Aquece Rio Medal Race Comeback for Seaton & McGovern

21st August 2015

#aquecerio – Belfast 49er duo Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern secured a place in today's Aquece Rio Medal race after scoring two seconds yesterday to haul them back up from 15th to tenth overall and claim the last medal race place. 'It's been a rough week for us, though we are learning more each day about sailing here in Rio' the pair said last night after counting their best results of the week.

Following a difficult week of light and shifting winds, the 49er result is the only medal race participation of the four competing Irish boats at Aquece Rio. Ireland is not the only country feeling the pain of Rio's fickle winds, some other bigger countries are also nursing a mixed bag of results. Full results here.

A bad week got worse for Annalise Murphy who suffered a penalty (UFD) in her final Laser Radial race yesterday.

Irish team manager James O'Callaghan said the main goal for the week was to 'learn as much as possible' and admitted on social media that it had been a very 'challenging' week adding 'I think it's fair to say that the results are not what we'd like them to be'.

The 49er and 49erFX Medal Race places were decided on the Escola Naval course as each fleet reached ten races apiece over the week.

Commenting on their week and qualification, Matt and Ryan said: "We have only had 3 days of racing due to the light winds so we missed one day. We got off to a good start, though the second day of racing we struggled to get our strategy right with the tricky race course, lots of changing wind and tide. Yesterday we got to 2nd places and an 11th which really got us back in the overalls. We have had a hard week, though we have learnt from our mistakes and we have shown yesterday that we can perform and beat all the best guys. This is a real boost for next year, that's when it really counts!"

As things stand, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) and Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) are well positioned to claim gold with a 15 and nine point lead respectively.

Burling and Tuke couldn't have asked for much more on the day, enjoying the breeze to post a 4-1-4-1 that hands them a cushion over Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT). The Kiwis have guaranteed themselves at least silver medal whilst the Austrians are guaranteed a podium finish.

The third placed Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) have a bit of work to do in third place with teams in places 4-7 in with a shout of bronze.

In the 49erFX, Italy's Conti and Clapcich have guaranteed themselves a podium finish which, as a result, books their ticket to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It was a mixed day for the Italians as they took a 2-4 alongside a DNF. Across the week the Italians have been consistent and whilst they discard the 20th, they count a tenth which is their only other double digit score.

Conti and Clapcich are nine points clear of Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) and Lisa Ericson and Hanna Klinga (SWE) who are tied on 44 points.

Laser and Laser Radial

Like the Men's and Women's Skiffs, the Laser and Laser Radial fleet racing drew to a close ahead of the Medal Race. Both fleets completed nine races across the week with two challenging races taking place on the Niteroi course.

Francesco Marrai (ITA) held on to his lead in the Laser even though he finished 32nd in the last fleet race of series. He discards the 32nd but counts the third he got in the first race of the day. The Italian is 13 points clear of his rivals and has all but guaranteed himself a medal.

Tonci Stipanovic (CRO), Tom Burton (AUS) and Jean Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) are separated by three points heading into the Medal Race which could prove clinical for Marrai as the three may fight it out for the remaining medals. Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Charlie Buckingham (USA) are still in the hunt as well, 11 points off Stipanovic and eight off Burton and Bernaz.

The Laser Radial has been an intriguing competition throughout the week and going into the Medal Race just three points split first to third.

Gintare Scheidt (LTU) leads on 45 points followed by Evi Van Acker (BEL) on 47 and Paige Railey (USA) on 48.

Van Acker moved herself firmly into contention for a medal as she sailed her way to a 2-3. Railey has been consistent across the week and a 7-8 kept her in the hunt. Scheidt was on the receiving end of a scoring penalty in the first race of the day and discards the score. She held on to the overall lead though with a sixth in the last race of series ensuring it the deciding of medals will all boil down to the final double points race.

Tonight's 49er medal race is scheduled to get underway at 18.30 Irish time

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Irish Olympic Sailing FAQs

How long has Ireland been sailing at the Olympics?

Ireland’s representation in sailing at the Olympics dates back to 1948, when a team consisting of Jimmy Mooney (Firefly), Alf Delany and Hugh Allen (Swallow) competed in that year’s Summer Games in London (sailing off Torquay). Except for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Ireland has sent at least one sailor to every Summer Games since then.

Who has sailed for Ireland at the Olympics, and when?

How many Olympic medals has Ireland won in sailing?

Ireland has won two Olympics medals in sailing events, both silver: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson in the Flying Dutchman at Moscow 1980, and Annalise Murphy in the Laser Radial at Rio 2016.

Who is on the current Irish Sailing Olympic team?

The current team, as of December 2020, consists of Laser sailors Finn Lynch, Liam Glynn and Ewan McMahon, 49er pairs Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle, and Sean Waddilove and Robert Dickson, as well as Laser Radial sailors Annalise Murphy and Aoife Hopkins.

What is the National Governing Body for sailing in Ireland?

Irish Sailing is the National Governing Body for sailing in Ireland.

Who is responsible for selecting Ireland’s Olympic sailors?

Irish Sailing’s Performance division is responsible for selecting and nurturing Olympic contenders as part of its Performance Pathway.

What is the Performance Pathway?

The Performance Pathway is Irish Sailing’s Olympic talent pipeline. The Performance Pathway counts over 70 sailors from 11 years up in its programme.The Performance Pathway is made up of Junior, Youth, Academy, Development and Olympic squads. It provides young, talented and ambitious Irish sailors with opportunities to move up through the ranks from an early age. With up to 100 young athletes training with the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway, every aspect of their performance is planned and closely monitored while strong relationships are simultaneously built with the sailors and their families

Who is the Irish Sailing Performance head coach?

