DUBLIN BAY 2012

We have 60 Nations we want to welcome this July !

Do you speak a foreign language? -  If so, WE NEED YOU!

We are anxious to make all the participants and their families welcome so that their experience in Ireland will be a memorable one.  We want to provide each team with a person who speaks their language and will be the face in the crowd they can turn if they need some help or assistance on arrival, getting settled in and during the event.

For further details on the Nations we expect and how to be part of this exciting programme please please click here to go to the Get Involved' section and send us your details along with any languages that you speak.

Four Star Pizza to sponsor world’s largest youth sailing event to take place in Dublin Bay, July 2012

The 2012 International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Youth Sailing World Championship is delighted to announce Four Star Pizza as the title sponsor of this prestigious event which is coming to Ireland for the first time and will take place in Dublin Bay from Thursday 12th – Saturday 21st July. 400 sailors aged 16 – 19 years of age, accompanied by 150 coaches, from 60 nations representing six continents will sail in the Championship. 250 boats (including Laser Radials, 420’s, RS:X’s, SL16’s and 29ers) will be raced by these sailors. It is expected that 10 Irish sailors will qualify to take part in the Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship. Entries have already been received from twelve nations including Brazil, UK, Georgia, Denmark, US, Belgium, France, Thailand, Macedonia, Croatia, Finland and Korea.

Speaking at the announcement of the sponsorship, Brian Craig, Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship Chairman said, ‘After a competitive bidding process, Ireland is honoured to have been chosen to host this much celebrated event which is renowned for providing the world with its first glimpse of future sailing stars. We are equally honoured to welcome a great brand like Four Star Pizza as title event sponsor. Their investment will help us enormously in promoting the event and in turn promoting the very best in youth sailing in Ireland and across the world.”

Also commenting on the sponsorship, Michael Holland, Chairman, Four Star Pizza said, “The Four Star Pizza network across Ireland which includes 37 outlets is delighted to have secured this sponsorship. This deal with help us to continue to leverage the Four Star Pizza brand which has a loyal following especially amongst 18 – 24 year olds so a partnership on a youth sailing event of this scale is a perfect fit for us. Four Star will do everything it can to support the organisers in making this a memorable and unique World Championship and making Ireland proud to have hosted it in 2012.’

The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship was first held in Sweden in 1971, has taken place every year since. The last three Championships were held in Brazil, Turkey and Croatia respectively. Throughout its history, the ISAF Youth Worlds has visited over 20 nations, covering every continent, and over 100 different nations have competed. Fifteen of the sailors who won medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are past medalists at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship. France is currently the most successful nation, winning the ISAF Nations Trophy on a record 10 occasions and holding a record 62 medals: 20 Gold, 27 Silver and 15 Bronze.

Photo: L- R: Annalise Murphy, Olympic Medal Contender (Laser Radial class), Michael Holland, Chairman, Four Star Pizza, Brian Craig, Chairman, Four Star Pizza Youth Sailing World Championship

Photographer: Andres Poveda

In April (12th-15th) over 400 sailors will compete in Dublin Bay in seven different classes (Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, 420, Feva, Topper, 29er and Optimist). For youth sailors, this event is the most important event in the annual calendar as it is the decider for the top Irish sailors to compete internationally during 2012 and is the pathway for future Olympic sailors.

• 400 sailors to compete for opportunity to represent Ireland internationally in 2012
• Test event for organisers of the ISAF Youth World Championships to be held in Dun Laoghaire 12-21 July 2012
• Youth teams from Great Britain, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Canada expected to travel to the ISA Mitsubishi Nationals in preparation for the ISAF Worlds in July

Not only will the ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals be an important event for youth sailors, it is also a major milestone for the organisers of the ISAF Youth Worlds 2012 as it offers them the opportunity to finalise the logistics of managing such a large event incorporating three clubs, three race courses and hundreds of volunteers.

‘We are in the final planning stage for the ISAF Youth Worlds so it is a great opportunity for the organising committee and the hundreds of committed volunteers to test drive systems during the ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals just three months in advance of the Youth Worlds which is the considered the youth Olympics in the sailing world’ stated Event Chairman Brian Craig.

In excess of 350 sailors and windsurfing champions from over 60 nations will participate in July 2012. The granting of this prestigious sailing event to Ireland is a major boost to the sport and secures Ireland’s position as an ideal location for hosting world class sailing events. It also establishes Dun Laoghaire as one of the prime major racing locations in the world, capable of running multiple classes and courses to the highest international standard. 

‘The ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals is a significant event on the racing calendar. It involves young sailors from all of the ‘Olympic Pathway’ classes, some of whom are competing for places on the team that will represent Ireland in the ISAF Youth Worlds which will be held in Ireland for the first time in July. The ISA Mitsubishi Nationals are even more important for young Irish sailors this year as they will be sailing alongside some of the best youth teams in the world preparing for July’  commented ISA Chief Executive Harry Hermon.

Mitsubishi Motors have been a proud supporter of junior sailing in Ireland for the last 8 years. In recent years Ireland has had successes at youth level with winner of the girls Laser World Championships, a top 10 at the 2010 ISAF Youth Worlds and wins at the British National Optimist Championships. Mitsubishi Motors have played an important role in these successes by sponsoring the Youth Nationals.

Four hundred sailors from around the country are expected to compete for national youth and junior pathway titles and the Mitsubishi coaching grant during the event. As this will be a test event for the ISAF Youth Worlds, teams from other countries such as Great Britain, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Canada have expressed an interest in participating. It is recommended that sailors register early for this event at http://www.dublinbay2012.com and avail of a discounted online entry.

Irish 49er finishes in 10th place at ISAF World Championships in Perth

The ISAF World Sailing Championships came to a close today in Perth with a number of medal races including the 49er class. Irish duo Matt McGovern and Ryan Seaton finished eighth in the race which places them in 10th position overall in the event – a personal best.

Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) have confirmed their world number one ranking in the 49er skiff fleet, winning the gold medal. Peter Burling and Tuke Blair (NZL) took the silver while the bronze went to Denmark’s Toft Nielsen brothers, Emil and Simon.

‘A very strong start to the Olympic campaign for the Irish team’ stated James O’Callaghan, ISA Performance Director. ‘We achieved our target of qualifying three classes at this event and the three campaigns finished in the top 12. Annalise Murphy in the Laser Radial in 6th, Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern in the 49er in 10th and Peter O’Leary and David Burrows in the Star in 12th. ‘

The sailors will take a break over the Christmas period before resuming their campaigns in January. The Star class will be based in Miami until March while the 49er and Laser will be based in Europe.

Eleven nations in the Star class have qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition after ten races at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships.

Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden and the USA have all guaranteed themselves a Star spot at London 2012 following an action packed week of sailing.
Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson (GBR) had to withdraw earlier on in the week but their place at London 2012 is assured after they were selected to take the British quota spot. Four more places are available at the Star World Championship in Hyeres, France from 2-12 May 2012.

Going into the final day of Star fleet racing Ireland's Peter O'Leary and David Burrows occupied the final qualification spot but were tied on 97 points with Spain's Fernando Echavarri and Fernando Rodriguez. With qualification in their hands the Irish put in one of their best performances of the regatta with a seventh in Race 9 followed up with a 13th place finish in Race 10 whilst the Spanish crumbled with a 24-22.

The Irish team leader, James O'Callaghan, said, "The Star's certainly did not do it the easy way but they showed great character holding their nerve when it looked bleak during that second race.
"A lot of hard work from each of the teams and coaches has made this possible. With our eyes now firmly focussed on the Games we will be working hard to make sure we have a successful Olympics."

Brazil's Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada have been the stand out performers in the Star class and head into tomorrow's Medal Race with an 18 point advantage and guaranteed of a medal. It's then very tight between Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih (USA), Robert Stanjek and Frithjof Kleen (GER) and Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen (SWE). Five points separate second to fourth so each team will look to finish with a strong performance.
The qualification places in the Women's 470 and Men's RS:X will be decided tomorrow at Perth 2011.

The Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships website will bring you results, tracking, live updates and all the latest news both on and off the water - http://www.perth2011.com

New Release from ISAF World Sailing

The ISA has released the guidelines for nomination and selection for the ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships which will take place in Dun Laoghaire in July 2012.

The objective of the nomination system is to set out the criteria against which the OSG will recommend to the board of the ISA, the Irish team for the 2012 Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship to be held in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland.

The full document can be downloaded on the right.

Irish 49er in 5th place at ISAF World Sailing Championships in Perth

In very unseasonable rain & wind conditions at the ISAF World Sailing Championships in Perth, the Irish crew Ryan Seaton & Matt McGovern in the 49er skiff are in 5th place having finished 2nd, 4th & 11th in first three races of their event. 14 nations will qualify in the 49er fleet for the Olympics in Perth

The Star duo of Peter O’Leary and David Burrows finished 33rd & 3th in day two of their regatta lying 9th overall. The first 11 nations in the Star class will qualify for the Olympics at this event.

In the men’s Laser class James Espey is lying 56th in the 147 strong fleet having scored an 18th & 22nd in the two races of the day. The first 35 nations will qualify for the Olympics at this event. 

Commenting on today’s performance James O’Callaghan, ISA Performance Director stated: ‘A very solid start to the regatta from the 49er team and great to see them racing at the top of the fleet. Peter and David in the Star have used up their discard today but a great comeback in the second race keeps them in the hunt for the rest of the week.’

Racing continues until Sunday 18 December 2011.

Star sailors Peter O’Leary & David Burrows lying 3rd after Day 1 at the ISAF World Racing Championships in Perth

Two of Ireland's most successful sailors, Peter O'Leary and David Burrows have come together to campaign a Star boat for the 2012 Olympics. Today at the ISAF World Championships was their first step towards Weymouth and they finished in third place overall after an eighth and a second place finish in light conditions in Perth. They were just 14 seconds behind the winner in Race 2. 

Overall standings after two races put Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson (GBR) in first, Robert Stanjek and Frithjof Kleen (GER) second and third is Peter O’Leary and David Burrows (IRE).

David Burrows is one of Ireland’s most experienced Olympic athletes. This will be his fourth Olympics having previously represented Ireland in 1996 in Atlanta in the Star class and in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 in the single handed Finn Class. Peter O’Leary represented Ireland at the Beijing Olympics 2008 in the Star Class. He won a gold medal at the Sail for Gold 2010 regatta in Weymouth and the Eastern Hemisphere Champions 2009, both in the Star.
Racing continues until the Medal Race on Sunday 18 December 2011.

Competition starts tomorrow Monday 12 December 2011 for Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern in the 49er class and James Espey in the Laser class.

Annalise finishes 6th at the World Sailing Championships in Perth

There were light difficult conditions for the Ladies Laser Radial medal race in Perth at the ISA World Sailing Championships. Annalise lead leg but was overtaken by Bouwmeester (NED) and sailed in to a wind hole before finishing eighth in the race to secure a sixth place overall in the championship.

After the race a disappointed Annalise stated ‘ I sailed very well at this event but I was very unlucky at the end however I have achieved my objectives which were to qualify Ireland for the Olympics and finish in the top 10.’

This was a first gold medal at the World Championships for Marit Bouwmeester (NED) who was chased closely by silver medallist Evi VanEcker (BEL). Bronze went to Paige Railey (USA) who stated after the race that she felt lucky to have won bronze.

‘Finishing sixth at the World Championships is a personal best for Annalise’ stated ISA Performance Director, James O’Callaghan. He continued ‘She paid a big price for a small mistake but this event carries the same pressure as the Olympics and Annalise handled the pressure incredibly well. We need to stand back from the final result & focus on her excellent performance which included 4 race wins more than any other competitor. The focus pre Olympics will be to work on consistency’  

Sailing continues in Perth until Sunday 18 December with Ireland's Star, 49er and Men's Laser sailors all hoping for Olympic 2012 qualification.
 

Annalise shows the world how it’s done with 2 race wins on Day 6 at the World Championships

Stunning performance by Laser Radial sailor Annalise Murphy with two wins on Day 6 in Perth at the ISAF World Championships. In classic sea breeze conditions blowing 15-18 knots, Annalise sailed two faultless races to narrow the point’s gap going in to the Medal Race tomorrow and the final days racing for her.

‘She has a tough task tomorrow to win a medal and needs to beat USA sailor Paige Railey by at least 4 places to win bronze however she has put herself back in serious contention.’ Stated ISA Performance Director, James O’Callaghan.
Also in Perth Ger Owens and Scott Flanigan in the 470 class did not achieve Olympic qualification and will have to travel to Barcelona for the 470 Worlds in May 2012 for qualification.  The event in May is the second and final opportunity for the 470 to qualify.

Peter O’Leary and David Burrows in the Star and Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern in the 49er will begin racing on Sunday and Monday respectively. Laser sailor, James Espey, will also begin his qualification process on Monday.

Frequent updates will also be available on the ISA Olympic Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ISAOlympic and ISA Olympic Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ISAOlympic.

Annalise Murphy has officially qualified Ireland for the 2012 Olympics, in the Laser Radial sailing discipline.

She currently lies second in the ISAF World Sailing Championships in Perth. The 102 boat fleet now splits 50% into Gold and Silver fleets. The split means it is now impossible for Annalise to fall outside the top 29 nations thus securing Ireland's place on the start line in London.

ISA Performance Director, James O’Callaghan remarked “it is fantastic for Annalise to have achieved qualification so early in the regatta”.

Her event continues in Perth until the medal race on Sunday 11 December.

Youth And Experience The Formula For Italian RS:X Success

Wednesday 7 December 2011

At the end of the third day of fleet racing at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, three Italian Women’s RS:X sailors occupy spots in the top 15 of the overall leader board.

The Italians have a mixture of experience and youth amongst their ranks with veteran Alessandra Sensini at the forefront of the team having competed at five Olympic Sailing Competitions picking up medals in four of those. But there is a new wave of Italian RS:X racers coming up through the ranks with World #3 Laura Linares, World #15 Flavia Tartaglini and the young Veronica Fanciulli all finishing the third day in a strong position.

After five races Linares and Tartaglini lead the Italians in Perth with 19 points each. The former is in sixth place having won Race 2 and Tartaglini’s best finish of second puts her in eighth. Sensini is down in 15th on 31 points and Fanciulli, who won gold at the 2011 ISAF Youth Worlds and silver at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games is 56th on 95 points.

On the strength of their team in Perth, Linares said, “The secret is to work out. In Italy we all live in different areas but all have really good conditions so we can train throughout the year.

“I live in Southern Italy, Alessandra lives in the north and Flavia and Veronica live in Rome. We live in pretty different places so we don’t always train together. We work hard as individuals where we live and work hard together when we are at the training camps.”

Linares is a five time ISAF Youth Worlds medallist, winning bronze at just 14-years-old in Gdynia, Poland and a bronze a year later in Busan, Korea. In 2006 she picked up her first Youth Worlds gold medal in Weymouth, Great Britain and defended her title in Kingston, Canada in 2007 and Aarhus, Denmark in 2008.

And despite the great strength and competition amongst the Italian team for an Olympic spot there is respect amongst the team, “We have Alessandra, who is not only the best Italian windsurfer but the best windsurfer in the world. Thanks to her we see what she has achieved which makes us push harder and want to achieve more.
“There is respect between us even though we are competitive.”

At 26, Tartaglini has recorded some impressive results in the build up to Perth 2011, she recently finished third at the first regatta of the 2011-2012 ISAF Sailing World Cup, Sail Melbourne. But with such strength in depth she has her work cut out to be considered ahead of Sensini and Linares.

For the 17-year-old Fanciulli, she is the fourth youngest sailor in the 68-boat Women’s RS:X fleet. And with a Youth Olympic silver medal gained at Singapore 2010 and a gold medal at the 2011 ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia, she has a great future ahead of her.

But for Linares, Tartaglini and Fanciulli, Sensini does not plan on packing away her windsurfer just yet, “Of course it’s hard to stay for so long, but I think I can still give something,” she said. “It’s not my time to stop yet.
“It’s my life and I don’t think I can give it up yet. When I am full of it I will stop.”

Racing resumes tomorrow at Perth 2011 with the continuation of Women’s Match Racing at 10:00 local time. The four fleets are split into gold and silver with the Women’s RS:X and Laser Radial scheduled to sail Races 6,7 and 8 with a start time of 12:00. The Men’s 470 and Finn sailors commence at 14:00. They will be sailing Race 6 only.

The Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships website will bring you results, tracking, live updates and all the latest news both on and off the water.

Official ISAF Press Release - http://www.sailing.org

Photo: World No. 3 Laura Linares

With the experience of reconnaissance visits to three consecutive ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships including Zadar, Croatia in the summer, the organising team which is charged with delivering a memorable 2012 event on Dublin Bay are presently concentrated on the key building blocks which they are sure will contribute to the best possible regatta for competitors, visitors and the large army of volunteers who are already anticipating what Ireland will offer in 2012.

