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Irish ILCA National Championships Coaching Tour
Background and Overview
Join SailCoach for this coaching tour at the 50th Anniversary Irish National Championships, hosted at Ballyholme Yacht Club in Bangor, County Down. This milestone regatta is a cornerstone of Irish sailing and promises a fantastic blend of competitive racing and community spirit. Set against the backdrop of Belfast Lough’s dynamic conditions, the event draws top ILCA talent from across Ireland and beyond. With decades of tradition and a strong racing pedigree, Ballyholme YC offers SailCoach athletes the chance to develop their racing skills on a technical and challenging racecourse, all within a supportive and well-organised championship environment.
As we celebrate our 30th year, SailCoach continues to lead the way with our Coaching Models, providing specialist, on-the-water support during this key regatta. With three decades of experience, you can rely on us to deliver the confidence, structure, and high-level guidance needed for success. Our Day Coaching service at this year’s ILCA Irish Nationals is designed for sailors who have already taken care of their own regatta entry, accommodation, and logistics but want professional race day support. You’ll work with one of our experienced coaches, often with Olympic-level credentials, in a small group setting, typically no more than six sailors per coach, ensuring personalised feedback and tactical insights. For added convenience, SailCoach also offers ILCA Dinghy charter boats for rent.
Learning Goals
At the 2025 ILCA Irish Nationals, the SailCoach team will focus on improving your regatta preparation skills. Our coaches will work with you daily, setting up a structured plan and goals for the upcoming regatta. You’ll learn important details about preparing for events, ensuring you’re informed and ready.
Additionally, our coaches will teach you how to adapt to different weather conditions and handle the pressures of high-level competition. A big part of this will be developing and using effective race strategies. You’ll get better at analysing races and refining your tactics, with our coaches giving you helpful feedback and showing you how to assess your own performance. This coaching will prepare you to compete like leading athletes prepare.
Success in sports doesn’t happen overnight, it requires a lot of time and effort. With our coaching, you will have learned the right ways to prepare for a championship. Therefore, we recommend you continue to train and compete regularly to hone these techniques and skills.
A typical day
The day would start with a morning briefing, looking over the weather forecasting and communicating anything important from the coaches meeting and specific points to note for the days racing. The SailCoach coaches will offer you coaching support afloat, such as towing if necessary, to get to the starting line. Carry any bags with food and spare parts, along with a jacket to keep warm between races.
The day finishes with a post-race debrief and discussion of the day’s events. In some cases, our coaches will make briefings individually, going around the boat park before or after racing, depending on the circumstances. We advise our sailors to settle any protest differences on the water or in the boat park when possible. However, we will be there to support you during protests if all else fails.
Numbers will be limited on this coaching tour, so you are advised to book early.
Regatta Day Coaching:
About our ILCA Irish Nationals coaching support program. The “day coaching” option is for young sailors who would like to stay with their parents and have our coaching staff look after everything on the water. The “day coaching” package offers wide-ranging regatta support and includes a morning briefing, on-water coaching support, and a debrief at the end of each day.
The Program:
11th of August 2025
Arrive at Belfast International Airport (BFS) or George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD), and be met by SailCoach’s friendly coaching staff member, who will take you to Ballyholme, the venue for this year’s Irish Nationals.
12th and 14th of August 2025
During familiarisation days, SailCoach will be training at the regatta venue for three days before the event. It gives sailors a chance to get over jet lag and gain valuable knowledge of the area. Our coaches will help you develop a “Game Plan” strategy and provide you with video analysis that may perfect your boat handling and speed.
Having the right preparation is a must when going into an important event. These pre-regatta days will also help you get to know our coaches, a significant advantage when racing begins.
15th to the 17th of August 2025
Racing starts in the 2025 ILCA Irish Nationals, in what promises to be a tough event, ahead lies three days of racing, However, don’t worry, SailCoach’s experienced coaching staff will be there with you giving you all the support you need on and off the water to help you reach your goals.
ILCA Irish Nationals Day Coaching Package
The “day coaching” package is for young sailors who would like to stay with their parents and have our coaching staff look after everything on the water. The “day coaching” package offers wide-ranging regatta support and includes a morning briefing, on-water coaching support, and a debrief at the end of each day.
ILCA Dinghy Charter Boat Options
If you need an ILCA Dinghy charter for a regatta, we would be happy to organise this for you. Those taking part in one of our coaching packages, please ask us for our special rate. We have a policy that does not charge for any extra training days prior to the regatta.
To book a place and get a price for this Day Coaching, please e-mail us at [email protected]
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