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They’ve been holding annual regattas at breezy Mullaghmore on Sligo’s northwest coast for a very long time. Probably way beyond 1885, but that’s the oldest regatta poster they’ve managed to unearth. And though it’s just about possible to decipher it, we’ll run it in the “clear modern” style as well to give the flavour of sports and sailing and shore life and country life all being celebrated in a mixed together sort of way all of 145 years ago.

Which, come to think of it, is what domestic life has been like these past few months with Lockdowns and whatnot. But with a tradition like the Mullaghmore Regatta spirit to bring everyone to life, as soon as closures eased even a little bit it was immediately time to dust off the old posters, create a new one for 24th-26th July 2020 (and very stylish it is too), and give us a moment to consider what it was like in 1885.

1885 Mullaghmore Regatta posterRelic of oul decency – we can still identify with much of the information in the 1885 Mullaghmore Regatta poster.

MULLAGHMORE REGATTA

Tuesday, August 24th (Ed’s note: it was 1885)

COMMITTEE:

Colonel Wood-Martin J.W.Tate MD
William Alexander C.R. Kincaid
Bernard Harte
JAMES M’GLOIN, Hon.Sec. and Treasurer

SAILING RACES
First Race- For boats under ten tons; a flying start at eleven o’clock
Second Race- Trawlers under four tons; start same time
Third Race: Green Castle Yawls; start same time.

ROWING RACE
Open to Four-oared Green Castle Yawls
The sports will terminate with a Donkey Race.
Entrance Money to be lodged with the Hon. Sec, not later than ten o’clock on the morning of the Races, when the amount of the prizes will be declared. Starting Points and Courses to be arranged by the Committee on the morning of the Races. Decisions of the Committee to be final in any disputed case. Any objector to lodge Five Shillings with his written objection. The money to be applied to the Regatta Fund should the objection prove frivolous.

N. B. Tents will not be allowed on the Green

The first thing we notice is that it was held on a Tuesday. As we’re emerging from a weird period in which one day merged into another until you couldn’t really say what day it is or was, that doesn’t seem quite such a big deal now. But in the times BC (Before Coronavirus) when all was precision and rush and go and stick strictly to timetables, the complete lack of total worship of the Sacred Weekend would have seemed unnerving.

As for the other information in that 1885 poster, much of it speaks for itself, but for the uninitiated, the Green Castle Yawls are the ubiquitous clinker-built double-enders maybe about 25ft long which were based on the imported Drontheim (Trondheim) boats, which were brought from Norway in considerable numbers mostly to Derry as deck cargo, and then copied and beefed up by Irish builders mainly along the north coast, and most notably at Greencastle in Donegal at the entrance to Lough Foyle.

 Classic re-creation of a Greencastle yawl – this is the Portrush-based community-built James KellyClassic re-creation of a Greencastle yawl – this is the Portrush-based community-built James Kelly, named in honour of the local boatbuilder who crafted quality fishing boats and yachts, including two Dublin Bay 21s in 1903. Photo: W M Nixon

In time the tradition spread to local builders on down the west coast, a noted focal point for this being the mysterious Milk Harbour south of Mullaghmore, a secret inlet hidden among the sand-dunes which march along this coast beside the beaches which proved the undoing of the ships of the Spanish Armada.

Yacht racing at Mullaghmore in the sheltered bayRacing at Mullaghmore in the sheltered bay - big country, big sailing, big-hearted people. Photo: MSC

Yet while those Atlantic-facing beaches are notoriously exposed, just a few miles along the coast to the northeast the rugged little headland of Mullaghmore curves round to provide total shelter in the extensive bay to the eastward, ideal regatta racing water with the spice of the open sea close by to give the offshore racers a run for their money. Whether or not all that money still goes into the prize pot, we can only guess. Either way, it’s all happening this weekend at Mullaghmore.

Noted antiquarian bookseller Ed Maggs brings his “modern classic” gaff ketch Betty Alan to Mullaghmore Regatta 2019Distinguished visitor. Noted antiquarian bookseller Ed Maggs brings his “modern classic” gaff ketch Betty Alan to Mullaghmore Regatta 2019. Photo Brian Mathews

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#Surfing - Two Irish surfers are nominated for ride of the year in the 2017 WSL Big Wave Awards after taking on the monster swell at Mullaghmore Head last month.

Conor Maguire and Peter Conroy were in the right place at the right time on 9 February to get a tow-in to the ‘emerald walls’ at the surfing hotspot off Co Sligo.

