Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Chief Instructor Kenny Rumball is joining the Irish Sailing Instructor Training Panel, and to get the ball rolling, the school has scheduled a series of Pre-Entry Dinghy Assessments this August.

The assessments are in response to a demand from candidates this Summer for additional opportunities, and the school and Kenny Rumball are only too happy to oblige, with assessments taking place on the following dates:

• Friday 18th August (9 am-5 pm)
• Monday 21st August (9 am-5 pm)
• Friday 25th August (9 am-5 pm)

The school’s booking team are available to chat about the requirements for these assessments and assist in any way they can. Full information on these programmes can be found here.

Assisting with Training and Pre-Requisite Qualifications

The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School are ambitious in seeking to provide assistance to prospective instructor candidates with a variety of courses within the Irish Sailing framework. Operations Manager Glyn Williams discusses the school’s plan “We’re recognised to provide training that aspiring instructors need, from the National Powerboat Certificate to First Aid and Coastal Navigation for Small Boats as well as for advanced and senior instructors including Safety Boat Courses. Over the next six months we’ll be launching a dedicated training portal to assist candidates and parents”.

This enhanced assistance will include scheduling courses more in line with Irish Sailing’s drive to get Pre-Entry Assessments completed in August/September when candidates' sailing skills are at their best. For now, the school have a range of National Powerboat Certificate courses running mid-week before the end of the Summer, as well as a schedule of Coastal Navigation for Small Boats Courses in September and October. To assist currently aspiring advanced instructor and senior instructor candidates the school have added a Safety Boat Certificate Course on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August.

Dinghy Instructor Courses

The school are also calling for interested candidates for the 5-day Irish Sailing Dinghy Instructor courses to get in touch. Although they’ve not got courses scheduled yet, they plan a programme at Halloween and again during the February Mid-Term break.

Dun Laoghaire-based Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School has announced a collaboration between two extraordinary forces in the water sports world: Pure Magic and Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School.

Together, we bring you the newest sensation in the realm of water sports - Wingfoiling!

Pure Magic Watersports - Where the Extraordinary Awaits! Pure Magic Watersports, originally based in Clontarf and Achill Island, are synonymous with adventure, passion, and excellence.

With years of experience providing top-notch water sports experiences, their highly skilled instructors ensure that every moment spent on or above the water is unforgettable.

INSS Sailing | Powerboat | Water Activities - A Haven for Water Sports Enthusiasts! Nestled in the stunning Dun Laoghaire harbour, the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School (INSS) stands as a beacon of innovation and quality in the water sports industry. Boasting state-of-the-art facilities and a location of unparalleled beauty, INSS provides the perfect environment for anyone looking to embark on an exhilarating water adventure.

Discover Wingfoiling - The Fusion of Wind and Water! Picture yourself gliding gracefully across the water, a magical blend of windsurfing, Kitesurfing (without lines) and flying. Wingfoiling takes water sports to a whole new dimension, offering an unmatched feeling of freedom and thrill. And It is super easy, especially at INSS !!!

Why Choose Wingfoiling at Pure Magic and INSS?

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Expert Instruction: Pure Magic's instructors will guide you step-by-step, ensuring a safe and enjoyable learning experience for all levels - from beginners to advanced riders.

Cutting-Edge Gear: INSS's top-of-the-line equipment guarantees you have everything you need to dive into the enchanting world of Wingfoiling with confidence. Our boats are following you in the wonderful Dublin Bay

Perfect Location: The picturesque setting of Dun Laoghaire provides ideal conditions for Wingfoiling, making it an unforgettable experience every time.

Community Spirit: At Pure Magic and INSS, you become part of a vibrant water sports community where you'll forge lasting friendships and share the joy of mastering this captivating sport.

Unleash Your Potential: Wingfoiling is not just a sport; it's a lifestyle. Unleash your true potential, challenge yourself, and discover a new realm of adventure!

Book Your Wingfoiling Adventure Today! The fusion of Pure Magic and INSS awaits you. Book your Wingfoiling lessons now and experience the most unforgettable adventure of your life. Whether you are a fanatic water sports enthusiast or a curious beginner, this is your chance to ride the winds and dance with the waves like never before.

Visit here to reserve your spot and become a part of this thrilling water sports journey.

As part of this week's Dun Laoghaire Harbour Coastival Festival, the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School team is hosting a free public talk in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Lexicon this Monday evening, the 3rd of July, from 6.30 pm.

