Irish Sailing has established a new Coaching Development Officer role to strengthen the national racing pathway and provide clear, consistent support for coaches working in competitive environments. The role is designed to standardise the coaching pathway alongside the existing instructor system, with a specific focus on race coaching. Central to the initiative is the creation of a connected coaching network around Ireland that is grounded in shared values and continuous learning.
Liam Glynn has been appointed to this newly created position, bringing a wealth of elite racing and coaching experience. A native of Bangor, County Down, Liam made history as a teenager when he became Topper World Champion, the first Irish sailor to achieve the title. He progressed through the Irish Sailing performance pathway to an Olympic campaign for Tokyo and secured a bronze medal at the U-21 ILCA 7 World Championships along the way.
Alongside his racing career, Liam completed an honours degree in Physiology at University College Dublin as part of the Ad Astra program which supports high performance athletes. He was part of the UCD team that won the British University Championships, finished runners-up at the Wilson Trophy as an alumni team, and won bronze at the Team Racing World Championships.
Liam’s coaching career has developed in parallel with his racing and by 2022, he was Irish Sailing’s Head Junior Coach, leading Topper and ILCA 4 squad programmes and supporting sailors across the junior and youth pathway. In his new role with Irish Sailing, he will work closely with clubs and class associations to deliver, implement and continually refine race coaching programmes nationwide.