Howth Yacht Club hosts the final day of the Leinster Optimist Championships this morning with in excess of 150 entries. Saturday dawned bright and if not sunny, exceedingly pleasant. The wind was from the north approx 12 knots and the there was definitely an autumnal nip in the air.

Richard Kissane as PRO started the proceeding at 11 am with a sailors briefing and the sailors launched shortly afterwards. It was a beat out to the course beside Irelands eye but luckily the tide had turned and helped the sailors on their way. After the sailors had launched refreshments and home made goodies were served to parents with donations going to Crumlin Children's Hospital.

3 races were completed on the main fleet course with the wind dropping over the course of the day to approx 6 knots and times and veering slightly easterly. HYC's own Dylan O'Grady had a stormer of a day with a 1st, 2nd and third but he can't rest on his laurels just yet as Kate Darcy from RCYC is hot on his heels a mere one point behind followed slightly further back on 12pts by Tom Higgans.

Over in the Junior Fleet (aged 12 and under) Aoife Byrne from RCYC is leading the charge winning the first two races and taking a 4 th in the 3 rd she is followed by the home clubs Eve McMahon and her own team mate Rory O'Sullivan.

Regatta fleet sailors sailed in the sheltered waters behind Aqua restaurant under the watchful eye of lead coachs Mark Condy and Emma Davis. They had a fantastic days sailing as they practised the skills learnt over the season. 3 short races were also completed for these younger sailors with Thomas O'Neill, Juilette Garett and John Toomey each taking a race win.

HYC's hospitality didn't disappoint and the sailors were served delicious spaghetti bolognese with garlic bread followed by ice cream in the main dining room of the club.

Racing continues today and with lighter winds forecast it's still all to play for...

After eight days of light or no winds the biggest ever Optimist World Dinghy Championships concluded in Poland. 

58 nations and 275 competitors raced over nine days but it was Singapore who came out on top with three Gold medals and one Silver.

Team Ireland learned many 'valuable lessons', according to coach Thomas Chaix on social media. On the results side, Harry Bell was top half, Peter Fagan scored Ireland's only top 10 race result and finished seventh overall in the Bronze fleet. Gemma McDowell was 31st girl and Clare Gorman 35th. The youngest team member Micheal O'Suilleabhain gained experience and raced in bronze. 

Next year the World Championships are in Villamoura, Portugal

#optimist – The Optimist class will be team racing in the waters off Howth Yacht Club this weekend competing against each other to get a winner of the VP Trophy with races umpired by national & international race umpires writes Jill Somerville. This event is organised by IODAI & HYC together.

The Vice President's Trophy was inaugurated in 1986 and has been running on and off for the past 29 years. The trophy & event was created by Helen Mary Wilkes who at the time of inception was the Vice President of the world governing body for Optimists, IODA.

Helen-Mary and Robert Wilkes have been the driving force of Under-16 sailing globally. Their contribution to the global development of junior sailing has been immense and was recognized by ISAF a number of years ago when at the ISAF Council meeting in 2008, President of the International Sailing Federation, presented the ISAF President Development Award to Helen-Mary WILKES and Robert WILKES for their services to junior sailing.

Initially specializing in event organisation, Helen-Mary Wilkes became Vice-president of IODA in 1985, President from 1989-1998, Vice-President of Honour from 1998-2005. Helen-Mary & Robert Wilkes have been involved with the Optimist class for over 35 years and here in Ireland the IODAI class benefited considerable from Helen-Mary's vast experience.

She developed the VP Team Racing event which is a club event for Optimist sailors with at least one sailor of each gender on the team. Teams are made up of 4 sailors from the one club and for the 2015 event there are 8 teams entered. A schedule of 28 round robin races have been drawn up with each of the teams due to sail against every other team and then the option of a semifinals & finals weather & time dependent. Key clubs in the Optimist scene such as HYC, RCYC and R.StGYC and the IODAI world's team will all fight it out on Sat 13th in waters off HYC. There will be good viewing from Aqua restaurant or the pier in Howth. The wining club team will head to the Optimist European Team Racing Championships in Aug in Ledro Italy. Race Officers Neil Murphy & Richard Kissane will be hoping for a little more wind than is currently forecasted to get through the heavy race schedule and we hope to have a winner declared late on Saturday afternoon. IODAI wishes good luck & fair sailing to all in the event.

#optimist – Howth Yacht Club's Harry Bell was the winner of a cut–short Optimist Ulster Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club yesterday. Like other east coast sailing events Satuday's schedule was blown out and three races were sailed on Sunday. Lough Derg Yacht Club's Sarah Levie was second in the 32–boat senior fleet and third was the Royal St. George's Hugh Kennedy. Results for the senior, junior and regatta fleets are downloadable below. 