“Getting Kids Involved in Watersports & Keeping Them Involved!” will see INSS leadership and instructors share their successes at keeping participation levels high and what prospective parents can do to encourage their children to get afloat and stay there.

“Getting Kids Involved in Watersports & Keeping Them Involved!” is the theme of an INSS leadership Coastival talk at DLR Lexicon

The lineup for the evening includes:

Muriel Rumball

Muriel runs the popular Sea Explorer's 4-6 Years Programme and is a former primary school principal. She's our lead on our Science Foundation Ireland accredited Discovery Primary Science and Maths (DPSM) ecology programme and an education officer for the Marine Institute.

Glyn Williams

Glyn is the operations manager of the school and a graduate from the kids' sailing courses himself!

Dairine McCabe

Senior Dinghy and Powerboat Instructor Dairine McCabe is a regular on our junior programmes and is involved with all age groups, 4-6 years, 7-10 years, 11-14 years and 15-17 years.

James Griffin

James is a newly qualified dinghy instructor, having recently come right through our courses and is now passing on these skills to new sailors.

Course Participants

We have a few course participants to share their thoughts on what motivates them and what their favourite things about being out on the water is.

Event Details

Date: Monday 3rd July
Time: 6.30 pm-7.30 pm
Where: DLR Lexicon Library

We welcome parents from courses, those interested in getting their kids involved, and anyone interested in watersports. Children are welcome to come along too!

Event Registration

All are welcome to attend, and all registered attendees will be entered into a draw for an INSS Summer Kids Course!

The RS Ireland Super Series final act concluded the series last Saturday at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The short racing sprint series is the perfect training ground ahead of the summer sailing series. Racing was held for RS classes and for Waszps. Short 20-minute races with up to five races a day.

The last day was held with a strong South Westerly forecast that was due to decline to more agreeable winds. Race officer Kenny Rumball set the start/finish line at the Eastern side of the Harbour with a weather mark upwind near the breakwaters.

We managed to squeeze in a fantastic five races! Have a look at what we got up to in this video! 

Aeros, Waszps and Fevas featured on the day. What was of particular highlight was two young Feva Sailors who came from Howth to up their skills and sail against boats from the Dun Laoghaire Clubs. The young sailors are keen to build the fleet in Howth.

In a bid to help grow the fleet, RS Ireland currently has two limited offers available for Fevas in Ireland! These offers are limited and are a substantial saving over a new boat at 2023 prices!

The Irish National Sailing & Powerboats Schools Joe Gaffney & Finbarr were dominant in the Feva

Brand New MK1 Feva XL Race specification boats, including launching trolley and top cover! Available for only €6,834.93, including VAT

Ex-Demo MK1 Feva XL Race specification boats. These lightly used boats are essentially as new with little to no wear at all. As above complete with top cover and trolley.
We can offer these boats for €6,667.16, including VAT!

Noel Butler was the dominant leader of the Aeros, taking the win for the season. The Irish National Sailing & Powerboats Schools Joe Gaffney & Finbarr were dominant in the Feva while Tom Hogan took the Waszp Prize.

The results are available below

It’s happening, the inaugural RS Fest, a fun action-packed weekend for RS racing classes!

RS Sailing Ireland in collaboration with Blessington Sailing Club and The Avon resort, are bringing back fun, family-orientated sailing events with activities and entertainment for all the family. From the 23rd to the 25th of June, multiple RS classes will race on the beautiful Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow, incorporating sailors of all genders and ages. The RS 200s & 400s will race on the 23rd to form their National Championships. The RS Fevas will also have their National Championships, however, they will only race on the 24th and 25th. RS Aeros and RS Teras will race on the 24th and 25th to form part of their regional calendar.

For a sneak preview, this is what we are basing the event from;

In a cohesive effort to recognise entertainment and fun for all the family, The Avon will be offering entertainment packages for all family members. Kayaking, SUPing and bicycle hire all feature from the nearby resort. There are enviable bicycle greenways around the lake, ensuring plenty of options for non-sailors who may be accompanying the RS sailors to the event.

Avon will also cater for post-racing entertainment and food in their food court at the inaugural RS Fest on Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow in June 

Avon will also cater for post-racing entertainment & food in their food court, which should have some new additions this year in time for the event. Think freshly cooked wood-fired Pizzas, succulent Burgers and fresh salads!

