The 470 Olympic Campaign update.

(posted 31/12/2003)

Gerbil and Ross Qualify for the Olympics!
The Harbour Company is proud to sponsor local sailors Gerbil Owens and Ross Killian who compete in the 470 class. An excellent performance in Cadiz in September assured them of qualifications for the Olympic Games in Athens next year. They are among the first Irish athletes to qualify

The pair have now embarked on their winter training programme which will see them head south for several months. They started in Brisbane on the 29th November and raced there until the 3rd December. Next up is the Sydney International Regatta from the 18th to the 22nd December. Following that they are off to Melbourne for the Pre Sail Melbourne Regatta from the 3rd to the 9th January and after that on to the Sail Melbourne Regatta, the only Grade one event in the Southern Hemisphere. Finally, they will take part in the Australian 470 National Championship from the 29th to the 25th January and then back home on the 1st February with a nice tan and maybe for a short rest! You can check up on their performances in Australia through the ISA website (www.sailing.ie).

Latest Report - Monday 28th June 2004 - 46 days to go

Our one hundred days to go update in mid-May was issued just prior to the Finn Europeans and since then we've had the Laser Worlds and final qualifier, Spa Regatta, the 470 Europeans and Kieler Woche has just finished. We've finalised our team of nominees and we announced that team and published a 'Team Brochure' on the 10th of June in Dublin. (The brochure also appears as the centrepiece to the current Afloat Magazine). Results have been well reported and also appear in the table at the end so I don't intend to dwell on them other than to note just how difficult it is going to be to finish on the podium in Athens as evidenced by just the one single figure finish (David's 8th at Spa) among all the competition listed.

A word of thanks though to all those who helped make our announcement of nominees event on the 10th of June a success. Bill O'Herlihy hosted the event. David Wilkins and Jamie Wilkinson (our medallists from 1980) attended, as did Alf Delaney who sailed a Swallow on Irelands very first Olympic sailing team back in 1948. The photo shows six of our current team with David, Jamie and Alf. It struck me that Irish sailors have competed in every Olympics since 1948 with the exception of Mexico in '68 and we've got just the one podium finish to show for it.

But back to results and regattas. There is no doubt that we will not begin as favourites to medal in any class but we have earned a healthy respect in several classes and there is little doubt that, as another and better known sports manager puts it, 'if we can get all our ducks in a row' in 46 days time we will, at the very least, be in the frame in a couple of those classes. We're looking for progress and since David and Jamie's medal, way back in 1980, David Burrow's 9th in Sydney represents Sailing's best result. I feel we should certainly better that given the following statistics:

• Our six boats (nine sailors) at Athens equals our biggest ever team in terms of boat numbers. Atlanta's six boats comprised ten sailors on account of the three-man soling, no longer an Olympic Class.
• Five of our six boats are ranked in the top twenty of the ISAF World Rankings reviewed on the 3rd of June last.
• Three of our six boats have previous Olympic experience - David in the Finn, Maria in the Europe and Mark in the Star.
• We have two current medallists among our Athens based support team - Luca Devoti supporting David and Ian Barker supporting Tom and Fraser.
• We have a fine set-up in Athens, its what the sailors wanted and its been worked out in conjunction with our partners the Irish Sports Council and the Olympic Council of Ireland.
• Although Meteorology is far less significant on modern shorter Olympic courses than previously nonetheless we will have the benefit of almost two years of input by a Met research team led by Met Eireann's Willemien Van Hoeve and Julian Salter, professional navigator and personal coach to Maria.

The majority of the team have been in Athens in the past weeks putting in some training hours at the venue from our base at Kalamaki YC just north of Agios Kosmas, the Olympic Venue. Kiel week, the Europe Worlds and the 49er Europeans are the final events before the Olympic regatta begins and all bar David Burrows will be competing one more time before Olympic racing begins on the 14th of August. David meanwhile is continuing his build-up at his training base in Garda, Italy with a small group of the world's best Finn sailors.
Just quickly looking beyond Athens we've gained massively from the experience of the past four years and we will be able to carry that experience forward to 2008. I competed just eight short years ago in 1996 and I know just how different things are now for our top sailors. That's part of the progress and I am really pleased that several of the squad who did not gain Olympic nomination plus one or two who did intend to campaign again for Bejing in 2008. Most have already begun their work so they can 'hit the ground running' in 2005. We have to be ready for that and dates for an early winter briefing of all 2008 potential Olympians will be finalised and published soon. It's important we maintain the momentum.

The ISA will disburse over €700k in various grants under the International Carding Scheme and the Athens Enhancement Plan to our sailors in 2004. Every single cent of that money is ring-fenced by the ISC and the OCI and needs to be accounted for by the ISA for Olympic preparation. Without Olympic sailors and active campaigns we don't get the funds. If we can continue to produce sailors ranked in the top echelons of their respective classes the funds should continue to flow. Along with the substantial funding through ISC we've had some generous assistance from numerous smaller supporting companies and of course many of our individual sailors have developed excellent commercial partnerships with a variety of companies and individuals. It's all contributed to the 'state of readiness' as we approach the 14th of August next.

For now its detail from here to the end of racing on the 28th of August. You can follow the build-up and results of our sailors on www.sailing.ie , which will have up to the minute news on all our sailors as the big event approaches. For information on Ireland's other Olympic sports check out www.olympicsport.ie

Results to date:

2004 Finn European Championship
22 David Burrows. 293 points

470 World Championship
15 Owens Gerald & Killian Ross 94 points

Laser World Championship
70 Rory Fitzpatrick 319

Spa Regatta
Star
11 Mark Mansfield & Killian Collins 80 points
Europe
26 Maria Coleman 144 points
49er
Tom Fitzpatrick & Fraser Brown 94 points
470
Gerald Owens & Ross Killian 129 points
Finn
9 David Burrows 69 points

Garrett Connolly
ISA Olympic Performance Manager

Caption: Front row: Maria Coleman, David Wilkins, Alf Delany, Jamie Wilkinson, and Tom Fitzpatrick. Back row: Rory Fitzpatrick, Killian Collins, Garrett Connolly, Mark Mansfield, and Fraser Brown.

Additional Information

Olympic Campaign 2004

Olympic Campaign 2003

Athens Report 200 Days To Go

Athens Report 150 Days To Go

Athens Report 99 Days To Go

 

Browsealoud

Company Info | History | Projects | Maps | Newsletters | Notices | Port Users | Events | Recreation | Sailing | Tourism | Weather | FAQ | Links | Sitemap | Contact