2023 Review
In order of appearance:
- 29er World Champions - Clementine and Nathan Van Steenberge
- ILCA 7 Olympic Qualification - Finn Lynch
- 29er European World Champion - Ben O'Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain
- 29er Female European Champions - Lucia Cullen and Alana Twomey
- U21 ILCA 6 World Champion - Eve McMahon
- 49er Olympic Qualification - Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove
- Youth Sailing World Championships, ILCA 6, Bronze Medal - Sienna Wright
- Youth Sailing World Championships, 29er, Bronze Medal - Ben O'Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain
In addition to:
- 2nd Portugal Grand Prix – Finn Lynch
- 2nd 29er at British Nationals – Ben and Ethan
- 2nd U17 Youth World Champions – Sienna Wright
- 2nd U17 European Champion - Sienna Wright
The development of Irish Sailing currently goes from strength to strength, as our performance at the Youth Worlds this December puts this down as Irish Sailing's most successful year on record. And we not only is this present in our results but in the growth of the sport from the bottom up. The growth in our 49er FX development squad is a testament to this going from two to six sailors over the last year.
The year's sailing season was put in motion in April at the Irish Sailing Investwise Youth National's, hosted in Howth Yacht club. As all our young competitors were brought together for the first time in 2023, 183 sailors, across six classes, four days and 52 races.
May then welcomed a season favourite as 500 sailors across 13 club in Ireland took to the seas before dawn to mark Darkness into Light, raising 21,000 euro for Pieta House, a mental health charity that supports those affected by Suicide and self harm.
June saw another crowd favourite as the Watersports Inclusion Games in Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club welcomed 100's of visitors to try a range of all different watersports. Resulting in 1,173 trips afloat across the weekend.
But it was August that saw the first major international success of the year in Weymouth, UK at the 29er World Championship’s.
Where unbeknown to them as they sailed their last race, Clemetine and Nathan Van Steenberge were within reach of becoming World Champions, and it took a few repeated explanations from their coach Harry Durcan, for Clemetine to register that she has just become a 29er World Champion! An incredible achievement from a young pair that spent their whole spring/summer training in Dublin Bay.
Later on that summer in the space of 5 minutes the news of Finn Lynch Qualifying the Nation for the Men’s one Person Dinghy at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain’s European 29er title both came through on the WhatsApp thread. The hands could not type fast enough to get the news out and celebrate the incredible achievements of Irish athletes across the Globe.
Lynch was in the Hague at the Olympic Qualifier and described qualifying the nation as “getting the monkey of his back” allowing him to now focus all his training, on preparation for Paris 2024.
Meanwhile, Ben and Ethan were at the European Championship's in Sweden and sat in a similar position to their teammates Clementine and Nathan in their final race. As coach Harry Durcan, again, refrained from letting them know they were within reach of winning the title until crossing the finish line, creating one of the most heartwarming pictures of 2023 as it displays the power of sport and the impact it can have on the individual. Not just the athlete, but the coach, the supporter and the photographer.
The celebrations for the performance teams then took a small hiatus as sailors got back to the gym and training blocks. But not for all, as Offshore sailor Tom Dolan celebrated winning the initial leg of the Solitaire Du Figaro that finished in Kinsale. A win on home turf! Similarly Cian Guilfoyle another offshore sailor who was aboard the winning boat of the Rolex Fastnet Race 'Caro' celebrated his involvement in this historic race that sails around the Fastnet Rock at Ireland's southermost point.