The 2022 RS Aero Worlds Photo: Bob Stawicki Photography 

For any young or old sailors who may be interested in taking to the water for the first time, RS Sailing Ireland will have some of their demo fleet on locations including the RS Tera, RS Neo and RS Zest for new sailors to try their hand at the sport and test out the latest models from RS.

For those sailors looking to sample new boats and classes or to minimise travel hassle, RS Sailing Ireland will have many charter boats available.

RS Fevas, RS Aeros & RS Teras will all be available for charter for the event.

Stay tuned for the Notice of Race and Charter pricing which will be released soon on the all new RSIreland.com website and on the RSSailing.club entry platform.

Twenty-two young sailors completed their Dinghy Instructor Pre-Entry Assessments over the last few weekends at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School.

The group is now preparing for RYA Dinghy Instructor Courses at Easter.

The programme at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School is unique – drawing instructor candidates from their year-round junior programmes to first become assistant instructors during the Summer, and then inviting them to attend an 8-month training programme at weekends from September to April, covering sailing skills, theory and navigation, first aid, VHF, powerboat and skills relating to presentations, classroom management and teamworking.

The overall aim of the programme is to develop skills critical to good teaching and allow instructors pass on their passion to younger sailors and adults, on the school’s sailing courses. Sailing at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School is about more than just enjoying the time on the water. Life-long friendships are formed, leadership and teamworking skills are developed and everyone grows in confidence. Some of the sailors from the programme share their views on what it’s been like to be involved.

“A unique and worthwhile experience has led me to develop a passion, learn new skills from amazing trainers and build new friendships with amazing people. I’m so grateful to be a part of this; I look forward to it each week and would recommend it to everyone!” - Caoimhe Brady

“From starting sailing at a young age, I always dreamed of becoming an instructor. Not only has the instructor course increased my knowledge of sailing but it's also helped me become more confident and more independent. The course has also allowed me to meet some incredible people, and I have made many new friends I would have never met without the course. The instructor course is a great opportunity and I have gained so much from it.” - Conor Ahearne

“The Instructor Training Program has provided me with so many incredible experiences and opportunities. Not only has it improved my sailing ability, but has taught so many amazing skills and has presented an incredible chance to meet new people and overall has been an amazingly unique experience. I have enjoyed every aspect of it.” - Sarah Gormley

Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Senior Instructors Zoë Noonan and Jeff Fahy have run the training to date and take pride in all 22 candidates successfully meeting the sailing standards. Candidates have already undertaken powerboat training to Powerboat Level 2 standard and are now focussing on developing boat handling skills needed for safe instruction of sailors.

Commenting on the 100% pass rate of the pre-entry assessments Glyn Williams, Operations Manager at the school says “All the candidates should be exceptionally proud of their efforts so far. We’re really looking forward to them joining the team after completing their instructor courses at Easter. Equally, the coaching team deserve great praise for once again having a full house of successful candidates”.

Over the last number of years, the Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School have made steps to lessen its impact on the environment, one of the school’s top priorities. The Irish Government committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and the team are onboard with these targets. 

The motivation to put the school on a sustainable footing was two-fold, explains school principal Kenneth Rumball “Most importantly, we want to do this; the whole team is motivated and care. Secondly, with government initiatives to promote climate action, we feel it’s the right time to transform the operation to ready the school for the future”.

Operations Manager Glyn Williams explains the school's sustainability plan. “We have two objectives, first to meet or exceed the climate action targets set by the government and secondly, to operate in an entirely sustainable way – encompassing waste elimination, the strongest environmental stewardship, utilising the most efficient technology and to allow us to focus on what we all really enjoy – teaching people and getting them afloat”.

Their journey has exposed benefits beyond those associated with climate action – there are significant savings on energy costs, and more efficient work practises which can make a tangible difference to the team’s day-to-day working lives. The school set out their progress and ambitions here:

Ongoing Measures Targeting Environmental Impact

Goal – Helping the students and team be environmentally aware

It is so vital that children are taught from an early age about sustainability. The school is a Science Foundation Ireland Accredited Discovery Primary Science and Maths Centre, with Muriel Rumball delivering a Marine Ecology Seashore workshop. These workshops are integrated into many of the school’s sailing courses. In addition, DPSM School Tours serve as an excellent way to educate primary children as to the impact we have on the environment.

