Close Duel in Oppie Class at ISA Youth Championships

Last week, Schull hosted the high profile ISA Youth Nationals & Pathway Championships. As usual, it was amazing to see the youngest sailor (Niamh Henry, 8 year old) launching beside the cream of Laser and 420 youth sailors who not so long ago were battling in the optimist and topper fleets.

Ex oppies did well taking top 5 position in the 420 and the title in laser 4.7, courtesy of Andrew Tyrell. But what you are surely looking for is the oppies themselves, right?

If the numbers did not show, which was somehow disapointing, it still provided a superb 10 races championships with close and intense racing. The four ISA squad members provided nail bitting races swapping position, controlling each other and providing extremely close finishes.

Katie Gambier Ross took an early lead and seemed to cruise away with a 4 points lead after 7 races, but it was not to be and Colm O Regan closed the gap to snatch the title on the last race. Killian O Keeffe completed the podium and got a daily prize for the most amazing mess up of the championship (how not to capsize but still get wet!).

A little further back the battle was as intense with younger sailors trying to catch honours and it was great to see some talented 10-11 years old emerging and sometimes pushing the squad.

Surely a great championship to watch to the enjoyment of mark layers Aodh Kennedy and Lucy Bolger freshly returned from Braassemermeer.

Results

1 1269 Colm O'Regan Kinsale Yacht Club 14  3 1 2 4 1 3 3 1 1 2

2 1244 Katie Gambier-Ross Kinsale Yacht Club 14  1 4 1 2 2 1 2 3 2 4

3 1333 Killian O'Keeffe Royal Cork Yacht Club 19  2 3 3 1 4 4 dnf 2 3 1

4 1248 Alan Kingston Kinsale Yacht Club 22  4 2 4 3 3 2 1 7 4 3

5 1090 Amy Kate Clarke Kinsale Yacht Club 49  8 6 6 6 12 7 4 4 9 8

6 122 Jack Brien Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club 54  7 9 7 10 9 5 5 6 6 9

7 1334 Conor Murphy Kinsale Yacht Club 54  11 7 5 7 8 8 8 11 5 6

8 1293 Erica Ruigrok Skerries Sailing Club/Howth Yacht Club 62  9 5 8 8 13 10 7 5 11 10

9 683 Cliodhna O' Regan Kinsale Yacht Club 63  13 8 10 12 7 9 6 9 7 7

10 1071 Sean Gambier-Ross Kinsale Yacht Club 72  5 12 12 5 6 12 18 10 10 15

11 1053 Daire Cournane Kinsale Yacht Club 73  10 11 13 9 11 11 18 8 8 5

12 1259 Isobel Forde Kinsale Yacht Club 77  6 13 9 11 5 6 18 14 15 13

13 1107 Sophie Browne Tralee Bay Sailing Club 87  12 10 11 13 10 dnf 9 12 12 11

14 934 Mark Bolger Royal St George Yacht Club / Royal Cork Yacht Club / Baltimore Sailing Club 128  dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc dnf 13 13 12

15 1012 Niamh Henry Royal St George Yacht Club 130  14 dnf dnc dnc dnf dnc dnc 16 14 14

16 814 Jonathan Connor Kinsale Yacht Club 134  dnf 15 dnf dnc dnf dnc dnc 15 16 16

17 1168 Robin Forde Kinsale Yacht Club 138  15 dnf dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc 17 17 17

Thomas