Local's Triumph in 2025 Junior Champions' Cup
After the opening day was lost to light winds, the Junior Champions Cup wrapped up in style on Sunday with glorious sunshine and a steady northerly breeze.
Sixteen invited helms and their crews were on the water for 9:00am in order to make up for a day of racing lost. With the experience of the Race Management six races were swiftly completed to create qualifying series of the event and determining the ten boats advancing to the medal race.
The Medal Race was fiercely contested, with local sailor Daniel Copithorne and crew Matt Mapplebeck from Crosshaven claiming first and overall title. William Walsh and Eoin Byrne from Dun Laoghaire secured silver, while last year’s champions, Cora Naughton (Blessington) and Isha Duggan (Crosshaven), completed the podium in third place.
Irish Sailing Racing Manager Stephen O’Shaughnessy praised the standard of competition, “It is fantastic to see such an array of talent coming through the youth system. The skill levels on display from many of the competitors, many of whom do not normally sail the one-design dinghy used for the event, were remarkable.”
Special thanks were extended to Race Officer Nigel Biggs and his team of mark layers, umpires, and safety personnel for running the racing with military precision. Appreciation also went to Ruth McSweeney for producing prompt race results after each heat, and to Sinéad Scully and the Fastnet Marine Outdoor Education Centre (FMOEC) team for their invaluable support.