Rory Fitzpatrick is the head coach of Irish Sailing Performance. He is a graduate of University College Dublin and was an Athens 2004 Olympian in the Laser class.

Who is Irish Sailing’s Performance Director?

The Performance Director of Irish Sailing is James O’Callaghan. Since 2006 James has been responsible for the development and delivery of athlete-focused, coach-led, performance-measured programmes across the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway. A Business & Economics graduate of Trinity College Dublin, he is a Level 3 Qualified Coach and Level 2 Coach Tutor. He has coached at five Olympic Games and numerous European and World Championship events across multiple Olympic classes. He is also a member of the Irish Sailing Foundation board.

Who is the most famous Irish Olympic sailor?

Annalise Murphy is by far and away the biggest Irish sailing star. Her fourth in London 2012 when she came so agonisingly close to a bronze medal followed by her superb silver medal performance four years later at Rio won the hearts of Ireland. Murphy is aiming to go one better in Tokyo 2021.

Who are the Irish Sailing Performance coaching staff?

Under head coach Rory Fitzpatrick, the coaching staff consists of Laser Radial Academy coach Sean Evans, Olympic Laser coach Vasilij Zbogar and 49er team coach Matt McGovern.

How is performance sailing in Ireland funded?

The Irish Government provides funding to Irish Sailing. These funds are exclusively for the benefit of the Performance Pathway. However, this falls short of the amount required to fund the Performance Pathway in order to allow Ireland compete at the highest level. As a result the Performance Pathway programme currently receives around €850,000 per annum from Sport Ireland and €150,000 from sponsorship. A further €2 million per annum is needed to have a major impact at the highest level. The Irish Sailing Foundation was established to bridge the financial gap through securing philanthropic donations, corporate giving and sponsorship.

What is the Irish Sailing Foundation?

The vision of the Irish Sailing Foundation is to generate the required financial resources for Ireland to scale-up and execute its world-class sailing programme. Irish Sailing works tirelessly to promote sailing in Ireland and abroad and has been successful in securing funding of 1 million euro from Sport Ireland. However, to compete on a par with other nations, a further €2 million is required annually to realise the ambitions of our talented sailors. For this reason, the Irish Sailing Foundation was formed to seek philanthropic donations. Led by a Board of Directors and Head of Development Kathryn Grace, the foundation lads a campaign to bridge the financial gap to provide the Performance Pathway with the funds necessary to increase coaching hours, upgrade equipment and provide world class sport science support to a greater number of high-potential Irish sailors.

How are the funds raised for the Performance Pathway spent?

The Senior and Academy teams of the Performance Pathway are supported with the provision of a coach, vehicle, coach boat and boats. Even with this level of subsidy there is still a large financial burden on individual families due to travel costs, entry fees and accommodation. There are often compromises made on the amount of days a coach can be hired for and on many occasions it is necessary to opt out of major competitions outside Europe due to cost. Money raised by the Irish Sailing Foundation will go towards increased quality coaching time, world-class equipment, and subsiding entry fees and travel-related costs. It also goes towards broadening the base of talented sailors that can consider campaigning by removing financial hurdles, and the Performance HQ in Dublin to increase efficiency and reduce logistical issues.

What is the organisation structure of the Performance Pathway?

The ethos of the Performance Pathway is progression. At each stage international performance benchmarks are utilised to ensure the sailors are meeting expectations set. The size of a sailor will generally dictate which boat they sail. The classes selected on the pathway have been identified as the best feeder classes for progression. Currently the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway consists of the following groups: * Pathway (U15) Optimist and Topper * Youth Academy (U19) Laser 4.7, Laser Radial and 420 * Development Academy (U23) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX * Team IRL (direct-funded athletes) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX

What is the governance structure for performance sailing?

The Irish Sailing performance director produces a detailed annual budget for the programme which is presented to Sport Ireland, Irish Sailing and the Foundation for detailed discussion and analysis of the programme, where each item of expenditure is reviewed and approved. Each year, the performance director drafts a Performance Plan and Budget designed to meet the objectives of Irish Performance Sailing based on an annual review of the Pathway Programmes from Junior to Olympic level. The plan is then presented to the Olympic Steering Group (OSG) where it is independently assessed and the budget is agreed. The OSG closely monitors the delivery of the plan ensuring it meets the agreed strategy, is within budget and in line with operational plans. The performance director communicates on an ongoing basis with the OSG throughout the year, reporting formally on a quarterly basis.

What is the Olympic Steering Group?

Due to the specialised nature of Performance Sport, Irish Sailing established an expert sub-committee which is referred to as the Olympic Steering Group (OSG). The OSG is chaired by Patrick Coveney and its objective is centred around winning Olympic medals so it oversees the delivery of the Irish Sailing’s Performance plan.

How is progress monitored on the Performance Pathway? Who decides when sailors are selected or dropped?

At Junior level (U15) sailors learn not only to be a sailor but also an athlete. They develop the discipline required to keep a training log while undertaking fitness programmes, attending coaching sessions and travelling to competitions. During the winter Regional Squads take place and then in spring the National Squads are selected for Summer Competitions. As sailors move into Youth level (U19) there is an exhaustive selection matrix used when considering a sailor for entry into the Performance Academy. Completion of club training programmes, attendance at the performance seminars, physical suitability and also progress at Junior and Youth competitions are assessed and reviewed. Once invited in to the Performance Academy, sailors are given a six-month trial before a final decision is made on their selection. Sailors in the Academy are very closely monitored and engage in a very well planned out sailing, training and competition programme. There are also defined international benchmarks which these sailors are required to meet by a certain age. Biannual reviews are conducted transparently with the sailors so they know exactly where they are performing well and they are made aware of where they may need to improve before the next review.