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Displaying items by tag: Rocco Wright

The intensely-fought multi-race Youth Sailing Nationals at Howth in April saw many classes go right to the wire, with only a point or two separating the leaders after the championship concluded.

But in the “Senior Junior” class, the large-fleet ILCA 6, Rocco Wright of the host club was literally in a class of his own, with the international Gold winner of 2022 returning to full competition in runaway style with a ten-point overall lead.

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Rocco Wright won a home waters victory at the Investwise Youth Sailing National Championships in Howth on Sunday.

Wright took the ILCA 6 Youth National Champion title by a clear margin of ten nett points after ten races sailed across a range of conditions that concluded in light winds.

The Howth Yacht Club sailor was followed by his clubmate Luke Turvey on 25 points. One-time series leader Tom Coulter of (East Antrim Boat Club) was third on 29 points in the 33-boat fleet.

Wright, of Howth Yacht Club, adds the domestic title to his recently won bronze in the ILCA 6 Men’s class at the ILCA European Championships in Andora, Italy, as Afloat reported here.

ILCA 4 Title for Pierse

The ILCA 4 title was won by Royal Cork’s Oisin Pierse, with Krzysztof Ciborowski (Royal St George YC) and Cillian Twomey (Howth YC) in second and third place.

Results are below

Published in Laser

Defending title-holder Rocco Wright of Ireland faces a two-race challenge in the ILCA6 Men's European Championships climax in Andora, Italy.

The Howth Yacht Club star has work to do to regain his overall lead but, at the same time, has almost certainly done enough to be on the podium this Friday evening.

Greek sailor Athanasios Kyfidis and Mattia Cesana of Italy edged ahead of Wright today, but just seven points separate first to third places in their event.

Kyfidis recovered first place after scoring a 4-3 and leads with 31 points. Cesana ITA (7-2) is second with 33. Third place for the overnight leader and reigning ILCA 6 Men Senior European champion Wright is on 38 points.

The top three are all Under 21, thus leading the Overall and U21 championships.

They have opened up a large gap on the points table to the remainder of the 71-boat class that includes Fiachra McDonnell (Royal St. George Yacht Club) in eleventh overall.

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Reigning ILCA 6 Men's Senior European champion Rocco Wright of Howth Yacht Club took the lead today in Andora, Italy, with 21 points.

Overnight leader Athanasios Kyfidis GRE and Mattia Cesana ITA follow him two points behind.

They are all Under 21, so leaders of both the overall and U21 championships.

Wright's lead would be slightly better, but for a capsize in the final race of the day when he placed eighth, his worst result of the series so far, which he discards. Nevertheless, his fourth day of competition still counted another race win and all top ten results.

There was a further strong showing for Fiachra McDonnell (Royal St. George Yacht Club), who had a very consistent day with a fifth, sixth and third places that shifted him to sixth overall.

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Athanasios Kyfidis GRE is heading the fleet with 7 points (3-1-17-3), followed 1 point behind by the reigning European champion Rocco Wright IRL (4-6-3-1) with 8. Mattia Cesana ITA is third with 14. They are all Under 21 and lead both the overall and U21 championships.

Wright rounded off his qualification round with a race win. As defending champion, the young Howth Yacht Club sailor overcame a shaky start to the day when he capsized while in second place but recovered to finish sixth. In the next race, he placed third before going on to his race win. As the lowest-scoring boat in his 71-boat event, he is well placed for three days of racing to decide the championship.

Medium air conditions were quite shifty, with the breeze up and down in big seas on the Riviera delle Palme.

Royal St. George Yacht Club's Fiachra McDonnell also lies 14th overall with 14th place in the final race.

Three races are scheduled for Wednesday, with the first warning signal at 09:00. Coaches meeting at 07:00.

ILCA 6 Men – Full results below

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Sixteen-year-old Rocco Wright has won the ILCA6/Laser Men's European Championship on the Côte d'Azur today.

The Howth Yacht Club youth also won the U21 division, and this event is added to his Youth World Championship Gold won in the Netherlands in July.

His result came down to the final race on the last day that he started on level points but ahead on a tiebreak from Cypriot Georgios Yiasemides. Wright kept his nerve to place fourth while staying well in front of his main rival, who placed 13th.

 "I'm just speechless to be world and European champion this year. It was always a dream of mine to win a worlds and a Europeans and to do it the same year... I'm just over the moon!"

Wright's immediate goal is to resume working on his skills at a training camp in Valencia next weekend.

As Afloat reported earlier, Wright regained full control of the fleet and led both the overall and Under 21 European championships from the penultimate day.