Andi Roberston Reports for Afloat Magazine - http://www.afloat.ie

5th December 2011

Top of the agenda presently is fine tuning the comprehensive infrastructure set up and the logistical processes which will are the foundation of the event. Many of the small details which are being integrated into the programme now are the result of experience of previous ISAF Youth World Sailing Sailing Championships, especially Croatia as well as the large number of major events which have been hosted by the constituent host clubs the Royal St. George and the National Yacht Club.

Brian Craig, chair of the organising team recalls some of the observations in Croatia that the Irish hosts have been able to act on: "I have been to three youth worlds now and they are always different because of the venues, what the constraints of the sire were, but we had our PRO Peter Crowley out there, we had Lucy Grant who will look after our ceremonies out there and Ciara Dowling and Don O'Dowd who will look after the shore side. People came and went at different stages. Our main guys have all been there and so all have a really good feel for the event." Craig explains.

"What was good in Croatia and is a target for all events is I think for the first time in a couple of years they got in all the races for all the classes. They had had more flexibility built into the race programme this time and I think that worked well. It was a challenge in the 420's where they did not have a full fleet, so in fairness it was handled well. We are confident we will have a full complement of boats for everyone and we have been working well with the Nautivela guys on that and we want to make sure that we are getting boats into the territory as well."

Administration and processes

The initial interface with the event is vital. First impressions are lasting ones and Dublin Bay 2012 have been working hard on streamlining the administration processes so that they are largely all on line, entry, registration and boat allocation all being significantly streamlined:

Event secretary Ciara Dowling explains: "We are working to have the entry and registration process all on line, we see a lot of things that we can do there to make life a lot easier for everybody. The NOR was approved at the ISAF Conference and will be ready with an online entry imminently. That will streamline everything, entry, reservations, boat allocations I think that has been a source of a lot of efforts and ambiguity in the past."

"Our real focus is to have that communication with the MNA's, coaches and team leaders on a good level from the outset. So we are actively in touch and we will got with streamlined processes we hope. So far so much has been passed down from year to year on a 'this is how it was done before basis' but I think there are ways we can improve on. Next time around there will be an ISAF solution to all that I think. So we are happy to pilot that this time around. There is a lot of experience
out there and we have had a lot of good help from the RYA with that side of things."

Core communications

Being on site and active in Croatia and at previous youth events means the team have already built a strong, two way relationship with a core group of international youth coaches who have been an invaluable source of advice and information, and allowed the early flow in information:

" There are a very strong group of 12 or 15 guys who go to the Youth Worlds every year and we get on well with them and so we are working well with them to evolve this thing, trying to improve the communication with them. We have been in touch with them regularly already and we are going to stay in communication. There is real wealth of knowledge there and that was a good opportunity for us who were there for the whole time, so we got to know them well." Explains Craig.

Building a strong supplier relationship and future legacy

The full scale buy-in of the boat and equipment suppliers is essential in ensuring that the boat availability is maximised in each of the classes. Dublin 2012 have been diligent in cultivating relationships which work for all parties. One key driver is ensuring that a maximum number of virtually new youth classes boats remain in Ireland, a strong platform for future success.

" Equipment manufacturers we are good with, we are well organised with them and they are committed and we have seen them all again since the last event, and so we are in good shape. That side has worked well." Continues Craig.

" We are working with manufacturers and making really sure of the supply of the boats so we have a legacy and a lot of the boats remain in Ireland and so running clinics during the regatta with the manufacturers, that sort of thing, that'll be part of the legacy."

Complementary preliminary events at Easter in Pwllheli and Dublin Bay The Irish Youth National Championships are a four days event. Thursday 12th to Sunday 15th April and are being run to dovetail with the RYA British Youth Nationals which will be in Pwllheli, Wales – a ferry journey away.

"It will be Pwllheli week before easter and ours the week after and so there is a lot of the overseas nations interested, we are marketing both events in tandem so that teams will do the RYA British Youth Nationals the week before and then come to us, and vice versa."

"Some countries, like the Kiwis for example and the whole British squad have already committed to come here. That'll be great for us, as it gives a great dry run. We had 350 boats last year, it will be bigger this time. It is a four days event. There is a good ferry link across and we are working with the ferry companies, and we have a host programme for sailors who want to stay with local families
Media and commercial aspects given a boost

A challenge in Croatia was taking up the baton of running the first event with no major global sponsor, such as previous sponsors Volvo:

"One difficulty in Zadar was the media and commercial side with no Volvo as sponsor so that left a hole on that side for them. We would hope to wind up that side of a lot more. It felt more local event which has its positive sides for sure, it went very well and felt like a very good atmosphere, within a yacht club feel."

"Ours will still have a very strong yacht club feel. We will have a meet and greet programme with families and sailors meeting teams as they arrive to really make them feel at home and there is a big opportunity to develop that side'.

On a local basis at the moment Dublin 2012 are working on the commercial and sponsorship side of the event, rolling out publicity and communication with all the yacht clubs and junior organisations around Ireland, building the programmes for clubs and organisations to come to the event and get involved.

"One thing we see a real opportunity for is bringing in some of the youth squads and coaches into the event." Concludes Craig, " So we aim to bring top coaches from around Ireland and place them on the water with international coaches, and things like that, get some young Irish sailors integrated with the event a lot more, in small numbers and in a selective way, so that the youth sections of the clubs around the country really are involved and there is a good, lasting legacy. They can be inspired and really feel part of the event and we have seen loads of ways of doing that.

We are building those programmes, we are building the awareness around the yacht clubs, we are buttoning down our sponsorships and really getting the technical side in place and signed off by ISAF so that we are ready to go at the end of the month.

By Christmas we should have information to all the MNA's with on line entries and everything ready to roll."

The International Sailing Federation is pleased to announce that Schenker Limited has become an Official Supplier to ISAF. It is a partnership that will see Schenker supporting ISAF, and its major events, with logistics and shipping services over the next three years.

Schenker Limited recently helped ISAF with logistics services for the 2011 ISAF Annual Conference in Puerto Rico. They are also the supporting sponsors to the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships which sees over 1,100 sailors from 79 nations fight for World Championship glory and Olympic Qualification spots.

Along with supporting key ISAF events such as the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship, which heads to Dublin, Ireland next year, and the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, Schenker Limited will be on hand to provide expert advice on all aspects of shipping and logistics.

ISAF Secretary General, Jerome Pels, said, “Sailing is a global sport and transport of equipment plays a major part in what we do so to be working with one of the World’s leading shipping and logistics companies is a significant benefit for us. I am also pleased that our partnership with Schenker will give our members the opportunity to take advantage of Schenker’s experience and expertise.”

Luke Bardall, Key Account Manager Schenker Limited, added, “We are delighted to be an official ISAF partner and to be given the opportunity to be a part of the many exciting events that ISAF organise around the globe. We are very much looking forward to working with ISAF and their fellow members and are confident that our global reach will ensure all those participating in the events will receive the very best in event logistics.”

About DB Schenker

Schenker Limited is part of the global DB Schenker network. With 18 locations and over 850 employees, the company provides the complete range of land operations, international air and ocean freight forwarding and all related integrated logistics services and global supply chain management.

With a turnover of some EUR 18.9 billion, about 90,000 employees and over 2,000 locations in all the world’s major economic regions, DB Schenker holds top positions in global air and ocean freight, the densest land transportation network in Europe, and the rail competence of Europe’s largest rail freight company. Integrated Logistics at DB Schenker, with its three business segments, Land Transport, Air/Ocean Freight and Contract Logistics/SCM, is one of the world's leading logistics service providers. The business unit offers Europe-wide land transport and worldwide air and ocean freight, as well as comprehensive logistics solutions and global supply chain management from a single source. The unit also holds top positions in logistics for automotive, high-tech and consumer products, as well as in trade fair forwarding, special transportation and services for major sporting events.

To find out more about DB Schenker visit http://www.dbschenker.co.uk

Find out more about the International Sailing Federation at http://www.sailing.org.

At the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships many of the sailors on show have come through the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, which will celebrate its 42nd edition at Dublin, Ireland from 12-21 July 2012.

Ben Ainslie (GBR), Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Alessandra Sensini (ITA) started their glittery careers at the ISAF Youth Worlds and have gone on to achieve World Championship and Olympic glory in their respective classes.
Following the 2011 edition in Zadar, Croatia a new breed of sailors are coming to the forefront and aiming to qualify their country for the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition.

For Puerto Rico’s Raul Rios he is sailing at his first ISAF Worlds in the Men’s 470 and with three ISAF Youth Worlds under his belt he was somewhat of a veteran in Croatia. But the youngster is not fazed by the move from the 420 to the 470 and from youth to senior sailing.

“There’s a big difference here in Perth, especially moving from youth to Olympic classes,” said Rios. “Here we have professional sailors and they are some of the best in the world.”
Rios was part of the Athlete Participation Programme in 2010 and 2011 and was guided through the championship under the World Youth Sailing Trust Coach, “Seeing different points of view from different coaches really helped me a lot. I gained information from everyone bit by bit and that helped me decide what I wanted for my boat.

“The 2011 coach, Huge Styles, sailed catamarans, so he helped me a lot even though we sail 420s and we were able to sail at maximum speed at every angle.”
At this year’s Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, Rios is not alone as the only APP athlete from the 2011 Youth Worlds. Joining him is compatriot Ramon Gonzalez who will be sailing the Laser, RS:X Boys gold medallist Cho Wonwoo (KOR) will be on the Men’s RS:X starting line, as will Matias Caseco Bazo (PER).

Since its introduction in 2002, APP has helped over 150 sailors and has proven to be a great success with sailors from previous years slowly moving up the ranks. At just 14 years old Pavlos Kontides (CYP) received funding at the 2004 edition in Gdynia, Poland. He has since sailed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and worked his way to World #6 in the Laser.

And like Kontides, Rios has his own dream of competing at an Olympic Sailing Competition, “Our goal is to qualify for London 2012. I’ve been sailing Snipes up until the end of October because I was at the Pan American Games so now it is full 470 and try here in Perth or in Barcelona to qualify for London.”

APP has enabled new countries to compete at ISAF Youth Worlds for the first time and with Kontides showcasing the success be prepared to see Rios, Wonwoo and Bazo at the top of their ISAF World Rankings in the near future.
The Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships website will bring you results, tracking, live updates and all the latest news both on and off the water: http://www.perth2011.com

The Irish competitors making the trip to Perth are:

Annalise Murphy (Laser Radial)
Peter O’Leary & David Burrows (Star)
Ryan Seaton & Matt McGovern (49er)
James Espey (Laser)
Ross Hamilton (Finn)
Ger Owens & Scott Flanigan (470)
Marcus Spillane & Rory Fitzpatrick (49er)

Aer Lingus supporting the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship

Aer Lingus is delighted to support the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship 2012 by offering an Early Bird promotion code distount off all seats, all routes, for bookings made between during the promotion period of 15th April-15th May and travelling between the dates of 1st-25th July 2012.  Promotional discount will be 20% or $50.

Aer Lingus operates flights direct to Dublin from 22 countries, 10 airports across the UK, 20 countries across Europe and direct from many cities in North America.

Details of booking codes & procedures to follow shortly.

The ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals, running from 12th-15th April, will test the Organising Committee's plans for the Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in July.

The 2012 ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals is shaping up to be far more than just a test event - with squads from GBR and New Zealand already confirmed and other countries expected, this will make this year's event very special. 

Scheduled for the week following the UK Youth Nationals in Pwllheli it is the ideal opportunity for overseas teams to compete in the ISAF Youth Worlds on Dublin Bay.

Further information and the online entry form is available here: http://www.dublinbay2012.com/mitsubishi2012/

Over the past 3 years

Over the past 3 years the ISAF Youth Worlds has been to Brazil, Turkey and Croatia - NEXT STOP DUBLIN BAY!   The World's Premier Youth Sailors and Coaches are now focused on Ireland. 

Preparations are gathering pace for next July and we are all certainly looking forward to this unique opportunity to showcase Dun Laoghaire and give our visitors a very special “Céad Míle Fáilte”. I have no doubt that they will receive a warm welcome from the sailing community and have a memorable time enjoying the world-class facilities in Dun Laoghaire.
But this is not just about putting on a good show for the visitors and ISAF – it’s also about our Members, whether you’re young or old we want you to feel part of action either by volunteering or just enjoying the spectacle.

The 10 Day Event Schedule:

Thursday 12th July - Arrival &  Registration

Friday 13th July - Practice Races & Opening Ceremony

Saturday 14th July - Racing over 3 Courses

Sunday 15th July - Racing over 3 Courses

Monday 16th July - Racing over 3 Courses

Tuesday 17th July - Reserve Day & 'Special Yacht Club Dinner' for visiting Nations

Wednesday 18th July - Racing Over 3 Courses

Thursday 19th July - Racing Over 3 Courses

Friday 20th July - Final Race & Closing Ceremony

Saturday 21st July - Depart

If you are thinking of joining one of our many volunteer teams we would love to have you involved in this very special event next July:

If you are thinking of joining one of our many volunteer teams please let us know which area you would like to be involved 

Please let us know about yourself   HERE

- Join one of our 'Meet & Greet Teams'

- Host a Team that arrives early

- Administration: Registration & Accreditation

- Airport Arrival Team & Courtesy Cars

- Opening & Closing Ceremonies

- VIPs and Sponsors

- Forecourts and Slips

- Boat Unpacking and Packing

Amongst all the sailors, coaches and parents at 2011 Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia, there was also an intrepid team of Dublin Bay 2012 organisers keeping a watch full eye on all the action!

Listen to what they learned from the hard working team of staff and volunteers in this interview with Brian Craig, Event Chairman

Watch the video interview here.

Ireland’s Philip Doran is 1st in his final race at the ISAF Youth Worlds

Young Irish Laser Radial sailor Philip Doran of Courtown Sailing Club proved he is a force to be reckoned with at the final day’s racing of the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia.

Doran took charge of the 15 knot north-westerly from the beginning of the race, leading the fleet from the first mark. Competitors from Belgium, the UK and Australia tried to challenge him at the leeward mark but Doran continued to master the previously unseen wind conditions in this championship. On the second beat he exerted all his physical and mental strength and stormed in to the lead leaving the rest of the fleet to battle it out for second place. Doran ended the final race of the championship with an extraordinary first place win and finishing 10th overall, having also claimed five top 10 results during the course of the competition.

His ISA Coach Rory Fitzpatrick was deservedly complimentary of his performance “It hadn’t been going Philip’s way at the half way stage in the event. He was sitting towards the back of the fleet but he fought hard over the next few days and finished in the top 10 which just shows the level of determination and mental strength he has”.

But the success story doesn’t end there. Royal St George Yacht Club and Quoile Yacht Club Laser Radial sailor Sophie Murphy placed 23rd in her final race which saw her finishing 11th overall. This is the best result Ireland has ever had in the girl’s single handed competition since Ireland began competing at the ISAF Youth Worlds in 1971. Unlike her teammate, Murphy found the conditions tough today but she fought tooth and nail putting in her best personal performance at an international event so far in her career. Similarly to Philip Doran, she also had one race win and five top 10 results during the course of the championship.

Murphy’s ISA Coach Rory Fitzpatrick exuded enthusiasm about her future prospects declaring “This is Sophie’s personal best at an international event and the best we’ve ever had at the Youth Worlds but she’s only going to continue to grow and strengthen”.

Cork natives Emma Geary from Royal Cork Yacht Club and Niamh Connolly from Baltimore Sailing Club put in another strong performance in the 420 class today. They made good tactical decisions on the water which saw them finishing the race in 12th and finishing the championship in 17th overall. The girls showed their fineness in the stronger wind conditions of the past two days placing a 9th, a 6th and today’s 12th.

Their ISA Coach Ross Killian was delighted with their progression through the championship. “Overall the girls worked really hard learning new skills and improving throughout the event. They put in a really good performance.”

Results and news of the 2011 event is available on http://www.isafyouthworlds.com 

Day 5 of the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia once again saw remarkable performances from the Irish sailors.

420 duo Emma Geary from Royal Cork Yacht Club and Niamh Connolly from Baltimore Sailing Club were definitely back on form today having been hampered by yesterday’s lighter wind conditions. The girls relished in the medium breeze today placing 10th and 6th respectively in their two races. They now lie in 18th overall. Their ISA Coach Ross Killian was thrilled with their sailing. He remarked “I can’t fault it. It was stellar performance from the girls today”.

Philip Doran of Courtown Sailing Club caught up to 12th place during his first race of the day but lost out on the final downwind which saw him finishing in 22nd place. He fared better in his second race sitting in 5th for the duration until the final mark when he was awarded a yellow flag. The penalty saw him finish the race in 9th place leaving him 15th overall.

Royal St George Yacht Club and Quoile Yacht Club sailor Sophie Murphy struggled today in the stronger wind conditions. She finished with two 30th places from her two races, one of which has been discarded. Even with her results today she still lies in 10th overall due to her consistently superb sailing throughout the competition.

Results and news of the 2011 event is available on http://www.isafyouthworlds.com  
Information on 2012 Dublin Bay Youth Worlds http://www.dublinbay2012.com

Impressive four top 10 results for Irish sailors at the ISAF Youth Worlds

Day 4 of the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia saw outstanding performances from Irish Laser Radial sailors Philip Doran and Sophie Murphy even with unfavourable variable light wind conditions which have continued throughout the competition.

