130 Young Optimist Sailors Compete at Royal St George YC Championships at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

7th September 2021

oyal St. George Yacht Club Commodore Richard O'Connor (right) with the late Summer Optimist Championships winners

130 young sailors aged between 8-15 years from across Ireland competed in the late Summer Optimist Championships in Dun Laoghaire Harbour sponsored by Citroen South at the weekend (4-5 September 2021).

Clubs from Kinsale to Lough Ree and Antrim took part but most notably, 17 boats travelled to the event from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club (WHSC) in Dunmore East – many to their very first event.

Following a revival, the Optimist (Oppy) Class in Ireland is rebounding from the impact of lockdown with representation at all levels and great progress across the fleets from the first event in July to this event at the RStGYC.

Over 11 sailors earned a fleet upgrade from this event representing eight different clubs, while the 38-boat Regatta Fleet sailors enjoyed coaching from the RSGYC Instructor Team.

Optimist sailors in the Junior fleet reach a windward mark at the Royal St. George Late Summer Championships at Dun Laoghaire

As Afloat reported earlier, event winners in each category were:

Senior Fleet Gold - Caoilinn Geraghty-McDonnell (RSGYC), William Walsh (Tralee Bay SC), Cillian Twomey (Howth YC), Des Turvey (Howth YC) and Thea Daly (RSGYC)

Silver – Ellen Bruen (RCYC), Mia-Mai Hooper (Royal Irish YC), Jack Hanna (RSGYC), Hannah Scott (Howth YC) and Hannah Walsh (Tralee Bay SC)

Bronze – Suin N Choistealbha (Malahide YC), Rory White (Waterford Harbour YC), Zita Tempany (RSGYC), Dylan Keane (Malahide YC) and Stan O’Rourke (Malahide YC)

Junior Fleet Gold - Carolina Carra (RSGYC), Abigail Murphy (RSGYC), Conor Cronin (Malahide YC), Olin Bateman (RCYC) and Lucy Moynan (RCYC)

Silver - Sarah Scott (Howth YC) (2nd junior overall!), Dougie Venner (RCYC), Andrew Mannion (Lough Ree YC), Rian O’Neill (RCYC) and Matt Mapplebeck (Kinsale YC)

Bronze - Max O’Hare (RSGYC), Mae Byrne (Lough Ree YC), Louise Hanley (NYC), Marcus Shelley (RSGYC) and Patrick Fegan (Malahide YC).

The next IODAI event is to be held at East Antrim BC on 18-19 September 2021.

Looking to next year, the RStGYC are looking forward to welcoming Oppy sailors back for the IODAI Irish Nationals Championships from 18-21 August 2022

Published in Optimist, RStGYC

Published in Optimist

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