,000kg—9,000kg. The rule also requires boats conform to ISAF Cat.4 be anti-fouled and not dry sailed. A limit of sail purchases (2 per year) also applies.

Q: What is the RC35 Championship?
A: The RC35 Championship will cover 8 events (6 to count) and include events such as Scottish Series, Dun Laoghaire/Bangor and an RC35 Championship weekend. Each year the Class will make a commitment to one ‘away’ regatta as part of the Championship.