Philip Doran of Courtown Sailing Club maximised yesterday’s rest day and returned to the water this morning with a fresh mind and unarguable determination. He had his best day of the championships so far with two 5th places in the two races sailed today. Philip now lies in 16th overall up from 26th.

Northern Irish sailor Sophie Murphy had a similarly successful day. She placed 7th in her first race and although lying in 28th place rounding the first mark during her second race she worked hard and climbed the 41 boat fleet to finish in 6th place. Sophie now lies in 8th overall.

420 girls Emma Geary from Royal Cork Yacht Club and Niamh Connolly from Baltimore Sailing Club who favour heavier conditions had a tougher day placing 25th and 22nd respectively in their two races but their 25th placing is discarded leaving them in 22nd overall.

The team’s ISA Olympic Coach Rory Fitzpatrick was delighted with the results of the day. He enthused “four top 10 race results in the Lasers is really impressive in these difficult conditions. I’m really happy with the team’s performance today”.

Results & news of the 2011 event is available on http://www.isafyouthworlds.com   
Information on 2012 Dublin Bay Youth Worlds http://www.dublinbay2012.com

Light & Shifty conditions prevail in Zadar at the ISAF Youth Worlds

Laser Radial sailor Sophie Murphy scored well in her first of the race of the day with a fourth after having a race win yesterday. She followed that with a 16th and 20th in the 41 strong fleet which leaves her in eleventh position overall going in to the rest day tomorrow.

Cork duo Emma Geary and Niamh Connolly in the 420 finished 17th and 21st today which sees them lying 17th overall.

Philip Doran from Courtown SC in the Laser Radial boys had a disappointing day fininshing 26th overall in the 49 boat fleet. Philip who is no stranger to large international competition (former 4.7 World Champion and the u17 Radial World Champion) remains optimistic and looking forward to a rest day tomorrow before the second half of the event recommences on Wednesday. 

Results & news of the 2011 event is available on http://www.isafyouthworlds.com

Today's Highlight: Sophie Murphy won second race!

Very light conditions at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia but Northern Irish Laser Radial sailor Sophie Murphy held her nerve to deliver a race win in the second race of the day followed by a 7th in the third race having started the day with a disappointing 23rd. Sophie is now in 11th place overall going in to day three of the event.

‘The biggest challenge for all sailors is to remain steady throughout the event’ says ISA Olympic Coach Rory Fitzpatrick who is with the team in Croatia. Cork girls Emma Geary and Niamh Connolly are certainly showing strong consistency at by scoring a 12th and 14th today which leaving them in 13th position overall.

Boys Laser Radial sailor Philip Doran was lying 4th overnight but had a rather disappointing day but is still 16th place overall. Philip is no stranger to international events. He is a former 4.7 World Champion and the u17 Radial World Champion. He is targeting a top 10 finish overall in this event which does not finish until Friday 15 July.

Results & news of the 2011 event is available on http://www.isafyouthworlds.com

Today's Highlight: Philip Doran is in fourth place!

In very light conditions in Zadar, Croatia, the Laser Radial boys fleet completed two races with Philip Doran from Courtown SC lying 4th after a 7th and 12th.

Sophie Murphy in the girls fleet is lying 19th after one race whilst the Cork girls Emma Geary & Niamh Connolly are 14th after one race in the 420 class.

Results & news of the 2011 event is available on http://www.isafyouthworlds.com

350 sailors from 60 countries are gathering in the Adriatic town of Zadar in Croatia for the 41st edition of the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship including four youth sailors representing Ireland in three different classes.

Laser Radial Boys

Philip Doran from Courtown Sailing Club in Wexford is attending this event for the first time although he is no stranger to international events. He is a former 4.7 World Champion and the u17 Radial World Champion.  Philip will be targeting a top 10 finish overall.

Laser Radial Girls

Sophie Murphy from Quoile Y.C. in Northern Ireland is representing Ireland for the second time having competed in Turkey in 2010 at age 16. After sailing a consistent Irish trials Sophie won the right to take the girls place in the Laser Radial. Her experience of competing in this event last year will undoubtedly count in her favour as many quite simply get overawed by the pomp and ceremony that go along with an event as prestigious as this so expect some solid races from Sophie during the week.

420 Girls

Emma Geary from Royal Cork Yacht Club & Niamh Connolly from Baltimore Sailing Club are both aged 18. While not quite having the same amount of international experience as their team mates they are a very strong partnership together and are ideally suited to the 420. Coach Ross Killian has been putting them through their paces in preparation for the toughest event they will have sailed in so far.

Thursday 07 and Friday 08 sailors will be provided with their boats and equipment and will be briefed with limited on water training before racing commences on Saturday 09 July.

The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships is ISAF’s most prestigious event after the Olympic Games and the ISAF Sailing World Championships. Past notable winners include American's Cup skippers, Chris Dickson (NZL), Russell Coutts (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL); Olympic medallists, Ben Ainslie (GBR), Robert Scheidt (BRA), Alessandra Sensini (ITA), Iain Percy (GBR) and Elise Rechichi (AUS); Volvo Ocean Race sailors like Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) and Richard Clarke (CAN).

Results & news of the 2011 event is available on http://www.isafyouthworlds.com

Photo: Irish Lasers getting ready in Croatia
 

Answer a very simple question on Dublin Bay 2012's facebook page to be entered into the draw! Clue: Take note of where this year's event is currently being held!

http://www.facebook.com/dublinbay2012

This promotion will run from 7th July - Midnight Sunday 17th July 2011. The draw will take place and the winner notified on Monday 18th July 2011

All decisions are final.  Dublin Bay 2012 reserve the right to change this terms and conditions if deemed necessary. Submitting an entry deems that the entrant agrees to the terms and conditions of the promotion.

The 41st ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in Zadar, Croatia is all set to host the competition with registration and equipment allocation starting tomorrow.

A lot of hard work and effort goes into putting together the ISAF Youth Worlds and Event Director Zrinka Grancaric has been working hard over the past four years to put on a memorable event for the 349 sailors making their way to Zadar.

"Everybody is set and everybody is ready," said Grancaric. "We've worked really hard and really diligent. It is a big challenge but I think we are up for it."

"Lots of volunteers volunteering their free time to help organise the championship so I think when we see the first warning signal there will be a lot of happy people here."

Watch a full interview with Zrinka Grancaric as she talks about the preparations behind the 41st ISAF Youth Worlds and the weather and conditions that sailors should expect throughout the week.

Sailing begins on Saturday 9 July with 12 races scheduled until Friday 15 July.

Full News Reports are avaialable here: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/

As nearly 400 sailors descend on Zadar, Croatia for the 41st ISAF Youth World Championships, representatives of Dublin Bay, the 2012 ISAF Youth Worlds hosts will be on site in Croatia to learn all they can, having recently had a welcome nod of approval from ISAF's Fiona Kidd following her visit to Irish waters. Andi Robertson Reports for Afloat.ie

"From what I saw things look to be very much ideal. It is new to us to have the competition spread across three different, adjoining clubs but I am sure that will work well. One yacht club is where the race management is centralised and it is all very manageable from there." Explained Kidd who chaired the ISAF Youth World Championships Sub Committee for eight years and has been involved with the championships since 1994.

"The launching facilities look good enough, boat parking is good everything there in terms of the physical plant all looked good. The accommodation is centralised and directly across the street from the boat park which the athletes really appreciate. It is excellent."

"But the success of these championships is very much down to volunteers and already we can see that there is a really great group of people. I had a tour of all the yacht clubs and they seemed really motivated, excited by the prospect and looking forward to it. I left feeling that it is all in very good hands."

"You have to remember that this event is really unique. It is likened to a mini Olympics and we emphasize that to host venues. At a class championships the sailors book their travel, accommodation bring their boats pay their money and go racing. This event I tell the organisers that from the minute they step off the plane until they go home you are responsible for around 500 sailors, you have to house them, feed them, provide top class racing and make sure they are always safe. Logistically it is big, and so the more volunteers to make it go smoothly, the better." Continues Kidd,

"On top of that it has to feel like something special, something different. So there is strict accreditation and access to the boat park, all modelled on the Olympics. It's important for the sailors it feels different and you don't have anyone wandering around the boat park. It has to feel special. They all have to work hard to qualify to be there, so it needs to feel different."

"The event has grown, now there are between 58 and 60 nations and more than ever the big nations like Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, France, GBR send full teams and it has become the real launch pad for young sailors."

"It has been great to meet the organising teams for 2012, it really gives you a sense of who's doing what and I have a very good feeling about the event already."

"There will be a lot to learn this coming week in Zadar. For the first time ever we are having to split the 420's into flights and rotate them, and the accommodation is quite spread out there, and so we are hoping that it should all be made straightforward next year."

Often a successful ISAF Youth World Championships are the platform for a successful bid to host the ISAF Sailing World Championships, and Kidd confirms that a good Youth Worlds would set Irish sailing in good stead were they to look to hosting the Olympic classes ISAF Worlds in the future:

"Of the eight bids which were made for the ISAF World Championships four had hosted the ISAF Youth Worlds and all would be very capable of hosting the ISAF World Championships."

Photo: Gareth Craig - Fotosail.com

L - R Paul Barrington, Commodre NYC; Brian Craig, Event Chairman; Cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Cllr. Lettie McCarthy; Fiona Kidd; Con Murphy  and Martin Byrne, Commodore RSGYC.

The aim of the Institute of Sport Athlete Support Programme is to help create an environment in which elite athletes can combine their international sporting career with their education in a way that allows them to achieve their potential in both fields. This support is available through both secondary and further education.

There are a limited number of places on the programme are available in any given year.

Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

- Carding level (priority for higher levels of carding)
- Sporting potential (based on carding level and an endorsement from coach and/or performance director)
- Ability to achieve academic potential (based on current academic qualifications or performance)
- Commitment to both academic and sporting excellence (based on endorsements / references and the athletes personal statement)
- Previous engagement and performance with the ISAS Programme or previous Scholarship Programme

Eligibility - Who should apply?

If you are currently studying and are likely to be studying next year then you should apply for the support the programme offers.

Athletes eligible for the ISASP are:

Carded athletes - athletes on the ISC International Carding Scheme.

ISASP will facilitate athletic and academic development by addressing the following:

- Development of performance lifestyle skills to develop management and coping skills to enable athletes to better manage the blend of sport and academia
- Combined sport and academic career planning
- Student-athlete academic counselling support
- Tuition fees for part-time and postgraduate study where deemed of positive performance impact by the performance director of the relevant sport. Please note: This programme does not cover registration fees.
- Access to training facilities where possible

How to apply?

Please visit the Institute of Sport Website: http://www.instituteofsport.ie/Institute_Of_Sport/Athlete_Zone/Education_Support/. Please note that the closing date for these applications is June 23rd 2011.

Congratulations to NYC Member and Former ISAF Youth Worlds Competitor for bringing home Bronze in the Laser Radial Class at Skandia Sail for Gold 2011 in Weymouth, UK.

It is hoped that Annalise will be representing Ireland at the Olympics next year in the same venue!

Indeed, Annalise is a great example of how a sailor can move from sailing at the ISAF Youth Worlds to Olympic Glory! Well done and good luck Annalise!

Brian Craig was honoured by the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring T.D., at an Awards Ceremony which took place on the 31st May at the Aviva Stadium for his outstanding voluntary contribution to Irish Sport.

The ‘National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sports’, celebrates the contributions of volunteers to Irish sport. There are over 400,000 people throughout the country who voluntarily dedicate their time every year through their involvement with sports clubs and organisations. 250 volunteers were shortlisted, and ISA’s nominee Brian Craig was one of only eleven to receive the award from the Minister.
The national awards are an initiative of the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport in conjunction with the Federation of Irish Sports, which represents some 68 sports in Ireland. The scheme is also supported by the Community Foundation of Ireland and the Irish Sports Council.

Attending the ceremony with Brian and his family was ISA President, Niamh McCutcheon.
Harry Hermon, ISA Chief Executive who also attended the ceremony commented: “The ISA was very proud to nominate our own Volunteer of the Year for the award, and were delighted to learn that Brian was to be a recipient of the National Awards for Sport”, he went on to say “Brian was nominated for the major role he has played in the development of sailing in Ireland, specifically in Dún Laoghaire. He was also responsible for the succeeding in winning the bid to bring the ISAF Youth Worlds to Dublin Bay in 2012.”

The award winners were selected by a committee chaired by Olympic Gold Medal Winner, Ronnie Delany, alongside representatives from the Federation of Irish Sports, Irish Sports Council, The Irish Times, RTÉ and the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport.

Speaking at the presentation of the awards Minister Ring said. “The contribution of volunteers in supporting Irish sports people at every level, from when they first engage in sporting activity right through to developing elite athletes, should not be underestimated. Indeed, the army of volunteers who dedicate their time and commitment to each sport in Ireland assist in building strong and healthy communities, while giving everybody the opportunity to be the athletes they are.”

“In presenting these awards today I wish to not only congratulate the 11 volunteers who truly deserve their honours, but I would also like to acknowledge all of the 400,000 people who help to ensure Irish sport is in such a healthy state. Quite simply sport in Ireland wouldn’t function without their incredible efforts, and as a nation we would undoubtedly be worse off.”

If you missed this edition of Seascapes RTE, then check out the podcast for a great report on the ISA Mitsubishi Motors Ireland Youth Nationals 2011.

Click here to listen now!

This Report was broadcast on Friday, 6th May 2011.

Th Irish Sailing Association has confirmed the youth sailors that will travel to Zadar, Croatia for the ISAF Youth World Championships in July.

The Irish Team is as follows:

• Laser Radial Boys Under 19 – Philip Doran (Courtown Sailing Club/National Yacht Club)
• Laser Radial Girls Under 19 – Sophie Murphy (Quoile Yacht Club, Northern Ireland)
• 420 Girls Under 19 – Emma Geary (Royal Cork) and Niamh Connolly (Baltimore Sailing Club)

All sailors achieved their international qualification prior to the ISA Mitsubishi National Championships in Dun Laoghaire over the weekend and all sailors finished as top girl or boy in their discipline. Following their Dun Laoghaire results, the team selection was ratified by the Irish Sailing Association Board of Directors.

This will be Philip Doran’s first Youth Worlds but as a former under 17 world champion the prospect of a major international event such as the ISAF Youth Worlds should not faze him. 

At only 17 this is Sophie Murphy’s second Youth Worlds and she is young enough to qualify for 2012 when Dun Laoghaire will host the ISAF Youth Worlds from 12 -21 July, just weeks before the London Olympics.

Emma Geary & Niamh Connolly the double handed team from Cork will be the only 420 on the Irish team as they were the only ones to reach the international qualification. ‘The Irish 420 fleet is a young fleet but there should be great competition for both girls and boys rankings in 2012 when they gain experience and further training.’ stated James O’Callaghan, Olympic Performance Manager ISA. ‘The sailors have now got through the first phase of the process however a lot of hard work and training will be needed between now and then to perform successfully on the international stage’ continued O’Callaghan.

The ISAF Youth World Championship is coming to Dublin 12-21 July 2012 just two weeks ahead of London’s Olympic Games. Over 300 sailors from 60 nations will compete.

Pictured: Sophie Murphy

With winds gusting up to 25-30 knots and a big swell, sailing for the final day of the ISA Mitsubishi National Championships was cancelled. However, all classes had completed sufficient races to complete the series.

Five national titles were decided over the weekend with the top ranking awards going to a range of clubs all around the country. Royal Cork YC achieved two national titles with Laser 4.7 event favourite Seafra Guilfoyle winning the title having previously dominated the Optimist fleet in previous years. Brother & sister team Patrick & Chloe Crosbie also from Royal Cork won the 420 National title and Patrick was awarded the Mitsubishi Training Grant for the most promising sailor at the event.

This event was the national trials for the Optimist class which was won by Tralee Bay sailor Sophie Browne who will travel to New Zealand in December to compete in the Optimist World Championships. Irish optimist sailors are performing well internationally at the moment finishing fourth and fifth at the Braassemermeer Easter regatta. Other events during 2011 where there will be Irish representation include the European Championships in Portugal and the National Championships in Germany and the UK. 

The team that will represent Ireland at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia in July 2011 will be announced in the coming week.

