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Northside sailors set for Australia

Thursday, 22 January 2009

THREE young North Dublin sailors will travel to Perth, Australia, on January 26 to compete in the World Team Sailing Championships. Emer McNally (20), a marketing student, from Skerries, Marty O'Leary (22), an engineering student, from Blanchardstown, and Conor Byrne (25), a journalist from Balbriggan, qualified for the team, along with Brian Fenlon Wexford), Darragh O'Connor (West Cork) and Katie Tingle (Cork). Among other successes, they also won the sailing Intervarsities with the DIT team. The team has been training and competing all winter in all weathers, all over Ireland and the UK. Mr O'Leary and Ms McNally spent the summer in the US learning from the American teams. The three Fingallians are all national champions and are aiming for a podium finish. Temperatures in Perth are expected to be 35 degrees Celcius, and winds of 25 knots. The team raised all funding from private donations, after companies pulled sponsorship deals. The total cost to get there is e14,000. The 12' 'Pacer' dinghies loaned at the venue are unusual outside Australia, but the Irish found a few old training boats very cheap on Ebay UK, and travelled across the water to collect them.