The sailors of Northern Ireland have only one goal in their mind and that it to make it really big at the 2020 Tokyo campaign.
They have started their preparations and racing for the prestigious event. The NI sailors are taking part in plenty of events to get more and more racing exposure so that they get fully prepared for the hard road ahead in Tokyo. They are all determined to bring home medals for the country and to make the country proud.
The Strangford Lough Yacht Club’s Robbie Gilmore and Matt McGovern of the Ballyholme Yacht Club joined together for the very first time to take part in the men’s 49er class in Holland’s Delta Lloyd Regatta and finished in the 16htv position. This is a very good showing by the new pair in their first outing as a team. Richard Honeyford, the RYANI’s COO, feels that the duo has made very good progress in the event. They narrowly missed finishing in the 10th spot after a difficult day of racing.
They are both gelling well as a unit and everyone in NI is looking forward to their participation in the forthcoming 49er European event in Germany.
The Rio Olympics representative from Northern Ireland, Finn Lynch from Blessington finished in the 10thposition in the Gold fleet. Oisin McClelland from Donaghadee Sailing Club and Ballyholme Yacht Club is also making good strides in the men’s heavyweight Finn Class and has set his focus on getting to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifying standard. He came in the 30th and 21st position by a nation at the Finn Europeans in Marseille.
The Northern Ireland sailors are training very hard in order to make it to Tokyo 2020.They have the reminder of the 2017 season to compete in a few events and make it through the qualification process that starts in 2018.