Final Results are as follows:

Laser Radial
National Champion: Philip Doran (Courtown Sailing Club)
2nd  Robbie Gilmore (Strangford Lough YC)
3rd Eoin Keller (Lough Derg YC)
1st Girl Sophie Murphy Quoile Yacht Club

Laser 4.7
National Champion: Seafra Guilfoyle (Royal Cork YC) 
2nd Darragh O’Sullivan (Kinsale YC) 
3rd Finn Lynch (NYC/Blessington SC)
1st Girl: Sian Kneafsey (National YC)

420
National Champions:  Patrick Crosbie & Chloe Crosbie (Royal Cork YC)
2nd Aodh Kennedy & Daniel Browne (Kinsale YC & Tralee Bay YC)
3rd Emma Geary & Niamh Connolly (Royal Cork YC & Baltimore SC)

Optimist National Trials
Sophie Browne (Tralee Bay SC) won the trials and took the option of travelling to New Zealand in December 2011 to represent Ireland at the Optimist World Championships. The following sailors were selected by the trial process to represent Ireland at the European Championship which will be held in Portugal in July 2011: Sean Donnelly, HYC, Peter McCann RCYC, Harry Whitaker RCYC, Eoin Lyden RCYC, Jil McGinley RCYC  Cliodhna Ni Shuilleabhain KYC and Megan Parker SSC
The team selected to travel to the German National Championships include Robert Dickson HYC , Daire Cournane KYC, Sean Waddilove Skerries SC,  Richard Hogan HYC, Adam Hyland RSGYC, Ronan Cournane KYC, Sean Gambier Ross KYC and Fergus Flood HYC , Aoife Hopkins and Alacoque Daly Tralee Bay SC.
In addition 10 sailors were chosen for the Irish under 12 squad who will compete in the Optimist UK National Championships.

Feva
National Champions: D Johnston & L Flynn Byrne (Howth YC)
2nd C Totterdell & S Craig (National YC/Royal St. George YC)
3rd  C Mollard & J Harris (Howth YC)
1st Girl Team: Blathnaid O'Connell and Rosanna Cassidy (Royal St. George YC)

Topper
National Champion:  T Brow (Ballyholme YC)
2nd Laura Gilmore (Strangford Lough YC)
3rd  Andrew Penney (East Antrim BC)

Optimist (Championship fleet)
1st Ben Walsh (Skerries SC)
2nd Ross Quirke (National YC)
3rd Colin O’Sullivan (Malahide YC)

The ISA Mitsubishi Youth Championships was an important test event for the organisers of the Youth Worlds which will be held in the same venue from 12 -21 July 2012. Mitsubishi Motors have been a proud supporter of junior sailing in Ireland for the last 7 years.

Photo by David Braningan - Oceansport.ie

For all the Daily Reports from the ISA Mitsubishi Youth Championships 2011 please click here.

Over the next few days hundreds of boats will arrive in Dun Laoghaire in preparation for the ISA Mitsubishi Youth National Championships over the May Bank Holiday weekend (29 April – 02 May).

Over 300 sailors will compete in Dublin Bay in seven different classes (Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, 420, Feva, Topper, SL16 and Optimist). For youth sailors, this event is the most important in the annual calendar as it is the decider for the top Irish sailors to compete internationally during 2011 and is the pathway for future Olympic sailors.

The 420 fleet is already in situ as the Leinster Championships were held over Easter and the girls team Emma Geary and Niamh Connolly won the event in style. This team is the only 420 crew to qualify internationally for a place on the Irish team to compete in the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia and will be looking to win next weekend to secure this honour.

Dublin Bay will host the 2012 ISAF Youth World Nationals and this year’s ISA Mitsubishi Youth National event is an important test event with representatives from the international sailing authority visiting Dun Laoghaire to view plans and test logistics.

In addition to the 420 fleet the Laser radial fleet will also be competing to qualify to represent Ireland in Croatia. Philip Doran aged 17 from Courtown in Wexford is the current former under 17 World Champion in the Laser Radial fleet although the National title has eluded him so far. In the girls fleet it will be a toss up between Saskia Tidey (RIYC) and Sophie Murphy (Quoile YC) as both already have a national title each under their belts.

The younger Optimist fleet is also celebrating this week after two top 5 positions at the Easter Regatta in Braassemermeer, the Netherlands. In fact an Irish team has competed at this event for 23 years and this is the first time that Ireland has won the country prize. Sean Donnelly from Dun Laoghaire who finished fourth in Braassemermeer is also leading the Optimist fleet in the trials and will be anxious to hold on to first position during the ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals.

In other fleets, the laser 4.7 fleet is enjoying record numbers with many ex- Optimist and Topper sailors choosing this boat. Finn Lynch from Blessington and Seafra Guilfoyle from Cork will be firm favourites to win the class.

Overall Dublin Bay will be a spectacle of sail over the May Bank holiday weekend with light winds forecast.

Mitsubishi Motors have been a proud supporter of junior sailing in Ireland for the last 7 years. In recent years Ireland has had successes at youth level with winner of the girls under 21 Laser World Championships and a top 10 at the 2010 ISAF Youth Worlds and wins at the British National Optimist Championships. Mitsubishi Motors have played an important role in these successes by sponsoring youth sailing.

Between the 15th and 16th 2011, Tim Sewell, ISAF's Head of Marketing & Events, visited Dun Laoghaire to see the venue and meet the organisers of the ISAF Youth Worlds 2012.

Tim Sewell, ISAF Head of Marketing & Events, got the opportunity to visit Dun Laoghaire for a couple of days earlier this year to discuss the commercial aspects of the plans for 2012 and to see the venue first-hand. Not many of the team had met Tim previously, so it was an ideal opportunity to see the clubs, meet the organisers and some of the local stakeholders including the chief executive of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company – Gerry Dunne.

Arriving on a spring evening he toured the waterfront area on foot and then took a coastal drive to Killiney to view Dublin Bay from the top Dalkey Hill. Bill O’Hara, of the Advisory Group, joined the commercial team for dinner that evening in Royal St George Yacht Club. The following day included a full tour of the Royal Irish, National and Royal St George yacht clubs, the Royal Marine Hotel and the Carlisle Pier Area.

Tim wrote on his return to Southampton “You are blessed in having such a natural venue for large scale international events. The yacht clubs and surrounding harbour area provide all the space needed and a high specification infrastructure, while the natural flow between the yacht clubs, hotels and harbour area means the regatta can be kept compact and connected.

I am confident that the team and wider Dun Laoghaire community are going to host an efficient and effective professional event that will provide great sailing and spectator experiences, which will last long in the memories of everyone involved”.

Brian Craig, Event Chairman

Photo: Harry Hermon, ISA Chairman; Tim Sewell, ISAF's Head of Marketing & Events & Gerry Dunne, Chief Executive Dun Laoghaire Harbour

April's Mitsubishi Youth National championships is not only going to be a big test for up to 350 competitors seeking a place on the Irish team at the 2011 ISAF Youth Worlds in Croatia, it's also being treated as a 'dry run' by Dublin Bay organisers preparing to stage the 2012 Youth worlds in little over 12 months time.

Olympic team manager James O'Callaghan has played a big role in bringing on Irish team talent. Results have been achieved in recent times in the Topper, Laser 4.7 and Radial and 420 but a top result in the youth worlds would make all the effort worthwhile.

Ireland's best ever Youth Worlds result came in 1996 when Laura Dillon and Ciara Peelo took bronze in the Laser II dinghy. The stated aim for 2012 is to at least equal this result and win a medal on the home waters of Dublin Bay.

Listen to the podcast below to hear O'Callaghan's take on the front runners for April's important Youth selection event and watch a preview for July's ISAF Croatian Youth Worlds Event here

Article published by Afloat Magazine on 10th March http://www.afloat.ie

May Bank Holiday weekend (29 April – 02 May) over 300 sailors will compete in Dublin Bay in seven different classes (Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, 420, Feva, Topper, SL16 and Optimist). For youth sailors, this event is the most crucial in the annual calendar as it is the decider for the top Irish sailors to compete internationally during 2011 and is the pathway for future Olympic sailors.

Not only will the ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals over the May weekend be an important event for youth sailors it is also a major milestone for the organisers of the ISAF Youth Worlds 2012 as it offers them the opportunity to test drive the logistics of managing such a large event incorporating three clubs, three race courses and hundreds of volunteers.

‘Dun Laoghaire has a proud reputation for hosting international events such as the biennial combined clubs Dun Laoghaire Regatta and numerous world championships. However in 2011 the ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals is of more significance as it gives us an opportunity to test our systems in advance of the ISAF Youth Worlds 2012.' stated Event Chairman Brian Craig.
Dun Laoghaire won the bid to host the ISAF Youth Worlds 2012 from 12-21 July when, in excess of 300 sailors and windsurfing champions from over 60 nations will participate. The granting of this prestigious sailing event to Ireland is a major boost to the sport and secures Ireland’s position as an ideal location for hosting world class sailing events. It also establishes Dun Laoghaire as one of the prime major racing locations in the world, capable of running multiple classes and courses to the highest international standard.

‘The ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals is a significant event on the racing calendar. It involves young sailors from all of the ‘Olympic Pathway’ classes, some of whom are competing for places on the team that will represent Ireland in the ISAF Youth Worlds later this year. The event building up to the 2012 ISAF Youth Worlds, will help to assert Ireland’s growing reputation internationally as a venue for hosting international events.’ commented ISA Chief Executive Harry Hermon

Mitsubishi Motors have been a proud supporter of junior sailing in Ireland for the last 7 years. In recent years Ireland has had successes at youth level with winner of the girls Laser World Championships a top 10 at the 2010 ISAF Youth Worlds and wins at the British National Optimist Championships. Mitsubishi Motors have played an important role in these successes by sponsoring the Youth Nationals.

‘Mitsubishi vehicles are often found in sailing surrounds towing boats of all shapes and sizes around the Country. As such, we have a great affinity with the sport and are particularly pleased to be able to support its development at grass roots level through our sponsorship of the ISA Youth Nationals’ stated Frank A. Keane, Chairman, Mitsubishi Motors Ireland

Three hundred sailors from around the country are expected to compete for national youth and junior pathway titles and the Mitsubishi coaching grant during the event.
 

Some 300 young sailors training for the Mitsubishi Youth Championships in 12 weeks are viewing last weekend’s international performance by Annalise Murphy as an inspiration.

The UCD student, who turned 21 on Monday, is now ranked ninth in the world in the Laser Radial class after finishing just outside the medals last Saturday in the latest round of the International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) World Cup in Miami, Florida.

Murphy learned to sail on Dublin Bay, so her result is being hailed as a model for others to follow.

In the nine-race event on Biscayne Bay, the National Yacht club member, who has her eye on London 2012, posted a string of consistent results that never saw her out of the top-five overall to finish fourth in her 70-boat fleet.

But the ISAF cup result is only the latest in a series of top finishes in her full-time Olympic campaign. This time last year there were wins in Brisbane and Melbourne confirming the science student’s results as the top women’s achievement in a decade.

In July 2009, she became the first Irish sailor to win a Europa Cup event in 13 years. She topped out a 76-boat fleet in the Dutch venue of Hoorn. The next month, in Japan, at her first world championship as a senior, she lifted the under-21 world title. That event will be remembered for the domination of Finland’s Sari Multala (who was not in Miami), but apart from the Finn’s unbeatable score-line of five wins, one of the most notable achievements was the steadily improving performance into the top-10 by Murphy.

The achievement is all the more satisfying because it gives organisers of April’s giant Youth Nationals the opportunity to point to the international results as evidence of the potential of Irish competitors.

Dublin Bay plays host to the ISAF World Youth Championships next year, and the ambition is not just to stage the event but to win a medal on home waters too.

As part of the build up to that, Dún Laoghaire clubs have combined to create an exciting youth championship for this year’s Easter holidays. The ISA and RSGYC are bringing together the two major youth championships of the Irish calendar, the Nationals and the Youth Championships, into the four-day ISA Mitsubishi Youth National Championships.

Three-hundred sailors from around the country are expected to compete for the six national titles, six junior pathway titles and the Mitsubishi coaching grant. Racing for the boys and girls titles will be over three courses on Dublin Bay for the 420, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, Topper, Feva and Optimist classes. The final leg of the Optimist Trials will also take place at the same time.

With interest already from overseas competitors, a number of top international sailors have been invited to compete against the best home talent to raise the level of competition in advance of 2012.

Last night the 10th Dún Laoghaire to Dingle race was launched at the National Yacht Club. The 320-mile event starts on Saturday, June 11th, and this year is part of the ISORA race calendar.

Article by David O'Brien. Published in The Irish Times on Friday, 4th February.

After last year’s twitter-ific success, Dublin Bay 2012 will be live-tweeting on-the-water and off-the-water updates throughout The ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals 2011, which will be held in Dun Laoghaire over the May Bank Holiday.

So, should you wish to follow the success of your budding young sailors on the water, please do follow us on Twitter and become our fan on Facebook so you can be in-the-know in the lead-up to and during this exciting youth event this Easter. We will also be running regular prize competitions on Facebook & Twitter prior to and during this event, so if you’re not in you can’t win! Join us today! To follow us on Twitter, click here.

Or search for Dublin Bay 2012. To become our fan on Facebook, click here.

Or search for Dublin Bay 2012.

The ISA Mitsubishi Youth Nationals will take place over the May Bank Holiday Weekend between the 29th April and the 2nd May 2011.

As part of the build-up to Dublin Bay 2012, the ISA and Dun Laoghaire Waterfront Clubs have created a new and exciting youth championship, which has brought together the two major youth championships on the Irish calendar; the ISA Youth Nationals and The Mitsubishi Youth Championships to form this four day ISA Mitsubishi Youth National Championships. It is expected that three hundred sailors from around the country will compete for the six national youth titles, six junior pathway titles and the coveted Mitsubishi Coaching Grant. Racing for the Boys’ and Girls’ titles in the 420, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, Topper, Feva and Optimist classes will be over three courses on Dublin Bay. The final leg of the Optimist Trials will also take place during this event. A number of top international sailors have been invited to compete and, with interest already mounting from overseas competitors, the Organisers hope to raise the level of competition in advance of 2012. Indeed, the Organisers are not just focused on testing the race area but plan to have a full range of activities and entertainment ashore to ensure that all the sailors as well as their families and friends enjoy this special annual event this Easter. Watch this space!

Online Entry and Notice of Race are coming soon!

Between the 1st and 2nd September 2010, Antonio de la Madrid, ISAF's Competitions Manager, visited Dun Laoghaire to see the venue and meet the organisers of the ISAF Youth Worlds 2012.

Helmut Czasny, Antonio de la Madrid’s predecessor as the ISAF Competitions Manager, had carried out the official site visit to Ireland 2009 to confirm Dublin as the venue for the ISAF Youth Worlds 2012.

Antonio had never been to Dublin so were delighted to invite him over to Ireland when we met him at the Youth Worlds 2010 in Istanbul. Arriving late on 1st September he caught up with International Race Officer Jack Roy over dinner before settling into the Royal Marine Hotel (the 2012 venue hotel). Jack had been one of the ISAF appointed race officials in Istanbul so they had plenty of catching up to do.

The following morning was spent ashore getting ‘the tour’ of the hotel and the yacht clubs and meeting with the key members of the Dublin Bay 2012 Organising Committee and flag officers from the three yacht clubs. Lunch, hosted by Commodore of the National Yacht Club was followed by a trip afloat on a committee boat for a guided tour of the three Race Areas by Peter Crowley (2012 PRO) and Jack Roy (2012 RO). The conditions were perfect - sunshine and 15-18 knots of breeze.

Antonio reported very positively on the visit and the facilities to the ISAF Annual Conference in November 2010 at Athens.

Photo: Ian Roberts, Patrick Blaney, Antonio de la Madrid, Brian Craig, Don O'Dowd

Brian Craig, Event Chairman

The weather conditions have tested the worlds best youth sailors all week but at the end of the last day the majority came off the water with broad smiles on their faces.

A spectacular summer day with warm sunshine and a gusty offshore breeze ranging from 8 - 14 knots provided a superb last day of racing at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.

Spain claimed two gold's whilst France, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Poland and the Netherlands all won one gold medal each. The French team retain the Volvo Trophy for the best overall performing nation in a repeat of last year from the British team in second position.

The SL 16 Sirena catamarans were the first medals to be decided at that this year's championship. In the fresher winds on the final day, race nine was won by the kiwi team but nobody could catch the flying Aussies, Chase Lurati and Paul Darmanin. A fourth in race nine was enough to secure the gold medal by a 10 point margin.

"It's an amazing feeling, it's been ups and downs all week but we held everyone off to take the win. It's good to get some pressure in the sails today, there was probably 10-15 knots on the course," claimed the jubilant crew.

Are they destined to become legendary cat sailors like Glenn Ashby and Darren Bundock? "We have had a few sessions with them to get some tips, they are really helpful."

Second overall are the Danish team of Daniel and Nicolaj Bjornholt who had raced a consistent championship, and the bronze medal goes to Taylor Palmer and Maximiliano Agnese of the USA who pipped the British team by one solitary point.

In the RS:X windsurfers, Kamila Smetkala of Poland won the final race by a big margin to strike gold. Kamila came ashore overjoyed at her achievement,

"I was first at the top mark with a good lead and I looked over my shoulder and I was smiling, I am so happy. My coach is in Poland so I will ring my mother and father and coach to tell them I've won," said a beaming Kamila.

Isobel Hamilton (Izzy) (GBR) had to settle for the silver medal for the second year running but should be happy with her consistency in results. Ofir Halevy who had led the regatta in the early part of the week took the bronze medal.

