It says everything about Anthony O’Leary’s long and successful involvement with sailing to affirm that he puts even more back into the sport than he takes from it. Already a well-established national and international winner when he became the youngest-ever Admiral of the Royal Cork YC back in 2000-2002, he has since gone on to be “Irish Sailor of the Year” in 2010 and 2014 while continuing in many roles in service to sailing.
Yet in January 2023 there was clearly no slackening of the pace as he spearheaded the global spread of the Cape 31 class with a convincing victory in its first American regatta in Florida. Designed in the depths of County Wicklow by another former “Sailor of the Month”, Mark Mills, the Cape 31 is the hottest keelboat class for today and tomorrow and the foreseeable future, and its stellar debut on other other side of the Atlantic in the capable hands of the doyen of sailing in Ireland gives us all a rocket-assisted launch into this new year.
“Good Morning, America, How Are You?” The O’Leary family’s Cape 31 Antix shows the way in January’s Southernmost Regatta at Key West. Photo: Southernnost Regatta/Amanda Plewes
