#optimist – A top Irish youth sailor has opted out of his place on the European Optimist team in favour of a place on the startline at the world championships in October.
Irish champion sailor Harry Durcan (14) from Royal Cork and Baltimore Sailing Club who came third at the trials this year has made the tough choice to go to the worlds on his own as the IODAI are not sending a team this year.
Harry has opted to go to the Worlds instead of the Europeans as you cannot attend both under Irish Optimist Dinghy Association (IODAI) rulings.
Normally the top five finishers at trials go to the Worlds but this year IODAI are not supporting a team because it's been held during school term.
The World Championships this year are on in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina in October. Durcan's preparations will be to train with the Irish 2014 Optimist European Team from now until the European event in Dun Laoghaire in order to help them and himself. He will also attend all the Irish regional events. He then plans to train with the Danish Team and their coach Dennis Passke for the week before the Europeans in Dun Laoghaire. He will then travel to Weymouth for the British Nationals at the 2012 Olympic Games venue and from there to Germany for the German nationals in August.
Harry picks up a top Optimist prize in Italy
He goes as the only Irish sailor to Argentina but has completed two world championships before, in Lake Garda in 2013 and the Dominican Republic in 2012.
Durcan also competed an event in Riva Del Garda at Easter and placed 9th out of 800 sailors, the best ever result for an Irish sailor at such an event. In March he was in Oman for an event with some of the top sailors from Europe. 'I am now looking forward to a fun Summer ahead and getting some training and racing under my belt' he told Afloat.ie
