Ireland Olympic Sailing Team

murphym7

Just thought I would start this thread off, if anybody wants to discuss how the Irish sailing team is getting on.

BBC One HD on the red button has been fantastic for coverage - spent a good part of yesterday watching the sailing. At work so can't today, although you can follow live action here: http://www.london2012.com/sailing/
just select the race that you want to follow.

Star lads did really well yesterday and Annalise Murphy is sailing up a storm as we speak, she just won the second race of the day - great performance.

Ireland have a good chance of a medal or two out of our sailors this week I think.

VinLieger

Yeah been following it all day, dont have access to the bbc extras so cant watch it but have been discussing it and keeping up to date over in the olympics daily diary thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056710645&page=34

homer911

Just watched the Laser Radial Race 4 on BBC online - Annalise is unstoppable! She had a modest start but made up incredible ground on the first beat

Freiheit

how many races in total? is she likely now to get a medal? Irish rowers/sailors often contended but yet to win an olympic medal ,so would be great if she makes it.

fergal.b

Annalise makes it four out of four. Way to go

homer911

Freiheit wrote: »

how many races in total? is she likely now to get a medal? Irish rowers/sailors often contended but yet to win an olympic medal ,so would be great if she makes it.

The competition format is here:
http://www.london2012.com/sailing/event/laser-radial-women/competition-format/

It looks like all points (minus the discard) carry forward to the medal race

She currently has a 12 point lead

The individual race results and competition standings are here:
http://www.london2012.com/sailing/event/laser-radial-women/phase=saw103904/index.html

The remaining race timetable is here
http://www.london2012.com/sailing/event/laser-radial-women/timetable/

Freiheit

wow with 43 competitors thats an astonishing achievement.....

murphym7

Good recap of Laser racing on RTE 2, Great day for Annalise. Well done!

Maurice O'Connell "Prof" was on, remember the guy well from coaching years ago.

The 49er lads are still in with a good chance, very close between 2nd and 6th places, couple of good races and they will bo looking good.

MyBrokenKnees

I really enjoyed watching today.. I sailed a bit in younger years and watching today reminded me how bad i was lol

murphym7

MyBrokenKnees wrote: »

I really enjoyed watching today.. I sailed a bit in younger years and watching today reminded me how bad i was lol

I was watching some highlights of the Laser racing and my wife was asking me did I really hike out that much when I raced Laser's - its hard to believe that I was actually fit enough back then to do it!

Its a Gin palace on horizon now I think, hiking over the bar for another slice of Lemon!:D

homer911

murphym7 wrote: »

I was watching some highlights of the Laser racing and my wife was asking me did I really hike out that much when I raced Laser's - its hard to believe that I was actually fit enough back then to do it!

Its a Gin palace on horizon now I think, hiking over the bar for another slice of Lemon!:D

LOL - I know what you mean, I'm over 17 stone now..

MyBrokenKnees

murphym7 wrote: »

I was watching some highlights of the Laser racing and my wife was asking me did I really hike out that much when I raced Laser's - its hard to believe that I was actually fit enough back then to do it!

Its a Gin palace on horizon now I think, hiking over the bar for another slice of Lemon!:D

lol yes i make a Laser look like a topper these days

whatever_

homer911 wrote: »

Just watched the Laser Radial Race 4 on BBC online - Annalise is unstoppable! She had a modest start but made up incredible ground on the first beat

At this stage it looks like the medals will probably come from the sailors in the first five positions. Here are the height / weight statistics:

1 AM Ireland 185cm/ 72kg
2 Belgium 172cm/ 70kg
3 France 177cm/ 66kg
4 UK 181cm/ 67kg
5 China 176cm/ 60kg

So AM has a clear mechanical advantage over all the other leading competitors in windy conditions.

The good news - it's looking windy for the next two days of Radial racing (Fri/ Sat).

The bad news - the forcecast for Monday (medal race) is for light winds.