In the RS:X boys division the first Spanish medal was confirmed when Mateo Sanz crossed the finish line in second in the only race of the day to claim the gold medal from a disappointed Wonwoo Cho of Korea who had been leading the regatta all week. "I fell from first to second and I am sad but it was a great experience. Next year I will be back and over the next year I will practice more," said Wonwoo

Jordi Xammar and Joan Herp from Spain have dominated the 420 boys division throughout the championship to claim the second gold medal of the day for Spain. The Spanish boys dropped their seventh today but never fell out of the top four in seven races. They came ashore with the Spanish flag flying to celebrate with friends ashore. Jordi said of his coach, "He is the best coach in the world."

The silver medal went to the Portuguese boys Jao Villas Boas and Tomas Camelo and the bronze to Jérémy Bachelin and Alexandre Massard of Switzerland.

In the girls division the Swiss were also successful snatching the gold medal in the last race of the championship even though it was their worst result! They discarded their 19th place but proudly sailed ashore with their national flag flying alongside the Spanish boys. The two smiling Swiss girls were overjoyed at their accomplishment. "Its our first worlds title, we are so happy," said crew Marja.

Maelenn Lemaitre and Aloise Retornaz of France claimed the silver medal on the last race of the championship from the former leaders Lara Vadlau and Hannah Hanke squeezing the British girls off the podium.

The French boys rounded off the championship with a bullet in the last race to win gold in the high performance 29er dinghy. Their consistency throughout the championship held off the kiwi team of Alex Maloney and Sam Bullock. The French guys go back to Western France to join the 29er World Champions in their home port. The 29er fleet completed 10 races during the championship week.

In the Laser Radial girls division, sailors have been jumping on and off the podium throughout the championship with a new leader nearly every day. The Dutch girl Michelle Broekhuizen won the first medal for the Netherlands at these championships in Istanbul. Michelle won gold from Heidi Tenkanen of Finland who won the last race of the championship with a strong second half of the week. Erika Reineke of the USA claimed bronze.

In the Laser boys New Zealander Thomas Saunders won the first kiwi gold medal sailing a steady race in the puffy conditions. "There was a good breeze today, it's my last regatta in the Radial, I was going to Scotland for the Radial Worlds but I'm glad I came here." Thailand's Keerati Bualong came good at the latter end of the week to claim silver for the Asian region.

Overall Volvo Trophy for best performing nation went to France with Great Britain in second and Spain in third. The ISAF Bengt Julien Trophy is a special unique trophy awarded to a competitor or National Team that has been nominated for displaying the attributes to encourage international competition. By overwhelming majority this year this trophy was awarded to Team South Africa.

For full results of the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship visit: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com

Link to the Volvo Youth Worlds Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Volvo-Youth-Worlds/93806273347

For videos visit the Volvo Youth Worlds YouTube site: http://www.YouTube.com/VolvoYouthWorlds

A round-up of the final Irish results from Istanbul 2010.

In a week that was plagued by light winds organisers struggled to complete the full schedule of racing. However, as Irish team leader Ross Killian pointed out “all the races we did sail were fair races” really that is all you can ask of a race committee.

Matty O’Dowd finished a highly respectable 9th overall in the 50 boat Laser Radial Fleet. As with the rest of his competitors he had some high scores which put pay to any hopes of a podium finish. His undoubted talent shown through mid regatta when he posted two top 3 finishes which gave him the platform to aim for a top 10 overall finish. This is his last year as a Youth and he now faces the challenge of Olympic class racing. Without doubt the experience of the Youth Worlds will prove beneficial.

The 420 sailors never really got into their stride and the good form shone at Kiel was not replicated. However, it would be a short sighted view to write these pairings off just yet. If anything they have proved they are fighters. After missing their objective last year at the ISAF’s Jane Butler and Jenny Andreasson bounced back to claim 11th in the class World Championships. They now have the Junior European championships, as do Cian O’Regan and Scott Flanigan to demonstrate their skills.

For 15yr old Sophie Murphy the ISAF Youth Worlds was all about experience. She showed some great potential and with the 2012 Youth Worlds in Dublin being her last year as a Youth the future is certainly bright for Sophie in the sport. She will be representing Ireland in the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore this August.

Irish Team Results:

420 Result

 Boys Cian O’Regan and Scott Flanigan 21st from 36

Girls Jane Butler and Jenny Andreasson 19th from 28

Laser Radial Results

Boys Matthew O’Dowd 9th from 50

Girls Sophie Murphy 36th from 46

Full results: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/editions/2010/33067.php

Irish Representative in Boys' Laser Radial, Matty O'Dowd, looks set to finish in the Top 10 at the ISAF Youth Worlds 2010

Matthew O'Dowd clings to the ISAF Youth Worlds Top Ten going into the last day of racing today, having posted mixed results in a shifty day off Istanbul yesterday that allowed the boy's fleet put in three races. His tenth place overall means he remains the top Irish performer at the Turkish regatta at this stage. The top four are split by only four points going into the final day in the Laser Radials. The fleets are leaving the dock at the moment in 10 knots of northerly breeze.

420 girls Jane Butler and Jenny Andreasson managed a sixth yesterday, their best result to date, but followed it up with an OCS, leaving them in 17th overall. Sophie Murphy is 37th in the girls' Radial fleet, and Scott Flanigan and Cian O'Regan are 21st in the 420s after two races in the teens yesterday.

Article from Afloat.ie

An update on the current positions of the Irish competitors 2010.

Matthew O'Dowd made best use of yesterday's light airs to count a podium finish and jump from 31st to 20th overall as the fleet takes a day off.

250 boats were rigged in the dinghy park in the blaring Istanbul sun early in the morning of the second day of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, waiting for a sea breeze to form.

Competitors had to wait until 16:30hrs local time for the breeze to fill and then when the gun went a blaze of dinghies sailed off into the early evening sunshine to try and get at least one race completed. The breeze filled to around seven knots on the three courses but it remained puffy and made for a long day on the water for the race officials trying to set their courses as well as around 350 young sailors.

The RS:X boys and girls did complete two more races and the 29ers likewise but the Laser Radial fleets and the SL 16 Sirena cats only managed one race as did the 420 boys and girls who had to be towed ashore as darkness fell across the Marmara Bay.

Two more races for the RS:X fleets today in the light and shifty conditions. Yesterday's leader Ofir Halevy (ISR) continues to show her opposition a clear pair of heels scoring another bullet and a third to open up a comfortable six point lead. She has now won three out of four races. Charalambia Antonatou of Greece also had a good day with a win and a second to jump into second overall.

Competitors had to wait until 16:30hrs local time yesterday for the breeze to fill and then when the gun went a blaze of dinghies sailed off into the early evening sunshine to try and get at least one race completed. The breeze filled to around seven knots on the three courses but it remained puffy and made for a long day on the water for the race officials trying to set their courses as well as around 350 young sailors.

The RS:X boys and girls did complete two more races and the 29ers likewise but the Laser Radial fleets and the SL 16 Sirena cats only managed one race as did the 420 boys and girls who had to be towed ashore as darkness fell across the Marmara Bay.

Sophie Murphy sits in 23rd in the girls Laser Radial fleet, with the 420 girls, Jane Butler and Jenny Andreasson in 20th.

Scott Flanigan and Cian O'Regan have dropped from 11th to 19th after posting a 28th place in the third race.

Full results and news on http://www.isafyouthworlds.com

Article taken from http://www.afloat.ie

The Irish Road to Istanbul consists of a series of interviews, six in total, including with three young sailors from the Royal St George YC .These sailors have qualified to represent Ireland at the 2010 ISAF Youth World Championships in Istanbul.

There are interviews with Irelands 420 team of Jane Butler and Jenny Andreason and Ireland’s representative in the Laser Radial class Matty O Dowd, are all from the RSGYC and represent 3 of the 6 person Irish Team. Two other members of the team, Scot Flanigan, a Howth YC and Malahide SC member racing in the 420 Boys and Sophie Murphy from Quoile YC,racing the Girls Laser Radial, are also club members of the RSGYC.

There are also interviews with Parents, the Coaching Director and an International Race Officer who will be officiating at the event.

Director of the Youth Scholarship Scheme(YSS) at the RSGYC is Johnny Ross Murphy and he explains the background to the clubs success at this elite level.

Parents play a huge role and we get the views of Mary Lawlor, Anne Marie Andreason and Don O’Dowd on the the impact of a world class sailing campaign on the youthful participants.

Finally, we get to hear about race management from Jack Roy, International Race Officer, from the National Y C who has been appointed ISAF RaceRepresentative for one of the 3 racecourses in Istanbul.

All are from Dun Laoghaire and that is of particular interest also because this major ISAF regatta comes to Dun Laoghaire in two years time.

The 2012 ISAF Youth World Championships will be hosted by the Royal St George YC in association with the National Y.C. .

If you are following the event, the interviews, which took place in the days preceding the departure of the team, will give an insight into the world class commitments ,plans and preparations made over a number of years by all of the above.

Interviews

1. INTERVIEW WITH JANE BUTLER AND JENNY ANDREASON OF THE GIRLS 420 CLASS

2. INTERVIEW WITH MATTY O’DOWD IN LASER RADIAL CLASS

3. INTERVIEW WITH JOHNNY ROSS MURPHY, DIRECTOR OF YSS

4. INTERVIEW WITH JACK ROY, ISAF RACE OFFICIAL

5. INTERVIEW WITH DON O’DOWD, FATHER OF MATTY O’DOWD

6. INTERVIEW WITH MARY LAWLOR AND ANNEMARIE ANDREASON, MOTHERS OF JANE BUTLER AND JENNY ANDREASON

All interviews by Don O'Donoghue.

The 40th anniversary edition of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship was officially declared open at a lively and colourful but unseasonably wet and windy Istanbul last night.

The world's top youth sailors celebrated the start of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship with an Opening Ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey. The sailors, coaches, family members and event staff all packed into the ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel due to the adverse weather, which plagued the training day.

ISAF President, Göran Petersson (SWE), declared the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship officially open in front of nearly 350 young sailors from 59 nations. The ISAF Flag was officially raised to symbolise the start of the championship.

The President made particular reference to the 24 Athlete Participation Programme (APP) sailors who had been invited by ISAF to take part in the championship.

"I would like to especially welcome our 24 APP sailors from 11 nations - from Ecuador, the US Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Paraguay, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St Lucia, Mexico, Columbia, Bermuda and last but not least, Samoa. Congratulations to you all for your achievement in being with us at the world's premier youth sailing competition. I wish every success to you all."

The President went on to thank the Turkish Sailing Federation for making the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship a reality and thanked the sponsors, equipment suppliers, all the organising committees and the volunteers for their hard work.

Special reference was made to the Volvo Ocean Race, with this marking their eleventh year as title sponsor of the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship. The President finished his speech with a final message to the competitors,

"Let's hope for good weather, good luck, have fun and a memorable championship. I am sure you will leave here with many new friends from around the world."

Nazli Imre, (TUR) Vice-President of ISAF and President of the Turkish Sailing Federation,

Offered her welcome to Istanbul,

"Welcome you all for the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in ?stanbul; the only city situated on two continents, with a history of 8,000 years, once capital of the East Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empire. This vivid centre of modern Turkey is also Europe's joint Cultural Capital for 2010."

President of Volvo Cars in Turkey, Torben Eckhardt, welcomed the sailors and expressed his fondness for the city of Istanbul,

"I have lived here in Istanbul for three years it's a very exciting city full of life and history."

"I want to thank you because creating this championship in Istanbul gave me the excuse to decide how to celebrate it with our customers and what better way than to go out sailing on the Marmara."

Oaths were then taken on behalf of the competitors by Turkish sailor Deniz Gokmeral and by Vice-Chairman of the International Jury, Ali Hulki Orus (TUR).

Following the official speeches, the traditional 'Pouring of the Waters' ceremony took place. The ISAF Youth Worlds traditional 'pouring of the waters' requires every competing nation to bring a bottle of water from their homeland. They are then all mixed together as the nations are introduced, leaving the messages of love, peace and unity.

ISAF Vice President, Nazli Imre (TUR) explains,

"Here we are in the Golden Horn and I sincerely trust the mixing of the waters from your countries with the ancient waters of our country will be the beginning of a lifelong friendship, will mark the understanding of different cultures and religions and be a firm platform for us all to move forward as one family."

Led by Netherlands Antilles the 59 teams provided a spectacle of colour and exuberance as they each paraded through the venue. The proud Turkish team accompanied by vuvuzelas were the final team to enter the arena and the responsibility fell to Turkish sailors, Iber Gunduz and Deniz Gokmeral to pour the mixed waters into the Bosphorus.

The training day gave the competitors a chance to sail the new boats they have been given for the event and test the waters of Istanbul. The conditions gave them a taste of what is in store this weekend with driving rain and twenty knot breezes, but this did not faze the keen sailors.

Sam Batton from Great Britain, who sails the 29er with Henry Lloyd Williams is excited to be at the event, "The Youth Worlds is probably the number one event that I have done so far and probably the most important event of the year. It is referred to as the Olympics of Youth Sailing. "

For Jasia King, the Laser Radial sailor from St. Lucia, sailing at the Volvo Youth Worlds is a very important part of her year. "This is the main event I can do. It is really amazing because not often can I come to an event, which has over 350 sailors and 52 Radial girls, I don't normally sail with that many boats, so that is an experience for me and that is what I am looking for." Jasia is part of the Athlete Participation Programme (APP), which allows young sailors to come to the event from nations, which cannot provide the funding for them.

Saturday will see the sailors training on the three courses off the event site, before the first day of racing on Sunday.

For more details on the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship visit: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com

Link to the Volvo Youth Worlds Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Volvo-Youth-Worlds/93806273347

For videos visit the Volvo Youth Worlds YouTube site: http://www.YouTube.com/VolvoYouthWorlds

For a full list of entries visit: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/editions/2010/entry

Schedule

Thursday 8 July - Arrival Day

Friday 9 July - Training Day and Opening Ceremony

Saturday 10 July - Practice Day

Sunday 11 July - First Official Race Day (3 raced scheduled)

Monday 12 July - Second Official Race Day (3 races scheduled)

Tuesday 13 July - Lay Day

Wednesday 14 July - Third Official Race Day (3 races scheduled)

Thursday 15 July - Fourth Official Race Day (2 races scheduled)

Friday 16 July - Fifth Official Race Day (1 race scheduled) and Prize Giving and Closing Ceremony

Saturday 17 July - Departure Day

Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2010 Istanbul, Turkey

The world's top youth sailors are putting the final touches to their preparation for the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship which takes place from 8 - 17 July in Istanbul, Turkey.

There will be a record attendance at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2010, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year in Istanbul.

A total of 344 sailors, 251 boats from 63 countries are registered to compete in the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships 2010. The event has been held in 23 countries over the past 40 years, but it is the first time Istanbul has hosted the championship.

Racing is held across eight events, which use four classes of dinghy and one windsurfer. World champions will be identified for each event for both Boy's and Girl's. Along with the individual events, the prestigious Volvo Trophy, currently held by France, will be awarded to the top performing nation at the championship.

2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship Categories

Event - Equipment - Total

One Person Dinghy Boys - Laser Radial - 56 boats

One Person Dinghy Girls - Laser Radial - 51 boats

Two Person Dinghy Boys - 420 - 35 boats

Two Person Dinghy Girls - 420 - 28 boats

Windsurfer Boys - RS:X - 31 boards

Windsurfer Girls RS:X - 20 boards

Multihull Open - Sirena SL16 - 13 boats

High Performance Dinghy Open - 29er - 17 boats

The Championship base will be Ataköy Marina and there will be three different race courses run simultaneously in the Marmara Sea. Each class has 12 races scheduled. Thursday 8 July is the official arrival day for the championship, followed by the training day and Opening Ceremony on Friday 9 July.

The Opening Ceremony will take place in Haliç Kongre ve Kültür Merkezi (Haliç Congress and Culture Center). Leaving the messages of love, peace and unity, this meaningful ceremony will come true in Istanbul's antique bay of Haliç by the pouring of the waters that are brought from each country by the participants.

Practice race day is Saturday 10 July followed by the first official day of racing on Sunday 11 July with a maximum of three races scheduled for all classes. Racing continues on Monday followed by a lay day on Tuesday and a further three days of racing from Wednesday to Friday, 14 - 16 July.

Schedule

Thursday 8 July - Arrival Day

Friday 9 July - Training Day and Opening Ceremony

Saturday 10 July - Practice Day

Sunday 11 July - First Official Race Day (3 raced scheduled)

Monday 12 July - Second Official Race Day (3 races scheduled)

Tuesday 13 July - Lay Day

Wednesday 14 July - Third Official Race Day (3 races scheduled)

Thursday 15 July - Fourth Official Race Day (2 races scheduled)

Friday 16 July - Fifth Official Race Day (1 race scheduled) and Prize Giving and Closing Ceremony

Saturday 17 July - Departure Day

The Championship will hold a festival of activities with music and entertainment at the event area next to the event village.

Throughout the Championship, spectators and supporters will have the opportunity of watching the racing from the big screen at the event site and can also follow the races live with detailed online tracking thanks to the system being installed on the race boats.

