By Gary Anderson

August 19 - KINSALE hARBOUR oneKinsale Yacht Club in Cork, Ireland will play host to more than 100 competitors from 18 countries this week as the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) World Sailing Championships take place from August 22 to 30.


Cork County Council (CCC) are the main sponsors of the World Championships, which represent the first major international gathering of top Paralympic sailors since London 2012 and will see 75 crews competing across all three Paralympic keelboat fleets including Sonar, Skud 18 and 2.4 metre solo.

Germany's even-time world 2.4m champion and London 2012 silver medallist Heiko Kroger is one of a number of top names set to take to the waters in the Kinsale harbour which will also see Championship winning crews from New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, the United States and Russia as well as from Norway, Italy, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Britain.

The Sonar event will also see the first time the British crew of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas will come up against Norwegian trio Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Marie Solberg and Per Eugen Kristiansen, who were controversially awarded bronze in London last year after the British crew were penalised for interfering with their boat in between races.

German Heiko Kroger will be looking to better his London 2012 silver medal during the World Championships in KinsaleGerman Heiko Kroger will be looking to better his London 2012 silver medal during the World Championships in Kinsale

























The Dutch and German crews who claimed gold and silver in the Paralympics will also be taking part.

"Preparations have been taking place for almost 18 months," said chairman of the Organising Committee, John Stallard.

"The clubhouse has been completely refurbished with more additional access and other facilities for disabled sailors installed and also by Kinsale and Cork County Councils in the town itself under the direction of area engineer Brendan Fehily and Dan Cummins and contractor Barry Ryan.

"All of this will be a legacy going forward of benefit to all the community."

This will represent the first time the IFDS World Championships will have been staged in Ireland following a successful bid headed by current IFDS President and Kinsale native John Twomey, which saw the Irish town secure hosting rights four years ago, up against bids from Australia, Canada and China.

The club has previously hosted the Irish National Disabled Sailing Championships as well as the Sovereigns Cup, Le Figaro and other major events.

British Sonar crew John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas will be competing in KinsaleBritish Sonar crew John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas will be competing in Kinsale

Indeed, Twomey, 57, will take to the waters again to compete in the Sonar class with fellow crewmen Anthony Hegarty and Ian Costello, as the ten-time Paralympian shelved plans to retire earlier so he could compete in his home Championships.

"I always had my eye on the fact that the 2013 Worlds would be in my home club, and that's an opportunity that is too good to miss," said Twomey earlier this year.

"There is no way that I could pass up a chance like this when the event is on my own doorstep."

Registration and measurement of boats, sails and equipment will take place from Thursday (August 22) to Saturday (August 24)

A practice race will take place on Sunday (August 25), with two races scheduled each day from next Monday (August 26) to Friday August 30.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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