Shifting winds, general recalls, black flag penalties and one abandoned race led to a drama–filled opening day at the 48–nation KBC Laser Radial Youth and Men’s World Championship on Dublin Bay, this afternoon.

Ireland, Croatia, USA and the Cayman Islands were four countries that made the most of the day's sub ten–knot breezes, each winning a race in their respective divisions of the 229–boat boys fleet.

But for all the on–the–water success of the day, there were also plenty of sailors seeking improvements tomorrow.

Sailors tackled offshore winds gusting up to 12–knots but sometimes the fickle summer breeze was as low as three knots.

Winds from anywhere between 225 and 300 degrees were strong enough to keep the dinghies moving through the small chop and tide but there was little opportunity for hiking. Upwind, the fastest sailors sought the strongest lines of pressure coming off the shore. Downwind, the on–the water umpires were active, with 28 rule 42 penalties for rocking and pumping infringements.

Back ashore, at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire harbour, the youth sailors gave their first impressions of the Dublin race track.

'The winds are too shifty and the water is too cold! I'm going to have to learn how to sail all over again in this place', joked Israeli green fleet sailor Yam Lauber who counted a 21.

Course area B, under Rio appointed Olympic Race officer Con Murphy, completed its full programme but London 2012 Race Officer Jack Roy on course A was forced to abandon all three fleets half way through the second race when there was a major wind shift.

'This bay's a good place to sail but the shifts are random. I'd a good first race but let's not talk about the second', said Great Britain's Arthur Brown from Royal Burnham YC on the river Crouch.

But Spain's Rafael de la Hoz Tuells, who scored two second places in the boys blue fleet, appears – by today's result at least – to have mastered Dublin's notoriously difficult westerlies.
'I sailed today by concentrating on the clouds and following the wind', said the number two Spanish sailor from Murcia.

Check out some video footage of one of today's races.. @LaserWorlds2016 pic.twitter.com/GbXqZhfqlz

— Royal St. George YC (@RSGYC) July 25, 2016

In home nation news, Connacht champion Ewan McMahon from Howth Yacht Club was a race winner in the blue division and after the first qualifying race in the girl's fleet, his club–mate Aoife Hopkins was 13th from 76.

The first race of the girls fleet was won by Norway's Caroline Rosmo. There was no second race result available at the time of publication.

In the mens division, Ireland's Ronan Wallace had a race win, the other race of the day in the 42–boat fleet was won by Martin Manzoli Lowy of Brazil.

Racing continues with two more qualifying races tomorrow. Similar westerly winds are forecast.

Results HERE are provisional and subject to protest.

350 sailors from 48 competing nations paraded though Dún Laoghaire yesterday as part of the Opening Ceremony celebrations of the KBC Laser Radial World Championships 2016 at the Royal St. George Yacht Club. The first races of the championship start this morning.

The eagerly awaited events gets underway in Dun Laoghaire Harbour today. Competitors from Italy, UK, France, Australia, Spain and as far away as Hong Kong, Argentina, Russia, and Singapore will be in action on the water for six days of competitive racing.
The youth worlds are seen as a testing ground for the next generation of Olympians aiming to compete in the Laser Olympic Class dinghy in Toyko 2020 so the ‘KBC Laser Radial Worlds’ is a huge draw attracting some of the biggest and brightest sailing “stars” of the future from around the world. The 40-strong Irish squad will face stiff competition from the visiting nations.
The event offers a significant economic boost for Dún Laoghaire worth €2.5m to the local economy and organisers hope this huge sporting occasion will put Dún Laoghaire Harbour firmly on the map as an International sailing destination. 1,000 supporters and volunteers will be mobilised throughout the week to assist organisers and competitors.
The Royal St George Yacht Club (‘the George’) and the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company are jointly hosting the championship with close support from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Fáilte Ireland and sponsors, KBC Bank and Rationel.
This is the first time this world championship will be sailed in Irish waters, following Canada in 2015 and Poland in 2014.
Pat Watt, Director of Retail Distribution, KBC Bank Ireland sponsors of the Championship said, “We are delighted to sponsor this world-class sailing event and support Ireland’s young sailors. We wish everyone every success and safe sailing for what promises to be a great sporting occasion.”
David Kelly, Chairman of the KBC Laser Radial Worlds said, “It is a tremendous boost for the harbour and the town to host an event of this calibre with all the positive spin-offs it has for the area. We are expecting some exciting action on the water and we encourage as many people as possible to come out and support the Irish team.”
Eithne Scott-Lennon, Chairperson, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company said, “We believe Dún Laoghaire Harbour can become a marine and leisure amenity of international calibre and what better way to do this than to showcase our amazing harbour to delegations from 48 nations from across the globe.”
Jennifer Churchward, Manager Event Ireland, Fáilte Ireland said, “Fáilte Ireland is delighted to champion this great event to demonstrate the uniqueness of Dublin’s coastline activities in offering memorable experiences for our overseas visitors.”

