Ballyholme Local Liam Glynn Talks Tips and Tricks for Sailors Competing at the 2022 Youth Nationals
With the 2022 Irish Sailing Youth Nationals just around the corner, we caught up with Ballyholme local Liam Glynn to give you the top tricks and tips going into the event.
Recently retired from the Irish Sailing Performance Team, Liam is now in his final year of physiology in University College Dublin (UCD), with just one semester left to go. Despite no longer representing Ireland, he is still competing at a high level with the UCD Team Racing firsts team, both around Ireland and in the British regional and national Team Racing events. Although moving from a solo to a team sailing environment was difficult, especially learning how to coordinate with other teammates on the water, Liam found his tactical skills from the Laser still very useful and has loved “learning about the different roles and knowledge that comes with other kinds of sailing.”
Aside from tactics, Liam’s years as a professional athlete gave him many skills that he continues to use now in his everyday life. For instance, he feels he not only developed many psychological skills by learning how to cope with stressful situations on and off the water, but being away so much with the sailing circuit also taught him how to look after himself as a young adult and become more self-reliant. Although there are certainly times when he misses having something active and engaging to do every day, Liam is also thoroughly enjoying having more balance in his life as well as time for socialising, other types of sailing, and to focus on his studies.
A champion in the Topper fleet at the 2012 event almost ten years ago, Liam, like many of the other Irish Sailing athletes, is no stranger to the Youth Nationals. Reminiscing on his years competing, he recalls a nervous atmosphere due to the size and prestige of the occasion. However, he also remembers it as a highly unique event in which the wide variety of fleets there “encourages people to be more curious about sailing and see what they can do.” For many young sailors, it provides the first insight into the many different ways you can go in sailing and the endless opportunities there are to stay involved in the sport. This year, we have around 200 competitors signed up to race in six different fleets, including the Optimist, the 420, the 29er, the Topper, the ICLA4 (Laser 4.7), and the ICLA6 (Laser Radial,) so there will be plenty of action in Ballyholme!
TOP TIPS FOR BALLYHOLME SAILING
When asked what advice he’d give to sailors, Liam firmly answered “sail your own race, don’t follow others!” Having grown up sailing in Ballyholme, he warns that the wind can often be very shifty and gusty and since it’s close to the land, it’s hard to see what’s coming down towards you. Therefore, sailors will need to react quickly and sail their own race with whatever they’ve got in front of them, not what somebody else has on the other side of the racecourse! He looks forward to seeing which young sailors can take his advice next week and come out on top at the 2022 Irish Sailing Youth Nationals.
Click here for more information about the event taking place in Ballyholme Yacht Club from 21 – 24 April 2022.