Muriel Rumball (left) delivers a Marine Ecology session of the Seashore workshop

Goal – Reducing Outboard Engine Emissions

The school is undertaking an ongoing programme of equipment renewal, focusing on replacing the older outboard engines with more efficient modern engines. Thanks to the school's partnership with Irish Selva Marine agent MarineServices.ie upgrades to the fleet are constant. Additionally, the team perform in-house maintenance regularly, which aids in keeping the equipment performing at its best.

The maintenance team have prioritised good environmental stewardship, by introducing syphon tubing for re-fuelling and ensuring that waste oils are disposed of through proper channels. This has extended to the wider school team with training and monitoring to ensure it’s done right.

Goal – Facilitate Active Travel and Public Transport Use

The school’s workforce are mostly 16-24 years old, and for age and economic reasons, tend not to have access to cars. Given the need for watersports participants to shower and change, the school has not had the same challenge in providing team members with such facilities that other businesses may find when adopting a strategy to see more people cycle or walk to work.

They agree that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has helped on a very practical level, responding favourably to requests for additional cycle parking adjacent to their West Pier Clubhouse and Coal Harbour Boathouse. In addition, many staff and students make use of the new cycling facilities in the area.

For school principal Kenny Rumball, it’s important to lead by example – in his case, his preferred transport tool is his One-Wheel!

One Wheel - School principal Kenneth Rumball

Goal – Giving sails and wetsuits an afterlife – Looking for Circular Economy Avenues

This year the school handed over a large amount of old and used sails to Ann Kirwan from AK Sail Bags, who deconstructs the sails, taking all the usable materials off them for up-cycling into bags. Everything from bolt ropes to leech lines to even the cringles gets used to produce a stunning handbag, gear bag, washbag or marina bag! Furthermore, as a school that houses thousands of children and adults through its doors each year and also provides a wetsuit rental option to all clients too, they are bound to have some worn-down wetsuits from time to time.

They also work in close collaboration with The Upcycle Movement to give these wetsuits an afterlife by rescuing and transforming materials that otherwise would have gone to landfill. The results are unique and sustainable products. Hundreds of the school’s worn-down wetsuits have been transformed into pencil cases, wallets, bags and much more!

Ann Kirwan from AK Sail Bags deconstructs the sails, taking all the usable materials off them for up-cycling into bags

Procurement

Goal – Renew Dinghy Fleet in Sustainable Way

By working with MarineService.ie / RS Sailing Ireland, the school are renewing their dinghy fleet with boats designed with environmental stewardship at the forefront. RS Sailing have a major focus on sustainability in all they do, and this benefits the school’s operation according to Glyn Williams, “We choose RS Sailing dinghies as they were the best-designed boats for the job, but the sustainable practises from RS Sailing really are of benefit. RS focussed on using recycled materials as much as possible, so a new polyethylene hull is at least 70% recycled plastic. More importantly, it’s 100% recyclable – which is something RS will actually help you do. Even spare and foil construction is done to make recycling at the end of their life easy”.
Goal – Engines Go Electric

The school’s recently acquired fleet of J80 keelboats allows for a new adventure and cruising-orientated programmes; however, rather than fit petrol outboards, the team are currently procuring a fully electric alternative.
Testing is underway on electric engines for the safety boats, and plans are underway to roll this out when suitable options are available.

Plans

Goal - Waste Elimination – Paperless Office and Enhanced Technology

The school have thousands of students and clients walking in and out of their doors every year, each of whom used to be required to fill in a paper consent form. In 2022, all of this has moved online. Not only was this better for the environment, it also was easier for customers and staff members, and is one of the areas where the sustainability focus makes it easier for the team to do their job. Lead by Vonnie Airey; the team are undertaking a full digital transformation of the entire administration processes.

This forms part of the school’s strategy to eliminate waste across all aspects of the operation. Marine pollution is also on the radar. The team are committed to firstly not contributing to any such pollution, but also taking an active role in collecting any such materials when they have an opportunity to do so. They are in the process of planning a number of beach clean-ups throughout the year which will involve their students and staff.
Goal – Measuring and Targeting Impact

According to Glyn Williams, “back of the envelope calculations suggest that our safety boat fleet are the most important area to tackle for carbon emissions. Since 2020, despite getting busier, we don’t use any more fuel, thanks to the programme of improving engine efficiency and instigating better driving practises afloat”. However, the school are committed to understanding their impact “we can’t target what we’re not measuring”.

