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Monday's edition includes photos and pics from Sunday's Figaro departure from Dun Laoghaire and the start of the Fastnet race from Cowes. Will it be Gold, Silver or Bronze from Weymouth? How will Peter, David and Annalise end up at the Pre-Olympics? Plus: The Topper Worlds at the National YC, Flying fifteen South coast champs in Dunmore East, the J24 Nationals from Lough Erne, Teens battle for the RS Feva Nationals in Cork Harbour,  the Cove People's Regatta, The Oppy Nationals at Howth and the Dragon Nationals from Kinsale. There's also the full results from Dublin Bay SC and Howth.

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Peter McCann ended his assault of the British Optimist National Champion at Pwllheli Sailing Club in 13th place. Other Irish team results inlcuded a 23rd for Cliodhna ni Shuilleabhain and a 16tth for Sean Donnelly. Full results here.

The 50th Volvo Gill Optimist National and Open Championship came to a close on Friday after a week of fantastic sailing in a mixture of racing conditions. The week started light with no wind for the 450 sailors but increased as the week progressed. Racing finished with sunshine but challenging conditions and 30-40 degree shifts.

After 12 races and talented, consistent sailing New Zealand’s Leonard Takahashi-Fry (13, Murrays Bay SC) takes the Volvo Gill Optimist Open Champion title “It’s really exciting to be Volvo Gill Optimist Open Champion. Sailing today was ok and pretty shifty but the weeks been great and as it went on I got better at sailing in the shifts. It’s been a bit cold, back home it’s hotter but it’s been pretty nice weather. I’ve really enjoyed sailing here and the event’s been well organized” said Leonard.

Arran Holman (14, Hollowell SC) is crowned Volvo Gill Optimist British National Champion “It’s been a really good week, enjoyable and very exciting. Today was really shifty and challenging out there but it was good and great conditions. It’s great to be the 50th National Champion and I’ve had a fantastic time” said 2010 Volvo Optimist End of Season Champion, Arran.

The trophy for the top British girl was awarded to Royal Lymington’s Mimi El- Khazindar (14) and Gill Race Team member Milo Gill Taylor (11, Spinnaker Sailing Club) secured the Junior fleet title. Close behind Milo was local sailor Huw Edwards (12, Port Dinorwic).

“It’s absolutely amazing! I’m so excited. Today was nerve racking but I won my first race. It’s my favourite sailing venue and I won the Regatta fleet here in 2008 so it’s great to win again” said GBR World Squad member Milo.

After 13 races the winner of the Regatta Racing fleet was 10 year old Matilda Nicholls (Royal Bermuda YC) who showcased talented sailing all week, followed by Sally Lorimer (Warsach SC).

Newly appointed IOCA (UK) Chairman, Simon Rogers paid tribute to a wonderful week of fun yet competitive racing “It’s been an incredible week with some absolutely fantastic sailing here at the 50th anniversary of the National Championships. We are delighted with the racing we have had all week and the conditions have been perfect ”.

Broken toe straps were no obstacle for Adam Hyland this week when the Glenageary junior took an unexpected dip in the Baltic. He finished tenth and top Irish boat at the German Optimist National championships.  The top result was from a field of 300. Full results HERE.

The 10 strong Irish optimist development team returned on Saturday night after a very successful trip to Kiel for the German Optimist Nationals. In particular Adam Hyland should be very happy with his 11th place in this world class fleet.

The quality of the fleet at the German nationals is much higher than at German oppie sailors have to qualify for the nationals and the top 20% of the German fleet (220 sailors) and with Foreign  participants making up the balance of 310.  Most of the foreign competitors teams were made up of World team sailors who are excluded from competing in the Europeans.

The Irish team spent 3 days training and acclimatizing to the local conditions with the German, Danish and other worlds teams.

The competitors competed in very mixed conditions ranging from very light to 20k plus.

The Irish Finished as follows:

11th Adam Hyland RstGYC
56th Sophie Brown TBSC/RCYC
75th Sean Waddilove SSC/HYC
77th Robert Dickson HYC
116th Fergus Flood HYC
129th Sean Gambier Ross KYC
139th Alacoque Daly TBSC
152nd Richard Hogan HYC
158th Ronan Cournane KYC/RCYC
204th Dara Cournane KYC/RCYC
239th Aoife Hopkins HYC

Dun Laoghaire's Adam Hyland finished strongly at the Optimist German National Championships yesterday finishing a 19 (his discard) (a bad start followed by a wrong decision on the first beat), 2 and 4. The results put him in strong position half way through the regatta with 6 races scheduled. He is counting  a 12th place finish which he managed to salvage when the toe straps in his chartered Winner Optimist broke while leading the last beat throwing him into the Baltic for a short swim and a scrabble back into his boat to finish.

