SAILING: Irish Youth national champions Tuathal Mac Colgáin (17) and Peter Duggan (16) ended their International Youth World Championships in sixth place yesterday, having held second overall at the halfway stage of the Britain-based regatta.
The week's top result for Ireland at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship has renewed calls at home for youth sailing to be given increased funding.
In a series cut short by a lack of wind in Weymouth bay, the Dublin-Cork duo were on Wednesday within four points of the overall leaders, Australia's Sam Kivell and Max Taylor, in the nine-race regatta.
At home, the hope the duo would match or even surpass the bronze-medal performance of Laura Dillon and Ciara Peelo 10 years ago at Rhode Island was kept alive until yesterday afternoon, but a slip in the final race dropped them to 14th in the last race.
The 1996 result remains Ireland's only success in the event, dubbed the Youth Olympics, which attracted 281 competitors from 63 nations this year.
There were no post-race blues, however, even as the New Zealand crew pipped them for fifth in yesterday's final round, as both Mac Colgáin and Duggan had targeted a top-12 result in the 35-boat fleet.
Last night Tuathal's father, Mairtin Mac Colgáin, renewed calls from Weymouth for youth sailing to be properly funded.
"We were told by politicians to forget about Beijing and concentrate on Weymouth in 2012. Well, we're here now with talented juniors and a top result.
"All we got this year was 750 between the pair of us to go to Kiel week, some coaching and a week's training in Weymouth," he said.
The sailors qualify for a performance bonus of €300 on the basis of their top-12 finish.
Mac Colgáin, a teacher, also praised the work of ISA coaches this week and the support of yacht clubs, but urged administrators to open the sport to everyone in order to get a wider pool of talent coming in.
Anne Lise Murphy (16), from the National Yacht Club, racing in the Girls Laser division, finished 26th.
Cork's George Kenefick also finished 26th in the Boys division.
Staying in Britain, there are just 10 days to go to the start of the 180th anniversary of what the Royal Yacht Squadron are calling the "world's oldest, largest and greatest sailing regatta". Six of Britain's top sailors will compete in Skandia Cowes Week for the coveted Stars of Sailing title on Monday, July 31st, in a series of races in dinghies in front of the squadron club house.
Perhaps the idea could be incorporated in to Irish regattas such as Cork Week or Dún Laoghaire week?
Next Wednesday will see the launch of the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final at 2.30pm at the Royal St George Yacht Club, Dún Laoghaire.