For more details on the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship visit: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com

Link to the Volvo Youth Worlds Facebook site:

www.facebook.com/pages/Volvo-Youth-Worlds/93806273347

For videos visit the Volvo Youth Worlds YouTube site:

www.YouTube.com/VolvoYouthWorlds

Mary Lawlor and Annemarie Andreason are the mothers of Jane Butler and Jenny Andreason, Ireland's Girls 420 class representatives at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Istanbul in July 2010 .

Do you travel to the girls events?

Some of them we do, They represented Ireland at the ISAF worlds in Buzios, Brazil last year and we were there.

Only got to see them on the lay day !

The girls are accommodated in a hotel with all the other competitors .no passes for parents to the hotel or boat park..

So there is one rule for everybody, no parental support for better or worse.Mary is going to Istanbul.

What are their chances?

They are well prepared and have done all the work..We don't discuss it at home, they are very competitive and set their own goalsWe don't add to that pressure.

They have put their best into it and their coaches and mentors know this.

What support does the club provide?

The club , principally through its Youth Scholarship Scheme YSS has been extraordinarily supportive.The YSS has provided structure, direction ,mentoring.

Johnny Ross Murphy who manages the YSS has a deep knowledge of what it takes to stay on track. He has been an incredible support to the girls.

They respect him and his sound advise. There is no pressure.. Just a step by step process.

What about coaching?

Last year ,the girls went to New Zealand for the spring of their transition year to train with Jo Aleh and later, Ian Neely.That was a visionary step, great timing, a real window of opportunity.

They were able to fully focus on the training...and yes.. they put other sports on absolute hold and concentrated on the one thing..

At home, they worked with olympian, Ger Owens at their local and British competitions. They travelled to France with coach Ross Killian also during February.

With this varied coaching, they have come on in leaps and bounds.

Ian has continued to support them and has been over here. He is very happy with the work they have put in since New Zealand and where they are right now.

He wants them in New Zealand for the 470 worlds in 2011. That was nice to hear.

But next year is leaving cert year!The girls are involved in the ISA academy and have been taken on board and benefitted from that .

The ISA provides invaluable funding and Sports Med for physical fitness and will also be providing the event managers and mentors/coaches for the worlds.

What school do Jane and Jenny go to ?

They go to different schools with Jane going to Alexandra College and Jenny to Mt Anville.

How do they get on ?

They have a great relationship, complementary personalities,..Yeah . .. A ying yang sort of thing.

On the boat , they communicate in code , like shorthand , rather than long sentences..which could be difficult to pick up or distracting.

What about personal development?

Lots of it..Sailing is an intense sport.. There are lots of situations that most of us don’t experience until later in life...they encounter these situations as do all sailors, very early on in life..

Pressure and protests and so on..time management and even project management!

They have many many friends from all around the world. ..on Facebook they have contacts from all over, different nationalities, cultures, languages.

So emotionally and socially they have to master many challenges and opportunities.

Also they develop technical skills to a high level .. As in sailing the boat.

They build skills from the bottom up and so have a very solid base.

What about schoolwork?

The sailing program has worked to advantage, for instance Jenny has chosen Honour Maths ,Physics and Applied Maths ..all together for the leaving ,

She is really interested.In fact she wants to be an engineer.

Yes.. Jane is very strong technically and a lot of these understandings come from the focus of sailing and managing their boats. Sailing and study tend to get equal focus.

They are very dextrous.That's something to note.. Ever since the beginning ,they have looked after the boat themselves.

Kenny Rumball and Dave Moran taught them how to take the boat apart at the beginning and it's stood to them throughout their sailing.

There is an idea in the 420 class that it's one and half of time on land to one of time on the water ..They operate their own tool box and do all the basic repairs.

Are you sailing families ?

Mary ..I have done a few sailing courses and do a little bit of leisure sailing.. Mostly help out on a rib and onshore.

My husband Ed Butler is a very keen sailor and still races competitively In the Fireball class at home and abroad.

Jane's brother, Ed, has been through the YSS program in the 29 er with Daniel McCarthy .He is now 20 and has moved on to sailing. 49ers.

In fact ,it's a compliment to the YSS that they were well managed and, so, retained their enthusiasm and commitment to sailing after completing their youth program

Annemarie..I do volunteering work ,recording and such , My husband Jorgen is very involved and has made many professional videos of the training,sailing and events.

He has just made a video of the BMW George Regatta . http://vimeo.com/13121153

Also Jenny's grandfather, Roger Andreasson,was a yacht designer in Sweden and ,in fact, designed the Shipman Class of which there are many racing in Dublin Bay.

Any advices for parents who may be thinking about this sort of campaign ?

Go for it...It can be a long, slow sometimes even painful process. But definitely no regretsIt's a great window of opportunity.We get on very well as two sets of parents.

For the girls ,it's an honour to represent and be ambassadors for their country..The YSS approach is also very parent friendly and we are always in the loop.

Final word?

Yes.. We wish Jane and Jenny well at the event !

Que sera sera ! They have worked hard , shown great commitment, achieved great success .for us they are already winners..

So enjoy the event..

Matty is Ireland's representative in the Laser Radial Class at the ISAF Youth World Championships 2010 at Istanbul

Do you travel to the events?

No, Matty is mature enough now to look after himself, having travelled to New Zealand both this year and last year he's well capable of looking after himself...

Once Matty has the credit card he can sort anything out.

Will you be in Istanbul?

No, it will be hot enough in Istanbul and it certainly doesn't need me to add to the temperature.

What are his chances?

That's a difficult one, it all depends on the conditions. If it blows he will fly and ironically if its light he could also do well. The problem with the Laser is in medium airs a lot of the technique advantages one perfects are somewhat negated. Also the Laser fleets at the ISAF's have by way and far the biggest numbers, there are 56 boys/nations competing and 51 girls/ nations. So it’s not easy, lets wait and see and pray.

What support have you got?

Great, the YSS has been brilliant. There's no doubt it has significantly helped Matty achieve his personal goals in relation to sailing.

The level or standard of coaching he has received due to the support of the YSS is what has given him the edge. Johnny (Ross-Murphy) has been excellent at keeping Matty focused and has guided and pushed along the way.

The availability of the ISA boats throughout Europe has also been a great help. It makes the logistics of international events very easy, Matty can fly into a venue, race and then fly home, beats having to trail boats allover Europe. Rory Fitzpatrick has been vey helpful to Matty as he prepares for the ISAF's.

How does it work for you with school / schoolwork?

Blackrock College has been hugely supportive and proud of Matty's achievements.

They allowed him to travel to New Zealand for 2 months last year while he was in transition year and again this year for the month of February. They even post his successes on all the school Notice Boards. However Matty has to work hard on making up for lost time it's a two way deal.

What about personal development for Matty?

This has been huge. Matty has matured greatly over the past two years. He has realized that success comes with a price, and that you only get out off anything what you are prepared to put into it, he sees the pay off of his efforts in his results. He now has a taste for winning having won 7 of his last 8 events in Ireland.

Are you a sailing family?

Yes, madly so. I have sailed all my life and Jonathan my older son is a very competitive sailor as well. Helen even joins in, she loves cruising on nice big boats particularly Mick Cotters!!!

What would you say to other parents?

Go for it. It has been a wonderful experience and opportunity although nerve racking at times.

It has been super to see Matty's talent being developed by excellent coaching.

Have you any advices?

Yeh, listen to Johnny Ross he hasn't been wrong yet.

Regrets?

Absolutely none.

Does it take up much of your time?

No in fairness not much of mine, but a lot of Matty's. He has given up most of his school holidays for the past two years so as to raise the bar and get to where he is today, however he is a willing participant as he really loves to compete, and he loves his sailing.

Final word?

Hope it all comes together for him, he has really worked hard for it, and most of it has been fun too.

Jack Roy is attending the ISAF Worlds in lstanbul as part of the ISAF Race Management Team and is responsible for one of the racecourses.

Jack, what is an ISAF course Rep.?

An ISAF course rep is in charge of the particular race course, and the local race management team.

This is an ISAF event and ISAF appoint a representative to whom the local team reports on the racecourse.

The idea is to have the event run to ISAF standards and guidelines. So to achieve that ,ISAF will have their own team on the water.I am one of that team with my own race course to manage.

In this instance, a Turkish team will operate the various race management activities and will consult and report to me on all decisions being made on my course.

You will be on the water?

Oh yes.. On the boat and fully involved.

How many race courses will there be ?

3 racecourses

What race course are you responsible for?

The 420 boys and girls and also the new catamaran class SL 16

We will have 3 races in each class every day so that is 9 races ,each lasting approximately 50 minutes.

Who sets up the course?

The local team with their support operation of ribs etc,. However,it is obligatory fore the local Race Officer to consult with the ISAF Course Rep on all decisions length of the course ,the length of the starting line, OCS, General Recalls etc.

What preparation have you had to do?

I have been an International Race Officer for many years .. However, this is my first I have worked on ISAF event. Each ISAF representative has been issued with a guidelines document and I have been busy familiarizing myself with that.

What are the big events that you have been Principal Race Officer on ?

In recent years ,I have been PRO of the SB3 Worlds, the Flying Fifteen Worlds both in Dun Laoghaire and in Auckland, the Fireball and Enterprise Worlds.

At European level ,I have managed the Laser 4.7 and Etchell European Championships, as well as Cork Week and Sovereigns Cup for larger boats.

Will you attend at jury hearings if they arise.?

Absolutely, I will have to give evidence along with the course Race Officer.

What will constitute a successful event for you?

Get all the races in.. No redress hearings..have happy sailors..and fair sailing for all.

What about 2012 and the ISAF Worlds coming to Dun Laoghaire ?

The reverse situation will arise in 2012.

I will be the local Race Officer on a course and ISAF will appoint a Course Representative over me and the other courses, as I am in Istanbul.

This event is a great opportunity to see first hand how the ISAF Youth Worlds are run and it will be an invaluable preparation for Dun Laoghaire 2012.

How do you keep up to speed as a PRO?

I have been an International Race Officer since 1998. It is essential to do PRO for events regularly. That is the best way ,practice,,practice.

As well as that, I still race, no longer in Dragons but as often as I can in J109.

It is very important to be on the other side of the start line too...in touch with competitors and the racing. They are the 'customers' on the race course.

What about the temperament for race management?

I always comment at seminars that a grumpy race officer sends vibes down the fleet very quickly .

You must be relaxed, know what you are about. Over the last 2 maybe 3 years ,I have maybe done in excess of 30 days per season on the water in race management.

And ,at the end of the day, I treat a dragon east coast, a feva nationals or a world championships the same way..it's just that the stakes get a bit higher..

Video Technology and such like has become hot topic at the Soccer World Cup..any new developments for Istanbul ?

Some developments: We will be fully briefed this Thursday and Friday. I understand that on a one course per day, we will have trackers,also the marks will have trackers and the race tracking will be shown ashore.

I gather the Optimists Worlds have,also, now introduced trackers on the boats .

It may be that more sensors on boats will be introduced at some stage in the future, and certainly GPS now plays a major role in course setting.

It's a long day for a PRO on the water?

Well, normally we are afloat at 9 and not back in the marina before 5.

You are on your feet all day ,there is no question for me of sitting down, I like to be always standing in the wind and aware.

I am hoping for flat water in Istanbul. There is very little tide there. No Dublin Bay swells and wind against tide !

You need to retain a high degree of concentration but then I like what I am doing.

When are you off to Istanbul?

Wednesday morning. I have 2 days of meetings ..Thursday and Friday . We have a practice race on Saturday then in to the racing proper.

What about Weymouth and the Olympics in 2012?

Well, 130 International Race Officers applied and I have been notified that I am now one of a group of 24 from which the final 18 will be selected.

Final word?

It's a great honour for me and Dun Laoghaire sailing to be part of the ISAF team at Istanbul.

Director of the Youth Scholarship Scheme(YSS) at the Royal St George Yacht Club.

 Johnny,the George has tremendous representation at the ISAF Youth World Championships which take place in Istanbul next week.

''Yes ,five of the six person team are now club members.Last year ,we had three of the four person team at the Brasil Worlds''

Who is going ?

'' Jane Butler and Jenny Andreason compete in the girls 420, Matty O Dowd goes in the Laser Radial . Scot Flanagan (also a member in Howth and Malahide) goes as part of the 420 boys team .Sophie Murphy from Quoile,going in the Girls Laser Radial, has just now joined the club.

Jane , Jenny and Matty are part of the Youth Scholarship Scheme (YSS) at the George'''

What did the YSS members do to get there?

''Selection was based on the results of 2 Irish Trials and attaining certain standards in nominated regattas abroad. The Irish events were the junior selector event at Schull over Easter and the Mitsubishi regatta in Dublin during May. Mattie won both events comfortably in the Laser Radial class as did the girls in the 420. In fact ,Jane and Jenny got 5 bullets in a 5 race counting regatta at the Mitsubishi''

What are their chances?

''Good! They are definite top 10 contenders in any regatta.I believe their current standard is such that they have a very realistic chance of finishing in the top 6 and if they have a really good regatta and the ball keeps bouncing in their favour then they could bring home a medal. These sailors have already qualified and been to one ISAF youth worlds, representing Ireland in Brasil last year.This representation is in the same way as individual Olympic competitors are selected and represent the country in a single class. This experience from last year will be invaluable going to Istanbul.Also,the girls were 11th in the ladies open worlds last year and Mattie won a Europa Cup event.

They are all still only 18 or less but have now got an extra years coaching,preparation and experience.They have prepared as well as it is possible to prepare"

What coaching support will they have at the event?

''Ross Killian is ISA coach to the 420 teams and Arthur Brett is ISA coach to the Laser Radials. Arthur who is Australian is also coach to Tom Slingsby who was Laser Full Rig World Champion in 2007 and 2008 and is a hot favourite again for2010.

What about mind gurus and physical fitness?

''Good coaches will cover for the mental side whilst at the event and Brendan Foley from the club has been a great help here at home. Also, Regarding physical stuff, they use the Sports Med gym in Dublin organised by the ISA. Ciara Peelo supervises their programme there .Ciara and her team mate Laura Dillon are Irelands only medallists to date in the ISAF Youth worlds.''

Will you be there yourself?

" No ! I obviously will be keenly following it from home, It will be easy to follow their progress on the ISAF website where the youth worlds section has been getting pride of place. These championships rank second only to the Olympics on the ISAF calendar and there is a direct connection between high performance at the youth event and later success at the Olympics."

How is this event funded?

"The ISA fund the participation and coaching in the event ."

What is the age limitation?

"Under 18 on the 1st January of the competing year "

What are ideal weights for these teams?

"The 420 girls target is about 120 kgs combined and for the radial about 72 kgs "

What has made the RSGYC so successful?

"There are a number of fundamental reasons. At the top of the list is funding which has been provided by the club and by individual members within the club.Secondly, the focus is concentrated on a small group. The task then is to provide that small group with the absolute best coaching and preparation that can be got at the various stages of the programme.

What is the YSS?

We built an organization and structure to achieve this success,namely the YSS. The objectives of the YSS are to continue getting RSGYC kids onto the ISA youth academy and getting more of them to qualify for the youth worlds .Having done that,the 3rd objective is to give those that qualify a better chance of medalling at the youth worlds.The ISAF youth worlds are the centre piece and focal point of this effort.

How do you do all that?

"You have to decide at the beginning if are you going to have a large or a small group.With a large group,you are spreading the effort too thinly.... It's a funding issue,..but focussing on a small group who show the relevant potential and commitment,that's how we have approached it.We start by engaging with both parents and interested kids.

You are the director since 2006 .what has this involved for you personally?

"Brian Craig encouraged me to get involved.Also,it was very important to me that Alistair Rumball was around to help me as he had a lot of coach contacts and had been through it with his son Kenny and David Moran who won Bronze at the 420 Youth Europeans.We thought the same way on all the main issues as we had been both involved for a long time in racing,coaching,etc. As director,I interview and select for the YSS program, put the program in place and manage it. I also provide a mentoring role which is important as it provides continuity in a situation where you could have a number of different coaches for different elements of the programme. It has of course involved a lot of travel to the qualifying events and regattas at home and abroad."

Why do you do it?

"We wanted to prove that Irish youths ,with the right programmes and support can get to a very high level of performance and achieve world class results accordingly. We also wanted to prove that this can be done from a very narrow base within a club.

The RSGYC is hosting the 2012 ISAF Youth Worlds

What is the timeframe and program for that for a potential competitor?

"Ideally, a sailor should have a three year representation and a minimum of two at the youth worlds in order to have the best chance of medalling .We have two 420 teams on the YSS programme at the moment who are 2012 elegible - Alexander Rumball,Enzo Michel,Tara Flood and Lucy Bolger . We aim to have more starting in the Autumn particularly Laser radial sailors.

Is there a progression direct to the Weymouth London Olympics in 2012 for the Istanbul competitors?

"Bear in mind that the boats are different,the 420 becomes the 470 and the Laser Radial becomes the Laser Full Rig.However,I wouldn't be surprised if either or both of these teams were in Weymouth "

Anything to say before we finish?

