Now that the Summer sailing season is over, the Irish 420 Class Association has started a programme of winter training sessions, with local training groups running in North Dublin, Dun Laoghaire and Crosshaven, while the first of a series of national training camps over the Winter months, with coaching support from the ISA, takes place at Howth this weekend.

Sailors from Wexford, Cork, Tralee and Galway will join nine boats from HYC, Malahide, Clontarf, Sutton and Skerries for this training camp, with HYC Class Captain Des Flood expecting 20 boats for the two-day session.

420 sailors are encouraged to participate in club sailing and local regattas whenever and wherever possible and over of them also compete in Regional and National Championships as well as the ISA Youth Nationals. In 2012, a small number of Irish 420 sailors represented the class at ISAF Youth Worlds in Dun Laoghaire, the World Championships in Austria and the Junior European Championships in Italy.

Despite being sometimes branded as an ‘elite boat’, there is plenty of evidence to show that this is not the case. Some of the sailors in the class can be as young as 13 and they compete at a national level in boats that are older than they are. The 420 Class Association website currently has a list of second-hand boats for sail. These range in price from €1500 to €6500 for 2012 boat which has been sailed for 20 days.

The 420 offers youth and smaller adult sailors an opportunity to learn a range of skills, including using spinnakers and trapezes, racing and teamwork with another person in a two-man boat. The Class Association and host clubs work with a team of experienced coaches which includes four Irish Olympic sailors and two professional teachers among their numbers.

For more information on the 420 Class and clubs that host class training, see:- 420 Class Website www.sail420.com