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Displaying items by tag: Tunisia

A teenage sailor who competed for Tunisia at Tokyo 2020 has tragically died after an accident while training at sea.

According to BBC Sport, 17-year-old Eya Guezguez drowned after the boat she was sailing with her twin sister Sarra, who survived the incident, capsized in strong winds in the Mediterranean off the North African country's capital Tunis on Sunday (10 April).

The Guezguez twins were 16 when they raced in the 49erFX class at the Tokyo Olympic Games last summer — in a field that included Dublin sailor Saskia Tidey — and placed 21st overall.

They had been tipped to be future stars in the two-handed class.

BBC Sport has more on the story HERE.

Published in Tokyo 2020
Tagged under

#tunisiasuperyacht – One week since the world was left shocked at the news of an ISIS terrorist attack in Tunisia, local superyacht businesses are reassuring yachtsmen that security has been increased at Tunisian ports despite numerous cancellations.

Not long after the country has had to recover from the impact of the Bardo Museum attack where 17 were left dead, a total of 38 people, including at least 29 Britons were killed by a gunman with links to Islamic State extremists near Sousse, Tunisia.

Despite the upped security and the government's involvement, The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to warn that further terrorist attacks in Tunisia are possible and are urging people to be vigilant. According to some local yacht businesses, superyacht owners, crew and charter companies are already cancelling their travel plans.

Kim Williams from Yacht Services Tunisia explained, "The management and staff at Yacht Services Tunisia will continue to support yachting tourism by 'riding out' this horrific incident, the same way we did during the Tunisian revolution; by re-assuring yachtsmen and their yachts that security has been greatly increased in Port Bizerte and Port Yasmine.

"The Tunisian people are deeply shocked and sickened by what has happened in their country and I want people to understand that the mentality of the attacker is not Tunisian."

Imed Mzoughi, port director from Port Yasmine also commented, "At this moment in time, we have only had a 3% cancellation rate since the attack. However, we have had very little new reservations, or let's say, we haven't had any more at all. The government and the marina have enforced measures to protect the marina and surrounding areas in a bid to save the rest of the season."

A meeting between Tunisian officials and EU ambassadors is likely to take place in the coming weeks, whereit is expected a request for more intelligence-sharing and electronic monitoring equipment will be made.

Published in Superyachts
Tagged under

About J/80 Sailing

Easy to handle the J/80 is said to be less intimidating, safer and better suited for sailing offshore than other modern sport boats. 

It even has a full-length V-berth and 12-foot-long cockpit.

Thanks to its combination of stability, speed, durability, low maintenance and age-friendly deck layout, the J/80 has proved to be a great club boat around Irish yacht clubs with fleets popular in Dublin on both sides of the Bay at Howth and Dun Laoghaire. 

The key to a racing keelboat is that it holds the attention and interest of many types of sailors, young and old.  The J80 does it all, with thrilling 15-knot rides under spinnaker or relaxed sunset cruises with mainsail only. 

The Irish J/80 Class Association was formed in 2017 to represent owners, sailors, associated clubs and to help develop J/80 racing in Ireland.