#youthsailing – Ireland's silver medallist from last year's ISAF Youth Worlds on Dublin Bay has not been selected to sail for Ireland at this year's championships in Cyprus.
An eight-sailor squad will represent Ireland at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in Cyprus this summer after an intense battle for places saw selection go down to the last race of the trials at the Youth National Championships on Lough Derg.
The team was announced this afternoon by the Irish Sailing Association.
In the Laser Radial class Robbie Gilmore (Strangford Lough Yacht Club) will sail in the boys division and in the Girls cartegory Sarah Eames of (Ballyholme Yacht Club) will sail.
In the 420 double habded class Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove of Howth Yacht Club have been selected and girls pairing of Cliodhna Ni Shuilleabhain (Kinsale Yacht Club) and Jill McGinley (Royal Cork Yacht Club)are also named.
In the open 29er Skiff last year's representatives Sean and Tadgh Donnelly (National Yacht Club) will race again.
The team of five boys and three girls will compete across three different classes at the most prestigious international youth sailing event which will take place in Limassol, Cyprus from the 13 – 20 July.
Only one male and one female place was offered in each class and the contenders had to meet both international standards as well as win their category at the Youth National Championships in April in order to be selected.
In the Laser Radial class Ireland will have male and female representatives, both hailing from Northern Ireland. Robbie Gilmore from Belfast had met the international standard along with eight other male sailors prior to the Youth Nationals on Lough Derg.
That provided an equally nerve-wracking and exciting four day, 11 race deciding regatta as the top sailors battled it out for the coveted spot. Robbie took the lead in the early stages but was pursued by last year's ISAF Youth Worlds silver medallist Finn Lynch who was determined to return to the championship for a second year. Ultimately it came down to the final day of racing but Lynch was unable to surpass Gilmore's impressive results.
In the girl's category Sarah Eames from Lisburn was triumphant beating her nearest female rival Sorcha Ni Shuilleabhain by eight points and thus earning her a place on the Youth Worlds team.
Ireland will also have both male and female representatives in the two-person 420 class. Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove from Dublin were among three male teams already at international standard and hoping for a win at the Youth Nationals.
Competition was fierce as the top four teams continuously swapped positions on the leader board. It came down to the final race where the duo took the bullet and deservedly the overall win. In the girl's category a young Cork pairing, Cliodhna Ni Shuilleabhain and Jill McGinley were the somewhat surprise winners.
The girls, although incredibly talented sailors, were much younger than their opponents and had set their sights on 2014. However they dominated throughout the regatta and ultimately beat the Dublin McDowell cousins who had been tipped for the place. With the Youth Nationals win under their belt they travelled to Wales at the end of April for the qualification event and successfully finished 6th overall where only the top eight would meet the international standard.
The final team to earn their place for the second year in a row are brothers Sean and Tadgh Donnelly from Dublin. They will be competing in the 29er class where they will hope to improve on their 10th overall finish at last year's event which was held on Dublin Bay.
Ireland Squad for the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships 2013
Laser Radial
Boy: Robbie Gilmore (Strangford Lough Yacht Club)
Girl: Sarah Eames (Ballyholme Yacht Club)
420
Boys: Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (Howth Yacht Club)
Girls: Cliodhna Ni Shuilleabhain (Kinsale Yacht Club) and Jill McGinley (Royal Cork Yacht Club)
29er
Open: Sean and Tadgh Donnelly (National Yacht Club)