The team are undertaking a wide range of measurements of their overall impact and they’re committing to sharing this information. “Many things we’ve done so far have actually saved us money, or will do so in the long run – and many others make it easier to do our work”.

The Shanahan Cup School’s Team Racing event was won by St Michael’s College last Wednesday, 8th February. The Cup is an initiative from the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School in conjunction with Gonzaga College to offer a relatively informal fun team racing event ahead of the structured school team racing activity.

The event was originally scheduled for October 2022, however, a series of poor weather forecasts pushed the day out and previous winners, Gonzaga College had to wait for nearly four-years to defend their previous win, having won the inaugural event in 2019. The Shanahan Family donated the Shanahan Cup in conjunction with Fiachra Etchingham of Gonzaga College who has worked tirelessly to promote the event among the east coast second level schools.

Competitors assembled at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School for a race briefing at 9.45am

In total, 11 teams from St Andrews College, CBC Monkstown, Gonzaga College, Holy Child Killiney, St. Conleth’s and Willow Park 1st Years were on the water, with a total of 66 sailors taking part in a combined Round Robin and League format. The event was supported by RS Sailing Ireland/MarineServices.ie who worked with the Irish National Sailing School to provide a fleet of RS Fevas. Racing took place on the Western side of the harbour, with a team racing base was constructed between the INSS pontoon and several of the school teaching yachts and RIBs for swap overs, hot chocolate and for the other teams to watch the racing.

Racing was directed by Jeff Fahy, who set his start line about 20 metres from the pontoon base. Racing got underway on the dot of 10.57 am and a quick succession of races were underway until about 2.30 pm. The school wants to pass their appreciation to the Irish School’s Team Racing Association (ITRA), for support in promoting the event, but more importantly, the one water assistance provided by Eunice and Ailbe on the day to umpire the races.

An overview of the setup – with the pontoon/yacht base acting as the perfect spectator area for the racing underway adjacent

The schedule of races progressed well, and by midday, the light south-easterly breeze had built to nearly 20 knots. Racing slowed down, with a few capsizes however, given the forecast was for such an occurrence and a predicted shift to the South racing continued under the care of the INSS safety boat team. As it happens, there was no Southerly shift, but instead, a big drop off in breeze, presenting teams with a new challenge to sail well in light conditions.

Racing progressed until 2.30pm, where St. Andrews Team No. 2 had comprehensively won their group, and a semi-final playoff was underway between the St. Michael’s Team and St. Andrew’s Team No. 1 for their group. St. Michael’s triumphed in this Semi Final and went on to compete against the second St. Andrews’ Team, where they ultimately won, going on to take the Shanahan Cup for 2023.

The competitors all retired to the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Clubhouse for the prize giving, with the Shanahan Cup awarded to St. Michael’s College by Ruth Shanahan.

2023 Shanahan Cup winners St. Michaels College are presented with the trophy by Ruth Shanahan, and pictured with Glyn Williams of the INSS. St. Michaels College Team Leader Max Cantwell holds the trophy and is accompanied by team members Christian Ennis, Rory McMullan, Peadar Doyle, Michael Byrne and Alex Deasy

The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School and Gonzaga College are already planning the next instalment of the Cup in September 2023.

INSS Principal Kenny Rumball got some footage from the day and put together a short video of some of the action.

Skipper a Yacht on Holiday this Summer - Here’s how the Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School can help inspire you with 2023 travel ideas and tempt you with something to look forward to.

The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School are launching a “Build Your 2023 Dream Holiday Scheme” where dreams of a yachting holiday in a tropical paradise — turquoise waters, palm trees and white sandy beaches - can be realised, with you being the skipper of your own charter yacht.

The steps involved in training for an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for sailing are not as difficult or time-consuming as most imagine and can be broken down into three easy steps.

Step 1 – Competent Crew Course

This 5-day course familiarises you with a yacht while learning to effectively and safely carry out crewing tasks. Competent Crew students are also training in helming and all physical tasks of making the boat go. The course runs over five days, either Monday to Friday or across two weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday followed by the subsequent Saturday and Sunday). Course fees are €785. The courses always berth on an East Coast marina, with access to mainline train services. You’re more than welcome to stay onboard, but you can head off each evening and rejoin the boat in the morning. Meals are also provided on board.