2022 EurILCA 6 Men Senior European Overall Podium:

  1. Rocco Wright IRL 55
  2. Georgios Yiasemides CYP 64
  3. Kacper Stanislawski POL 93

2022 EurILCA 6 Men Senior European Under 21 Podium:

  1. Rocco Wright IRL 55
  2. Georgios Yiasemides CYP 64
  3. Daniel Cardona Balsa ESP 11

Full results below

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Irish sailor Rocco Wright of Howth (1-13-5) regained full control of the fleet and leads both the overall and Under 21 European championships again with 32 points at the ILCA 6 European Championships in Hyeres France on the penultimate day.

Having won the Gold at the Youth World Championships earlier this year, Wright has his sights firmly set on the Under 21 title as he leads his 64-boat fleet by a comfortable 20-point advantage with the final day to sail.

The overnight leader Ben Elvin GBR (25-35-23), is now third overall with 66.

Georgios Yiasemides CYP (3-11-39) is second on both the overall and U21 championships with 51.

Daniel Cardona Balsa ESP (third U21 sailor) and Mario Novak CRO complete the overall Top 5 with 73 and 77 points, respectively.

Results are downloadable below

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The National Yacht Club's Finn Lynch scored a 16th-39th-32nd dropping him to 32nd place overall in a light wind three race penultimate day of the ILCA/Laser European Championships in Hyeres, France.

Three more races were held today by all the fleets, with shifty and patchy 8-12 knots of breeze. There were many ups and downs that made the sailing conditions very tricky for all the 350 competitors, with significant changes in the standings.

"We just didn't find the right mode to get in front of the fleet at the beginning," commented Vasilij Zbogar, Lynch's Laser coach. "The truth is... I don't know; we were going so well before the event, but now we have different conditions.

"Finn mentally was prepared well and is feeling well. We're struggling a little bit for speed in these conditions for the set-up we have could be a little bit better."

Zbogar, a triple Olympic medallist, pointed to Lynch's improved performance in the upper wind range earlier in the week, calling it a "huge step forward." Normally, the Rio veteran would be expected to perform well in the conditions of the past two days.

"I'm not feeling great - I need to be doing better," Finn Lynch said after racing ended. "There is a lot of luck involved in these conditions, but I need to be better so that I can afford to have bad luck."

For the remaining two races, Lynch will be aiming to finish on a high with individual best results though both the podium and, most likely, the top ten are beyond his reach.

It was not a good day for the overnight leader and reigning 2021 Senior European champion Michael Beckett GBR (22-25-2), losing the top spot for the first time in the event. He’s now in second place but only 2 points behind the new leader Pavlos Kontides CYP (4-3-1), who’s counting 32.

Finland’s Kaarle Tapper FIN (5-23-3) is now third with 50. 7 points after him is Jonatan Vadnai HUN (8-18-17) on fourth.

Lorenzo Chiavarini ITA (6-17-13) and Sam Whaley GBR (24-6-10) are tied in 66 points on places fifth and sixth.

Provisional ILCA 7 European Top 10 after 10 races:

  1. Pavlos Kontides CYP 32
  2. Michael Beckett GBR 34
  3. Kaarle Tapper FIN 50
  4. Jonatan Vadnai HUN 57
  5. Lorenzo Chiavarini ITA 66
  6. Sam Whaley GBR 66
  7. Niels Broekhuizen NED 72
  8. Tonci Stipanovic CRO 74
  9. Hermann Tomasgaard NOR 75
  10. Jean Baptiste Bernaz FRA 85

Download results below

Published in Laser

Howth Yacht Club's Rocco Wright retained his overnight lead in the non-Olympic ILCA6/Laser Men's Euro event in Hyeres, France. 

A second place followed by an eighth means he has a ten-point lead at this early stage of the regatta in a 64-boat fleet.

There are two Senior European titles at stake in the ILCA 6 Men’s competition: the Overall champion and the Under 21 champion, and both are held by Wright  (1-2-2-SCP27). 

The second place is for Ben Elvin GBR (4-1-9-2) with 7. Alastair Brown GBR (18-8-3-1) completes the Overall podium with 12.

Georgios Yiasemides CYP (9-5-1-19) and Lovre Bakotic CRO (27-7-4-11) complete the provisional U21 podium in places fourth and sixth overall with 15 and 22 points, respectively.

Xavier Leclair FRA (46-3-6-10) is fifth overall with 19 units.

Friday is the last day of the qualifying series, with the first warning signal at 12:00.

The forecast is for even stronger winds. 

Six days of races are scheduled in total, with the last ones coming on Monday 21st to decide the new 2022 EurILCA Senior European champions.

Results are downloadable below

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Howth Yacht Club sailor Rocco Wright leads both rankings after an impeccable 1-2 in the opening races of the ILCA 6/Laser Men's European Championships in Hyeres, France.