Results HERE.

The forcast for today is very light and forecast to stay like this till tomorrow.

Next best is Sophie Brown winner of the Irish Trials and Ireland's sole Worlds team member sailing with the Danish team sail number is 65th, followed by Sean Waddilove in 75th.

There are 10 worlds teams competing at this regatta NED, GER, POL, BEL, POR, DEN, FIN, FRA, NOR, SWE and World team members from JPN, SWI etc.  These teams are the best Oppie sailors in Europe and their selection for the Worlds team exclude them from the Europeans. Therefore the quality of the fleet is much higher than the recent Europeans where only the second team compete.

Following on from the success of the IODAI European team in Portugal last month where Royal Cork's Peter McCann finished in 7th place and Tralee's Sophie Brown had an overall win in the Girls section of the French Nationals, Irish Optimist sailors continue to show promise at regattas this week.

At the British Nationals in Abersoch in the Seniors u 15 Sean Donnelly from the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire has recovered from his Black Flag Disqualification in race 2 to 17th. Kinsale's 13year old Clíodhna Ni Shilleabhain having shown her potential in the light and shifty conditions on day 1 where she was lying in second after 2 races has suffered in yesterday's windier and more tidal conditions to fall to 23rd overnight.

In the Juniors Niamh Henry from the RstGYC is showing here experience by leading the Irish sailors in 13th position after seven solid races in the all in the top 10. With new guys Ewan McMahon of Howth Yacht Club and Colin O'Sullivan (Malahide) are showing that they are learning and earning.

in the Regatta Fleet Grace O'Beirne is leading the Irish Challenge in 12th place.

At the German Optimist Nationals, the results are slow to update online.

Fate seemed to have been conspiring against the Irish yesterday because Sean Wadillove from Skerries was won his second race yesterday only to be disqualified because of a technical infringement.

Light fickle winds on the first day of the Volvo Gill Optimist Open and British National Championships in Pwhelli prevented top Irish top challenger Peter McCann from Royal Cork making an early breakthrough but other Irish sailors have prevailed in the senior fleet incuding Kinsale's Cliodhna Ni Shuilleabhain in joint third overall and the National Yacht Club's Sean Donnelly in ninth. Results to date here.

Some of the nation's finest young sailors struggled in light fickle winds. The day was overcast and the light conditions brought tricky shifts. The southerly wind struggled to get over 4 ½ knots but the frustrated Senior and Junior fleet sailors managed one race each in the light breeze.

After one race New Zealand's Markus Somerville (15, Wakatere BC) currently sits at the top of the Senior fleet followed by British sailor and 2010 Junior National Champion, Freddie Grogono. In the Junior fleet the USA dominate two of the top three positions with JC Hermus (11, Bellport Bay YC) in first, Welsh sailor Alexander Watson (9, Llyn Brenig) in second place and Ryan Hennessey (12, Bellport Bay YC) in third. Matilda Nicholls (10, Royal Bermuda YC) sits top of the Regatta racing fleet.

"We were fortunate that when the breeze did fill in it coincided with slack water. It was shifty out there but no more than we predicted and there was consistent pressure. The wind faded towards the end of Senior fleet races so we made the decision to shorten the course. We are pleased to achieve one race for both the Senior and Junior fleets in such light wind. Pwhelli is a great venue to hold the National Championships without as much tidal influence as other venues in the UK." Peter Saxton, Principle Race Officer Optimist National Main fleet

2011 Volvo Gill Optimist Spring Champion, Max Clapp (14, Royal Southern YC) is looking forward to getting back out on the water tomorrow morning "It was quite light and shifty out there but I sail best in light winds. I've raced here [in Pwllheli] before and I'm used to it being windy so it's a change it's so light. I like the venue here, it's great to launch from the beach and compared to Weymouth and Portland it's more open to the sea. I really like sailing in the class because of the numbers and it's nice to meet new friends. My aim for the week - I'd really like to be top Brit in my fleet."

More than 450 British and international sailors from as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa have descended on Pwllheli for the 50th Optimist Open and National Championships, which run until Friday 5th August.

Racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow (Tuesday 2nd August) at 11.00 am. The event will see a maximum of 12 races for the Senior and Junior fleets.

Cork's Peter MCann Leads Irish hopes against some of the best of Britain's up and coming young sailors who are ready for a full week of racing at the 2011 Volvo Gill Optimist Open and National Championships, Pwllheli Sailing Club. Over 450 British and International competitors, from 15 nations will take part in the annual event from Saturday 30th July – Friday 5th August.

Ireland's Optimist Association arranged pre-event coaching  in Pwhelli for Irish sailors attending.