Snickers Man

Question:

What happens if two competitors are level on points after the medal race? How do they determine the winner? Do they take into account the "discarded" race from the first 10 or is there another means of separating competitors?

Can't find it on the Olympics website.

neris

Snickers Man wrote: »

Question:

What happens if two competitors are level on points after the medal race? How do they determine the winner? Do they take into account the "discarded" race from the first 10 or is there another means of separating competitors?

Can't find it on the Olympics website.

Sometimes it can depend on the regatta how they decide the winner of a tie. Usually its done on who had the most 1sts then 2nds and so on

Steve

Yup - number of firsts seconds thirds etc is the normal tiebreak method under ISAF rules.

It can be changed by the regatta rules but that's unlikely for this event.

Edit: Looks like this could happen in the Finn class if Ainsley wins and the Dane gets second.

fergal.b

Nail biting reading the race on FB http://www.facebook.com/AnnaliseMurphySailing Annalise now in joint 3rd for the race on monday, any of the top 4 can win it going to be a good one.

Snickers Man

The maths of it are deliciously and cruelly simple: there are four girls in the hunt for the medals. (One each from China, Belgium, Netherlands and Ireland) Three will go home with something. The fourth will take back only memories.

The medals will be awarded in the order in which those four finish on Monday.

Annalise Murphy can do it. All she needs is a little belief.

Now's your time girl. **** Rio. Go get it on Monday.

And good luck

TheVoodoo

By the sounds of it in Dun Laoghaire today, half the Nash' is heading across for the medal race! Best of luck to her, heres hoping for strong wind.

neris

Some one from ireland sent a good email/article to sailing anarchy during theweek about peter oleary and him betting on ian percey in 2008. Showed up the typicalirish begrudery and media stupidity we have now a days

locum-motion

Snickers Man wrote: »

...The medals will be awarded in the order in which those four finish on Monday...

The GBR girl in 5th is 18/19 points behind the first four. If she wins the race, she finishes ahead of any of the top four who score a DNF or level with Annelise or the BEL girl if they are 10th.

Barring that, your analysis is correct.

murphym7

Looks like light airs again today - force 2 most likely. This won't help Annalise, best of luck to her though. I'll be watching.

John_Rambo

Hard luck to Murphy... those light downwind legs did her no favours. Incredible performance from Annalisa, best Irish result in Olympic sailing since 1980.

ROCKMAN

OK FIRST OF ALL WELL DONE GIRL ...YOU DID US PROUD...

but can i ask as a first time viewer.....
why did she keep going down the same route on all three downwind legs surely after the first leg where she dropped from 1st to 9th and the 2nd leg think she dropped from 2nd to 8th-ish she'd would have changed her tactics for the last leg after again getting brillantly back into it ?

I'm not knocking her efforts as i havn't a glue about the sport I'd just like to know the educated reasons behind her unchanging tactics ?

nipps

ROCKMAN wrote: »

OK FIRST OF ALL WELL DONE GIRL ...YOU DID US PROUD...

but can i ask as a first time viewer.....
why did she keep going down the same route on all three downwind legs surely after the first leg where she dropped from 1st to 9th and the 2nd leg think she dropped from 2nd to 8th-ish she'd would have changed her tactics for the last leg after again getting brillantly back into it ?

I'm not knocking her efforts as i havn't a glue about the sport I'd just like to know the educated reasons behind her unchanging tactics ?

there was nothing she could do, the tactics were fine. it's just she was the heaviest of the four going for medals and the wind wasn't as strong as it was earlier in the competition. because of this she was quick upwind, but she suffered downwind since the others were lighter and therefore quicker. had the wind been a few knots stronger she would have done better as she is suited to stronger winds.

at the end of the day she had a great olympics and did the country proud. four 1st's in a row is a great achievement. dont forget she's only 22 so theres more to come for sure.

mrboswell

nipps wrote: »

there was nothing she could do, the tactics were fine. it's just she was the heaviest of the four going for medals and the wind wasn't as strong as it was earlier in the competition. because of this she was quick upwind, but she suffered downwind since the others were lighter and therefore quicker. had the wind been a few knots stronger she would have done better as she is suited to stronger winds.

at the end of the day she had a great olympics and did the country proud. four 1st's in a row is a great achievement. dont forget she's only 22 so theres more to come for sure.

