The 2023 Champions are ...
The results are in! As is custom every year, a nominations meeting is held where the top sailors from each class in Ireland are put forward to race one another at the Champions' Cup. Factors such as ranking, position at national events and performance at international events are all taken into account when collating nominees. So without further hesitation here is the confirmed list of competitors for 2023.
First up we have ..
Tom Driscoll:
(Ballyholme YC and RNIYC)
From the Topper class. Nominated for 1st place in the Topper National Championships.
Also from the Topper Class
Emily Macafee:
(Ballyholme YC)
For placing as the first female of the National Championships.
Cora McNaughton:
(Blessington Sailing Club)
Nominated from the 420 class for a 1st place at the national Championships.
David Evans:
(Sligo Yacht Club)
Nominated on behalf of the Mirror class as the highest rated junior at the Mirror National Championship’s.
Harry Dunne:
(Howth YC)
Harry is an Optimist Sailor and he has been nominated for his 1st Place at their national Championships.
Gemma Brady:
(National Yacht Club)
Nominated for her Second place at the Optimist National Championships.
Max O’Hare:
(Royal St. George YC)
Also of the Optimist class is nominated for his 3rd place at the same National Championships.
Maximus Cully:
(Blessington Sailing Club)
Is nominated from the GP14 class as 1st place U19 at the Junior National Championships.
Russell Bolger:
(Royal St. George YC)
Joins this years Junior Champions cup with the nomination from the Team Racing class as the Captain of the winning team at the 2023 I.S.T.R.A National Championships.
Ben O’Shaughnessy:
(Royal Cork YC & The National YC)
A name you might recognise alongside Ethan Spain for their recent success’s on the international stage in the 29er Class. Ben is nominated however for his 1st place at the National Championships in the 29er class. After which they then went on to be crowned European Champions.
Lucy Ives:
(Carlingford SC)
Nominated from the ILCA 4 discipline for a 1st place at the National Championships
Tom Coulter:
(Portrush YC & EABC)
Nominated from the ILCA 6 class for 1st place at the National Championships. Tom is an up and coming member of the Irish Sailing Academy and is certainly one to watch as he takes on the challenge at the end of this month.
Megan O’Sullivan:
(Royal Cork YC)
Megan has been nominated as a Female Wildcard by the committee as she placed 4th Overall at the ILCA 4 National Championship’s and is ranked 2nd female out of 31 IRL boats.
Lily Donagh
(Royal St. George YC & Lough Derg YC)
Another Wildcard nomination from the optimist class. She placed 5th overall at the National Championships and is also 5th out of 111 IRL boats.
Lucia Cullen:
(RSGYC, NYC & RCYC)
Another name you might recognise alongside her crew Alana Twomey for their success on the international stage in the 29er class. Lucia is this years President’s Choice for being crowned the female 2023 European 29er Champion and 4th Female at the Worlds.
Sienna Wright:
(Howth YC)
Another Presidents’ Choice, this time from the ILCA 6 class. Sienna Wright is nominated for her performance at international events over the summer becoming vice U17 Youth World and European Champion. She additionally placed 7th overall the National Championships, and 1st lady in ILCA 6.
Ones to watch at this years event are the 29er helms Ben O'Shaughnessy and Lucia Cullen, with their international success's over the summer their experience at high pressure large scale regatta's may fair well for them on the waters of West Cork.
We will also be keeping our eyes on Champions' Cup veteran Russell Bolger, nominated from the Team Racing Class, he will be very familiar with the TR 3.6's that all competitors will be racing in. Could this give him an advantage over the rest? And finally Youth World and European success story Sienna Wright has made herself known to the international stage this season, will the Champions' Cup be the icing on the cake to her summer?
See you all in Schull!