Steve Irish is a world-class professional sailing coach.  He has worked with the British Sailing Team, Turkish Sail Federation and Thailand’s 49er team.  This has included coaching a variety of youth and junior squads, enabling 470 sailors to progress from development to Olympic-level funding – including Hannah Mills and Luke Patience – and leading 29er and 420 sailors to international success at championships such as ISAF Youth Worlds.  He coaches Optimist sailors regularly both in the UK and around the world and wrote Optimist Racing –  the text book for budding Optimist sailors.

Steve’s own sailing has encompassed a whole range of classes from junior and youth sailing to Olympic double-handers and high-performance skiffs.  As a top Optimist sailor, Steve represented GBR internationally.  He went on to become 420 world champion and the crewed 470s, finishing 5th at the Europeans.  He also sailed 49ers and Tornados internationally and subsequently completed in the twin-trapeze RS800 class, winning the title three years running, while also claiming a podium finish at a 100+ boat RS200 nationals.