Ben O’Shaughnessy of Royal Cork YC & Ethan Spain of National YC are Sailors of the Month (Junior International) for August

1st September 2023

The new Overall and Men's European 29er Championship winners - Ben O'Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain Credit: Sailing Pics

The five-day International 29er Europeans at the 1830-founded Royal Swedish YC’s base at Sandhamn near Stockholm was a global sailing highlight for 2023, as it attracted 173 teams from 24 countries for a week of racing very typical of the unsettled conditions of August this year.

Yet young Irish sailors from the ultra-focused 29er racing development squad showed themselves well able for the enormous challenge, and in the final day’s racing, the Munster/Leinster pairing of Ben O’Shaughnessy (17) from Royal Cork at Crosshaven and Ethan Spain (18) from the National YC at Dun Laoghaire move confidently from defending a near-certain Silver Medal win into ensuring that they were going home with the Gold for the Men’s Division.

It’s a fabulous result that is still barely registering in the national sailing awareness.

Published in Sailor of the Month, 29er, Royal Cork YC, National YC, Youth Sailing

Published in Sailor of the Month

Tagged under

29er

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