Optimist Qualifier Coaching Starts on Sunday 20th January at 10am

The Royal Cork Optimists had a most successful year last year resulting in 23 boats qualifying for the World and European Trials to be held in Howth and Kinsale in April and May this year.

Coaching has been organised for all qualifiers (full list below) to allow them to realise their potential at the trials and this starts on Sunday 20^th under the leadership of Nin O’Leary who is going to be assisted by George Kennefick and Caoimhe Burns.

Nin was one of the most successful Optimist sailors ever in the club and is highly regarded as a coach. George was also a very successful Optimist sailor who represented Ireland at the 2003 Worlds. Caoimhe has been coaching in the club for a number of years.

Our locally-based group of coaches will be augmented by overseas coaches from time to time. The first of these visits will be on the weekend of the 26^th / 27^th January when Massimo Giorgiani will be visiting from Italy.

Note that IODAI are organising Munster regional coaching on Sunday 3^rd February and Sunday 24^th February in Crosshaven. Additionally, the traditional Schull Training Camp will take place during the February half-term break from 11^th-15^th February.

Here is the provisional coaching schedule up to the trials (note that in all cases coaching starts at 10am sharp):

January

                Sunday 20^th – RCYC Local Coaching

                Saturday 26^th & Sunday 27^th – RCYC Local Coaching with Massimo Giorgani

February

                Sunday 3^rd – IODAI Munster Coaching – Crosshaven

                Monday 11^th – Friday 15^th – Schull Training Camp

                Sunday 24^th – IODAI Munster Coaching – Crosshaven

March

                Sunday 2^nd – RCYC Local Coaching

                Sunday 9^th – RCYC Local Coaching

                Sunday 16^th – RCYC Local Coaching

                No coaching on Easter weekend as many sailors will be away in Brassemermeer

                Wednesday 26^th – Friday 28^th – RCYC Local Coaching

April

                Saturday 5^th & Sunday 6^th – RCYC Local Coaching – perhaps in Howth

                Sunday 13^th – RCYC Local Coaching

                     Friday 18^th – Sunday 20^th – First Weekend of Trials – Howth

                Saturday 26^th & Sunday 27^th – RCYC Local Coaching – in Kinsale

May

                      Saturday 3^rd – Monday 5^th – 2^nd Weekend of Trials – Kinsale

The full list of qualifiers is – Richard Harrington, Killian O'Keeffe, Philip Brownlow, Conor Lyden, Kirsti O'Flynn, Amy Harrington, Paul Martin, Brendan Lyden, Peter McCann, Amy-Kate Trevor, Seafra Guilfoyle, Cian Byrne, Julie Tingle, Richard Roberts, Alexandra Morehead, Chloe Crosbie, John Durcan, Tom Morehead, Patrick Crosbie, Vikki Cudmore, Katherine Geoghegan, Christopher Phelan, and David Whitaker.