Source: Afloat.ie
The new stars of the Irish sailing firmament are Anthony O’Leary (57) of Cork and the successful Commodore’s Cup team. In a gala ceremony in Dublin this afternoon to celebrate the many achievements of our sailors in 2014, O’Leary and his team mates were applauded as the crème de a crème, reflecting his own insistence throughout the exemplary Commodore’s campaign that it was only by a close-knit group effort that success could be obtained.
The sharing of the award – presented in a crowded gathering of Ireland’s diverse sailing community in the Royal College of Surgeons by Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney on behalf of the Irish Sailing Association and Afloat.ie – proved to be doubly appropriate, as O’Leary himself could not be present owing to a longterm commitment to a week-long sailing campaign currently under way in Florida.
However, his son Rob – a former Sailor of the Month himself – accepted the Afloat.ie Sailor of the Month award for June 2014 on his father’s behalf. That award was to celebrate Anthony O’Leary’s success in being the overall winner of the British Open IRC Championship.
But after that, his personal achievements continued at a high level throughout the season, as he became the Helmsmans Champion 2014 early in September racing with the J/80s in Howth, and then later that same month he won through to be the 1720 National Champion racing in Baltimore.
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