The first day of the ILCA/Laser Irish National Championships at Tralee Bay Sailing Club in County Kerry was almost perfect; the only thing lacking was a little sunshine!
Race Officer John Leech ran three races for all fleets in winds varying from 10 to 23 knots.
A 20-degree wind shift delayed the start but thereafter, the racing was exciting and sometimes a little bit too exciting as a number of the less experienced sailors found the conditions tough to cope with.
A small number of boats also suffered damage due to the conditions but everyone was safe ashore and buzzing after a great but hard day on the water.
In the ILCA 7 fleet, Nick Walsh from the RCYC leads with two bullets and a second, followed by Dan O'Connell and Rory Lynch.
In the ILCA Six fleet, Fiachra McDonnell from Royal St. George in Dun Laoghaire is a point ahead of Aoife Hopkins (HYC), with Michael Crosbie (RCYC) in third.
Finally, the younger sailors in the ILCA Four fleet showed the way to their older colleagues, and here it is the ladies to the fore as they occupy 4 of the first five places. Hannah Dudley Young (BYC) had three bullets to lead from Maeve Leonard and Isabel McCarthy, both from RCYC.
Three further races are scheduled for Friday, and the wind looks strong again!