" Yes , I would like to thank the club and all those individual members who are supporting the YSS both financially and otherwise. Also I would like to thank all the coaches who are instrumental in the successes being achieved amongst them club members Kenny Rumball and Daveid Moran ( 420 European Youth bronze medallists Ger owens ( dual race winner at Beijing ) and in particular Ian neely from New Zealand ( coach to both boys and girls 420 world champions and olympic laser sailors) who has brought our programme to the very highest level.

Wishing our competitors the best of luck next week in Istanbul"

Irish Representative at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Istanbul in July 2010

Matty, are you looking forward to the Worlds?

Yeah, very much so..I am travelling on Saturday to meet up with my coach and a training partner to get a full week at the venue before the Laser event starts.

Who will you be working with?

I have done a lot of training in NewZealand and have raced and trained with Sam Meech who is the 2009 Radial world champion at the ISAF youth worlds in Brasil..Sam is overage for 2010 .New Zealand will be represented by Thomas Sanders who is a very smart sailor and is very probably going to win a medal in Istanbul.I have also raced and trained a lot with Thomas and we are going go work together next week.

How do you rate with them?

My coaches tell me I am up to speed with them both.

And who are your coaches?

My coach for the event is Arthur Brett from Australia. Arthur is the coach to Tom Slingsby ,the Australian world champion in 2007 and again in 2008 in full rig Laser .

For the last couple of years ,I have been working in particular with Ian Neely from New Zealand.Ian has coached world champions in 420 boys and girls as well as Olympic sailors .

He will also be at the event coaching the New Zealand team.

What did you have to do to get selected?

I am the current Laser Radial Irish youth champion and also Irish Open champion.

I have won 7 of my last 8 Irish events including youth trials at Schull,and in Dublin .I won a Europa Cup in Denmark last year at both youth and Open level in my first Europa Cup event.

Do you have favourite sailing conditions?

Well, I like a big breeze, especially for the downwind, catching waves and surfing. A lot of the guys that I sailed against in Aukland are very keen surfers. That is their thing so when they head out in the Radials,many of them are going for the thrill of the heavy air downwind.they are very good at it.So, I have joined in the fun and that has developed my wave catching and surfing skills.

Would that mean you are less comfortable in the lighter stuff ?

No, as it happens, I quite like light downwinds too.

Basically,I have 2 performance approaches

For light airs, That is to be smart and to work a lot with my head, then ,for Breezy conditions,I set up the boat for hard hiking and for speed.

Have you done all the preparations you would have liked to do for the Worlds ?

I have put in 2 solid years work.I have the benefit of having represented Ireland also last year at the ISAF youth worlds in Brasil.I particularly wanted to do a grade 1 full rig Laser event leading into the Worlds and I have done that this year.I am just back from Kiel Week where I competed in the full rig event against the Laser hotshots who are full time on the circuit.I like this as a lead in to the radial worlds.

Also,being in Istanbul for a whole week with Arthur Brett will be great,getting used to the conditions, the seas,the winds and the wind bends. This is also necessary for acclimatisation.,the heat,the food and so on.

Where will you stay?

All the competitors stay in the same hotel complex.There are up to 60 nations represented and that will be about the number in the Laser event

What else will you do this year?

I go to Largs in Scotland immediately after the worlds to do the Laser Radial Open Worlds.then I take a holiday with my friends . I am really looking forward to that ,I have been working solid for 2 years.

What future plans have you got for sailing?

I want to do the Laser full rig.I really enjoyed being with those guys in Kiel.I intend to train to win in Lasers .

Will you be challenging for Weymouth and the London Olympics?

The leaving cert comes first, after that,I am keen to be as good as I can in Lasers. If that makes me a contender and I were selected,then Of course that would be great.

What about school?

Blackrock have been very supportive of me and have permitted me 3 weeks in New Zealand and some Thursdays and Fridays off to get to some foreign events. But next year ,it will be different and I will be working hard for my leaving cert.

Do you do other sports?

Yes, I like rugby and made the JCT for Blackrock. I am out of practice now but would like to give the SCT a crack next year.

How has the RSGYC helped you?

The YSS scheme at the George is really brilliant, it's the best club support scheme I know .There is something a bit like it in Croatia where sailing is tops and yacht clubs pay for campaigning and coaching.

The YSS helps with funding and coaching . It is also a manager.this is so helpful. I tell them what events and training camps I want to do. The YSS will help find coaches and accommodation.For instance,I was looking for John Emmett from the UK to come over here as a training partner and the YSS got him over and paid for his costs.

Johnny Ross Murphy is the director and I present him with my plans . He will give an opinion on the good and the bad of it .I take his advice and I have found it to be really good advice.

What advice would you give to someone starting out with the YSS?

Organisation is the biggest thing in a sailing campaign..... Having a plan and sticking to it. The YSS is very good at this and telling you what to do and as important,what not to do.

Going into sailing without a plan, you will get nothing from it.

Also going on the water to train without a plan,,I will always have something to focus on .And work on..maybe hiking,mark rounding,working on feel for the boat,I spend a lot of time on feel of the bost.

Obviously ,it is best to train with other boats around.

What about fitness?

Hiking fitness is big thing in the Laser. You can be hiking for 10 to 12 minutes solid so a lot of leg and abdomen work in the gym.Starting out ,we do a lot of bike work for cardiofitness as well as developing aerobic fitness.I do 15 minutes of flexibility work every night. This also helps to prevent injuries.

Back to the ISAF Youth Worlds..what sort of conditions do you expect?

Breezy ! Istanbul is known as the 'city of the wind' . While the official view forecast is for around 12 knots , all my Laser contacts tell me that it will be up to 20 knots.

What are the racing plans?

We do 6 days racing with either 2 or 3 races every day and with one lay day in the middle. The course will be beat,reach,run,beat,run,reach to the finish and a race will typically last about 50 minutes. Laser racing is from 11 th to 17 th of July.

Matty.. What is your goal for Istanbul?

I am going there to medal. That is what I have trained for, Ben Ainsley famously once said " if you are not going there to win, you are going as a tourist"

Final word ?

Yes.. I would like to thank the RSGYC members, the YSS, and in particular Johnny Ross ,the boatmen and club staff for the tremendous support they have given me throughout my campaign.

Ireland's Representatives at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Istanbul in July 2010

Jenny and Jane, are you ready for the Worlds?

We are looking forward to it. We have worked hard and done all the preparation. We also competed at the Youth Worlds in Brazil last year, so ,we now have the experience and familiarity, there should be no surprises.

Would many teams from last year be young enough to go again this year?

Yeah ,I guess there are a few teams who were there and lots of teams who would have been doing well in other international regattas.

How many teams will be competing?

About 30 girls 420 teams ... We share the same race course as the 420 boys and the SL 16's

with each group getting it's own start.

How did you qualify?

We won both our Irish trials at Schull and Dun Laoghaire. Then we were expected to reach an international standard in the british fleet which we did.

What kind of races are we talking about ?

Trapezoidal, beat,reach,run,beat,run and reach to the finish.takes about 45 to 50 minutes. There are 5 race days with one lay day. They aim to get 12 races in for this event.

We start on 11th July

Do you have favourite conditions?

Well,we did prefer the heavier conditions but in the last 12 months we have done a lot of work in the light stuff. We were more reliant on speed in the breeze, but now we are equally confident in light airs. All of our major regattas so far this year have been in really light winds, but we were performing quite well.

Who does the tactics?

Jenny.. We split the responsibility to suit our different roles. I make the calls going upwind as I have the best view of the race course ,the competition,pressure and so on, while Jane is focusing on keeping the boat going.

Jane.. .Downwind Jenny is focussed on the spinnaker trimming and I do the tactics. It's more about feel so it's easy for me to look around without having to concentrate too much on the trim.

Who are the principal opposition?

The British girls Joanna and Hanah will be up there, they are the British youth and British Open champions . We have competed against them many times and beaten them on occasion. There are some other really experienced teams going into the competition as well.

What kind of support will you have at the event?

Ross Killian will be our coach. He coached us for the first time in February this year at Marseilles. He was at Kiel week also.

Yeah he is a great event coach.. A good mentor, a good minder and he keeps us chilled out.

Ross coached Ger Owens and Phil Lawton for the Beijing Olympics.

We don't have to deal with anything other than going racing !

Where will you be staying?

All the teams stay at the same resort. It's set up like an olympic village.

The whole team eats together and hangs out together. Most countries even wear their team gear the entire time.

Parents are not permitted into the village. You don't really see your parents. In fact, in Brazil last year the only time we met was on the lay day, just for lunch.

At an event, we live in a bubble!

Yeah, our event or team leader basically organises everything and is our support.

How do you chill out during an event?

We have lots of sailing friends from the other teams so we just hang out together. There are loads of people around.

Also we listen to music, maybe read a book and even kick a ball around.

Are you fit ?

We work out in Sports Med Ireland which the Irish Sports Council that The ISA organise. We've been working with Ciara Peelo. It's great having a sailor as a trainer.

Do you do other sports?

We have done all the school sports like basketball,hockey,but not since we went on the YSS program.

We train on Saturdays which clashes with a lot of school fixtures.

In any event, we are fully focussed and committed to out sailing program so there is no conflict.

What about school?

We do the leaving cert next year .

We find our school and sailing activities are self balancing.

Yes, sport helps a lot with learning and personal development. It helps to focus,set goals and so on.. Make commitments

Lots of the things we do ,our non sailing friends think are ridiculous like protests for instance..

You tell them about juries and witnesses, verdicts and so on.. All part of racing..

We travel a lot, meet a lot of people and have to deal with different situations on our own.

How do you get on?

Very well !

We have been on the go as a team for 5 years now and we are still going strong !

We have different personalities, and we mesh well

We dont always agree ,that is inevitable .but.. you learn how go get on..you learn how to handle each other.

What advice would you give to other young people ?

Have a goal !

And commit to it.. You will get somewhere eventually

Yes .. It's definitely worth it even with all the hard work.

What other support have you got?

The YSS at the RSGYC has been brilliant. Helping to put a solid structure and a program together and backing it up all the way.

It helps get great coaches . When we have time off, we find our training plan has been set up ready to go.

Going to New Zealand in transition year was amazing. The whole idea was revolutionary to get down there to work and train in warm weather. We get to work with some really top coached like Ian Neely from New Zealand.

We would never have done it without the Club support and initiative.

Johnny Ross Murphy runs the YSS and he has been great. He is always there for us .

We meet regularly and he is a great mentor.

Also the ISA , they have provided funding through their Youth Academy structure. We are the only 420 team in this.

And ,we have review meetings every 6 months..We brief them on our vevents, what went well ,where we need to improve....

They are developing a new programme for the 420's with Ross.

What about Weymouth in 2012

We have the leaving cert next year so it might be difficult to tackle that while taking on a whole new class of boat. We'll certainly look to buy a 470 but it might be difficult to reach the very high standard in the games in less than two years! We would like to continue competing internationally in the future.

Final word ?

We have had a really great 3 years of world class training for which we are very thankful. Everybody has been very helpful.

We would like to thank the ISA,our club ,the Royal St George, our coaches and especially our parents for their support and encouragement.

Jane Butler and Jenny Andreasson have developed their own website which is http://www.irl420team.webnode.com

There will be a record attendance at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in Istanbul in July.

A total of 344 sailors, 251 boats from 63 countries are registered to compete in the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships 2010 which will be held between 08-17 July 2010. The event has been held in 23 countries over the past 40 years, but it is the first time Istanbul has hosted the championships. With the highest number of competitors of recent years, the regatta looks set to be a competitive regatta for the best young sailors of the world.

Considered as the one of the most prestigious championships in the sailing calendar, the event is one of the projects of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture. The Youth Worlds are organized by the Turkish Sailing Federation with the support of GSGM (General Directorate of Youth and Sports), Spor-toto Organization, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and BeyoÄŸlu Municipality.

Racing is held across eight events, which use four classes of dinghy and one windsurfer. World Champions will be identified for each event for both Boy's and Girl's. It will be the first time that the 29er will be used as the Open High Performance Dinghy.

2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship Categories

(class, entries, details)

• Laser Radial, 56, One person boy
• Laser Radial, 51, One person girl
• 420, 35, Two person boy
• 420, 28, Two person girl
• RS:X, 31, Windsurf boy
• RS:X, 20, Windsurf girl
• Sirena SL16, 13 Catamaran (mixed team)
• 29er, 17, High performance boat (mixed team)

The Championship base will be Ataköy Marine and there will be three different race courses run simultaneously so the technical commission have been hard at work to organise the necessary logistical preparations.

Details about the schedule

The Opening Ceremony will take place in Haliç Kongre ve Kültür Merkezi (Haliç Congress and Culture Center) on 9 July. Leaving the messages of love, peace and unity, this meaningful ceremony will come true in Istanbul's antique bay Haliç by the pouring of the waters that are brought from each country by the participants.

This Championship will hold a festival of activities with music and entertainment at the event area next to the event village

Throughout the Championship, spectators and supporters will have the opportunity of watching the racing from the big screen at the event site and can also follow the races live with detailed online tracking thanks to the system being installed on the race boats by I MARINE.

This Championship will be the most comprehensive sailing regatta organized in Turkey with a group of over 1250 people coming from abroad, 350 on the water and shore based employees, more than 60 official boats for race mangement, 100 volunteers, and a large media team including members of the press, television production teams and overseas publicity all providing a showcase for the city of Istanbul.

While 'Volvo Ocean Race' is the title sponsor of the Championship for under 19 sailors, the Championship in Istanbul is supported by Opet, Ä° MARÄ°NE, Dati Holding, Ataköy Marina as co- sponsor, Shop & Miles, Garanti Emeklilik as support sponsors and YACHT TÜRKÄ°YE, POWER FM as media sponsors.

Istanbul welcomes the opportunity to showcase the city in organising a successful event and demonstrating the city's ability to host more presitgious major events in the future

The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) Board today announced the team to represent Ireland at the 2010 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships, which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey from 8th – 17th July 2010.

More than 300 young sailors from 60 nations will compete across eight disciplines, of which Ireland will compete in four.

The Irish Team is:

Mathew O’Dowd (Royal St.George Yacht Club ): will compete in the Laser Radial Boy’s One Person Dinghy

Sophie Murphy (Quoile Yacht Club): will compete in the Laser Radial Girl’s One Person Dinghy

Cian O’Regan (Kinsale Yacht Club) & Scott Flanigan (Howth & Royal St George Yacht Club): will compete in the 420 Boy’s Two Person Dinghy

Jane Butler & Jennifer Andreasson (Royal St George Yacht Club): will compete in the 420 Girl’s Two Person Dinghy

James O’Callaghan ISA Performance Director commented: "Achieving the nomination to represent Ireland at the Youth Worlds is a two part process. Initially sailors have to win the ISA nomination series, which combines the recent ISA Youth Nationals and the Mitsubishi Motors Youth Championship. The second criterion is the attainment of a defined international standard at pre-identified events."

O’Callaghan continued:

“This year’s team is extremely strong. They have the potential to achieve, not just in Turkey but within the longer term Olympic programme.”

In 2012 the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship will take place in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.

To read the full News Release please click here.

Twitter was used to great success at the Mitsubishi Youth Championships 2010.

Article published by Afloat Magazine: http://www.afloat.ie/home/item/12794-youth-regatta-first-to-tweet/

The Mitsubishi Motors Youth Regatta was the first ever sailing event in Ireland to live-tweet its results. The team behind the event used Twitter, a social media service, to transmit text updates and photos from the racecourse across the web. The online Twitter feeds, detailing starts, mark roundings, weather updates and provisional finish placings were displayed live in both clubhouses of both clubs involved in the running of the event and online.

The benefits of Twitter, which has been used internationally to update events like the Americas Cup and the Princess Sofia regatta in Palma, is that it can be done simply and at zero cost from most smartphones, like Blackberries and iPhones, using free downloadable apps. Users, like sailing clubs, can set up a free account online and publish unlimited updates as the action happens on the water. Updates can also be posted via a web login screen, with the upshot that regatta followers are kept up to date as regattas progress in short bursts, rather than waiting for a long press release at the end of the day.

The DublinBay2012 account, used to tweet the Dun Laoghaire youth regatta, has been set up in anticipation of the 2012 Youth Worlds, to be held in Dun Laoghaire. However the Royal St George is already on Twitter, as is Howth Yacht Club, and both use their accounts to broadcast club news.

The Dublinbay2012 account prompted several parents of sailors to set up accounts to follow the racing and send messages back and forth.

Follow DublinBay2012 on twitter, click here.

Become a fan on facebook, click here.

Congratulations to all competitors on a great weekend’s sailing! Well done!

