The Academy unplug on Cape Clear

The past summer has seen a hum of activity as people resume their normal lives after the quiet of covid lockdowns and restrictions. For the Irish Sailing Academy, there was a demanding schedule of training and competition coupled with overseas travelling and school.

Academy coach Milan Vujasinovic decided that a complete break from the buzz and demands of city life was in order and so in August organised for the Academy to go to Cape Clear off the south west corner of Cork. Eight miles by ferry from Baltimore, this Gaeltacht island has about 120 permanent residents, and a lot of birds.

As Milan says “The place is ideal for training and switching off from other distractions. So we decided to do camp with no phones at all, all was left on main land including my phone too”.

Over the nine days the Academy were introduced to the basics of navigation, charts and how to perform first aid with Mark McCarthy. Fitness coach Gary Loughran ensured that the athletes trained almost every day.

“Days were very full of sailing, gym training and exploration of [the] island.

Staying like this with no distractions, sailors definitely communicated more to themselves and coaches, so it was a great team building trip” said an enthusiastic Milan.