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GAZETTE
N E W S
NOVEMBER 1995
Cover Story - Lavery and O'Brien win
Sailing World Championships
by
David Branigan
Blackrock solicitor
John Lavery
and
his crew
David O'Brien
realised a two-
year ambition at the beginning of
September on Dublin Bay when they
won the Heineken Fireball World
Championships. With the European
title firmly under their belt from the
week before, the Dun Laoghaire duo
sailed a close series of seven races
against stiff international competition.
Lavery
and
O'Brien
have campaigned
together among the world's best sailors
and were trying for Olympic
qualification several years ago. Having
competed in the Flying Dutchman ( FD)
class, the pair turned to the Fireball
dinghy when the FD was dropped from
the games format.
The build-up to the European and
World Championships at the National
Yacht Club, their own home club saw
over 100 hours of intensive training on
the water since early Spring. Their
regime would typically start at 6 . 00 am
with the two sailors heading down to
the club, scaling the fence and rigging
their dinghy to practise as the rush-
hour traffic on Dublin's southside was
starting to build.
A particularly demanding boat, the
Fireball is renowned for exciting high
performance sailing and speed of crew
manoeuvres becomes the difference for
winning or losing. At events and
championships,
Lavery
and
O'Brien
had coaching from previous champions
in addition to tuning sessions with
other competitors.
The result of their effort and
preparation was particularly apparent
in the first r^ce of the worlds series
when the Irish crew opened an
immediate lead of several seconds. But
while this would ordinarily count as
the average finishing difference
between the leading boats, they went
on to score a valuable psychological
advantage by winning that race by a
massive four minutes and 20 seconds.
But their victory was never certain due
to some tough competition in the 89
boat fleet from 13 countries. Although
clear favourites, the Irish boat was
under constant pressure from Britain's
Colin Goodman
and
Jim Turner
who
remained a threat to the end. However,
Lavery
and
O'Brien
held their own and
sailed ashore to a heros' welcome from
a crowd of well-wishers. The double
title win has been hailed as the best
result for Irish sailing in years and the
highlight of the season.
•
Gillian M3
CU
Excel Legal Services
The Stonehouse,
Old Blessington Road, Dublin 24
Telephone: 462 2807
Fax: 462 2808
Specialists in Legal Secretarial
Services, ideal to assist existing
staff at busier times, holiday leave
etc.
Collection/delivery service available.
For further details
contact
Brenda at the above
number.
NOTICE
Lady
Golfers
R *
Have you joined the
Lady Solicitor's Golfing So c i e t y? If
not, please send £5 membership fee to
the Secretary,
Caroline
Crowley,
Hayes & Sons, 15, St. Stephen's
Green, Dublin 2.
If you are not a member you will not
be circularised with details of the
S o c i e t y 's Annual Outing.
English Ag en t s:
Ag e n cy work
undertaken for Irish solicitors in
both litigation and non-contentious
matters - including legal aid. Fearon
& Co., Solicitors, Westminster
House, 12 T h e Broadway, Woking,
Surrey GU 2 1 5 AU.
Tel: 0 0 4 4 - 1 4 8 3 - 7 2 6 2 7 2.
F a x: 0 0 4 4 - 1 4 8 3 - 7 2 5 8 0 7.
News f rom the
Cr iminal Law
Commi t tee
The Committee will be holding a
Seminar entitled
" T h e Irish Cr imi nal
Lawyer in Europe"
in The Law
Society, Blackhall Place, on
Saturday, 25 November 1995
between 9 . 30 a.m. and 1.00 p.m.
A booking form is enclosed in this
issue of the
Gazette.
The topics
covered will include 'Practising
Abroad' and 'Taking a case to the
Court of Human Rights' and the
speakers will include practitioners
from other jurisdictions.
This is an important Seminar as most
solicitors do not fully appreciate the
relevance of the EU in their daily
practice and the importance of
introducing a European dimension.
The cost to participants is £ 2 0 . 00 and
it is hoped that there will be a very
good attendance.
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