With just over one week to go, Irish Sailing has announced the line-up for both its Senior and Junior All Ireland Sailing Championships which draw sailors from many disciplines for an-end-of season champion of champions climax.
The senior event – celebrating its 70th anniversary – is scheduled to sail in GP14 dinghies and the junior event in Schull’s own TR3.6 dinghy design.
There’s an obvious advantage to Greystones Sailing Club invitee Shane MacCarthy, who is the current GP14 World Champion, but he can expect some tough competition from dinghy rivals all the same.
Defending All Ireland champion Alex Barry, who came second and third in the previous two events is confirmed along with West Cork’s Fionn Lyden, this month’s bronze medalist at the U-23 Finn World Championships.
The Junior event sails first on September 30th at the Fastnet Outdoor & Marine Education Centre in Schull, West Cork followed by the senior event on Lough Owel at Mullingar Sailing Club a week later.
Noel Butler and Simon Revill are the 2017 Irish Fireball National Champions. They won seven of the nine races at Lough Derg last weekend.
For Sutton-based Revill, this gives him a unique 2017 double – he is also one half of the IDRA 14 National Champion crew from the Galway Bay championships last month.
Dun Laoghaire’s Ger Owens was the winner of the GP14 Autumn Open at the weekend when he topped the 19-boat fleet event in Cork Harbour. Second was East Antrim Boat Club’s Curly Morris with Sutton Dinghy Club’s Conor Twohig third. Youghal Sailing Club’s Jack Buttimer was the winner of the 13-boat youth championships.
New SB20 World Corinthian Champion Michel O’Connor of the Royal St George YC with crew Davy Taylor and Edward Cook took the class’s Irish title in Howth last weekend in a fleet of 21-boats.
A week after the launch of its revamped Volvo Cork Week Regatta, Royal Cork Yacht Club have issued a change of date for next year’s regatta. The date change to July 16th-21st is, according to event chairman Kieran O’Connell, to avoid clashing with both the Round Ireland Race (June 30th) and the Round The Island Race (July 7th).
Strong turnout
Howth Yacht Club’s J24 under-25 team lie just outside the top third of the 63-boats J24 World Championships in Ontario, Canada this week. The only Irish crew in the event are skippered by Lizzy McDowell with Ciaran White, Darragh White, Harry Conin and Graham Blay onboard.
The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club is expecting a strong turnout for its Kish Lighthouse Race on Sunday. Open to all comers according to the organisers, the warning signal will be at 10.55am from the Dublin Bay Starting Hut on the West Pier and the intended course is Kish to port and back.
“The emphasis is on participation for all suitable yachts, and the DMYC hopes to attract entries for racer, recreation and cruiser sailors alike,” said rear-commodore Neil Colin.
Two Northern Ireland sailors, Mikey Ferguson and Andrew Baker, who have Vendée 2020 ambitions, are waiting for a weather window to attempt a new Length of Britain speed record. The current record, from Land’s End to John O’Groats, held by British sailor Phil Sharp, stands at three days, 11 hours, 52 minutes, 15 seconds at an average speed of 7.39 knots.
ALL IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITORS
Class – Helm name – Club – Crew Name
Shannon One Design –Stephen O’Driscoll – Lough Derg Yacht Club – John O’Driscoll
J24 – JP McCaldin – Lough Erne Yacht Club/Sligo Yacht Club – Liz Copland
Laser Radial – Sean Craig – Royal St George Yacht Club – David Johnston
2016 Champion RS400 – Alex Barry – Monkstown Bay SC/Royal Cork YC –Richard Leonard
Puppeteer 22 – Colin Kavanagh –Howth Yacht Club – Conor Barry
Dublin Bay Mermaid – Sam Shiels – Skerries Sailing Club – Eoin Boylan
Squib – Greg Bell – Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club – Martin Weatherstone
IDRA14 – Alan Henry – Sutton Dinghy Club – Simon Reville
SB20 – Michael O’Connor –Royal St George Yacht Club – Michelle Rowley
RS200 – Neil Spain – Howth Yacht Club – John Downey
RS400 – Gareth Flannigan – Ballyholme Yacht Club – David Fletcher
GP14 – Shane Mc Carthy – Greystones Sailing Club – Andy Davis
ITRA – Fionn Lyden – UCCSC, BSC, Schull – Liam Manning
ICRA 3 – Paul Gibbons – Royal Cork Yacht Club – Grattan Roberts
Ruffian 23 – Chris Helme – Royal St. George Yacht Club – Alan Claffey
Laser Standard – Ronan Walsh – Royal Cork Yacht Club – tbc
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPETITORS
Class – Helm Name – Club – Crew Name
Laser radial – Johnny Durcan – RCYC/BSC – Emily Cullen
Optimist – Leah Rickard – NYC – Kate Fahy
Laser radial – Loghlen Rickard – NYC Nathan – Van Steenberge
RS Feva – Conor Galligan – Greystones SC – Jack Galligan
Topaz – Adam Byrne – Dingle SC – Ciarán mac Gearailt
RS Feva – Henry Start – RStGYC – Morgan Devine
RS200 –Chris Bateman – RCYC – Daniel Hegarty
Laser 4.7 – Jack Fahy – LDYC/RStGYC/RCYC – Noah McCarthy-Fisher
Mirror – Caolan Croasdell – LRYC – Alexander Farrell
Optimist – Rian Geraghty McDonnell – NYC – Harry Durcan
GP14 – Peter Boyle – SDC – Brian Sheehy
RS200 – Cian Jones – RCYC – Caoimhe Foster
420 – Micheal O’Suilleabhain – KYC – Michael Carroll
Laser Std – Ronan Walsh – RCYC – Tom Higgins
420 – Geoff Power – WHSC – James McCann
Topper – Joseph Karauzum – Ballyholme YC/ County Antrim YC – TC Mulvenna
