Sailor of the Month
Andy Thompson of East Antrim BC is “Sailor of the Month (Worlds)” for February
1st March 2024 Sailor of the Month
We’ve become accustomed to veteran dinghy racing superstar Andy Thompson of Larne suddenly emerging into the spotlight again at some world championship, and he has already made his annual mark for 2024 by brilliantly crewing for Tom Gillard at Geelong…
Ed Wheeler of County Down is Afloat.ie “Sailor of the Month (Voyaging & Services to Sailing)” for February
1st March 2024 Sailor of the Month
Ed Wheeler’s extraordinary career in sailing has ranged from racing the first International Cadet dinghy to be seen on Belfast Lough in the early 1950s (he won Ballyholme YC’s famous Lufra Cup for the big-fleet end-of-season pursuit race) to solo…
Colin Leonard of Strangford Lough and Ballyholme is “Sailor of the Month (International & Cruising)” for February
1st March 2024 Sailor of the Month
There seem to be two Colin Leonards prominent in the sailing scene in the north, but in fact, it’s one and the same man making the best of several possibilities. Colin Leonard of Ballyholme was tops in the medal stakes…
Mark Lyttle of the National YC is February “Sailor of the Month (International)”
1st March 2024 Sailor of the Month
Mark Lyttle’s devotion to the Laser/ILCA class is truly world league, as he has continued to race the boat for decades, from success at junior level right up to becoming World Grand Master Champion on Dublin Bay in 2018. There’s…
Mark Bolger of Baltimore and Amir Anwar-Hameed of Bray are “Sailors of the Month (Ocean Rowing)” for January
1st February 2024 Sailor of the Month
As January progresses, the news starts to zip back from the finishes in the Caribbean of the Transatlantic rowing races from the Canaries, and last year it was a Wicklow team that successfully hit the headlines. This year it’s a…
Finn Lynch Of National YC Is “Sailor of the Month (Olympic)” for January
1st February 2024 Sailor of the Month
When Finn Lynch of the National Yacht Club finally secured Ireland's Olympic 2024 ILCA 7 place last August when qualifying opportunities seemed to be rapidly evaporating, he said it was “like getting a monkey off my back”. Since then, he…
Sienna Wright Of Howth YC Is “Sailor of the Month (Junior International)” for January
1st February 2024 Sailor of the Month
Although Sienna Wright of Howth is just 15, she approaches sailing in particular and life generally with remarkable sophistication and style. Thus her mid-January winning of the Silver Medal in the ILCA 6 Youth Women’s Worlds in Argentina, coupled with…
Adrienne Cahalane of Lough Derg is “Sailor of the Month (Offshore) for December
1st January 2024 Sailor of the Month
It’s a very long time since Adrienne Cahalane was regularly near Lough Derg. But though she and her section of the family emigrated to Australia when she was very young, those left behind such as cousin Aisling Keller have been…
Paul O’Higgins of Royal Irish YC is “Sailor of the Month (Keelboats)” for December
1st January 2024 Sailor of the Month
While sailing in Ireland has its conspicuously attention-getting aspects, the real backbone of the sport continues to be the active club sailor who can quietly keep a usefully large crew panel together in order to have the right mix of…
Chris Bateman of Cork Harbour is “Sailor of the Month (Dinghies)” for December
1st January 2024 Sailor of the Month
Former junior champion Chris Bateman is a top sailor who leads by example and inspiration. Having decided that the ever-young Fireball is the answer for junior and adult dinghy sailors who don’t want to go down the cheque-book route to…
Afloat.ie’s “Sailors of the Month” Highlight Variety of 2023’s Achievements In Selecting “Irish Sailor of the Year 2023”
30th December 2023 W M Nixon
Afloat.ie has already clocked 2.1 million readers during 2023, so we’re communicating with a large and often international readership, although the core of our regular visitors is still very much in Ireland. And now, with just one day to go…
Pamela Lee of Greystones is “Sailor of the Month (Offshore)” for November
1st December 2023 Sailor of the Month
The short-handed long-distance offshore racing scene from France is recognised as the world peak in a very specialised area. Design development at all boat sizes is at such a pace that in a hyper-hot division such as Class40, anyone racing…
Robert Dickson & Sean Waddilove are “Sailors of the Month" (Olympics) For November
1st December 2023 Sailor of the Month
The “Fingal Flyers” Rob Dickson of Howth (and other clubs) with Sean Waddilove of Skerries brightened sailing spirits in the gloomiest month of the year, with an absolutely stellar performance in the Olympic 49er Euros 2023 at Vilamoura in Portugal.…
Russell Bolger of Royal St George YC is “Junior Sailor of the Month” for November
1st November 2023 Sailor of the Month
The David Harte-inspired Fastnet Marine & Outdoor Education Centre in Schull is a great resource for sailing in Ireland, as its well-managed setup facilitates flexibility when the weather has been disobliging. Thus although the Junior Championship of Champions scheduled for…
The transition from ultra-successful international junior sailing to youth and adult competition can be a tricky one, but ILCA-racing Gold Medal-winning multiple junior champion Eve McMahon of Howth found the perfect stepping-stone with the ILCA6 U21 Worlds at a breezy…
Ann Kirwan of National YC & Schull is Sailor of the Month (October) for Racing & Services to Sailing
1st November 2023 Sailor of the Month
The Golden Jubilee of the much-loved Ruffian 23 Class was well celebrated in 2023 at all its main centres in an enjoyable moveable feast, mostly in Ireland but culminating in Hong Kong in October with the triennial Inter-Port Championship in…