#optimist – Optimist dinghy ace Micheal O'Suilleabhain of Kinsale Yacht Club took a well earned win on home waters yesterday with a ten–point margin in the senior fleet after six races sailed at the Munster championships. The 13–year–old beat the Royal St. George's Tom Higgins with Howth Yacht Club's Jamie McMahon third in the 41–boat main fleet. In the junior fleet 12-year–old Robert Keal beat club mate Harry Twomey in a one–two for Royal Cork Yacht Club. Results for both fleets are available to down laod below as jpeg files.

The Optimist Munsters had an excellent entry of 36 boats in the Regatta fleet, all very enthusiastic and rearing to go in the excellent conditions prevailing on Saturday. They sailed against the magnificent backdrop of Charlesfort and, with the promise of more wind for Sunday, the Race Officer got in four races on the day. The very active youngsters came ashore tired but vey satisfied with their day and looking forward to enjoying some time in Kinsale but aware of the fact they had to be rigged and ready to go to sea at 9.30am on Sunday. 

Following all this activity the young competitors set about tidying and packing away their gear in preparation for the journey home. The Regatta prizegiving was held separately from the Senior and Junior fleets. Some of the regatta sailors and their families were then able to leave early for the journey home to various parts of the country with a large contingent heading for Dublin.

Others had older brothers and sisters sailing in the two higher fleets and they were able to enjoy themselves around the club facilities while waiting for the second prize giving to finish.

#royalcork – The Organisers of August's Cork Dinghy Fest 2015 have introduced an Optimist fun fleet to this year's event. This fleet is for the sailors that do not qualify for the main optimist fleet. The Royal Cork Yacht Club idea is that this fleet will take part in some point to point fun races, like a race around Spike Island or a race up the Owenabue River at high tide. The young sailors will also be involved in fun shore side activities if the weather does not permit them to take to the water on any given day. This is seen as a great way to include as many sailors as possible in the festival without compromising the racing of the other fleets.

The new format dinghy week runs from 20th – 23rd of August.

The main Optimist fleet has also been limited to the first fifty entrants. Sailors must be ranked in the top fifty, from their Junior or Senior National rankings 2014.

Event plans are now well under way and it is shaping up to be a unique sailing experience, with four main race areas as well as two point to point race areas.

Here is a quick look at what's on, according to the RCYC:

1. Fun activities for all after sailing, (Stand up paddle board races, adult Optimist racing etc.)
2. Aprés sail music,
3. Anto's Famous BBQ.
4. Special guest speakers,
5. Dinghies on display.
6. Invitational sailing by other classes after racing.
7. Tidal Briefing for the next day on each race area.
8. Night time bands and DJ's.
9. Dedicated camping

#youthnationals – There were thrills and spills galore at Royal Cork Yacht Club today (Saturday) in the penultimate day of the Irish youth sailing national championships writes Claire Bateman. The ebb tide flowing out of the Eastern Bank in Cork Harbour and the opposing forces of the W/S.W wind gusting up to 26 knots made for difficult conditions for the ISA pathway sailors. Indeed so much so that the Laser 4.7s and Toppers had to make do with just one race before they were towed home. Meanwhile the Laser Radials and the 420s had an exhilarating day of racing but racing for the 420s was abandoned before Race 4 and the Laser Radials completed three races.

To quote Rory Fitzpatrick, Youth Performance and Development Manger: "I was out with the 420s and Laser Radials today and the whole fleet was incredibly impressive. The way they handled the exceptionally difficult conditions demonstrated clearly that these dedicated sailors have spent some considerable hours in their boats". It also has to be said that it is to the credit of the Race Officer for these two fleets, Alan Crosbie, that great concern for all the competitors was his primary objective and to see that all who were retiring or capsized were accounted for. He had a mother ship and rescue standing by. He was also heard on radio instructing all rescue and support RIBS to be alert to the fact there was another squall on its way. It brings your scribe back to one day some moons ago when he was dealing with a fleet of bucking bronchos all being skittish at the start of a race and the dulcet tones came over the radio saying "I'm watching you, they are watching you from the pin end and God is watching you from above". Today the dulcet tones came over the radio again to advise "this will be a black flag start as we have no time for messing today".

