Irish (ISA) National Youth Championships at Dun Laoghaire

by ISAF on 5 May 2011 ISA Mitsubishi National Youth Championships - With winds gusting up to 25-30 knots and a big swell, sailing for the final day of the ISA Mitsubishi National Championships, which acted a test event for the Youth Worlds 2012 was cancelled. However all classes had completed sufficient races to complete the series.

Five national titles were decided over the weekend with the top ranking awards going to a range of clubs all around the country. Royal Cork Yacht Club achieved two national titles with Laser 4.7 event favourite Seafra Guilfoyle winning the title having previously dominated the Optimist fleet in previous years.

Brother and sister team Patrick and Chloe Crosbie also from Royal Cork won the 420 National title and Patrick was awarded the Mitsubishi Training Grant for the most promising sailor at the event.

The event was the national trials for the Optimist class which was won by Tralee Bay sailor Sophie Browne who will travel to New Zealand in December to compete in the Optimist World Championships. Irish optimist sailors are performing well internationally at the moment finishing fourth and fifth at the Braassemermeer Easter regatta. Other events during 2011 where there will be Irish representation include the European Championships in Portugal and the National Championships in Germany and the UK.

The team that will represent Ireland at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia in July 2011 will be announced in the coming week.

Final Results are as follows:

Laser Radial

1 - Philip Doran (Courtown Sailing Club)
2 - Robbie Gilmore (Strangford Lough YC)
3 - Eoin Keller (Lough Derg YC)
Leading Girl - Sophie Murphy Quoile Yacht Club

Laser 4.7

1 - Seafra Guilfoyle (Royal Cork YC)
2 - Darragh O'Sullivan (Kinsale YC)
3 - Finn Lynch (NYC/Blessington SC)
Leading Girl - Sian Kneafsey (National YC)

420

1 - Patrick Crosbie and Chloe Crosbie (Royal Cork YC)
2 - Aodh Kennedy and Daniel Browne (Kinsale YC and Tralee Bay YC)
3 - Emma Geary and Niamh Connolly (Royal Cork YC and Baltimore SC)

Optimist National Trials

Sophie Browne (Tralee Bay SC) won the trials and took the option of travelling to New Zealand in December 2011 to represent Ireland at the Optimist World Championships. The following sailors were selected by the trial process to represent Ireland at the European Championship which will be held in Portugal in July 2011:

Sean Donnelly, HYC, Peter McCann RCYC, Harry Whitaker RCYC, Eoin Lyden RCYC, Jil McGinley RCYC Cliodhna Ni Shuilleabhain KYC and Megan Parker SSC

The team selected to travel to the German National Championships include Robert Dickson HYC , Daire Cournane KYC, Sean Waddilove Skerries SC, Richard Hogan HYC, Adam Hyland RSGYC, Ronan Cournane KYC, Sean Gambier Ross KYC and Fergus Flood HYC , Aoife Hopkins and Alacoque Daly Tralee Bay SC.

In addition 10 sailors were chosen for the Irish under 12 squad who will compete in the Optimist UK National Championships.

Feva

1 - D Johnston and L Flynn Byrne (Howth YC)
2 - C Totterdell and S Craig (National YC/Royal St. George YC)
3 - C Mollard and J Harris (Howth YC)

Topper

1 - T Brow (Ballyholme YC)
2 - Laura Gilmore (Strangford Lough YC)
3 - Andrew Penney (East Antrim BC)

Optimist (Championship fleet)

1 - Ben Walsh (Skerries SC)
2 -Ross Quirke (National YC)
3 - Colin O'Sullivan (Malahide YC)

Youth Worlds website