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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

Ireland's Sailor of the Year Awards

Created in 1996, the Afloat Sailor of the Year Awards represent all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene.

Since it began 25 years ago, the awards have recognised over 500 monthly award winners in the pages of Ireland's sailing magazine Afloat, and these have been made to both amateur and professional sailors. The first-ever Sailor of the Year was dinghy sailor Mark Lyttle, a race winner at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

And since then it's gone on to read like a who's who of Irish sailing.

The national award is specially designed to salute the achievements of Ireland's sailing's elite. After two decades the awards has developed into a premier awards ceremony for water sports.

The overall national award will be announced each January to the person who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to, Irish sailing in the previous year.

A review of the first 25 years of the Irish Sailor the Year Awards is here

Irish Sailor of the Year Award FAQs

The Irish Sailor of the Year Awards is a scheme designed by Afloat magazine to represent all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene..

The Irish Sailor of the Year Awards began in 1996.

The awards are administered by Afloat, Ireland's boating magazine.

  • 1996 Mark Lyttle
  • 1997 Tom Roche
  • 1998 Tom Fitzpatrick & David McHugh
  • 1999 Mark Mansfield
  • 2000 David Burrows
  • 2001 Maria Coleman
  • 2002 Eric Lisson
  • 2003 Noel Butler & Stephen Campion
  • 2004 Eamonn Crosbie
  • 2005 Paddy Barry & Jarlath Cunnane
  • 2006 Justin Slattery
  • 2007 Ger O'Rourke
  • 2008 Damian Foxall
  • 2009 Mark Mills
  • 2010 Anthony O'Leary
  • 2011 George Kenefick
  • 2012 Annalise Murphy
  • 2013 David Kenefick
  • 2014 Anthony O'Leary
  • 2015 Liam Shanahan
  • 2016 Annalise Murphy
  • 2017 Conor Fogerty
  • 2018 Robert Dickson & Sean Waddilove
  • 2019 Paul O'Higgins

Yes. The boating public and maritime community can have their say to help guide judges in deciding who should be crowned Ireland's Sailor of the Year by using an Afloat online poll). The judges welcome the traditional huge level of public interest in helping them make their decision but firmly retain their right to make the ultimate decision for the final choice while taking voting trends into account. By voting for your favourite nominee, you are creating additional awareness of their nomination and highlighting their success.

Anthony O'Leary of Crosshaven and Annalise Murphy of Dun Laoghaire are the only contenders to be Afloat.ie "Sailors of the Year" twice – himself in 2010 and 2014, and herself in 2012 and 2016.

In its 25 year history, there have been wins for 15, offshore or IRC achievements, nine dinghy and one designs accomplishments and one for adventure sailing.

Annually, generally in January or February of the following year.

In 2003 Her Royal Highness Princess Anne presented the Awards.

©Afloat 2020