Delighted to attend the official opening of the KBC @LaserWorlds2016. Great support from Minister @mitchelloconnor pic.twitter.com/SkgaysEoYv

— Event Ireland (@EventIreland) July 24, 2016

Ireland's next generation of Olympic hopefuls – boys and girls – will be in action on Dublin Bay on Monday when 350 of the world's top youth helms compete for the 2016 KBC Laser Radial World Championships. 31 Irish Radial single-handers are part of the massive dinghy armada. All this week, in the build up to Monday's first two races, competitors from 48 nations have been training on Dublin Bay in the wide variety of wind conditions offered at the Irish venue so far.

Strong Irish performances abroad this season are giving extra hope that the Royal St. George Yacht Club hosted event could bring further Irish Under–18 success next week.

In the boys division, Ballyholme Yacht Club's Liam Glynn, Howth's Ewan McMahon, Irish youth champion Conor O'Beirne of the host port plus Johnny Durcan of Royal Cork Yacht Club are top ranked sailors that form part of the biggest team competing at the event.

Connacht Laser championship Winner Ewan McMahon is in top form. Photo: Afloat.ie

In the girl's division, with 63 entries from 22 countries, another Howth youngster Aoife Hopkins, a former Olympic trialist for Rio, will be a leading Irish hope in a team of six that also includes Irish youth champion Nicole Hemeryck of the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire.

In a new template for sailing events on the capital's waters, the biggest sailing event in the country this year, will be jointly hosted by Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and the Royal St. George Yacht Club. 48 nations will compete so any Irish challenge for the world titles faces stiff competition.

Six of the top ten boys from the 2015 championships in Canada are signed up for the Dublin Bay regatta. This no longer includes talented Australian youth champion Conor Nicholas, who did not travel to Dublin to defend his world title because he is 'aged out'. 

Australian Laser Radial team member Finnian Alexander. Photo: Facebook

Instead, a top ten finisher from 2015, Finnian Alexander is just one of nine much fancied Australians competing here.

The 17–year–old from Double Bay Sailing Club has been sailing the Radial for three years and has represented Australia at two World Championship Regattas, and has qualified for the Australian Youth Sailing Team.

'All of the Aussies are super keen to get into some racing and are all enjoying the beautify scenery of Dub Laoghaire and Dublin Bay!', he told Afloat.ie

Italy are also on form with fourth and fifth placed Paolo Giargia and Umbreto Varbero returning to the fray as part of an 11–boat Italian squad.

Howth's McMahon, finished top Irish sailor at the 2015 Championships when he placed 18th overall. Northern Ireland's Glynn, a former Topper class world champion, finished 21st.

Expect action–packed Laser mark roundings next week. Photo: Afloat.ie

As well as these strong gold fleet performances, the young Irish sailors are also credited with some other strong international results over the past 12 months, heightening the prospect of a top Irish placing on home waters next week.

McMahon only narrowly missed out on the boy's European (under 17) Laser Radial title in Portugal last year and in April this year, Royal Cork Yacht Club's Johnny Durcan took a top ten at the massive Laser Eurocup event in Hyeres, France.

