Big Fleet Expected at the RYANI Youth Championships at Ballyholme on Belfast Lough

6th September 2022

Betty Armstrong

Bobby Driscoll is Topper World Championships Silver medal winner and runner-up at the UK Nationals in Weymouth Credit: John Driscoll

Ballyholme Yacht Club near Bangor on Belfast Lough is gearing up for an influx of 120 boats taking part in the RYANI annual Youth Sailing Championships this weekend – Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September.

And by the look of the forecast, the competitors may have to deal patiently with light north easterlies on the first day and very different conditions on the Sunday, when heavy rain and moderate south easterlies are forecast. But that is several days away and may indeed change.

The event is open to sailors under the age of 19 in ILCA 6, ILCA 4, 420, 29er, Topper and RS Feva and Optimist. It turns out the Optimist Ulsters will not run alongside the Youth event.

The warning gun for the first of Saturday’s three races is 1155 and on Sunday 1055.

Among the names to the fore this season from County Antrim YC who are understood to have entered are, in ILCA 6 Daniel Corbett, and in Topper 5.3s Luke Simpson, 4th at the Topper Nationals in Weymouth. Calum Pollard, World Topper Champion at Lake Garda will be a force to be reckoned with. Also, from that club, Jenna Reid will compete in ILCA 6 and in ILCA 4 Holly McConnell.

Topper dinghy racing at Ballyholme

From the Larne-based East Antrim BC, there will be Zoe Whitford and Charlie Patterson in the 29er and in ILCA Joshua Kane and Matthew McClernon.

In the RS Feva fleet Rory Pollard with crew, Ben Simpson from CAYC will race against at least six from Ballyholme and Niamh Coman and crew Ellie Nolan from Royal North, with helm

One to be watched is the ex-Topper Silver medal winner at the Worlds and runner-up at the Nationals in Weymouth, competing in an ILCA 6 in this event, Bobby Driscoll from Royal North and the host club.

Toppers have been really successful this year and contesting this championship also will be Tom Driscoll in a 5.3 from the host club. It is thought that the Ballyholme member of the Irish ILCA 4 squad Daniel Palmer will make an appearance. And among the girls will be Isabel Nixon who was second Junior Girl at the Lough Erne YC Topper Traveller in July.

There are also prizes for the Top School and Top Club so no doubt Ballyholme YC and Larne Grammar School will be defending their titles. The question is who will fill the female Youth Champion slot with last year’s winner CAYC sailor, Ellen Barbour now too old to compete.

Race Officer is Aidan Pounder.

Published in RYA Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Waters, Belfast Lough

Published in RYA Northern Ireland

Tagged under

RYANI

About The Author

Betty Armstrong

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Betty Armstrong is Afloat and Yachting Life's Northern Ireland Correspondent. Betty grew up racing dinghies but now sails a more sedate Dehler 36 around County Down

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