Performance » Governance

Olympic Steering Group

Irish Sailing set up an Olympic Steering Group to govern the activities of Performance Sailing in Ireland.

Function

The primary mission of the Irish Sailing's Olympic Steering Group (OSG) is to assist Irish Sailors to reach medal winning positions in the Olympic Games. While the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) selects the Irish Olympic Team, the OSG is responsible for setting fair and equitable rules for selecting and nominating suitable candidates to the OCI for membership of the Irish Olympic Sailing Team. The Olympic Steering Group also helps advise on the strategic direction of the Irish Sailing's Performance Pathway.

Members

  • John Menton (Chair)
  • Morgan Buckley
  • David Nucifora
  • Elaine Mettler
  • Trevor Millar
  • Bill O'Hara
  • Marcus Spillane 
  • Annalise Murphy

Anti-doping

Irish Sailing Anti-Doping Policy

Sport Ireland is the designated National Anti-Doping Organisation in Ireland and performs the functions and obligations of a National Anti-Doping Organisation. Irish Sailing has formally adopted Sport Ireland’s Anti-Doping Rules as the Anti-Doping Rules for Irish Sailing as prescribed in the Racing Rules of Sailing. By adoption of these Rules Irish Sailing specifically recognises the authority and responsibility of Sport Ireland for administering the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme (including conducting Testing of Athletes) in respect of all of the Persons to whom these Rules apply and authorises Sport Ireland to carry out Doping Control.

DOPING

Doping is fundamentally contrary to the spirit of sport.

The spirit of sport is the intrinsic value of sport.
The spirit of sport is the celebration of the human spirit, body and mind and is the ethical pursuit of human excellence through the dedicated perfection of each Athlete's natural talents.
The spirit of sport is characterised, amongst other values, by health, ethics, fair play, honesty, team work, fun and joy, dedication and commitment, respect for rules and laws, respect for self and other Participants, courage, community and solidarity.

 

THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING PROGRAMME

Anti-doping programmes are founded upon the spirit of sport and seek to protect the health of Athletes and to provide the opportunity for Athletes to pursue human excellence without the Use of Prohibited Substances or Prohibited Methods. Antidoping programmes seek to maintain the integrity of sport in terms of respect for rules, other competitors, fair competition, a level playing field, and the value of clean sport to the world. 

The Code is the fundamental and universal document upon which the World Anti-Doping Programme in sport is based. The purpose of the Code is to advance the antidoping effort through universal harmonisation of core anti-doping elements. The Code has been drafted giving consideration to the principles of proportionality and human rights.

The World Anti-Doping Programme encompasses all of the elements needed in order to ensure optimal harmonisation and best practice in international and national antidoping programmes.

SPORT IRELAND AND WORLD SAILING

The Irish Anti-Doping Rules and World Sailing’s Anti-Doping Code were developed under the WADA Code. Sailing is governed by the WADA Code, implemented internationally through World Sailing and nationally through Sport Ireland Anti-Doping.
 

WHY TWO CODES?

Sport Ireland, as the National Anti-Doping agency, has responsibility for national-level testing, while World Sailing fulfils the role of the International Federation for sailing.
The core parts of both Codes are identical. They differ in regard to administrative matters such as test results management and hearing procedures.

 

Selection & Criteria

Youth

Irish Sailing Performance have been developing Ireland’s most ambitious young sailors between the ages of 15 to 18 years on the Academy Programme for over a decade. 

In 2006, the Academy Programme of Irish Sailing's Performance Pathway underwent a major revamp, remodelling its objective to aid aspiring young sailors to ‘learn the skills to develop into independent Olympic campaigners by nurturing a culture of responsible athletes with a hunger for international performance.’  Since that time a holistic approach to personal development has been at the core of the Academy’s philosophy. It has recognised that the best sailors in the world love sailing and given that it’s a long term development sport (compared to most Olympic Sports) appreciation of fun and enjoyment of the process of learning has always been fundamental to the Academy’s training. 

See full Policy Document of Guidelines for the selection of the Irish Sailing Performance Academy HERE.

 

Olympic Games 2024

 

Archive

  • 2024 Youth Worlds Selection Policy - HERE
  • 2023 Youth Worlds Selection Policy - HERE
  • 2021 Olympic Games Nomination Procedures - HERE
  • 2020 Olympic Games Nomination Procedures - HERE
 
 

Irish Sailing Junior Summer Squads 2024

The aim of the Irish Sailing Summer Squad programme is to prepare a team to compete at an international level. The programme consists of domestic training camps, followed by event support at selected internationals. Led by our head coach with support from Sports Med Ireland, Irish Sailing’s partner in strength and conditioning and physical training, it focuses on the development of the sailors. The number of sailors on the squad will be determined by safety, with the secondary objective of teaching the sailors how a high-performance youth sailing team works at home and abroad. 

Further information including the selection document, programme schedule and costs will be available here nearer the time. 

Keep an eye on this page for more information nearer the time.

HP Athlete Liaison Officer

Ciara Peelo, former Irish Olympian, has recently been appointed as Irish Sailing’s Athlete Liaison Officer. Peelo represented Ireland at the 2008 summer Olympics in the women's laser radial class, where she finished 20th. She was the Irish flagbearer during the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing.

The Purpose of the role is to support the Olympic Steering Group in gathering feedback from the Irish Sailing Team members on the implementation of the recommendations of the Uppercut Tokyo Review.

The Athlete Liaison Officer (ALO) will also act as an ongoing independent mentor where members of the team will have an additional outlet to discuss their concerns around the HP programme in a less formal and risk free environment – in effect an additional outlet for the “Athletes voice” to be heard. This is addition to and separate from the formal complaint/grievance procedures which are already.

Her function will be to support and educate the athletes whilst engaging in the HP programme, and to deciding whether there is an issue that needs further action.

 

APPOINTMENT

The ALO is appointed by the Board on the recommendation of the OSG. The ALO is someone with direct experience of Irish Sailing’s High Performance Programme, and someone who is trusted by the athletes to act independently, and is objective in the management of the feedback received.

 

Olympic Review

Toko Review Report

Rio Review Report

Sport Ireland undertook an extensive review of the full Rio Olympics Cycle (2013-2016) which they published in December 2016 and which assessed the Irish Sailing campaign. We worked with them to draw up recommendations and you can read the full sailing section .. found HERE.