Olympic Silver Medallist Annalise Murphy took a break from her training routine towards the 2021 Olympics this (Wednesday) morning when she hopped into her sponsored Mercedes SUV to see the successful COVID-compliant Junior set up put together by Hugh Gill and his training team at Sutton Dinghy Club.

With the enforced delayed start to the season, and the limitations even when you can sail, Hugh and his colleagues reckoned that user-friendly one-week open introductory courses for young people would best fit the bill, and his hunch has been proven totally right.

With Sutton Dinghy Club's location in the heart of a thriving coastal suburban area, there's an abundance of young families with children in the district just itching to break free from lockdown and get afloat under helpful supervision as soon as possible. Demand among members and from the neighbourhood was such that places on the courses became locally known as the Gold Ticket, so much so that some parents who managed to secure one or two for their kids thought it best to keep quiet about it. 

Even social distancing doesn't eliminate the stardust – Annalise with (left to right) SDC Senior Instructor Matthew Cotter, and trainees Pauline Knief, Juliette Weston, Lien Johnston, and Marina McMahon

But keeping quiet has not been the mood of the moment around the club since the courses got up to top speed, as there's a lot of pent-up energy to be burnt off, and the fact that in many cases it's recruiting newcomers to sailing is a bonus.

Annalise arrived bang on time at 10.30 and had her temperature taken by Clodagh O'Brien and recorded by Caoimhe Fleming, two of the team's designated Young Assistants, and then she walked into the boat park to a welcoming cheer from a group comfortably within the permitted 200 limit, but nevertheless there were well over 100 people including 80 trainees, instructors and other junior members and parents.

These regulations are serious business – Annalise with SDC Vice Commodore Ciara O'Tiarnaigh.

Trainees were in their pods with their instructors, while numbers control ensured that all others were social-distancing. After being welcomed by Ciara O'Tiarnaigh, SDC Vice-Commodore, Annalise then explained how she, as a young girl sailing an Oppie in Dun Laoghaire, went on to become an Olympic Silver Medalist – it was a spellbinding talk which had the kids enraptured.

She then did 20 questions which the young sailors had prepared in advance, covering her diet, favourite brand of sailing bootees, her feelings and emotions, her training regime, her sponsors, which brand of butter she preferred, and what she had for breakfast this morning……

Keeping the trainees in their approved pods was one of the challenges of the morning

Then came the big surprise. Looking across the dinghy park, Annalise saw that there - there rigged and ready to sail - was her old training Laser that she used when training in Rio de Janeiro when she won her Silver Medal. It is now owned by young Joe Doherty, an SDC Instructor who's walking tall, for as of this morning he has Annalise's autograph on his boat.

The memories cascaded on both sides as Annalise recalled racing in the annual Schools Championship at Sutton in 2002/3, and she also raced there in the Crosbie Cup in the Optimists. She was completely at ease with the young sailors as she displayed her Silver Medal and talked to each group of trainees and their instructor.

It was an inspirational morning, and she left Sutton Dinghy Club sailors with the thought that each and every one of them could some day become a champion sailor. That said, she left with the reminder that it's a tough road to follow, for she'd outlined her gruelling keep-fit routine, and departed with the information that after a morning off, she felt doubly obliged to put in a long afternoon's training session under sail in her Laser from Dun Laoghaire.

Annalise Murphy signs her 2016 Olympic Training Laser at Sutton DC for owner Joe Doherty, with Peter Boyle and Jane Hunter. All photos Andy Johnston & Conor Clarke

As for the team at Sutton Dinghy Club, the morning brought a real highlight into a busy programme which has seen the club more lively than ever before during weekdays, an unexpected but very welcome outcome in the aftermath of Lockdown.

But the present healthy situation in Sutton didn't arrive by simply waving a wand. As Hugh Gill reveals, a lot of thought and effort has been going into this eventually buoyant response to the COVID crisis since early May, and the Sutton plan is based on 12 basic principles.