Not sure it was all down to just weight. Even the Belgian sailer said that she went left down wind all last week and was wrong but stayed right today and it paid off for her.

I guess we will never know but I reckon Annalise would have medaled if she stayed right on final the down wind leg.

Fair play to Annalise she sailed great over the 11 races.

Snickers Man

locum-motion wrote: »

The GBR girl in 5th is 18/19 points behind the first four. If she wins the race, she finishes ahead of any of the top four who score a DNF or level with Annelise or the BEL girl if they are 10th.

Barring that, your analysis is correct.

I've piddled about with Toppers and Lasers in my youth but never competitively so I will bow to the superior wisdom of anybody with the slightest knowledge of race sailing.

However DON'T MESS WITH MY MATHS!!

The only way the British girl could have medalled was if TWO of the top four had been disqualified. Could have happened, but highly unlikely.

If only one of the top two had been disqualified, and the British girl had won she would have finished on 54 points, and if Annalise or the Belgian had finished last they would have been in 9th place, received 18pts and finished with a total of 52. So she would still have been outside the medals.

All academic now. Great shame for Annalise Murphy. Fantastic performance. Maybe it will inspire more kids to get into sailing and the Sports Council to facilitate more sailing schools around the country. Enthusiasm is the foundation stone of any sporting culture.

We should have more people in sailing. We're a feckin' island, FFS!

fergal.b

Too true Snickers Man as an island nation we need to try and get more kids out on the water and I'm sure the likes of Annalise and the others will help with this. We are lucky here on the East coast as there are quite a few sailing clubs that are very active Skerries for one cater for everything from optimist to cruising yachts so if anyone would like their kids from the age of 8 to get involved just contact the club http://www.skerriessailingclub.com/jnr_home.html I'm sure this is the same in clubs all over the country and it's up to us as parents to try and get the kids away from the xbox/PS3 and TV's and out on the water.

PS. I tried this with my daughter but failed miserably she hates the water "we can but try":D

Esroh

Well done Annelise. You did yourself and Sailing in Ireland and the rest of us proud.


Now can I be the first to ask the Irish Sports Council to guarantee Annelise all her funding for the next 4 years. No messing with regards to results in championships during this time. Aim for Rio and Rio only all other championships should be stepping stones.
And this should be added to the Sailing Ireland funding not taken from it.
If this cannot be done than
Step back in time to a old eastern bloc trick, give her a commission in the Navy and let them write off her wages(grant). She could be a poster girl for the Defence forces.

John_Rambo

Can't believe she's sailing at this level at 22 years of age, she's showing maturity way beyond her years, this is seriously technical sailing along with tough physical conditions. Don't forget she's on her own, no crew mates to talk things over!! Even golfers have their caddies. Lets hope for high winds in Rio.

Tea 1000

fergal.b wrote: »

Too true Snickers Man as an island nation we need to try and get more kids out on the water and I'm sure the likes of Annalise and the others will help with this. We are lucky here on the East coast as there are quite a few sailing clubs that are very active Skerries for one cater for everything from optimist to cruising yachts so if anyone would like their kids from the age of 8 to get involved just contact the club http://www.skerriessailingclub.com/jnr_home.html I'm sure this is the same in clubs all over the country and it's up to us as parents to try and get the kids away from the xbox/PS3 and TV's and out on the water.

PS. I tried this with my daughter but failed miserably she hates the water "we can but try":D

Not only an island, but we have many in-land lakes, way more per sq mile than the UK. Sailing is under-promoted, but hopefully thanks to Annalise's fantastic efforts, less so from now on!