After a flat calm Dublin Bay and no racing on Saturday most fleets completed six of the eight scheduled races by Monday afternoon, again light NE winds predominated over the Bay making racing tricky. However, many who were to the fore in Schull at Leg 1 of the ISA Youth Trials and Junior Pathway 2010 emerged once again at the top of there respective fleets. Matty O'Dowd (RSGYC) in the Laser Radials won both Legs while in the Junior Pathway Classes Fin Lynch (BSC) in the Topper and Brendan Lyden & Marc Cudmore (RCYC) in the RS Feva did similar. In the 420 Class Jane Butler and Jenny Andreason (RSGYC), who were 2nd in Schull, won Gold this weekend. In the Laser 4.7 Darragh O'Sullivan (KYC) won from Stepen Duke (CSC) by one point and in so doing was awarded a special training grant for his Dublin Bay 2012 Youth Worlds campaign. In the Optimist Championship Fleet Ronan Cournane (KYC) showed his strength with three wins out of four races.

In the Optimist Trials Peter McCann (RCYC) built on his impressive lead after Leg 1in Lough Derg to take the podium.

Another winner was TWITTER with constant updates from the water, with mark rounding and provisional results being up dated every few minutes, it was a great success ashore.

With 224 boats and 272 sailors representing 26 different clubs, this year's Mitsubishi Motors Youth Championship were a good test for the organisers of both the Royal St George and National Yacht Clubs who will co-host the ISAF Youth Worlds on Dublin Bay in 2012.

Last day of racing - and what a day it was!

The final day of racing in The Mitsubishi Motors Youth Championships 2010 got off to a flying start this morning, with sunshine and good winds! And, despite the wind dipping in the afternoon, the determination of all competitors on the water never faded! Congratulations to everyone involved: the competitors, the volunteers and both Host Clubs - enjoy tonight's celebrations!

Results available here.

Photos available here.

Photo by Gareth Craig, Fotosail.com

Second day of the Championships but only the first day of Racing!

Racing is now well underway today for all of the 225 entries in this year’s Mitsubishi Motors Youth National Championship. In a steady 10 to 12 knot north easterly breeze all three race courses were in action by 10.30am. With 4 races scheduled for today and 3 tomorrow it is hoped to complete 7 of the 8 races originally scheduled. Live updates are available on http://www.twitter.com/dublinbay2012.

Update at 2.52pm on Sunday, 2nd May: Racing now called off due lack of wind.

Results available here.

Photos available here.

Live updates will continue tomorrow via http://www.twitter.com/dublinbay2012.



Racing cancelled on Day One due to lack of wind!

You can keep up-to-date with everything happening on the water by following DublinBay2012 on twitter!

http://twitter.com/dublinbay2012

The Royal St George and National Yacht Clubs are looking forward to welcoming you to Dun Laoghaire this weekend and hope you have an enjoyable time on and off the water. Please note the following:

Important Information for All Competitors:

Registration – All sailors

Registration for all classes takes place in the RSGYC on Friday pm 1700 – 2000 and on Saturday am 0830 – 0930.

Registration - All Support Boats

All support boats must register with the Race Office when they will be assigned an identification flag.

Competitor Briefings

A competitor briefing will take place in each club on Saturday morning for the classes allocated to that club.

Arrival – for visitors

Visitors bringing boats or ribs should go directly to the Carlisle Pier (old ferry pier between RSGYC & NYC). Boats should be unloaded from trailer on the pier area and then brought on launching trolley to the designated club.

Ribs must be launched from the slipway in the Coal Harbour and the trailers returned to the Carlisle pier where they may be stored for the weekend. Ribs may be berthed in the clubs when launched.

Boat Parking

The classes have been allocated to the two clubs. All boats in their class must launch and return to their designated club. The classes are allocated as follows:

RSGYC Optimist Trials Fleet, 420 Class and Feva Class

NYC Lasers (Radial & 4.7), Toppers and Optimist Championship Fleet.

Boats based in Dun Laoghaire must also park in the designated club.

Social

All competitors will be provided with a hot snack and drink on coming ashore:

* Saturday: Both Clubs Food and après sail in designated club or in club of choice.

* Sunday: NYC All sailors/All classes - food and après in NYC only

* Monday: RSGYC All sailors/All classes – food and après sail in RSGYC only - 4pm (approx) Prizegiving

Communication

Follow us on Twitter to keep up-to-date with everything happening on the water during the Mitsubishi Motors Youth Championships 2010. Click here. There will also be big screens in both Clubs’ Bars featuring live updates on everything that’s happening on the water this weekend.

Join our Dublin Bay 2012 mailing list

The organisers of the ISAF Youth Worlds 2012 have set up a website (http://www.dublinbay2012.com) to keep you informed in the build up to 2012. We would like you to join our mailing list for email Newsletters.

Please sign up at registration.

For further information contact Carol Healion on sailing@rsgyc.ie

On the 17th & 18th April, Olympic multihull sailor Rob White and Serina, the manufacturers of SL 16 multihull, held an introductory training session for youth sailors interested in campaigning for the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2012.

On the 17th & 18th April, Olympic multihull sailor Rob White and Serina, the manufacturers of SL 16 multihull, held an introductory training for youth sailors interested in campaigning for the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2012. A group of 14 aspirant sailors from a range of classes (Optimist, Topper, 420, Feva, Laser 4.7) were briefed on the technicalities of the rig and sailing techniques specific to the SL16 and to catamarans in general, particularly important as most came from a monohull background. Saturday's clinic was sailed in a steady Force 3+ and all sailors grappled with the trapeze work and high speeds. The high level of skills and abilities of the sailors were remarked on by Rob White and Jean-Cristophe of Sirena. The boats proved not to be the handful initially feared and the fleet of SL16's carved up Dublin Bay at high speed, including some fairly spectacular three-sail capsizes. Sunday started in clock-calm and gradually built to Force 2-3 allowing some fresh faces in the clinic and giving the sailors more experience under the watchful eye of the coaches and support ribs. All the sailors were converts to Cat sailing by the end of the weekend and it bodes well for the Irish participation in the upcoming ISAF Youth Worlds in 2012. For Further Information please contact Cathy McAleavey : 087 948 0801

Check out the photos in the photo gallery! Click here

The discounted entry fee of €60 for single handers and €80 for double handers has been extended until today, 16th April.

The final results from the ISA Youth Nationals and Pathway Championships in Schull are now in, with 151 sailors enjoying a full series of racing in near perfect conditions on Roaringwater Bay.

151 sailors competed across six classes at the ISA Youth National & Junior Pathway Championship 2010, which took place between the 6th and 9th April in the Fastnet Marine Outdoor Education Centre, Schull, Co Cork.

The ISA Youth Nationals & Junior Pathway Championship was leg one of ISA squad selections and the Mitsubishi Youth Championship (1st - 3rd May, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin) will be leg two. Both events are also being used to choose the next roll of the ISAF Youth World Team, ISA Topper Squad and ISA Laser 4.7 Squad for the upcoming World and European Championships respectively.

RESULTS:

Laser Radial:

1st Mattie O'Dowd, Royal St George Yacht Club

2nd Oliver Loughead, Ballyholme Yacht Club / Royal Ulster Yacht Club

3rd Philip Doran, Courtown Sailing Club & Wexford Harbour Boat & Tennis Club

1st Girl Sophie Murhy, Ballyholme Yacht Club / Quoile Yacht Club (13th overall)

420 Double Handed Class:

1st Cian O'Regan & Scott Flanigan, Kinsale Yacht Club

2nd Jane Butler & Jenny Andreasson, Royal St George Yacht Club

3rd Emma Geary & Niamh Connolly, Royal Cork Yacht Club

1st Girl Jane Butler & Jenny Andreasson, Royal St George Yacht club (2nd place overall)

Laser 4.7:

1st John Flynn, Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club

2nd Leo Hickey, National Yacht Club

3rd Mark Condy, Howth Yacht Club

1st Girl Katie Gabmier-Ross, Kinsale Yacht Club (5th place overall)

For further information please visit http://www.sailing.ie/youthsail

For Olympic updates: http://www.facebook.com/ISAolympic

Picture of Matty O'Dowd

Olympic Multihull Sailor, Rob White and a representative of Serina will be holding an introductory training weekend in Dun Laoghaire on 17th and 18th April 2010.

We are delighted to confirm that Olympic multihull sailor Rob White and a representative of Serina, the manufacturers of SL 16 multihull, will be holding an introductory training weekend in Dun Laoghaire on 17th and 18th April 2010 when they will introduce the SL 16 to youth sailors interested in campaigning for the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2012.

The SL 16 has been selected by the Dublin Bay 2012 organisers as the multihull to be used at the Youth Worlds in Dun Laoghaire. In a very positive move, as part of this agreement, Serina are making 5 boats available to the organising clubs to help train and develop an Irish multihull team for 2012. The boats will be based at the National Yacht Club till the Mitsubishi Youth Championship after which they will be operated from both the Royal St George and National yacht clubs.

It is intended to have the five boats racing in the Mitsubishi event on 1st, 2nd and 3rd May 2010. The organisers want to hear from sailors interested in taking part in the training weekend or competing in the Mitsubishi Youth Championships. The weekend is being coordinated by Cathy Mac Aleavey. Those interested should contact Cathy (NYC) (mobile 087 948 0801) or Frank O’Beirne (RSGYC) (mobile 087 230 6550).

Royal St George Yacht Club and the National Yacht Club to host over 300 junior sailors for the Mitsubishi Motors Youth Championships in May

This May Bank Holiday weekend (01-03 May 2010) over 300 boats from seven different classes will race on three separate courses in Dublin Bay. The format for this year’s event is based on that of the ISAF Youth World Championships which will be hosted by Dublin Bay in 2012.

Dublin Bay was selected as a venue for the 2012 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship (ISAF Youth Worlds 2012) which is the world’s premier event for youth sailing. Since the first event in 1971, the ISAF Youth Worlds has earned itself a unique place in the sailing calendar. It is renowned for providing the sailing world with its first glimpse of future sailing superstars such as Russell Coutts and Ben Ainslie. Fifteen of the sailors who won medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are past medallists at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship. This first visit to Ireland, within three weeks of the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, provides the perfect opportunity to showcase Ireland as a sailing and maritime destination.

The Mitsubishi Motors Youth Championships 2010 will be the first step in preparations for 2012 for both sailors and organisers. Organised by both the Royal St George Yacht Club and the National Yacht Club, three separate courses will be organised in the same format as the Youth Worlds. This will offer the clubs the opportunity to test logistics at sea and on shore in preparation for 2012.

The quality of sailing will be at the top end as this year’s Mitsubishi Championship will be the second leg of the selection trials (for International Events) for most of the competing classes, where places are hard fought for on the water.

Many of the junior sailors who will be targeting qualification for the 2012 Youth Worlds will be competing in the Optimist Class at the Mitsubishi Championships as sailors must be under 18 years of age in 2012 in order to qualify. There will be over seventy Optimists competing for this years World, European, and Under 12 squads.

The Laser Radial, Laser 4.7 and 420 Classes will also be fighting it out for Irish team places too with the prestigious 2010 ISAF slots also up for grabs. The 2010 ISAF Youth Worlds will be held in Istanbul in July and Ireland will be represented at this event by the leading sailors in all 3 classes.

The Junior Pathway classes, Topper’s and RS Feva’s will also compete along with the SL 16 catamaran which makes its debut on the bay in preparation for 2012 where it will be a class. The introduction of the SL class two years in advance offers sailors a fresh opportunity to train and qualify in this new class to Ireland.

This website, http://www.dublinbay2012.com, has been set up by the organisers to assist sailors and clubs to prepare for the prestigious Youth Worlds. Full details of all pre-event activities are available on this site including a link to the Mitsubishi Motors Youth Championships 2010.

Hosting an event with over 300 junior sailors provides many challenges for the organising clubs. Over 100 volunteers will man the sailing courses while on shore, 50 volunteers will ensure that the dinghies are launched and stowed in a systematic manner to ease the logistics of launching on each day of the event. Over 1000 dinners and lunches will have to be provided by the clubs for competitors, parents and coaches.

 Photo: Gareth Craig, Fotosail.com

Everything you need to know about the ISAF Youth Worlds and Dublin Bay 2012.

Was the event ever run in Ireland before?

ISAF Youth Worlds never – but the precursor to the event the International Junior Regatta (IJR) was run in Ireland by the George in 1968.

Has Ireland won a medal before?

Yes in 1996 Laura Dillon & Ciara Peelo won bronze in the double-handed girls in Laser 2 at Newport USA. Ciara represented Ireland in Beijing Olympics.

How are the classes decided?

The classes to be used have been chosen by the organisers in consultation with ISAF, ISA and the boat manufacturers.

Can anyone enter?

No –You have to be nominated by your national authority - there is only one entry per class per country. See Qualification section

Will any competitors to go on to compete at London Olympics in 2012?

Yes most likely – last time four 4 competitors went straight from Aarhus to Beijing.

What are the age criteria for 2012?

Sailors must be under 19 on 31st December 2012.

Who provides the boats?

All the competitors are provided with new boats by the event organisers.

What happens to the boats afterwards?

It is hoped that as one of the legacies from the event the boats will be purchased locally through the work of the class associations and assistance of manufacturers.

Who are recent Olympians who won Youth World medals?

Russell Coutts, Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy, Robert Scheidt, Sarah Aryton, Nick Rogers, Chris Dickson.

Where will competitors stay?

All the competitors and coaches will be accommodated in the Royal Marine Hotel.

Where will funding come from?

The event will be funded from three sources – entry fees, state funding and sponsorship

Where will the organisers be from?

The organisation will be broadly based bringing together the best resources available from around the country – it will not be just Dun Laoghaire people.

How often is the event run?

Every year

Proximity to London Games?

There will be two weeks between the two events.

The Royal St George Yacht Club and the National Yacht Club are busily preparing for another superb Mitsubishi Motors Youth Nationals this May.

The format for this year’s event has been based on that of the ISAF Youth World Championships which will be hosted by Dublin Bay in 2012.

This May Bank Holiday weekend will see upwards of 300 boats from seven different classes race on three separate courses in Dublin Bay. The quality of sailing will be at the top end as this year’s Mitsubishi Motors Youth Championship will be the second leg of the selection trials (for International Events) for most of the competing classes, where places are hard fought for on the water.

The Optimist Class will have seventy boats competing for Worlds, European, and Under 12 squads and having held their very successful Mitsubishi 2009 National Championships at the Royal St George most competitors will be familiar with the waters on Dublin Bay.

The Laser Radial, Laser 4.7 and 420 Classes will be fighting it out for team places too with the prestigious ISAF slots also up for grabs.

 The Junior Pathway classes, Toppers and RS Fevas will also compete along with the SL 16 catamaran which makes its debut on the bay in preparation for 2012.

For Online Entry Click Here

The 2010 ISAF Youth Worlds moves to the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul, Turkey this July. The Irish team to compete at the prestigious event will be selected using a two stage process. The first step involves winning the domestic trials in Ireland this Spring and the second step requires a sailor to prove their international standard at one overseas event.

For full guidelines please see 'Documents' section to the right

On 24th February 2009 Irish Minister Mary Hanafin and Irish Sailing Association President Peter Crowley joined other dignitaries at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire to officially launch the preparations for the 2012 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championship.

Ireland will play host to the 42nd edition of the ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships in Dun Laoghaire from 12-21 July 2012. Three hundreds sailors from 70 nations accompanied by 50 national coaches are expected compete in Dun Laoghaire for seven days of competitive racing on Dublin Bay.

Irish Minister Mary Hanafin and Irish Sailing Association President Peter Crowley joined other dignitaries at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire to officially launch the preparations for the 2012 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championship.

Ireland will play host to the 42nd edition of the ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships in Dun Laoghaire from 12-21 July 2012. Three hundreds sailors from 70 nations accompanied by 50 national coaches are expected compete in Dun Laoghaire for seven days of competitive racing on Dublin Bay.

At a briefing session held in Dun Laoghaire, Minister for Family And Social Affairs Mary Hanafin TD stated that, “The hosting of the ISAF Youth Worlds not only gives Dun Laoghaire and the sport of sailing a boost. It also gives Ireland an opportunity to showcase itself as a tourist destination to a global audience. Businesses, the sailing community and the people of Dun Laoghaire should pull together to make this event a huge success.”

The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship is viewed as one of the sport’s most important events after the Olympic Games and is the pinnacle of youth sailing. Many of the sailors who compete in the Olympics have previously competed in the Youth Worlds and many of the greatest stars in the sailing world such as Ben Ainslie (GBR) and Russell Coutts (NZL) first came to attention at the Youth Worlds.

The hosting of this event will give impetus to youth watersports programmes nationwide. Racing will be in four different dinghy classes (Lasers, 420s, 29ers and the Sirena SL16 multihull) and in addition windsurfing on the RS:X board is also included in the championships. With two years to go young sailors worldwide, who will need to be under 19 years in 2012 in order to be eligible to compete, will have time to prepare and train to participate in qualification programmes in the run up to the event.

“The hosting of this event offers sailing the opportunity to harness youth potential in the country and help develop a racing and coaching programme that will lead to success in 2012 which then becomes a stepping stone to the Olympics in future years,” said Irish Sports Council CEO, John Treacy.

The granting of this prestigious sailing event to Ireland is a major boost to the sport and secures Ireland’s position as a prime location for hosting world-class sailing events. It also establishes Dun Laoghaire as one of the prime major racing locations in the world, capable of running multiple classes and courses to the highest international standard.