A provisional plan was drafted back in early May, and was developed in consultation with a Medical Specialist in Infectious Diseases. Irish Sailing were advised of the SDC intentions, which they approved on paper, and then three days after the first course had been initiated and settled into full action, Irish Sailing's Training Development Officer Dave Garvey inspected the functioning setup, and gave it full official approval.

A fascinating place to learn to sail – the constantly changing and very tidal coastline at Sutton (Dinghy Club is centre of photo) is a waterborne playground for learner sailors

Many other clubs throughout the country have been working to meet similar challenges, but sailing adults without kids in the household may well be unaware of just how much effort is being put into helping the next generations afloat, and the Sutton Dinghy Club template is a useful example, with the setup being based on those 12 principals:

1. All Instructors complete a Return to Work COVID-Related questionnaire
2. In the week preceding the Course, all trainees' parents receive a COVID-Related Pre-Sailing Course Questionnaire to determine their health status, and if they have returned to Ireland from abroad in the past 14 days.
3. One-Way system installed and clearly signed through Clubhouse
4.  Significant and effective number of Advice Notices on Staying Healthy and Social Distancing posted in and around the Clubhouse
5. Wall hand sanitisers installed at each access and exit point
6. All staff, instructors and trainees are temperature checked each morning.
7. All Instructor Teams get immune-boosting doses of Vitamin C each morning
8. All trainees arrive in their sailing gear and go home in their gear. No changing facilities at the club.
9. Only access to clubhouse is for toilets and Tuck Shop, with a maximum of two at a time. As those who have taken part will know, the Tuck Shop is one of the highlights of the Sutton Dinghy Club Sailing Courses.
10. Each instructor operates for the week within a pod of their own trainees, with no crossover between pods
11. Those trainees who require wetsuits get them for the week and return them on Fridays, when they are duly sanitised and left ready for the following week.
12. An ongoing daily sanitising routine for all touched surfaces at the clubhouse is rigorously enforced

Hugh Gill has reached an encouraging conclusion which is reflected at several other clubs in Ireland: 

"Club fleets generally see cycles of popularity, and currently at Sutton we have quite a group of young sailors who have emerged from basic courses to now own Toppers and Lasers, and they are turning out for club racing and training regularly. These are the future of our sport, and hopefully, they'll be further inspired by Annalise's visit to become the champions of tomorrow - like so many members of SDC before them."

Ireland's Tokyo 2021 representative Annalise Murphy is set to rejoin the national Laser dinghy racing scene after a seven-year hiatus when she sails next week at the 2020 Laser national championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Rio Olympic silver medalist makes her return in Cork Harbour, the same venue she last sailed at a nationals in 2013, months before her European title win on her home waters at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Murphy is not the only Irish Olympic campaigner competing either as the battle for National honours heats up at Crosshaven from August 20th to 23rd.

As Afloat reported previously, due to COVID-19, the three fleet 2020 championships, one of the biggest dinghy events of the 2020 calendar, will now be split between two venues in the Harbour and be run separately.

The National Yacht Club ace will confront Aoife Hopkins and Eve McMahon, both unsuccessful rivals in the controversially cut-short trial for Tokyo 2021 who will also be competing in a mixed Radial fleet of 60 plus sailors. There is no entry – so far – however for Lough Derg's Aisling Keller, another 2021 trialist and the 2018 Irish champion who secured Ireland's berth for Tokyo.

Murphy's clubmate, Rio rep Finn Lynch, who is still bidding for a Tokyo nomination in the men's class will be in action in the 30-boat standard rig division as are other 2021 trialists Ewan McMahon of Howth and Belfast Lough's Liam Glynn.

The entry list is here

Annalise Murphy's bid for Tokyo Gold got a boost today with the Olympic Federation of Ireland announcement of details of its 2020 discretionary funding packages and sailing rewarded with the biggest handout.

The Olympic silver medalist from Rio is the only Irish sailor so far qualified for the postponed Games with men's Irish Laser and 49er skiff campaigns both looking for the last of the Olympic berths.

Murphy was nominated for the Radial class after a trial was cut short by the Irish Sailing Association in June.