Bundoran resident Maguire found himself barrelled by the kind of surf usually associated with the big wave paradises of the Pacific.

Meanwhile, Northcore team member Conroy, from Co Clare, caught his own massive wall of water to stake his claim among the world’s top riders.

Both clips were captured by Clem McInerney, who was also on hand to shoot one of American surfer Will Skudin’s two nominated efforts at Mullaghmore — as well as Dublin-based Emirati surfer Mo Hassa Rahma’s spectacular wipeout, as The National reports.

Published in Surfing

#Surfing - The history of big wave riding at Mullaghmore is the focus of the latest episode of Threading Edges, the new surfing video series from EPIC TV.

As championed by JOE.ie, last week's first episode introduced a number of regular visitors to the Sligo monster describe what makes the swell so special.

But the second part delves more into the relatively recent history of the must-surf destination for the world's most extreme surfers – and one that's helped put Ireland squarely on the world surfing map.

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#Surfing - Mullaghmore regular Andrew 'Cotty' Cotton has secured a nomination in the 2015 Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards for his monster ride on the swells that preceded Storm Rachel this week.

According to The Irish Times, Cotty skipped an appointment with his chiropractor to race from his Devon home to the Sligo coast a week ago to make the most of the strengthening surf.

Shaking off the effects of a shoulder injuring sustained while surfing at the infamous Praia do Norte in Portugal last month, he was ready to take advantage on Monday.

That's when the waves reached their peak in the midst of an "exceptional" five days of surf to match or even better the Vikings storm of 2012.

And luckily for us, it was all caught on video for a new documentary on his and other big wave surfers' adventures on the edge.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

Published in Surfing

#Surfing - World-class surfing pro Michel Bourez took time out from his busy World Championship Tour schedule to recharge on the wild waves off Mullaghmore Head in Co Sligo.

As regular readers of Afloat.ie will know, Mullaghmore is now firmly established as a mecca for big wave surfers around the world, producing monsters swells to beat the best at the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards.

The cold water was a big change for the Tahitian who's used to much warmer climes, but he says the experience brought him back into the right headspace to rejoin the tour with renewed confidence.

In other surfing news, JOE.ie brings us remarkable GoPro video of a longboarder in action in the waves off Bundoran.

It's certainly a unique angle on a sport usually watched from the safe distance of dry land.

Published in Surfing

#Surfing - Surfers across Europe are keeping a close eye on the weather forecast as two large swells are expected to reach the coasts of Ireland and Portugal in the coming days.

SurferToday reports that 100-foot waves could be on the cards for Mullaghmore in Co Sligo, making tomorrow 31 October a happy Halloween for any big wave riders in the region.

Meanwhile, Nazaré in Portugal - site of a reported record-breaking wave earlier this year - is the place to be for the surfing pros from 3-4 November next week.

Scotland and northern Spain will also experience some bigger-than-usual swells as the Atlantic waters rage in our direction.

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#Surfing - Mullaghmore Head in Co Sligo keeps making an impression - as the Irish Independent reports it's been named by travel guide Lonely Planet as one of the top surfing spots in the world.

The big wave mecca has been named as one of the 'Best Spots to Catch a Big Wave' in a new book of top ten lists, 1000 Ultimate Adventures.

Only last month, Mullaghmore made the list of USA Today's 'World's Most Surprising Surf Spots' - although it's no surprise to the big wave pros who've been hightailing it to the Sligo headland for years to ride the Altantic Ocean monsters.

Also featured in the adventure tourism guide as one of the best coast-to-coast walking missions is the 387-mile trek across the island of Ireland, which takes in the impressive Carrick-a-rede rope bridge in Co Antrim.

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#Surfing - Mullaghmore Head in Co Sligo has made the list of USA Today's 'World's Most Surprising Surf Spots' alongside such destinations as Dubai, India, Iceland and the River Severn.

"The countryside isn't all that's green in Ireland," the paper writes, describing how "enormous emerald waves pound Mullaghmore Head during the winter, making this treacherous Atlantic break on Ireland's west coast a favourite for surfing daredevils."

Whether or not Mullaghmore's surfing credentials are so surprising is debatable, however, especially since the monster swells are now a feature of the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards.

USA Today has more on the story HERE.

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#MarineWildlife - The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group is reporting a "high volume of sightings" of minke whales - plus the odd fin whale - off the coasts of West Cork and Kerry as this week's heatwave continues to bask the country.

The first reports from the early part of the week showed a big increase of sightings and activity in the southwest region - but also off Mullaghmore, the popular surfing spot in Co Sligo, where as many as three minkes were spotted last weekend, and as far afield as Belfast Lough where several minke whales were photographed.

