YOUR 2023 IRISH SAILING AWARD NOMINEES ...
The annual Irish Sailing Awards will take place on Friday 22nd March in Howth Yacht Club, Co. Dublin.
The Irish Sailing Awards recognise both the young talent representing Ireland on the international stage and the clubs, volunteers and training centres who are setting standards in leadership and teaching.
One of the highlights of the evening will be the hotly contested Irish Sailor of the Year Award presented by Afloat Magazine which will be chosen from a wide pool of nominees representing all fields of sailing. This year will also see three new Awards up for grabs including Class of the Year, Secondary School of the Year and the inaugural Woman on the Water Award, a special award celebrating female success and contribution to the sport of sailing.
As always, the range of talent is impressive with the annual battle for Irish Sailor of the Year including Olympic hopefuls Finn Lynch, Eve McMahon and Robert Dickson & Seán Waddilove, Offshore legends Pamela Lee and Tom Dolan, UCD’s 1st's Team who took a historic win at the British Team Racing Varsities, Wicklow rowers Tom Nolan, Shane Culleton, Derek McMullen, and brothers Diarmuid and Gearoid O Briain who were all part of the ‘Row Hard or Go Home’ crew who set an east-west record from the Canaries during their Atlantic crossing and many, many MORE ...
Nominated for the Youth Sailor of the Year category are Sienna Wright of Howth Yacht Club who took home bronze at the Youth Sailing World Championships in Brazil, Lucia Cullen and Alana Twomey, European 29er Female Champions, Ben O’ Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain of the National Yacht Club and Royal Cork Yacht Club respectively, Irish National 29er Champions, European Overall 29er Champions who then also took Bronze in their class in Brazil, David Evans of Sligo Yacht Club, u19 winner at the Mirror Worlds, Clemintine and Nathan Van Steenberge, 29er World Champions from National Yacht Club and 4.2 Topper World Champion Rory Wright of Royal Cork Yacht Club.
Of the new categories, Irish Sailing is particularly proud to present the Woman on the Water Award which boasts three nominees, all of whom continue to inspire and promote Irish sailing on domestic and international platforms.
Tim Bourke, CEO of Irish Sailing said, “2023 has been a terrific year for Irish Sailing. We are particularly looking forward to celebrating the achievements of our youth sailors who continue to punch well above their weight on the international stage as well as acknowledging the hard, important work done by Clubs, Training Centres, instructors, coaches and volunteers throughout the country. With an Olympic year beckoning, we look forward with ambition and optimism at the future of Irish Sailing.”
We look forward to an evening filled with celebrating the best in our sport!
FULL DETAIL OF ALL NOMINEE'S
IRISH SAILOR OF THE YEAR
- Anthony O’Leary - Cape 31
- Chris Bateman – 29er&49er
- David Beattie
- Russell Bolger – Junior Champion
- Lucia Cullen & Alana Twomey - 29er
- Barry Cunningham – J109 National Champion
- Rob Dickson & Sean Waddilove – Olympic Qualification 49er
- Tom Dolan - Figaro
- Harry Dunne - Opti
- Jame Dwyer - Swuzzlebubble
- Cian Guilfoyle – Cara (Rolex Fastnet Race Winner)
- Jack Fahy & UCD Sailing 1st – Oxford Top gun Winner’s and British Varsities winners
- David Kenefick - 1720
- Pamela Lee – Transat Jacque Vabre
- Finn Lynch – Olympic Qualification ILCA 7
- Gary McMahon
- Cian McCarthy & Sam Hunt
- Eve McMahon - Olympic Qualification ILCA 6
- Micheal O’Suilleabhain & UCC Sailing – Student Yachting Nationals and Varisities Champions
- John Minnis
- John Murphy
- Aongus O’Cualain
- Niall & Ronan O’Brian
- Seamus O’Connor
- Don O’Dowd
- Ron O’Hanley - Privateer
- Paul O’Higgins - J109
- Ben O’Shaughnessy & Ethan Spain – 29er European Champions
- David O’Shea
- Tiernan Roe
- Duncan Sclare
- Lawrie Smith
- Tom Higgins, UCD Sailing – Match Racing
- Clementine & Nathan Van Steenberge – 29er World Champions
- Rory Whyte - Topper
- Rocco Wright – ILCA 6
- Sienna Wright – Bronze at ILCA 6 Youth Worlds
- Ann Kirwin – Service to Sailing
- Nigel Young & Will Byrne - offshore
- Cillian Dickson & Headcase
- Wicklow Rowers, Go Hard Or Go Home
SEE FULL DETAILS HERE
IRISH YOUTH SAILOR OF THE YEAR
- Ben O'Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain, NYC & RCYC
- Clementine Van Steenberge, NYC
- Lucia Cullen & Alana Twomey, RSGYC, NYC & RCYC
- Rory Whyte, WHSC, RCYC
- Sienna, Wright, HYC
- David Evans, SYC
IRISH SAILING CRUISING AWARD
- Cormac MacDonnacha, Galway Bay Sailing Club
- Catherine O'Brien, Dungarvan Harbour Yacht Club
- Trish and Justin McDonough, Crosshaven Cork
CLUB OF THE YEAR
- Bantry Sailing Club
- Howth Yacht Club
- Galway Bay Sailing Club
TRAINING CENTRE OF THE YEAR
- PowerBoat West
- Heir Island Sailing School
- Irish Offshore Sailing
CLASS OF THE YEAR
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
- Margaret Hynes, Cullaun Sailing Club
- Maurice Collins, Royal Cork Yacht Club
- Kathryn Kingston, Bantry Bay Sailing Club
- Fintan Cairns, Dun Laoghaire Harbour
- Aisling Gillen, Sligo Yacht Club
- Kevin Doyle, Royal Saint George Yacht Club
SCHOOL OF THE YEAR
- St.Andrew's College
- Schull Community College
- Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin an Cheathru Rua
EQUALITY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD
- Leonie Conway, Sailing into Wellness
- Joanne Murphy, Watersports Inclusion Games
- Noel Conlon, Mayo Sailing Club
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR
- Sophie Crosbie, Royal Cork Yacht Club
- Adam Roche , Killaloe Sailing & UL Adventure
- Cian Lynch, Royal St George Yacht Club
WOMEN ON THE WATER AWARD
- Pamela Lee, Offshore Sailing
- Katy Mullins, Sailing into Wellness
- Aideen Kilkealy, Galway Hookers Sailing Club
PRESIDENT'S AWARD
This is a special award in recognition of outstanding achievement Irish sailing.