Competent Crew Course

Step 2 – Day Skipper Theory

Get to grips with the basics of coastal and inshore navigation and pilotage. The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School offers two options for this course.

The first is an online course you can complete in your own time. Instructor support is available in real-time so you study worldwide and at times convenient for you. This option costs €400.

Secondly, the school’s classroom-based courses, work in a more structured and immersive environment. These courses are run across ten days (Saturdays 9.30 am-5 pm, Tuesday and Thursday evenings 6-9.30 pm) and feature a remote video link and recorded session in case you can’t make it in person each session. This option costs €525 and the next course begins in April, with more running during the early months of the Summer.

Day Skipper Theory

INSS Competent Crew Courses are available from March onwards

Step 3 – Day Skipper Practical Course

You’ll be back on board for another 5-days, either spread over a Friday and two weekends or a Monday to Friday block. This time you’ll be applying all the skills from the theory course to on water navigation, as well as developing crew management skills and taking on the full skippering responsibilities.

Courses are available from March onwards and cost €785.

Day Skipper Practical Course

Applying for the ICC

Irish Sailing is responsible for the issuing of ICCs in Ireland. Upon completion of the Day Skipper course, you will receive the practical course completion certificate. This demonstrates your competency requirements for applying for the ICC and the next steps are outlined on Irish Sailing’s website.

Is there enough time before this Summer?

If you choose to do the Competent Crew and Day Skipper Practical Course on the weekend dates, you’ll only need to take two additional annual leave days, one Friday per course. The courses start in March and run every week. The syllabus for each programme is designed to be self-contained within the course dates and builds on each previous course. There’s more than enough time to be your own skipper with friends or family this Summer!

Would I need anything else to charter abroad?

Each charter company will insist on a slight variation of requirements, but most make it very easy to see what qualifications are needed. The ICC is widely recognised, however, the school would always recommend checking specifically what would be needed in each destination.

The school also run a number of additional courses that complement the core training, including VHF courses and First Aid. Skippers may also want to consider attending a powerboat training course, where it’s possible to get to ICC motor standard after completing the two-day National Powerboat Certificate.

Questions

The team in the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School’s office are ready to answer any questions you may have, including how those with previous experience would fit into their three-step programme. They’re on 01 2844195 or [email protected] Monday to Saturday, and are happy for people to drop in too.

Despite the gloomy day on Saturday, RS Aeros, 400s, Waszps and even two RS Neos took to Dun Laoghaire Harbour for the RS Super Series, which is organised by Irish National Sailing Club and sponsored by MarineServices.ie the distributors for RS boats in Ireland.

Southeasterly winds with gusts into the late teens made for shifty conditions in the confines of Dun Laoghaire Harbour with a weather mark set just under the old HSS Ferry terminal. The usual race officer Kenny Rumball was out of action recovering from neck surgery, so the mantle was passed to Ronan Mooney to provide the organisation for the day.

The Aeros and Neos got four races in. As Noel Butler commented, ‘Despite the cold conditions, the team led by Ronan provided very enjoyable racing. A gusty unpredictable course meant everyone suffered a capsize. Many thanks to the Irish National Sailing Club for a tasty sandwich, hot drink and enjoyable chat afterwards in their clubhouse on the West Pier”

Noel was also very keen to point out the usefulness of this style of racing for training, “The sprint style racing is perfect o improve on your starts and racing ahead of the summer season. In 2.5 hours on the water, we had multiple starts and intense racing; this is far better than any formal training currently available”

Kenny Rumball was not far away and was particularly enthused to see two members of the Irish National Sailing Club making the big jump from the regular social sails to participating in their first race in the RS NEO. As the sailors commented, “it certainly was different to what were used too but we loved every minute and cannot wait for the next day which is in a month’s time”

This progression is what it is all about! These sailors started off in the Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School learning to sail in the RS Zest and RS Quest before joining the club where they could practise their skills. With encouragement from everybody, including the seasoned Aero sailors, they are hungry for more and have entered into Howth Yacht Club’s Round the Island race on the 11th March!

The NEO is the perfect boat for this transition. It combines a durable polyethylene hull with the modern carbon rig borrowed from the RS Aero, this bridging the gap between the learning boats and racing.

The next race is scheduled for the 18th of February. Word has it that Kenny has some special deals on RS stock.