Irish Sailing squad back in action in this Olympic qualifying year

Nine Irish sailors representing Ireland take to the waters on the 1^st April competing in the the annual international Trofeo Princesa Sofia Iberostar race meeting in the Bay of Palma, Mallorca, Spain.

The regatta will see 1,200 athletes competing from around the world and is the first main event of the European Olympic season. Irish sailors will start on Monday 1^st April with the medal races to decide the winners scheduled for Saturday 6 April.

James O Callahan, Irish Sailing Performance Director said: “The event is a crucial step for all of the Irish team as they build towards the qualification events for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics later this year. Attending these international competitions improves performances and provides the team with the experience they need as they will be competing against some of the best in the sport from all around the world.”.

Olympian Ryan Seaton winner of the event in 2016 and his new crew Seafra Guilfoyle will compete alongside current 49er U23 World Champions Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove and joining them are training partners and brothers Tadgh and Sean Donnelly. This year the event, which is in its 50^th year has its biggest 49er fleet, with 106 boats – one of the largest 49er fleets ever seen at an international event.

The Laser always attracts the largest number of competitors and this competition is no different with 190 entrants – and as registration hasn’t finished, this number is likely to grow. Representing Ireland in the single-handed Lasers are another Olympian Finn Lynch, along with Liam Glynn, and training partner 20 year old Ewan MacMahon – youngest member of the Irish team. 

Lynch will be looking to better his fine 10th place finish in January at the first World Cup of the year in Miami. For his training partners it’s a chance to test the skills they were working on last week at the newly opened Irish Sailing Performance HQ in Dun Laoghaire.

Remaining Irish Sailing Squad members Aoife Hopkins and Aisling Keller will not be competing in the Laser Radial due to college commitments. Meanwhile Annalise Murphy and Katie Tingle will continue to train at the Irish Sailing Performance HQ in preparation for their competitive debut later this month in Genoa at the World Sailing World Cup.

 

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