2023 gets off to an Optimistic start at the Irish Sailing Investwise Youth Nationals.
Much has already been written about the Irish Sailing Investwise Youth Nationals held at Howth Yacht Club last weekend and the largest fleet with the youngest sailors saw Optimists produce some thrilling racing over four days. 43 of the more experienced sailors of the class took to the water representing their clubs from throughout the Country.
While much is made of the selection process which the Association uses to pick teams to represent Ireland at the Optimist Worlds, Europeans and a development team to attend the French International Optimist Regatta, the real interest for most of the sailors was seeing their friends and catching up with sailors they would have raced against only months ago, who have now progressed to other pathway classes such as Lasers and Toppers.
The event yielded 10 races in a variety of conditions that tested all the sailors. Fickle, light winds, 180⁰ shifts, yellow flags, squalls and strong tides pushed the sailors hard, with most having to discard some high scoring races. The fact that PRO David Lovegrove got a 10th race in was hugely significant as it allowed a second discard to come into play. There were very few protests and the atmosphere, as noted by the PRO between the sailors was very supportive and positive.
In the end, the following sailors accepted places on Teams;
WORLDS TEAM
Harry Dunne – HYC/NYC
Caoilinn Geraghty McDonnell – RstGYC
Andrew O’Neill – RCYC
Gemma Brady – NYC/LDYC
Jules Start – RstGYC
EUROPEANS TEAM
Conor Cronin – RstGYC/MYC
Abigail Murphy – RstGYC
Maeve Donagh – RstGYC/LDYC
Max O’Hare – RstGYC
Jude Hynes Knight – TBSC
Rory Whyte – RCYC/WHSC
Carolina Carra – RstGYC
IRISH DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Dougie Venner – RCYC
Emily Donagh – RstGYC/LDYC
Kate Spain – HYC
Louise Hanley – NYC
Anabelle Wilson – KYC
Finn Foley – RstGYC
Patrick Fegan – MYC/RstGYC
Mathew Holden – BYC/NYC
Marcus Shelley of the RstGYC & James Gorman of NYC qualified for the IDT but were unable to take up their places. Unfortunately, Juliet Ryan of RstGYC/MYC was also on target for a team but had to pull out of the last day due to illness.
The teams will now start training in earnest to compete at the various events. The Worlds Team are coached by Dennis Paaske of Denmark and will be sailing their championship in Costa Brava, Spain, from the 15th-25th of June. The Europeans Team is coached by Soren Laugesen also of Denmark, they will sail in Thessaloniki, Greece, from the 15th – 22nd of July. The Worlds & Europeans Teams will be supported by an IODAI Team Rep, Yvonne Durcan, who will bring her vast experience of international regatta and IODA event experience to the sailors.
The Irish Development Team is coached by Thomas Chaix of France and Ireland, who will bring his charges to Perros Guirec in France from the 15th to 21st of July for the Coupe Internationale d’été Optimist.
IODAI wishes all the competitors well and extends our thanks to Irish Sailing, Howth Yacht Club, the huge team of coaches and volunteers who have trained the sailors and of course the parents and all the competitors.
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