O ‘ What a year

The year of 2009 will go down in Irish Optimist history as a year of great achievements.

When we all thought the world was full of doom gloom recession and depression along come the Oppies !

We all remember Diane Kissane’s amazing achievement when she won three National Championships in a row in 2005, 2006 and 2007. That’s going to be a hard one to beat!.

But this year we came very close and maybe surpassed it in a different way..   

Seafra Guillfoyle  at the young Oppy age of 13 won all the regional events this year and his fantastic year of achievement culminated in the Royal St. George YC at the end of August when he was crowned National and Open Champion for 2009. Well done Seafra !

Looking through the IODAI archives it appears this is the first time that any sailor has won all the regional events and the Nationals.  Six Trophies in total. (Munster’s, Ulster’s, Connaught’s, Leinster’s, Irish National Championship and Irish National Open Championship) a “ Grand Slam” of all six Senior Optimist Titles.

 We also have for the first time an Irish Optimist Sailor who won a British National Open Championship and an Irish Optimist sailor who has won three Junior Regional events and the Nationals!

Back in early August this year and to the tune of “The fields of Athenry” (beautiful sung by all the Irish present) Cian Byrne collected the British Open National Junior Championship Trophy in Largs Scotland.
Indeed the championship ended up being a battle between the visiting Irish and Americans sailors. Cian was closely followed in third place by fellow Cork man Peter McCann.

Peter McCann won three out of four regional Junior events this year (Ulster’s, Leinster’s and Munster`s). Peter kept his best until last by winning the Irish National Junior Championship in late August at the Royal St George YC. Cian was third overall.

Earlier in the season his club mate Patrick Crosbie won the Irish Selection Trials.

None of these achievements would be possible without the other 200 Irish Optimist competitors who compete against these champions and who help to keep pushing the boundaries of achievement for Irish sailing. Well done all.

The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) has been involved with IODAI over the last number of years with the creation of the ISA Optimist National Squad. All the above mentioned sailors are involved in this squad and looking to the future will surely figure in the ISA`s plans for the ISAF Youth Worlds which are being held in Dun Laoghaire 2012.

Roll on 2010..