As the week progressed, the first confirmed sighting of a fin whale came in from Slea Head in Co Kerry in waters teeming with six minke whales and around 150 common dolphins.

And a whale watch trip of West Cork came into range of an amazing 12 minke whales, including a number of juveniles who seemed to make a game of swimming around the watchers' vessel.

The latest reports came in on Thursday from Baltimore and Clougher Head, which indicate that fin whales may be arriving here in big numbers. Here's hoping a few humpbacks will follow in their wake!

Published in Marine Wildlife

#rnli – The Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat was tasked to Mullaghmore, County Sligo yesterday to assist in the search for two divers feared to have gone missing from a dive.

Launching within 4 minutes of being tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard, the volunteer crew of the Bundoran RNLI lifeboat made their way to Mullaghmore to assist the Rescue 118 helicopter and the dive boat which had been unable to make contact with the two divers.

An initial call had been made to the Coast Guard by passers-by who had seen the two divers in trouble.

As the lifeboat approached the scene they were stood down as the divers had been located by their dive boat, outside of the initial dive area, due to severe currents in the area.

Head Helm for Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat Brian Gillespie said 'we are happy that this was a positive outcome – had it not been for the quick thinking of the member of the public who called the Coast Guard, it may have been a different story. We would always advise anyone who thinks they see someone in trouble on the coast, even if they are unsure, to call 999 and ask for the Coast Guard. We would much rather be called out to make sure everything is ok than have a possible incident go unreported'.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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Irish Olympic Sailing Team

Ireland has a proud representation in sailing at the Olympics dating back to 1948. Today there is a modern governing structure surrounding the selection of sailors the Olympic Regatta

Irish Olympic Sailing FAQs

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.

  • 1948 – London (Torquay) — Firefly: Jimmy Mooney; Swallow: Alf Delany, Hugh Allen
  • 1952 – Helsinki — Finn: Alf Delany * 1956 – Melbourne — Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1960 – Rome — Flying Dutchman: Johnny Hooper, Peter Gray; Dragon: Jimmy Mooney, David Ryder, Robin Benson; Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1964 – Tokyo — Dragon: Eddie Kelliher, Harry Maguire, Rob Dalton; Finn: Johnny Hooper 
  • 1972 – Munich (Kiel) — Tempest: David Wilkins, Sean Whitaker; Dragon: Robin Hennessy, Harry Byrne, Owen Delany; Finn: Kevin McLaverty; Flying Dutchman: Harold Cudmore, Richard O’Shea
  • 1976 – Montreal (Kingston) — 470: Robert Dix, Peter Dix; Flying Dutchman: Barry O’Neill, Jamie Wilkinson; Tempest: David Wilkins, Derek Jago
  • 1980 – Moscow (Tallinn) — Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson (Silver medalists) * 1984 – Los Angeles — Finn: Bill O’Hara
  • 1988 – Seoul (Pusan) — Finn: Bill O’Hara; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; 470 (Women): Cathy MacAleavy, Aisling Byrne
  • 1992 – Barcelona — Europe: Denise Lyttle; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; Star: Mark Mansfield, Tom McWilliam
  • 1996 – Atlanta (Savannah) — Laser: Mark Lyttle; Europe: Aisling Bowman (Byrne); Finn: John Driscoll; Star: Mark Mansfield, David Burrows; 470 (Women): Denise Lyttle, Louise Cole; Soling: Marshall King, Dan O’Grady, Garrett Connolly
  • 2000 – Sydney — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, David O'Brien
  • 2004 – Athens — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, Killian Collins; 49er: Tom Fitzpatrick, Fraser Brown; 470: Gerald Owens, Ross Killian; Laser: Rory Fitzpatrick
  • 2008 – Beijing (Qingdao) — Star: Peter O’Leary, Stephen Milne; Finn: Tim Goodbody; Laser Radial: Ciara Peelo; 470: Gerald Owens, Phil Lawton
  • 2012 – London (Weymouth) — Star: Peter O’Leary, David Burrows; 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; Laser Radial: Annalise Murphy; Laser: James Espey; 470: Gerald Owens, Scott Flanigan
  • 2016 – Rio — Laser Radial (Women): Annalise Murphy (Silver medalist); 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; 49erFX: Andrea Brewster, Saskia Tidey; Laser: Finn Lynch; Paralympic Sonar: John Twomey, Ian Costello & Austin O’Carroll

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

©Afloat 2020