The €80,000 announced today provides support for eight Olympic focused and development projects. Many sports had already exceeded the two-award cap placed on this Olympic cycle, making the number of applicants for this latest tranche of funding smaller than previous rounds.

Two winter-sports were awarded grants, reflecting the growing proximity of Beijing 2022.

The funding is entirely generated thanks to the support of commercial partners, primary sponsor, FBD, and OFI partners, Indeed and Circle K. The funding is designed to leverage and enhance Sport Ireland funding, helping National Federations to deliver new performance-related initiatives to support their athletes.

The OFI’s discretionary funding stream is separate to Olympic Solidarity grants to member federations and the 12 Tokyo and 7 Beijing athlete scholarship awards.

Today’s awards were made following the decision of the discretionary funding committee, chaired by OFI CEO, Peter Sherrard and composed of Tokyo Chef de Mission, Tricia Heberle, Sport Ireland High-Performance Director, Paul McDermott, and Independent consultant, Brian MacNeice of Kotinos Partners.

• Bobsleigh and Skeleton €10,000
• Canoeing Ireland €10,000
• Ice Hockey €10,000
• Boxing €10,000
• Gymnastics €10,000
• Modern Pentathlon €10,000
• Volleyball € 8,000
• Sailing €12,000

Peter Sherrard, CEO of the Olympic Federation of Ireland welcomed today’s allocation,

“Since June 2018, we have made 46 sperate grant awards to our member federations under the OFI discretionary funding programme, which is made possible thanks to commercial revenues from our sponsors. Their support and this funding is vital in helping athletes and performance directors realise a wide range of extremely worthy projects, delivering tangible performance and developmental benefits for the athletes.

“As we close out on this first run of the programme in 2020, our objective is to enhance and expand it the for the next four-year period leading up to Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024. This objective is made all the more important due to the difficulties being faced our sports during the Covid 19 pandemic.”

What’s behind your Olympic dream? That’s the question that the Olympic Federation of Ireland asked Olympic silver medalist Annalise Murphy in this video (below) to celebrate Olympic Day today.

Irish Sailing nominated Murphy for Tokyo 2021 this month and Ireland's only sailor so far for Enoshima Bay gives her story as to when the seed of belief was sown, that moment when her dream became more real, and that someone who stoked the fire. 

To launch the campaign five Team Ireland Olympic Medallists share what was behind their Olympic dream. Olympic Champions Ronnie Delany (Melbourne 1956, Athletics 1500m) and Michael Carruth (Barcelona 1992, Welterweight Boxing) are joined by Olympic Silver Medallists John Treacy (Los Angeles 1984, Athletics Marathon), Kenneth Egan (Beijing 2008, Light Heavyweight Boxing) and Annalise Murphy (Rio 2016, Laser Radial) to share their stories.

Michael Carruth’s father, Austin, was the man in his corner throughout his boxing career, and is the person who inspired him to aspire for Olympic success from an early age, “I won my first fight and I gave my dad a big hug and I made a promise to my dad, I said I’m going to win the Olympics, for you first, and for Ireland second.”

Ronnie Delany’s coach Jumbo Elliott helped him make his career-defining decision to switch to the 1500m, “The person who made the most difference was Jumbo Elliott. He paternally put an arm around my shoulder and said son, some day you will be a great miler. Now I had never run a mile at this stage. He said Ronnie run a mile when you get home.”

Throughout the day Olympians and elite athletes will be sharing the stories behind their dreams on social media using the hashtags #TeamIreland, #OlympicDay and #BehindTheDreams.

The news that Ireland’s 2016 Rio Olympics silver medal-winner, sailor Annalise Murphy, has been nominated to represent Ireland in the Laser Radial class at the forthcoming 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo has been warmly welcomed by Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles sales manager, Fergus Conheady and colleagues.

Remembered for supporting preparations by the young Irish sailor in the years leading up to her success in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics – an arrangement that saw Mercedes-Benz in Ireland secure its position as the only vehicle manufacturer supporting her bid for Olympic glory – the company renewed their backing for Annalise last year, ahead of what Fergus Conheady hopes will be another medal-winning performance when the Games are held again next year.