Racing throughout the week will be split into five separate categories, the Senior Fleet for those aged thirteen to fifteen, the Junior Fleet for those aged eight to twelve, Regatta Racing aged eight and above and for those that are looking for transition to the Junior fleet, Regatta Coaching for those competing at the event for the first time and Mini Racers aged eight and nine, who are just learning to sail.

"This year we have more international entries than last year with a number of new countries involved including South Africa, Kenya, New Zealand and Finland. It is fantastic to attract so many young sailors from across the globe. In the British fleets some of the top sailors have progressed and moved on so the regatta is wide open. The next generation are coming through and will be using the National Championships to find their positions within their fleets. It will be an exciting event for all." Said Simon Rogers, ICOA (UK) Technical Officer.

In the senior fleet, 2011 World squad members will be using the opportunity to practice against overseas competition. 2011 Volvo Gill Optimist Inland Champion, Welshman Matt Whitfield (14, Penarth YC), Jamie Calder (13, Loch Tummel) and Joseph Burns (14, Spinnaker SC) are all looking to the take home the National Champion title. Gill Race Team member, Sarah Norbury will be looking to defend her top British girl title fending off competition from 2011 Euro team members Mimi El-Khazindar (14, Royal Lymington) and Georgia Booth (14, Scaling Dam SC).

2009 and 2010 Junior National Champion, Freddie Grogono (13, St Mawes SC) has progressed to the Senior Fleet and will be looking to triumph amongst his new competitors.

In the Junior fleet, 2011 Volvo Gill Optimist Inland Champion, William Heathcote (9, Royal Lymington) will be looking to repeat his success at Graftham Water but faces stiff competition from newly selected Gill Race team and World squad member Milo Gill-Taylor (11, Spinnaker YC).

From overseas Spain's Nestor Cano (14, C Nautic Vilassar De Mar) and Ireland's Peter McCann (14, Royal Cork YC) will be both be looking to repeat last year's success with top ten finishes "There are some really good sailors competing here in Pwllheli. It is my second National Championships over here and I really enjoyed last year in Weymouth and Portland. Compared to back home it is definitely wavier and the currents are different. It can also be hard to tell where the gust is coming from, but I'm really looking forward to getting out there and starting the racing" Said Nestor.

This is the first year that Volvo and Gill have jointly sponsored the Optimist Sailing Class in the UK and includes support for three major annual championships: The Volvo Gill Optimist Inland Championships, the Volvo Gill Optimist Open and National Championships and the Volvo Gill Optimist End of Season Championships which will be taking place at Rutland Sailing Club, 8-9 October. (Additional reporting by Sarah Alexander/Volvo)

In one of the busiest racing weekends of the Irish sailing calendar a vintage Quarter tonner sailed by six friends lifted the top prize in Dun Laoghaire. We report on Supernova's success. In a weekend of extremes for the biennial 'big one' we have reports, photos and video from Day one, two, three and overall. Plus how one VDLR competitor skipped the ferry and sailed over, from Wales in a dinghy. We have the DBSC likely first series winners too. On Friday, John Twomey and his crew qualified in Weymouth for next year's Paralympic Games. Yesterday in Croatia Sophie Murphy took a race win at the ISAF Youth Worlds for Ireland. From a lead at the halfway stage Peter McCann ended up eighth at the Oppy worlds in Portugal.We have less serious Optimist action from Crosshaven too.

In offshore news, the Transatlantic Race 2011 Nears a Finish, and RORC yachts that headed West did best in the St Malo from Cowes race. Ireland's entry in the Tall Ships race, Celtic Mist, is safely in Scotland. WIORA starts this week in Clifden, thirty boats are expected.

Two top Cork performers are in Cowes for this week's Quarter Ton Cup.

In other boating news, rower Siobhan McCrohan won bronze at the World Rowing Champs in Lucerne, Kiteboarding debuted in Dun Laoghaire. There were Medals for Irish Kayakers at Athens Special Olympics.

And finally after a Elaine 'Shooter' Alexander is set for hero's welcome this week as she becomes the first woman from Northern Ireland to circumnavigate the island of Ireland.

All on our home page this morning, thanks for your interest in Irish Sailing and Boating.

Leader of the Optimist dinghy Europeans at the half way stage, Peter McCann of Royal Cork Yacht Club has ended the 12 races series at Tavira, Portugal  in eighth place overall yesterday.  The top Irish youngster had a disappointing second half of the championship picking up 30, 42 and and a 28 in the final five races. 130 competed. There was a separate boys and girls division.

 

After six races sailed at the Optimist European Championships in Tavira, Portugal, Royal Cork's Peter McCann leads the fleet after posting three top six finishes and discarding a 44th yesterday. The great effort by the Crosshaven youth sailor may yet put Ireland on the podium, a place Irish Oppy helms have not been since 1981. 130 are competing.