Big breeze and sea state in Howth Sound were too much for the first day of racing at the Irish ILCA/Laser National Championships hosted by Howth Yacht Club today (Friday, August 18th).

"We're hoping this storm passes through quickly and we get a full day of sailing tomorrow (Saturday)", organiser Conor Murphy told Afloat.

In 33rd position, Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) has four ILCA 7 races left on Thursday at the Sailing World Championships in The Hague to make the medal race top ten plus a top 16 overall position to qualify Ireland for the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

After a 15th place and a 58th scored in Wednesday's wind against strong tide conditions, the Carlow sailor has it all to do on Thursday with countryman and rival for the single Irish berth, Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), just nine places behind in 42nd overall in the 69-strong division.

At the front of the fleet, Micky Beckett (GBR) overcame a black flag disqualification in the first race to extend his lead in the ILCA 7, thanks to a second in the day's final race.

However, Olympic champion Matt Wearn (AUS) was the big mover, with a first and a third to move into second overall, albeit still 15 points behind Beckett.

However, a strong start to competition in the gold fleet, Wearn will hope to match his exploits at the Paris Test Event when a strong finish saw him overhaul Beckett for victory.

Results here

The U21 ILCA ILCA Europeans sailing competition has kicked off in Stavanger, Norway, with 230 sailors from over 36 nations competing for top honours.

155 ILCA 7 sailors and 75 ILCA 6 female sailors will participate in the event, with 59 of them vying for U21 and U19 prizes.

Irish youth sailors Sophie Kilmartin, Oisin Hughes from the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire and Royal Cork's Jonathan O'Shaughnessy represent their country in the competition, having recently completed their state exams.

The event, which began last week, is scheduled to run until August 13th, and strong winds are expected to give way to more moderate conditions as the week progresses.

Results can be found here

There was a great performance by Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's Dan O’Connell at the UK ILCA Masters at Hayling Island Sailing Club in Hampshire at the weekend.

All four ahead of the Cork Harbour ace in the 54-boat fleet were either Olympic campaigners or Olympians in the men's singlehanded class.

In fact, there was great Irish interest throughout the ILCA 7 and ILCA 6 fleets with 1996 Irish Atlanta Olympian Mark Lyttle, (sailing under GBR), leading halfway through the ILCA 7 regatta but then overhauled by Australian Brett Beyer, a  full-time coach and racer.

There was also big ex-pat interest in the top dozen in ILCA 6s too with Roger O’Gorman (MBSC also), Bob Cudmore, Niall Peelo (Malahide) and Marshall King King (Greystones) all competing.

Results below

After a hugely successful ILCA/Laser sprint event in 2022 that was held across three clubs, the series has expanded to five locations, with a five-race sprint regatta to be held at each club from June to September.

What better way to see some of County Cork's finest sailing harbours in fun but competitive events?

Four qualifying sprint events will be held with a minimum of two qualifier event entries to allow you to win the overall series.

Starting off at Glandore Harbour Sailing Club on June 24th, then Kinsale Yacht Club on July 23rd, Bantry Bay Sailing Club on August 6th, Inniscarra Sailing & Kayaking Club on Sept 3rd and the final event will be at Royal Cork Yacht Club on Sept 17th. The clubs will individually host the sprint regattas for ILCA4, ILCA6, and ILCA7, with prizes awarded on the day for each regatta.

The series winner will be decided after the final sprint event at RCYC on Sept 17th.

All details, NOR and entry can be found here. This is an open event, so sailors from across the country are welcome.

The overnight leader Marco Sorgassi of the host club, emerged as the overall winner after six races sailed in the 6-rig at the Irish  ILCA Masters' Championships sailed under the burgee of the Royal St. George Yacht Club.

The consistent Italian scored two wins and all results in the top five [(5) 2 5 1 1 2] to be three points clear at the head of the scoreboard on 11.

The 53-boat regatta opened in light easterly winds and bright sunshine on Dublin Bay, but Sunday presented a different weather scenario at Dun Laoghaire with a much stiffer breeze up to 17 knots and a Bay chop for the dinghy sailors to negotiate.

Dublin Bay delivered on weather and wind with conditions varying from 7-10 knots on Saturday to 17 and champagne conditions on Sunday. ILCA Masters Championships Race Officer Harry Gallagher, assisted by three additional National Race Officers made the most of conditions and delivered six races thus ensuring the champions had to perform in a variety of conditions, a true test. Photo: Afloat

In second overall, by a single point, was the Australian Great Grand Master Robert Jeffreys from Royal Cork Yacht Club on 14. In third place was Malahide Apprentice Darren Griffin with 15. 

Twenty-seven competed. 

ILCA 6 Irish Masters Champion (and Grand Master Masters Champion) Shirley Gilmore of the RstGYC and ILCA 6 Masters Champion Marco Sorgassi of the RstGYC

Byrne wins in ILCA 7s

In the ILCA 7 rig, overnight leader, Ballyholme Yacht Club's Great Grand Master Gareth Flannigan from Belfast Lough was overhauled by local Apprentice Conor Byrne of the host club after the Northern Ireland ace had a costly retiral from race four.

Byrne, who was four points adrift on Saturday evening, took a 3, 3, 2 in the breezier conditions on Sunday to finish on 11 nett points to edge out Flannigan on 13. 

Carrickfergus's Stephen McLernon was third on 20. 

Twenty-three competed.

National ILCA 6 Female Masters Title for Shirley Gilmore

Shirley Gilmore of RstGYC, who opened up a considerable lead on day one and maintained it in the breezier conditions, claimed her first National Title ahead of club mates Ali Robinson and Mary Chambers.