Royal Cork's Johnny Durcan was a winner last weekend on Dublin Bay. Photo: Afloat.ie

Aoife Hopkins scored an impressive Europacup victory in Hoorn, Holland. Hopkins was overall winner of the women's fleet at the weekend and best under–19. It wasn't the only Dutch performance from the Irish youths either. Liam Glynn was third in the under–19 boys fleet.

Looking back at the archives, Ireland has previous success at World Radial youth level. Seven years ago, Wexford's Philip Doran took the Under – 17 world championship title in Japan. A year earlier he won the Under 16–title. In that same year, 2009, and at the same venue, Annalise Murphy, then aged 19, won the Under 21–world title. These results have subsequently been followed by three youth world sailing medals in the past four years, putting Irish youth sailing achievements at an all time high.

On the Irish circuit, after a blown out Munster Laser championships in West Cork earlier in March, the combined 30–boats that make up the Irish Radial team were racing again at a breezy edition of the Ulster championships in County Antrim in late April. In a nip and tuck battle, Ulster man Glynn finished ahead of McMahon for the Radial provincial title. Royal Cork's Johnny Durcan was third.

At the Connaught Championships at Lough Derg Yacht Club, in Co. Tipperary on July 2 McMahon took the tile but last weekend at the Leinster Championships at the National Yacht Club, just days before the World Championships at the same port, it was Crosshaven's Durcan that produced the goods. 

For more information on the KBC World Laser Radial Championships click here.

 Laser dinghies launching for last week's Leinster championships at the National Yacht Club. Photo: Afloat.ie

To get the massive fleet launched quickly organisers will be sending half off from St Michaels Wharf on an especially constructed pontoon

#RNLI - Both Wicklow RNLI lifeboats launched on Monday afternoon (Monday 18 July) after the Irish Coast Guard received a report of a capsized boat drifting off Greystones.

The inshore lifeboat was first on scene and located the upturned Laser yacht, drifting south of Greystones Harbour.

The crew began an immediate search of the area in case there might be casualties in the water.

Weather conditions in the area were described as wind direction south Force 4 with a moderate sea state, and visibility was good.

During the search by both lifeboats, a call was received from the coastguard to say two people had been taken from the capsized boat by a sailing club tender and were landed safely at Greystones.

The tender then made its way back out to recover the overturned yacht. The inshore lifeboat crew assisted with righting the capsized boat and escorted the tender and the Laser yacht into Greystones before returning to Wicklow.

Yesterday's Laser Leinster Championships at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire has started a two week period of Laser dinghy racing action on Dublin Bay in advance of next week's KBC Laser Radial World Championships.

Yesterday's prizegiving saluted winners in Standard, Radial and 4.7 divisions.

For a report and results click here. 

The volunteer team at the Royal St. George Yacht Club has released a pre-event video for next week's 2016 Laser Radial Worlds at Dun Laoghaire. See the video below. An intense two weeks of Laser action kicked off on Dublin Bay last Saturday when the National Yacht Club staged the Laser Leinster Championships. The 52–boat radial division, was won by Royal Cork Yacht Club's Johnny Durcan, a boost for the Munster youth who will head up a large Irish contingent on July 23rd.

Royal Cork Yacht Club youth sailor Johnny Durcan will lead Irish hopes going into the KBC sponsored Laser Radial Boys World Championships on Dublin Bay in a weeks time having won the Leinster Laser title at the National Yacht Club today by an eight–point margin. Durcan, who did not finish the first race on Saturday morning, was never out of the top three in the rest of the six–race series.

It was a close run thing at the top of the 52–boat Radial fleet with 2013 Topper World Champion Liam Glynn from Ballyholme second, finishing on the the same 18 points as Howth Yacht Club's Ewan McMahon, the winner of May's Belgian round of the Laser Europa Cup. Top girl was Nicole Hemeryck of the host club in seventh place.

