The SailFleet J80 Sportsboats will have their inaugural outing on the weekend of October 6/7th when they will be used in the 2007 ISA All Ireland Sailing Championship. Historically the ISA have used borrowed boats for this competition and without the generosity of those boat owners this championship could not have
grown to what it is today...
SailFleet brings a new dimension to the All Ireland Sailing Championship, which is now in its 60th year.
Using the new SailFleet boats, the invited senior competitors will race the eight J80’s in a series of races before qualifying for Sunday’s final as they chase the title of All Ireland Sailing Champion. The quality of competition continues to grow with many our top sailors vying for a place at the championship. For 2007 each invited senior sailor can choose their own crew (2) to race the SailFleet J80’s.
Grant aided under the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, Sports Capital Programme 2006, and with the support of eight Founding Sponsors, SailFleet aims to broaden the accessibility of sailing and to improve the performance of Irish competitive sailors by providing them with access to a world class fleet of modern keelboats.
ISA President Robert Dix explained, “SailFleet will provide great opportunities to expand participation in our sport. We are targeting the growing interest in match racing and additionally will be able to provide an introduction to sailing to those who may not otherwise have access to a boat.”
Commenting on the support SailFleet has received to date, Dix continued, “I would like to acknowledge the support of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and our Founding Sponsors, six of whom I can acknowledge today: Dun Laoghaire Marina, Dyno-Rod, The Irish Examiner, KPMG, McCann FitzGerald and Smart Telecom. All support the SailFleet vision and I look forward to the success of this new initiative in the coming years.”
The J80 sportsboat was selected as the most suitable keelboat for SailFleet following a thorough selection process by the SailFleet Working Group. All eight J80’s will be equipped with road trailers to facilitate transport to race and training events around the country. The J80 is used by other national sailing federations and provides a very suitable platform for all key users.
Concluding Robert Dix said, “We look forward to establishing SailFleet as an asset to the development of Irish sailing. I am grateful to all involved, particularly our sponsors, for making this happen in time for this year’s Championship. I know they will join with me in wishing all competitors the very best for the ISA All Ireland.”
