There were 173 teams from 24 countries competing at the International 29er Europeans in Sweden in August, but the five crews sent from Ireland punched way above their weight in a challenging and complex boat, which isn’t for the faint-hearted.
And it seems that inter-provincial mixing of crews is the right way to go, as Dun Laoghaire’s Lucia Cullen (17) and Cork’s Alana Twomey (also 17) inspired each other through a week of racing in difficult wind patterns to clinch the Women’s Gold medal on the last day, a magic result for a crew whose sheer enjoyment of sailing is an inspiration for us all.