SAILING:IRISH YOUTH single-handers are to the fore on both sides of Dublin Bay this morning in the closing stages of two massive dinghy regattas on the capital's waters.
In this morning’s final of the Sovereign Ski Topper World Championships, Cork harbour and Strangford Lough sailors are among the front runners in a fleet of 143 at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire where big winds are expected for today’s climax.
Cork youth Patrick Crosbie, a former Optimist sailor (and currently sailing 420s) has jumped into the Topper to take advantage of a World Championships being on the doorstep. After nine races sailed he was lying second overall.
Strangford Lough’s Laura Gilmore, who led last week’s British nationals until the final day, has also been scoring well on the bay, winning yesterday’s second race of the final series in the prevailing sea breeze conditions.
In Howth, at the Image skincare Optimist Nationals, another Cork helm Peter McCann of Royal Cork YCM, who finished seventh at the European Championships in Portugal, leads the senior division. British junior champion Max Clapp of Royal Southern YC has taken a commanding lead in the junior ranks. Two hundred youths are competing with 24 entries from five other nations. Racing concludes tomorrow.
Royal Ulster Yacht Club in Bangor hosts both the RS Elite Irish Championships and the Laser SB3 Northern Championships this weekend on Belfast lough.
Defending elite Irish champion John Patterson, with crew David Kelso and Stephen Polly, will be up against some of the highest-scoring boats from the recent National Championships at the Royal Forth Yacht Club, namely Simon Brien’s Kin who finished third there and John McDowell’s Sea Breezes who came fifth.
In the SB3 Class former Belfast Olympian Peter Kennedy and his crew in Ridgefence will be against Howth’s Ben Duncan in Sharkbait team who beat them at the Western Championships in Galway in June this year. Sharkbait is the form boat, having also won top small Keelboat trophy in last month’s Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta when she topped the 33-strong SB3 Class.
The Royal Irish Yacht Club celebrates its 180th birthday tomorrow, the oldest club in Dun Laoghaire harbour is giving a nod to its 1831 roots with celebrations starting with a ‘Victorian’ themed breakfast. Today membership stands at 1,550. The aim is for as many of the club’s 150 yachts to dress overall for a sail-past after racing on Saturday afternoon.
Royal St George Yacht Club commodore Martin Byrne, Adam Winkelmann and Pedro Andrades retained their National Dragon Championship title in Kinsale last weekend. Byrne, however, was pushed hard by Jay Bourke and Cameron Good who finished second and third respectively in the 17-boat fleet.
Byrne’s clubmate Flor O’Driscoll and his crew on Hard on Port successfully defended their Irish J24 Championship title at Lough Erne last weekend but they were pushed hard all the way by the two McCaldins, Mickey and son JP, from the host club.
Royal Cork’s David Whitaker, with Jil McGinley crewing, won the 30-boat Feva Nationals with five first places. Cork boats dominated the nine-race event with Whitaker’s clubmates Marc Cudmore, Sarah Cudmore in second and Sam and Richard McGinley third.
At Dunmore East, John Lavery (with your correspondent) retained the Flying 15 South Coast Championships, an event that had three blustery opening races last Saturday. National champions David Gorman and Chris Doorly were second. Third, in a fleet of 16, were the top Irish performers at the recent World Championships Brian McKee and Ian Smyth of Strangford Lough Yacht Club.