Irish  ILCA Masters' Championships 2023 Results

ILCA 7

1. Conor Byrne RstGYC and 1^st Apprentice
2. Gareth Flannigan BYC and 1^st Master
3. Stephen McLernon Carrickfergus SBC

1^st Grand Master Theo Lyttle RstGYC

1^st Great Grand Master Chris Arrowsmith RstGYC

ILCA 6

1. Marco Sorgassi RstGYC and 1^st Master
2. Robert Jeffreys RCYC and 1^st Great Grand Master
3. Darren Griffin Malahide YC and 1^st Apprentice

1^st Grand Master Marc Coakley RstGYC

ILCA 6 Female

1. Shirley Gilmore RstGYC and 1^st Grand Master
2. Ali Robinson RstGYC and 1^st Master
3. Mary Chambers RstGYC and 1^st Great Grand Master

Marco Sorgassi of the host club leads after three races sailed in the ILCA 6 rig at the Masters' Championships sailing under the burgee of the Royal St. George Yacht Club.

The regatta opened in light easterly winds and bright sunshine on Dublin Bay.

The Italian Master on 12 has a one-point lead over Australian Great Grand Master Robert Jeffreys. In third place is Irish Grand Master Shirley Gilmore with 15 points.

Twenty-seven are competing. 

Flannigan from Belfast Lough leads in ILCA 7s

In the ILCA 7 rig, Ballyholme Yacht Club Great Grand Master Gareth Flannigan from Belfast Lough leads overall by four points from Apprentice Conor Byrne of the host club. Queen Mary SC's Rupert Bedell lies third on 14 points.

Twenty-three are competing. 

Racing continues on Sunday. 

Eight ILCAs from the Royal St George YC competed in the EurILCA Master Series Spain 2023 in Calella de Palafrugell on May 5, 6 & 7.

The PRO managed to get three races in each day in very shifty conditions varying from 5 to 20 knots.

In the ILCA 7, Conor Byrne, warmly welcomed back to the Irish fleet from a period working in the USA, was 3rd in the Apprentice Master Category, a hugely competitive fleet peppered with Olympians.

In the ILCA 6 Mens, Sean Craig maintained his form from Barcelona the previous week and, with a bullet in the last race, won the Grand Master category and moved to 4th overall.

In the ladies' ILCA 6, Shirley Gilmore won the Grand Master category and was 4th lady overall.

It is worth noting that 1st and 2nd prizes in the ILCA 6 fleet overall were won by Spanish female sailors Monica Azon and Miriam Carles Tolra Sallent, with very dominant performances.

Others competing in what was a very challenging regatta were Chris Arrowsmith, Theo Lyttle and Conor O’Leary in the ILCA 7. Ali Robinson and John Curran ILCA 6. 

This regatta is highly recommended, and a larger group will return to Calella next year. Calella is a beautiful seaside village, launching off the beach with a very short sail to the race area. There was also a large support crew accompanying the sailors with plenty of beautiful walks, spots to swim, restaurants and bars to keep everyone entertained.

ILCA 6 results here and ILCA7 here

Focus now turns to the Irish Master National Championships hosted by the RstGYC on May 27 & 28. Thanks to a recent international rule change, entry is open to all 30 years of age and over on May 27th.

Rocco Wright won a home waters victory at the Investwise Youth Sailing National Championships in Howth on Sunday.

Wright took the ILCA 6 Youth National Champion title by a clear margin of ten nett points after ten races sailed across a range of conditions that concluded in light winds.

The Howth Yacht Club sailor was followed by his clubmate Luke Turvey on 25 points. One-time series leader Tom Coulter of (East Antrim Boat Club) was third on 29 points in the 33-boat fleet.

Wright, of Howth Yacht Club, adds the domestic title to his recently won bronze in the ILCA 6 Men’s class at the ILCA European Championships in Andora, Italy, as Afloat reported here.

ILCA 4 Title for Pierse

The ILCA 4 title was won by Royal Cork’s Oisin Pierse, with Krzysztof Ciborowski (Royal St George YC) and Cillian Twomey (Howth YC) in second and third place.

Results are below

It’s over 300 miles from Belfast to Baltimore in County Cork, and for many Northern Ireland Laser enthusiasts, it was a worthwhile trip last weekend for the ILCA Munster Championships.

Twelve sailors from East Antrim, Portrush and Coleraine in Co.Antrim, and Ballyholme, Strangford Lough YC and East Down in Co. Down competed across ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 in a gathering of just over 100 in the Munster Championships hosted by Baltimore Sailing Club.

Tom Coulter from East Antrim BC and Portrush YC produced the best result with a win in the ILCA 6 fleet, and it was in this 36-strong division that creditable scorings were achieved by Ballyholme’s Daniel Palmer, who came 5th, and Lewis Thompson, who finished 7th with Charlotte Eadie also BYC at 9th. 17th was Callum Jackson of Coleraine and Portrush, with Sam Kelly from East Down 23rd. Jenna Reid (County Antrim YC/East Antrim BC came 30th.

Tom Coulter of EABC was the winner of the 2023 ILCA 6 Munster Championships in Baltimore, West Cork 

And even Performance Committee Member Colin Leonard BYC/SLYC showed he can still compete in the ILCA 7 Class with a 4th overall and a race win.

Lucy Ives from Carlingford SC finished a close second in the ILCA 4, losing out on the win by just one point, and Autumn Halliday finished 29th in the 42-strong fleet.

RYA Northern Ireland said this was “a well-organised event both on and off the water with first-class hospitality”.