A new global sailing Championship will visit Dun Laoghaire in September, capping what has been a great year for Irish sailing.  The second leg of the MOD70 European Tour will conclude in the harbour and be followed by five days of inshore and offshore racing by the five trimarans that represent some of the most advanced technology in the sport.
There will be street festivals, markets and entertainment around the stay of the race from Wednesday, September 5th to Sunday September 9th. Sport for Business members who attend the September Round Table on Technology and Sport will be given an exclusive tour of the boats on Thursday, September 6th.  The Round Table will be hosted in the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire.
The high speed MOD70 class of trimarans are a new innovation for sailing. They have already proven to be the fastest offshore sailing one design class in the world. Each MOD70 is completely identical, built from the same moulds, so that success – inshore and offshore – reflects the skills of the sailing crew and not any technological advantage.
The MOD70 European Tour is the second event of the Multi One Championship, following on from July’s inaugural KRYS Ocean Race which saw the MOD70’s race the Atlantic from New York to Brest, France at remarkable speeds. The first three boats finished within less than two hours after traversing the Atlantic in less than five days with the winning boat making more than 711 miles in one 24 hours period.
The MOD70 fleet has attracted a cross section of some of the best ocean racing sailors in the world. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) has twice won the Vendée Globe solo round the world race and skippers FONCIA.  There are more than eight sailors across the different boats who hold round the world records including Britain’s Brian Thompson who sails in Musandam-Oman Sail.

Thompson has more than 20 offshore sailing speed records to his name and was the only Briton on board Banque Populaire V when the giant multihull set a new record for sailing nonstop around the world in January.
“The National Yacht Club has played host to many world championships and in July this year we co-hosted the ISAF Youth World Championships,” said Paul Barrington, Commodore of the Club. “We are delighted that the MOD70 Tour has chosen Dun Laoghaire to host a stopover on the European race and we look forward to thousands of people visiting Dun Laoghaire to enjoy the spectacle’.
The racing will take place from 2pm on Friday and Saturday with commentary from the East Pier in Dun Laoghaire and vantage points along the coast to Sandycove.
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