Ireland eye world crown

IRELAND’S elite Olympic sailors are amongst the favourites at the third multi-class ISAF Sailing World Championships which start this weekend at Perth, Australia.

Annalise Murphy has repeatedly proved herself as among the quickest in the world in the Laser Radial class and the wind speeds in this area would be the perfect prescription for the powerful helm from Rathfarnham who has was third at Skandia Sail for Gold in June. Murphy has just finished eighth at Sail Melbourne, the first ISAF Sailing World Cup event of the new season, when surging into contention after a poor start.

Cork’s Peter O’Leary, sailing with David Burrow in the stars, has also repeatedly shown substantial medal potential but will not have raced since the Star European Championships. “Peter and David are in good shape,” confirmed the Irish Sailing Association’s Performance Director, James O’Callaghan, “They have made some small adjustments to their boat, to the layout, along with their German coach, Marc Pickel, so hopefully that will add an extra edge to the good form they have shown in the breeze through the summer.”

The anticipated strong winds here can suit them but the goal in terms of the Olympics is to have a robust all-round game, capable of a high level performance across the wide range of breezes predicted for Weymouth next year.

World medals and titles are the ultimate goal in Perth over the next two weeks, but qualification in the different Olympic classes is also a top priority. O’Callaghan admitted: “The main hurdle for them is to qualify the country, to be in the top 11 nations. And on their form that should be a given, but at the world championships, the level does go up. There will be at least 30 nations looking for those 11 spots. Make it now and you can really focus on The Games. And if not, then you are dog fighting because there are only four spots at the next event and so on.”

Racing starts for the Laser Radial, Laser, 470 and Finn on Monday.

The Star fleet start racing on Sunday December 11.

ISA (Irish Sailing Association) Olympic Squad in Perth: Annalise Murphy (Laser Radial) Peter O’Leary & David Burrows (Star) Ryan Seaton & Matt McGovern (49er) These sailors are supported by the ISA and the ISC (Irish Sports Council) and are internationally carded athletes.

Independent Non-carded Irish sailors James Espey (Laser) Ross Hamilton (Finn) Ger Owens & Scott Flanigan (470).