On the Optimist course as one approached the fleet in the morning, several competitors, prior to racing, went off on a reach and loud whoops of delight could be heard as the youngsters surfed the waves, here again under the watchful eye of the rescue RIBS. Once again, they sailed a longer day than any other fleet getting in another four races. One has to really admire the determined grit of these young sailors. Every inch of the Curlane Bank was utilised to day to give these youngsters the longest beat possible.

Forecast for tomorrow (Sunday) is for more strong wind and hopefully racing will be able to take place.

#youthnationals – The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) Pathway Youth Nationals 2015, taking place at Royal Cork Yacht Club are in their second day of competition at Crosshaven writes Claire Bateman. Topper, 420, Laser 4.7 and Laser Radial classes are competing in selection trials for National squads and potential selection for the National Academy. The four-day event also sees the International Optimist Dinghy Association Ireland, 2015 Optimist Trials take place with over 60 entrants.

Today began as a foggy grey day with the breeze more from the south and with a fitful sun trying to break through the clouds like a patchwork quilt on the water later in the day. The wind also increased at this stage going to 16 to 18 knots with a slight hint of west in it. A third Race Committee was called to action under the highly experienced Race Officer David O'Brien of Royal Cork for the 4.7s and the Toppers who were commencing racing today. To a person doing a tour of the three race areas, looking at racing with inner loops and outer loops, separate finish boats, on the water Juries blowing whistles signaling to the unwary, or possibly not unwary, that they had infringed the rules, it all appeared a very competent and slick operation timed to the last. The race team for the 420 and Radials moved further east on the Eastern Bank opposite the Aghada Sailing and Tennis Club where they had to wait a little bit longer for the wind to reach them. When it did it was great to see these fleets surfing on the waves.

In the 420 Class Peter McCann and crew Harry Whitaker from RCYC are the current leaders, followed by Douglas Elmes and Colin O'Sullivan, RCYC/ HYC, while the younger McCann brother James and crew Bill Staunton, RCYC, are in fourth place with Lizziy McDowell and Anna O'Regan from MYC taking the third spot..

In the Laser Radial fleet after six races and one discard Conor Beirne RStYG leads Erica Ruigrok from Rush SC in second followed by Cian Byrne from the host Club in third place.

Meanwhile the 29 boat Topper fleet, having sailed three races, are now led by Geoff Power WHSC, followed by Luke McElwaine from Carlingford Lough, tied on points but with count back putting McElwaine in second place and Caoimhe Foster RCYC taking the third spot.

In the 30 boat Laser Radial Fleet Richard McGinley of the Host Club leads from Ross Morgan SSC, second followed by Rebecca O'Shaughnessy, RCYC 3rd.

In the Optimist 60 boat fleet with Ireland's top sailor Anthony O'Leary as Race Officer the fleet sailed on a traditional Optimist course and had a long day sailing four races bringing their total to seven to date on this weekend which is an Optimist Trials Event confined to sailors who qualified at regional events and the Nationals in 2014. Current leader is Tom Higgins, RStGYC, followed by Gemma McDowell, MYC and Harry Bell, HYC third.

Racing continues tomorrow (Saturday) and tensions are now mounting at this stage of the weekend. Forecast is for fresher conditions and some exciting sailing should be seen throughout the fleets.

#optimist – Last weekend saw Howth Yacht Club host their annual Brassed Off Cup regatta for the Optimist dinghy class. The event which is traditionally held on Good Friday was postponed until the following day as a cold & blustery north-westerly wind blasted down the race course for the day. And what a difference a day made, as Saturday was truly summerlike with warm sunshine and a gentle breeze.

Race officer Jim Lambkin & his team managed to get three good races in before the light NW breeze died away. The racing was tricky with slow & difficult beats against a strong ebbing tide. It became a case of the 'rich getting richer' with the first few boats to round the weather mark quickly stretching out from the fleet behind.

In the Senior fleet, the Dun Laoghaire boats revelled in the light & tortuous conditions. Jack Fahy (RSTGYC & LDYC) managed to squeeze out Clare Gorman (NYC) for 2nd, but it was to be Hugo Kennedy's day (RSTGYC). Hugo won the event convincingly with two bullets and a third and got to take the Brassed Off Cup home.

The Dun Laoghaire boats reigned supreme again in the Junior Fleet with Conor Gorman (NYC) taking gold after winning two races and coming second in the last. Alana Coakley (RSTGYC) took silver and HYC's Luke Turvey restored some dignity to the host club by taking bronze.

The Regatta Fleet was closely fought by local sailors Johnny Flynn & Alice Lacy. They got a big jump on the fleet by being the only two to finish the first race. They ended tied but Johnny took gold as a result of having bagged two firsts. Elysia O'Leary (RSTGYC) took third overall.