Ballyholme Yacht Club will host the 2019 Irish Laser National Championships from Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th August 2019.
All eyes have been on Japan this week and the Laser Radial World Championships where Aoife Hopkins and Aisling Keller are looking close to confirming qualification for Ireland at Tokyo 2020.
Meanwhile, Ballyholme is getting ready to host their first major Laser event since 2014 when Ballyholme’s James Espey used to rule the Irish Laser roost and Finn Lynch had just become the Under 19 Laser World Champion. At the same event in 2014, Annalise Murphy became Irish Radial Champion on her way to Olympic Silver at Rio 2016, and another regular name in the sailing news these days, Johnny Durcan, won the Laser 4.7s.
Ballyholme’s Colin Leonard was the winner at the Laser Ulster Championships last month at East Antrim Yacht Club showing the form he has shown in the BYC Icebreaker and Club Points series.
Grand Master Chris Boyd is still often the one to beat at BYC - much happier now that he has returned to the Standard class after a year in the Radials training for the Dun Laoghaire 2018
Laser Master Worlds.
Over 130 Lasers are expected at the National Championships with support from Ards and North Down Borough Council, CH Marine, Quay Marinas and the Guillemot Deli & Kitchen Cafe.
A large Standard fleet will be boosted by the BYC Lasers, many of who make up for their lack of experience at the top end of the fleet with their enthusiasm. Last year's National Champion - Ballyholme’s Liam Glynn - is expected to defend his trophy at his home club, hopefully against the others from the Irish Performance Squad.
Ronan Wallace leads the Irish rankings from 2018 have narrowly missed out on a win at the Ulster’s after losing a protest with Nick Walsh.
Nick Walsh from Royal Cork Yacht Club
Jamie McMahon has ruled the Laser Radials recently winning the Laser Ulster’s from Aisling Keller as well as the Under 21 Laser Radial European title back in May in Porto. Competition with his siblings - Ewan (now in the Standard), Eve and Jack - obviously spurs the Howth sailors on. Jamie and Eve have both been competing in the World Sailing Youth Championships in Poland with both getting some top ten individual race results. It’s great to see some early form for Irish sailors who will be looking forward to the Laser Radial European Youth Championships to be held at Ballyholme Yacht Club next summer.
Jamie McMahon
The 4.7 class should see the resumption of competition between the Cork and Dun Laoghaire fleets with RCYC’s Michael Crosbie victorious at East Antrim while the National’s Hugh O’Connor won the Munster at Baltimore.
Entries so far are here
