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Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Olympians give a splash course in the art of high-speed sailing
As the newbie in The Irish Times sports department, I am still quite excited by assignments that a more seasoned (or sensible) reporter might turn down. That's how I found myself in Dún Laoghaire , waiting to go out on a Team Ireland 49er – my first assignment that required a safety briefing. Despite having never sailed, I needn't have worried. My crew, two-time Olympians Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove , had more than enough experience to go around. Removed from the other Olympic sports which are largely based in Abbotstown, Irish Sailing's HQ is nestled behind the Commissioners of Irish Lights building near the west pier in Dún Laoghaire. By their own admission it's not the finished article. READ MORE Set up in 2019, it's comprised of three blue shipping containers – one a store, another a briefing room, the third a small gym – arranged in a U-formation. They use the changing facilities in the Irish Lights building. On the weekends, when the building is closed, they have to do without. And yet, what they do have they clearly use to great effect. Dickson and Waddilove are currently ranked fourth in the world in the men's skiff, Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon are ranked seventh and 11th respectively in the ILCA 7 class, while Eve McMahon recently became the first Irish sailor to achieve a number one world ranking , claiming the ILCA 6 top spot. All use Dún Laoghaire as their Ireland training base. ♦♦♦♦ Of course, there's a reason for the invite. Team Ireland has renewed its partnership with Flogas, which also provides funding for athletes through its Performance Programme. For Dickson and Waddilove, that money will go towards getting outside expertise to help them with strategy and tactics. While they smile for the cameras, I nab Irish Sailing's performance director James O'Callaghan for a chat, and he tells me their master plan. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have given them permission to use the old lifeguard tower – a few minutes' walk up the marina from their current base – as a training facility. The catch? The building needs renovating to the tune of €3 million and Irish Sailing must foot the bill. 13 June 2025; The Irish Times journalist Muireann Duffy and Irish Olympic sailor Robert Dickson at Irish Sailing Performance HQ in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin as Flogas renew their partnership with Team Ireland through to LA 2028. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile *** NO REPRODUCTION FEE *** But O'Callaghan believes they now have a trump card which might get things moving – Dún Laoghaire has been picked to host next year's ILCA (Laser) World Championships, so they're lobbying the Government to get funding to bring the old lifeguard tower into use before then. ♦♦♦♦ Unsurprisingly, I came utterly unprepared in terms of kit, but thankfully I get the kind donation of waterproof overalls, a wetsuit top, neoprene boots, gloves, a helmet and a life jacket. It's my best look yet. O'Callaghan chats us through the T&Cs and then Dickson is tasked with leading the dry run. I'm put in a harness and shown how to hook myself to the trapeze which allows you to fully extend over the side of the boat while standing on the wing to counterbalance the wind in the sails. After the briefing I'm all but certain I'll be taking an impromptu swim, but it's a sunny day so I reason that I'll at least dry off quickly. Dickson and Waddilove launch the boat from the marina while O'Callaghan takes the rest of us out on a rib (that's a 'rigid inflatable boat' for the non-mariners among us). Once the lads get the 49er into open water, we're struggling to keep up with them. Irish Times journalist Muireann Duffy and Irish Olympic sailor Robert Dickson at Irish Sailing Performance HQ in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. Photograph: Seb Daly/ Sports File Dickson steers from the back while Waddilove is his eyes up front, feeding him information on what's ahead and letting up and down the sail as needed. They make it look effortless and it's no wonder, their partnership has spanned over a decade and seen them to the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games. Then comes my turn. The lads manoeuvre the 49er alongside the rib allowing me to clamber aboard. Space is at a premium, so Waddilove makes way, safe in the knowledge that I'm unlikely to threaten his spot in the team. Once I've managed to hook myself to the trapeze, Dickson has us on our way and it's time to get to standing. Scooting out to the edge of the left wing, the trapeze linked to the mast taking my weight, I have to lean backwards over the side until my legs are fully extended and I'm at a 45-degree angle over the water. The lads had assured me that falling backwards isn't likely to happen because of the harness, unless I accidently manage to unhook myself, but that does little to ease the fear. Being so far reclined gives the same sensation of when you lean too far back in your chair and your life flashes before your eyes. We're hurtling north out beyond the west pier at a rate of knots (literally) and you best believe I'm hanging on to the trapeze rope for dear life (something I later come to learn was a useless exercise as it increased the chances of me accidently unhooking my harness). Irish Times journalist Muireann Duffy and Irish Olympic sailor Robert Dickson at Irish Sailing Performance HQ in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. Photograph: Seb Daly/ Sports File The 49er glides through the water to start but as we pick up pace it starts to bounce over the waves, and I have to fight against the momentum to not end up flying forward into the side of the boat. Thankfully it's not too loud, because I need distracting from the thought that I'm going to fall, so I subject Dickson to a barrage of quick-fire questions. He has things well under control boat-wise, so with two of us hanging over the side of a boat, I get some interesting titbits. Dickson started sailing as a very young child; winter conditions in Ireland make it hard to train for any lengthy spell so they instead head to places like Portugal on training camps; and the 49er can hit speeds of 45km/h (or 25 knots if you want the proper lingo). How about that for an interview under pressure? He tries to show me how they can tell there's wind up ahead by the darkening of the water, but with that he's lost me. ♦♦♦♦ Back on dry land, the three of us sit down in the aforementioned gym container. After I thank them for not letting me get stranded at sea, we start by talking about the recent European Championships in Greece where they finished just outside the medals. 