Sailing: Line-up revealed for end-of-season Championships

With just over one week to go, Irish Sailing has announced the line-up for both its Senior and Junior All Ireland Sailing Championships which draw sailors from many disciplines for an-end-of season champion of champions climax.

The senior event – celebrating its 70th anniversary – is scheduled to sail in GP14 dinghies and the junior event in Schull’s own TR3.6 dinghy design.

There’s an obvious advantage to Greystones Sailing Club invitee Shane MacCarthy, who is the current GP14 World Champion, but he can expect some tough competition from dinghy rivals all the same.

Defending All Ireland champion Alex Barry, who came second and third in the previous two events is confirmed along with West Cork’s Fionn Lyden, this month’s bronze medalist at the U-23 Finn World Championships.

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The Junior event sails first on September 30th at the Fastnet Outdoor & Marine Education Centre in Schull, West Cork followed by the senior event on Lough Owel at Mullingar Sailing Club a week later.

Noel Butler and Simon Revill are the 2017 Irish Fireball National Champions. They won seven of the nine races at Lough Derg last weekend.

For Sutton-based Revill, this gives him a unique 2017 double – he is also one half of the IDRA 14 National Champion crew from the Galway Bay championships last month.

Dun Laoghaire’s Ger Owens was the winner of the GP14 Autumn Open at the weekend when he topped the 19-boat fleet event in Cork Harbour. Second was East Antrim Boat Club’s Curly Morris with Sutton Dinghy Club’s Conor Twohig third. Youghal Sailing Club’s Jack Buttimer was the winner of the 13-boat youth championships.

New SB20 World Corinthian Champion Michel O’Connor of the Royal St George YC with crew Davy Taylor and Edward Cook took the class’s Irish title in Howth last weekend in a fleet of 21-boats.

A week after the launch of its revamped Volvo Cork Week Regatta, Royal Cork Yacht Club have issued a change of date for next year’s regatta. The date change to July 16th-21st is, according to event chairman Kieran O’Connell, to avoid clashing with both the Round Ireland Race (June 30th) and the Round The Island Race (July 7th).

Strong turnout

Howth Yacht Club’s J24 under-25 team lie just outside the top third of the 63-boats J24 World Championships in Ontario, Canada this week. The only Irish crew in the event are skippered by Lizzy McDowell with Ciaran White, Darragh White, Harry Conin and Graham Blay onboard.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club is expecting a strong turnout for its Kish Lighthouse Race on Sunday. Open to all comers according to the organisers, the warning signal will be at 10.55am from the Dublin Bay Starting Hut on the West Pier and the intended course is Kish to port and back.

“The emphasis is on participation for all suitable yachts, and the DMYC hopes to attract entries for racer, recreation and cruiser sailors alike,” said rear-commodore Neil Colin.

Two Northern Ireland sailors, Mikey Ferguson and Andrew Baker, who have Vendée 2020 ambitions, are waiting for a weather window to attempt a new Length of Britain speed record. The current record, from Land’s End to John O’Groats, held by British sailor Phil Sharp, stands at three days, 11 hours, 52 minutes, 15 seconds at an average speed of 7.39 knots.

ALL IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITORS

Class – Helm name – Club – Crew Name

Shannon One Design –Stephen O’Driscoll – Lough Derg Yacht Club – John O’Driscoll

J24 – JP McCaldin – Lough Erne Yacht Club/Sligo Yacht Club – Liz Copland

Laser Radial – Sean Craig – Royal St George Yacht Club – David Johnston

2016 Champion RS400 – Alex Barry – Monkstown Bay SC/Royal Cork YC –Richard Leonard

Puppeteer 22 – Colin Kavanagh –Howth Yacht Club – Conor Barry

Dublin Bay Mermaid – Sam Shiels – Skerries Sailing Club – Eoin Boylan

Squib – Greg Bell – Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club – Martin Weatherstone

IDRA14 – Alan Henry – Sutton Dinghy Club – Simon Reville

SB20 – Michael O’Connor –Royal St George Yacht Club – Michelle Rowley

RS200 – Neil Spain – Howth Yacht Club – John Downey

RS400 – Gareth Flannigan – Ballyholme Yacht Club – David Fletcher

GP14 – Shane Mc Carthy – Greystones Sailing Club – Andy Davis

ITRA – Fionn Lyden – UCCSC, BSC, Schull – Liam Manning

ICRA 3 – Paul Gibbons – Royal Cork Yacht Club – Grattan Roberts

Ruffian 23 – Chris Helme – Royal St. George Yacht Club – Alan Claffey

Laser Standard – Ronan Walsh – Royal Cork Yacht Club – tbc

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPETITORS

Class – Helm Name – Club – Crew Name

Laser radial – Johnny Durcan – RCYC/BSC – Emily Cullen

Optimist – Leah Rickard – NYC – Kate Fahy

Laser radial – Loghlen Rickard – NYC Nathan – Van Steenberge

RS Feva – Conor Galligan – Greystones SC – Jack Galligan

Topaz – Adam Byrne – Dingle SC – Ciarán mac Gearailt

RS Feva – Henry Start – RStGYC – Morgan Devine

RS200 –Chris Bateman – RCYC – Daniel Hegarty

Laser 4.7 – Jack Fahy – LDYC/RStGYC/RCYC – Noah McCarthy-Fisher

Mirror – Caolan Croasdell – LRYC – Alexander Farrell

Optimist – Rian Geraghty McDonnell – NYC – Harry Durcan

GP14 – Peter Boyle – SDC – Brian Sheehy

RS200 – Cian Jones – RCYC – Caoimhe Foster

420 – Micheal O’Suilleabhain – KYC – Michael Carroll

Laser Std – Ronan Walsh – RCYC – Tom Higgins

420 – Geoff Power – WHSC – James McCann

Topper – Joseph Karauzum – Ballyholme YC/ County Antrim YC – TC Mulvenna