The adventure of the Tralee sailor started at a very young age. Sophie was only 5 when the sailing virus started to run her veins. Small but gutsy, she caught the eye of every coaches and parents showing determination, love for the sport, willingness to progress and early aptitudes for racing.
Following her older sister and brother she started racing in the regatta fleet where she had great fun and started training and racing within the “96-97 generation”, a very talented group of optimist sailors. Her racing “career” truly started with her move in the main fleet in 2007.

2007, the learning years

2007 is the first year Sophie truly starts competing. She qualifies for the trials having finished her season in 61st position on the Irish ranking, travels to her first open event in the UK racing mid fleet and picking up valuable experience.

2008, First trials

The little girl is growing fast and ends up 2008 as one of the greatest potential of her generation. In the wake of Peter McCann and Cian Byrne, great promises are shown. She likes the breeze, she has great work ethics and keeps pushing at training. The results are already good and her progress fast!

2009, growing from experience

She trains hard in the winter and the fall is tough to take. Sophie has disappointing trials she however learn greatly from. Don’t you learn from disappointment better than from success? She came back with a vengeance immediately showing pace at the first ranking event. Best Irish girl in the U12, she left these trials behind collecting various honors and securing her very well deserved place in the national squad.

2010, national squad

Sophie progresses well and establish herself as the best girl in Ireland. But she does not really satisfy herself of that status and continues to train in Tralee and increasingly in Crosshaven climbing the ladder on the national and the international scene. With the incredible support of her parents she travels to numerous regattas in Spain, Holland, Italy, Poland gaining experience.

2011, Medals collection

This is the year everything comes together! Sophie is allowed to run a proper campaign after she opts to go to represent Ireland at the Worlds in New Zealand. Her sailing flies her to Palma, Lanzarote, Plerin, Kiel, Garda, Monaco and eventually to the worlds. The results speaks for themselves with Sophie climbing on several podium and not the least eventually clinching silver and a superb 13th overall, a result not seen since 1981… in another time!

Sophie worked over the years with two major coaches, Dennis Paaske and myself! But credit needs to go to other coaches who had a great influence in her progress ( George Kenefick, Ross Kilian, Donagh Good, Sean Collins and Fionn Jenkinson) and not least to her parents who showed unrestricted support.

The new challenges now is to confirm this incredible talent in youth sailing and why not continue into greater heights on the Olympic scene…
Fair Sailing!