Supplied with a new, top-of-the-range X-Class pickup under a renewed sponsorship arrangement, this latest support from Mercedes-Benz will, Fergus Conheady hopes, “provide the platform for another medal-winning performance by Annalise”. Fitted out with features fit for an Olympic star, the 190hp X-Class is equipped to tow her Laser Radial to events, here and overseas and is finished in the now familiar yet eye-catching Kabara black, silver and grey livery similar to that on her previous Mercedes-Benz Vito Mixto van.

Rio 2016 silver medallist Annalise Murphy will be nominated in the Laser Radial to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Irish Sailing has announced.

Murphy secured the Laser Radial nomination after the conclusion of the trials in which her three teammates Aoife Hopkins, Aisling Keller and Eve McMahon also competed.

The rivals have been given their reaction to the news here.

There were originally three scheduled trial regattas :

• ILCA Laser Radial Women’s World Championship, Melbourne, Australia (21-28 February 2020)
• Trofeo Princesa Sofia, Palma, Spain (28 March – 4 April 2020)
• Hyéres Regatta, France (18 – 25 April 2020)

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, both the Palma and Hyéres events were cancelled, and the 2020 Olympics postponed until 2021. Under the selection process, if one or more of the trial regattas are cancelled, then the person with the best performance in the completed trial regattas secures the Laser Radial nomination. Annalise Murphy finished the ILCA Laser Radial Women’s World Championship in 12th place, Aoife Hopkins finished in 40th, Aisling Keller 63rd, and Eve McMahon 78th.

While uncertainty still exists as to the future international sailing calendar it is planned that the team will continue to train at home in the Dun Laoghaire Performance HQ. Aoife Hopkins is a senior carded athlete who remains a key member of the training group along with Academy sailor Eve McMahon. Aisling Keller has decided to return to college.

James O’Callaghan, Irish Sailing Performance Director commented “Annalise’s performance in the 2020 Worlds made her a clear favourite to win the scheduled trials. By nominating her now the Irish Sailing Board have ensured that team preparations can move focus to the Olympics rather than preparing for domestic trials”. He went on to say: “for sure this is tough on Aoife but she is still very young and can benefit massively from team training planned in Tokyo”.

Murphy's nomination will now be put forward to the Olympic Federation of Ireland for ratification.

Rathfarnham's Annalise Murphy from the National Yacht Club was back sailing in Dun Laoghaire Harbour today, the first time the Rio silver medalist was on the water in 55 days. Her return, in a bid for a place on the Tokyo 2021 startline, earned the sailing superstar a spot on RTE's Six One News this evening.

The Laser Radial contender went afloat as the Irish Olympic Sailing Team got back to training as part of Phase 1 of the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening.

Joining Murphy for today's training session was Howth Radial rival, Aoife Hopkins.

Annalise Murphy leads the Olympic trial for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. Screenshot: RTE

As Afloat reported previously, the sailors will use the Irish Sailing Performance HQ in Dun Laoghaire as their base. The PHQ containers, however, will be closed for all use except launching of boats from the pontoon. 

The Irish team are now one of a handful of countries with sailing teams back on the water, including the UK, Italy and Denmark.

Harry Hermon, CEO of Irish Sailing said: “the Irish Sailing Team go back to training on the water today, and we’re working very closely together to make sure that their learnings and experiences are passed back to the sailing community, and that we all work together responsibly to ensure our safe return to the water”.

“In my head I was going, ‘If I give up here, they’re going to be saying that Annalise The Olympian has just quit’. So I couldn’t quit.”

That’s how Annalise Murphy explains her motivation to keep up her fitness and focus for the next Olympics in the time of coronavirus, in an interview with Malachy Clerkin in The Irish Times this weekend.

The Laser Radial silver medallist was counting down the days to the Tokyo 2020 games when two months ago the world began to shut down in efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Within a matter of weeks, the event she and thousands of other athletes had been working towards for months, if not years, was suddenly another year away.

