Nicholas ‘Nin’ O’Leary brings professional approach to racing

Since the earliest days of yacht racing, professional sailors in a largely amateur sport have always had a mixed reception.

But the mere presence of a pro or two on board a rival does not necessarily mean defeat for other ‘Corinthian’ competitors and recent results at some of Ireland’s major regattas highlight this.

While some boat-owners opt to hire in professional crew-members — or at some international events, entire teams with a massive payroll — other boats might be professionally maintained but otherwise crewed by amateurs.