The 2022 EurILCA Senior European Championships & Open European Trophy started today at Cercle d’Organisation du Yachting de Compétition Hyèrois (COYCH) in Hyeres, France.

Wright, the reigning World Youth Gold medalist, is followed two points behind by Ben Elvin GBR (4-1). Georgios Yiasemides CYP is third overall and second U21 after scoring a 9-5.

More than 350 sailors from 65 countries enjoyed great sailing conditions today for the first two races, with winds varying from 10 to 14 knots in the beginning and 18 to 22 knots at the end. of the second race.

Elia Stocco ITA (7-9) and Mario Novak CRO (12-6) complete the provisional European Top 5.

Terry Hacker GBR (6-12) is third Under 21 and 6th overall.

Download the results below

Published in Laser
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Dublin Bay

Dublin Bay on the east coast of Ireland stretches over seven kilometres, from Howth Head on its northern tip to Dalkey Island in the south. It's a place most Dubliners simply take for granted, and one of the capital's least visited places. But there's more going on out there than you'd imagine.

The biggest boating centre is at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the Bay's south shore that is home to over 1,500 pleasure craft, four waterfront yacht clubs and Ireland's largest marina.

The bay is rather shallow with many sandbanks and rocky outcrops, and was notorious in the past for shipwrecks, especially when the wind was from the east. Until modern times, many ships and their passengers were lost along the treacherous coastline from Howth to Dun Laoghaire, less than a kilometre from shore.

The Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea and is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south. North Bull Island is situated in the northwest part of the bay, where one of two major inshore sandbanks lie, and features a 5 km long sandy beach, Dollymount Strand, fronting an internationally recognised wildfowl reserve. Many of the rivers of Dublin reach the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay: the River Liffey, with the River Dodder flow received less than 1 km inland, River Tolka, and various smaller rivers and streams.

Dublin Bay FAQs

There are approximately ten beaches and bathing spots around Dublin Bay: Dollymount Strand; Forty Foot Bathing Place; Half Moon bathing spot; Merrion Strand; Bull Wall; Sandycove Beach; Sandymount Strand; Seapoint; Shelley Banks; Sutton, Burrow Beach

There are slipways on the north side of Dublin Bay at Clontarf, Sutton and on the southside at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, and in Dalkey at Coliemore and Bulloch Harbours.

Dublin Bay is administered by a number of Government Departments, three local authorities and several statutory agencies. Dublin Port Company is in charge of navigation on the Bay.

Dublin Bay is approximately 70 sq kilometres or 7,000 hectares. The Bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and seven km in length east-west to its peak at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the southside of the Bay has an East and West Pier, each one kilometre long; this is one of the largest human-made harbours in the world. There also piers or walls at the entrance to the River Liffey at Dublin city known as the Great North and South Walls. Other harbours on the Bay include Bulloch Harbour and Coliemore Harbours both at Dalkey.

There are two marinas on Dublin Bay. Ireland's largest marina with over 800 berths is on the southern shore at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The other is at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club on the River Liffey close to Dublin City.

Car and passenger Ferries operate from Dublin Port to the UK, Isle of Man and France. A passenger ferry operates from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Howth as well as providing tourist voyages around the bay.

Dublin Bay has two Islands. Bull Island at Clontarf and Dalkey Island on the southern shore of the Bay.

The River Liffey flows through Dublin city and into the Bay. Its tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac.

Dollymount, Burrow and Seapoint beaches

Approximately 1,500 boats from small dinghies to motorboats to ocean-going yachts. The vast majority, over 1,000, are moored at Dun Laoghaire Harbour which is Ireland's boating capital.

In 1981, UNESCO recognised the importance of Dublin Bay by designating North Bull Island as a Biosphere because of its rare and internationally important habitats and species of wildlife. To support sustainable development, UNESCO’s concept of a Biosphere has evolved to include not just areas of ecological value but also the areas around them and the communities that live and work within these areas. There have since been additional international and national designations, covering much of Dublin Bay, to ensure the protection of its water quality and biodiversity. To fulfil these broader management aims for the ecosystem, the Biosphere was expanded in 2015. The Biosphere now covers Dublin Bay, reflecting its significant environmental, economic, cultural and tourism importance, and extends to over 300km² to include the bay, the shore and nearby residential areas.

On the Southside at Dun Laoghaire, there is the National Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as Dublin Bay Sailing Club. In the city centre, there is Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club. On the Northside of Dublin, there is Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club and Sutton Dinghy Club. While not on Dublin Bay, Howth Yacht Club is the major north Dublin Sailing centre.

© Afloat 2020