'I think the result maybe doesn't reflect the performance so much because we did actually have a lot of good races,' says Dickson. 'Unfortunately in the last race we had a crash with a German boat who didn't see us. It cost us a few too many points. We still had a chance going into the medal race, but we just didn't quite do enough.' But the overarching feeling is positive. The pair are still in the early stages of their return from a post-Olympic break having finished fourth at the Games. Irish Times journalist Muireann Duffy and Irish Olympic sailor Robert Dickson at Irish Sailing Performance HQ in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. Photograph: Seb Daly/ Sports File '[Paris] was our best performance to date, and after the debrief we all agreed that we could go one better,' says Waddilove. On aiming for a third Olympics, he adds: 'It was quite a straightforward decision, and we believe we have the right team in place with the coaches and all the support staff, so that kind of guided the decision as well.' [ The agonising story of how two Irish sailors lost out on an Olympic medal Opens in new window ] Fourth in Paris came after a difficult start in the medal race. The flag to indicate a false start was raised, the lads weren't sure whether they were at fault so turned back to restart to avoid disqualification. The sickener was they hadn't jumped the start at all. 'We know we can do better than that, and I don't think it would feel right to leave it at fourth place,' Waddilove adds. Irish Times journalist Muireann Duffy and Irish Olympic sailor Robert Dickson at Irish Sailing Performance HQ in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. Photograph: Seb Daly/ Sports File 'If Paris hadn't gone the way it did, we could be sat here feeling like we're never going to be able to get close to it,' Dickson chimes in. 'But actually we did get very close. 'Even though we just missed out, it gives you more confidence that we're right there, we only need a little bit to actually achieve that medal.' The next Games may be three years away, but the medals that will catch the light of the LA sun are currently being earned in the shadows. In that regard, Dickson and Waddilove won't be found wanting. 'There's not really any magic bullet,' Dickson says of their approach for LA. 'You'd love to be able to say you can change it all up and do something completely different, but at the end of the day it's just going out and repeating the exact same things over and over a hundred times, and that's the thing that gets you better. 'There'll be small changes, and that's all really it's going to take, because we're very close, we're not reinventing the wheel.' There may yet be difficult waters up ahead, the path to the Olympics rarely runs smooth, but this pair have shown they're capable. Stick to the plan and the winds of LA may yet blow in their favour.
Irish Daily Mirror
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland's Eve McMahon becomes world sailing number one
Dublin sailor Eve McMahon is now rated as the number one sailor in the World Sailing rankings. It is an incredible feat for the 21-year-old, who trains in Howth Sailing Club. She jumped from twelfth to first in the standings after her strong Olympics last year in addition to a bronze medal at the ILCA World Championships in China last month. She came 11th in Paris last year but impressed on the way. She is just one of a number of sailors spurring on Irish sailing, as Olympians Robert Dickson, Sean Waddilove and Finn Lynch are also doing well. McMahon's brother Ewan is also a strong sailor, reaching 11th place in the rankings. The Performance Director at Irish Sailing, James O'Callaghan said: 'To have five senior athletes ranked so high globally is a remarkable achievement and a true reflection of the depth of talent in Irish sailing. "For Eve to reach World Number One at just 21 years of age is exceptional. It proves, once again, that Ireland consistently punches above its weight on the international stage in sailing. "But, whilst these ranking are a significant and welcome marker, our athletes remain focused on delivering at key events.' In more good news for Irish sailing, it was recently announced that the 2026 ILCA World Championships will be held in Dun Laoghaire, providing a chance to see our Irish Olympians in home waters. The glory days are set to continue for Irish sailing, even though it is a long way to go towards the next Olympics in Los Angeles.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
USD 259 leadership to discuss new AI policy
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Wichita Public Schools could have students using AI to complete assignments as soon as next year. The district's new AI policy is being presented to the school board on Monday night and is already facing pushback. The district says students are already using AI to help with schoolwork. Officials say they've been training teachers on how to customize lessons using the technology. The new policy puts parameters around when and how teachers can instruct students to use AI to complete assignments. District leaders say AI is here, and they need to adapt. 'Being the largest school district in Kansas, we've got to lead the way in this in creating a safe environment for AI, as much as it's going to change everything, right?' Robert Dickson, CIO for Wichita Public Schools, said. 'Be able to practice it in a safe and secure manner.' Dickson says the district will have measures to protect students' privacy. Via Christi partners with high schools to expose students to health care careers The union representing Wichita teachers has concerns about how the policy came about. 'It would be amazing if they would talk to teachers first, because we have been active and involved in this process in United Teachers of Wichita,' Mike Harris, the vice president of United Teachers of Wichita, said. Harris says the district hasn't engaged with the union on discussions about AI implementation. He's worried they're pushing through a policy without consulting educators first. Harris says different teachers are at different levels of comfort with AI use. He says everyone has to be on board for implementation to work. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
