Sunshine and smiles filled Lough Ree Yacht Club over the weekend as 198 sailors gathered to compete in the Optimist National Championships.
With exciting races and plenty of fun, it was an unforgettable event for everyone involved.
The Regatta Coached Fleet completed an impressive 12 races. Congratulations to Jamie Scallon, Heidi Murray, and Thomas Mellett, who claimed the top three positions. In the Regatta Racing Fleet, Sebastian Richardson, Olivia Knibb, and Zachary Fox led the way, followed closely by Willow Murray, Nicholas Nyhan, and John Sheridan who take the Irish championship. Well done to all 61 sailors in the Regatta fleets for their fantastic effort and sportsmanship throughout the four days.
On the main race course, competition was intense across both fleets. In the Junior Fleet, In the Irish championship Dylan’ O’Sullivan was first, George Creighton was second and Louis Trickett was third. The shifty wind made for challenging racing, with five different winners across the eight races. Special mention goes to John Keating, George Creighton, and Ruben Hernandez-Woodd for their race victories.
In the Senior Fleet, Lochlainn Hanley took the open title and Maeve Donagh won the Irish National title. Hanley ultimately took the win, with Maeve, Emily Donagh, and Lily Donagh finishing second, third, and fourth respectively. In the Irish fleet it was a whitewash with Maeve, Emily and Lily taking gold. Across all fleets, the competition was friendly but fierce, and the friendships formed will be the lasting reward for many of the sailors.
A huge thank you to Lough Ree Yacht Club and IODAI for organising such a brilliant event. It couldn’t have happened without the dedication of countless volunteers. Special thanks also go to Nigel Biggs and his race team for setting excellent courses in tricky, shifting conditions.
FULL RESULTS HERE