Rumball & Lee aim to fly Irish flag and promote female sailors en route to Paris 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected sailing all over the world, but Irish duo Kenny Rumball and Pamela Lee were determined not to let it thwart their plans for 2020.

After joining forces at the beginning of the year, the two skilled offshore sailors had their eyes on the 2020 Offshore World Championship, originally due to take place in Malta this October, and were working towards qualifying themselves to represent Ireland in the event.
 
But after the Worlds were cancelled, they reacted quickly to ensure they were able to continue training and improving their skills on the water, both with and without each other.

“We started training in the French Figaro 3 scene, as our first event to qualify and represent Ireland in Malta was supposed to be the Solo Concarneau, a double handed offshore race out of Concarneau in France,” explained Rumball.
 
“That was the initial goal, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to that.
 
“As the world went into lockdown, we started our training plan instantly, and as soon as lockdown became more relaxed in both Ireland and France, we moved to France and did as many double handed races as we could together in the French Figaro 3 circuit.

“I also competed in some of the solo races, including the Solitaire du Figaro.”
 
“I went out with a female co-skipper, Cat Hunt, to do the Iarracht Maigeanta Round Ireland Record Challenge,” added Lee.
 
“We actually went and set the World Speed Sailing Record for the fastest under 40ft monohull round Ireland.
 
“For me it was a really fantastic opportunity to capitalise on all the work we’ve put in this summer in France.
 
“By doing both the Solitaire and the Round Ireland, we’ve both pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone, learnt a lot and worked together as a team in various situations.”
 

 
With plenty of offshore experience behind them, the inclusion of the Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat Event at Paris 2024 piqued their interest, inspiring Rumball and Lee to not only set a goal for themselves, but to promote the discipline – particularly the mixed element – in their own country and beyond.
 
“I think that the inclusion of the new double handed mixed offshore division for the Olympics 2024 is absolutely awesome,” said Lee.

“I think it absolutely opens up the sport of sailing into this whole area that non sailors and the public can really engage with and get involved with.

“The fact that it is a mixed team is really significant and really important.
 
“I completely believe that it’s going to really forge forward in opening pathways for female sailors, for driving motivation and inspiration for female sailors – young and of the older generation – because there’s something to work for there.
 
“It opens up this avenue, because now there’s a need and a drive to get female sailors behind the wheel, on the tiller, at the nav desks, making tactical calls, getting into position.
 
“In double handed sailing it’s equal, it’s two parts – there’s not one leader and one crew, you have to be able to hold your own.
 
“This discipline and the mixed factor for female and gender equality in sailing and in sport in general is just going to be an absolute gamechanger.”

“One of our bigger goals, beyond representing Ireland at the Double Handed World Championships or hopefully towards the Olympics in Paris 2024, was actually to raise the awareness of offshore sailing in Ireland and to inspire the next generation,” added Rumball.
 
“We wanted to show that what we have done, despite the pandemic year, can be done, and to introduce young people and especially young females.
 
“That’s a big part of it for us; that both males and females are racing together and against one another on the same playing field.
 
“Sailing is one of the few sports where females and males compete together on the same level, and I think we both really enjoyed that and we both feel that we bring different skillsets and different things to the team.”
 
Their passion for sailing offshore is evident, with Rumball suggesting – and Lee agreeing – that it offers the perfect way for sailors to escape the humdrum of daily life on land and focus solely on the boat and the ocean.

“I know we both love offshore sailing for much the same reasons – it’s unique,” he said.
 
“Something I learned this year was that we aren’t allowed in the Solitaire to bring our mobile phones with us at sea.
 
“What’s nice about offshore sailing is in today’s modern age, where emails, social media messages, phonecalls and texts all come in to one device – they can look on the internet and do everything – it’s so easy to get distracted.
 
“Actually being able to go out and leave your phone ashore and focus on a race is enjoyable. You enjoy these unique experiences; enjoy sailing, enjoy sunsets and sunrises – and the dolphins!”
 
“For me I think the double handed sailing has just really opened up an opportunity,” said Lee.
 
“I’ve done a lot of offshore sailing before, but always on fully-crewed boats, and now I’m stepping on with Kenny as my equal team-mate, as my co-skipper.
 
“It’s the first time I’ve really got this much time on helm, this much time with my head really stuck into the nav and the tactics, and I’m loving every moment of it.”
 
So, after an unprecedented but largely productive year, what is next for them both?
 
“We’ve had a successful 2020, and I suppose the next step for us is to continue what we started in 2020 and push it forward into 2021 and beyond,” said Rumball.
 
“We’re very much taking every year as it comes, seeing what we need to change and what we need to adapt to keep ourselves moving forward.
 
“Our rough plan next year is to keep competing in the Figaro 3 circuit in France, because we believe it’s the toughest short handed sailing arena in the world, and we’d also like to have a look at doing some double handed IRC events.”
 
“We’re absolutely focused and excited and working towards Paris 2024, but along the way we’re absolutely enjoying the journey, we’re really enjoying double handed sailing anyway and this is just giving us a really nice focus goal to work towards,” said Lee.