In the 26–boat standard rig, another Cork sailor also took the honours as 2016 Olympic trialist Fionn Lyden from Baltimore Sailing Club lead home Jonatan Vadnai of Ballyholme Yacht Club. Ryan Glynn was third.

4.7 division honours went to Kinsale Yacht Club's Michael Carroll. Second in the 24–boat feet was Ros Morgan of Rush Sailing Club with Howth Yacht Club's Daniel Hopkins third. Download the results below.

Being a maritime correspondent can be encouraging, disheartening and frustrating.
Preparing the current edition of THIS ISLAND NATION I experienced those emotions.
I heard a sailor praise the coastal communities he had met during a 42-day voyage around Ireland. He described them as the “most wonderful people who are essential to this island nation.”
I also talked to a fisherman, trying to ensure the future of his community, describe the dismissive, discourteous attitude of State agencies.
I stood at the evocative memorial to those lost at sea in Dunmore East fishing port in County Waterford, where a fisherman pointed out to me the names of those of his family who had died in marine tragedies. He told me that visitors to coastal areas wanted to see fishing boats, not yachts at marinas.
I was the only journalist on the pier at Schull in West Cork on Saturday afternoon when Gary Sargent completed his ‘one wild ride’ on a Laser around Ireland. The general media didn’t show much interest..
Gary learned a lot about coastal communities during his voyage, which started an ended at Schull in West Cork: “They are wonderful people who commit themselves to helping you. It was an eye-opener, a lesson for me, from Dublin, showing me how vital these communities are to this island nation. We are blessed with wonderful coastal people, whom we should respect and value. We have an amazing coastline and eco system that we should get out and see more of. I have learned so much about respecting the water.”
On his voyage, he capsized four times. “It was mentally harder than physically. There was the challenge of getting into the boat in a wet suit every day, no matter what the weather and no matter how I felt.”
• Listen to Gary describe his voyage on the programme below and about the garden mats which were a vital part of his equipment

I interviewed Sean Doherty, a fisherman from Cheekpoint on the Suir Estuary who told me that he fears children in coastal communities will not know the history or heritage of their communities which are being destroyed by Government neglect, he said. His interview is a salutary contrast to what Gary Sargent experienced amongst the coastal communities. Sean Doherty outlines how his community put a lot of time and effort into submitting plans for the future of their communities, but after a year of waiting for response, they have heard nothing.
That is unacceptable and appears to indicate a dismissive attitude towards coastal communities.
• Listen to Sean Doherty on the programme
Also in the past week, the latest figure for the value of catches which European Union fishing nations, other than Ireland, take from Irish waters every year was put at €4 billion by the Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation That is a huge loss to the Irish economy and is a transfer of wealth from Ireland, an effective contribution to the EU about which very little has ever been said in public by the Government or the national media.
At the same time there is a lot of political mouthing and posturing about our Ocean Wealth. Is it any wonder I get frustrated at times?

The Royal St. George Yacht Club has announced that 48 countries and 350 competitors are now confirmed to compete in the KBC Laser Radial Worlds (Youth and Men’s 2016 World Championships) to be held in Dun Laoghaire Harbour in a month's time (23rd to 30th July). Competing countries will include countries such as Canada, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Uruguay, the USA and New Zealand. This is the first time Ireland will host this World Championship with 1,000 supporters and volunteers involved in helping to host the event.
David Kelly, Chairman, KBC Laser Radial Worlds said, “Dun Laoghaire will be transformed into a cosmopolitan village with competitors now coming from all over the world. Our home sailors will face fierce competition but we are hoping for some top Irish placings on home waters.”
The event which is being sponsored by KBC Bank will be hosted by The Royal St. George Yacht Club and Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company and supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Fáilte Ireland.

After 36 sailing days behind him, Gary 'Ted Sargent' the Dublin single handed Laser sailor passed his final headland last night at Baltimore in West Cork and will arrive back at his starting point in Schull at 1pm today. It all got a bit emotional for the solo helmsman who makes a last minute appeal for donations for his Childvision charity below.