And what’s more, movement restrictions prevented her from even taking to the water for training — and it’s still not entirely clear when that will resume. “I do really miss sailing right now,” she says.

In the meantime, the Irish hero of Rio 2016 has had to refocus her energies, training as much as she can at home.

But the situation, in giving her more time to think about her quest for Ireland’s reserved Laser Radial spot in Tokyo, has also had the side effect of expanding her ambitions.

“Initially, I was very much thinking I was going to retire after the Olympics,” she explains. “But after the Worlds [in February] I was going, ‘Well, I don’t know if I can retire now – I need to go and try to win a Worlds before I retire.’

The Irish Times has much more on the story HERE.

Annalise Murphy (NYC) retired in today’s final race of the ILCA Laser Radial World Championships in Melbourne Australia. It is understood that she received two yellow penalty flags (illegal movement Rule 42) which requires mandatory retirement. Consequently, she fell from 8th overall to 12th but she still leads the Irish Olympic selection trials by 28 points over (Aoife Hopkins) HYC who finished 40th overall.

In the silver fleet, Aisling Keller (LDYC) was 14th in the final race and 54th overall, while Eve McMahon (HYC) was black flagged and finished up in 78th position.

The trials now move back to Europe to Palma’s Princesa Sofia regatta at the end of March.

Murphy will be hoping for a continuation of the stronger breezes that she enjoyed in Melbourne, while her competition will want to see more typical lighter winds.

Full results here

It may have been a case of "saved by the wind" for Rio Olympic champion, Marit Bouwmeester. The three-time world champion led by 24 points overnight but saw her margin trimmed to just two points after the first race of the final day. A big wind shift caught a number of the top sailors out, and Bouwmeester, who received a yellow flag (penalty turns), finished 29th. This became her second "drop" but brought into play a 24th from yesterday.

When asked why she was penalised she said, "Too much rocking. I was thinking 'I deserve a yellow flag' and I got one."

Gold fleet went into sequence again, still with the chance of two more races, but the wind continued to die and back to the south-east. At 3 pm, the deadline for racing to start on the final day, the AP over A was flown and a relieved Dutch woman made her way back to the clubhouse.

Bouwmeester, who was famous for always training on her own, has recently joined three other women in the Dutch squad and all four finished in the top 10. Maxime Jonkers was second, just two points behind, while Daphne van der Vaart was seventh and Mirthe Akkerman was 10th. Norwegian Line Flem Host took third and defending champion Anne-Marie Rindom, who became ill during the event, was fourth.

Provisional Top 10
1. Marit Bouwmeester, NED, 42 points
2. Maxime Jonker, NED, 44
3. Line Flem Host, NOR, 45
4. Anne-Marie Rindom, DEN, 57
5. Magdalena Kwasna, POL, 58
6. Josefin Olsson, SWE, 60
7. Daphne Van Der Vaart, NED, 67
8. Manami Doi, JPN, 67
9. Emma Plasschaert, BEL, 69
10. Mirthe Akkerman, NED, 71

Annalise Murphy (NYC) recovered from a U flag disqualification in Race 7 of the ILCA Laser Radial World Championship in Melbourne to score second-place finishes in Races eight and nine to lie eighth overall.

In doing so she widened the Olympic selection gap on her nearest rival Aoife Hopkins (HYC) who now lies 45th overall. Other Irish contenders, Aisling Keller (LDYC) and Eve McMahon (HYC) are in eighth and 23rd places respectively in the silver fleet.

More moderate winds were still shifty and many leading contenders had a high score today. Defending champion Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN), now third overall commented that “It was a tough day, the shifts were hard to predict, one mistake and you get punished.”

With one more drop race to come, Murphy can still progress up the leaderboard but is unlikely to catch her fellow Rio medallist, Marit Bouwmeester (NED) who has a 24 point lead.

Three races are scheduled for tomorrow, with moderate to fresh southwesterly winds forecast.

Full results are here