Royal Cork YC helms won both the senior and junior divisions of the Joe Duffy BMW Optimist Connacht Championships hosted by Malahide Yacht Club, with the honours going to Douglas Elmes and James McCann respectively.

Sailed on the Broadmeadows on behalf of the International Optimist Dinghy Association of Ireland, the event attracted an entry of 130 boats which included 30 entries in the Regatta Fleet. In light to moderate, shifting southerlies, Race Officer Neil Murphy and his team successfully completed the full schedule of six races.

In the Senior Division, Douglas Elmes counted two wins, two seconds and a third to take the Connacht title by five points from clubmate Ronan Cournane while two other RCYC helms, Harry Durcan and his brother Johnny, filled the next two places.

Colin O'Sullivan was the highest placed MYC finisher (11th) while MYC's Isobel Shackleton topped the Silver Fleet from Alex Kavanagh (Howth) and George O'Connor (Skerries).

The Junior Division had a large 75-boat turn-out and the eventual (Gold Fleet) winner James McCann only had two points to spare over runner-up Peter Fagan of the National YC, while only one point separated Alix Buckley (Skerries) in third place from Loghlen Rickard (National YC) in 4th.

Silver fleet honours went to another NYC helm Nicola Ferguson, comfortably ahead of second-placed Aaron Rogers of Skerries. Gemma McDowell was the top MYC finisher, 12th overall.

#oppy – Two Irish boats have finished in the top ten of the 70-boat British Optimist class championships. In a strong showing for Cork harbour teams Royal Cork Yacht Club boats were the top Irish boats in both senior and junior fleets.

Royal Cork's Douglas Elmes finished third and Harry Whitaker seventh in Pwllheli, North Wales yesterday. Racing was cut short when the final day of competition was canclled due to weather. In the Junior fleet Richard McGinley and James McCann was best of the Irish in sixth and seventh place in the 86-boat fleet.

A number of protests concerning overall results are still in play so overall results are still provisional.

The Irish highlights are:

Richard McGinley 6th Junior Gold

James McCann 7th Junior Gold

Emma Parker 1st Junior Silver

Ronan Walsh 3rd Junior Silver

Rachel Eggers 6th Junior Silver

Douglas Elmes 3rd Senior Gold

Harry Whitaker 7th Senior Gold

Frank Fagan 6th Mini-Racers Fleet

#oppy – Strong winds continue to make conditions difficult at the UK Optimist Nationals in Pwllheli, Wales, but the Senior Fleet managed to complete two races yesterday, with one race for the Juniors.

This means that the event is now split into Gold and Silver fleets for the last day's racing.

Another win for Douglas Elmes means he retains his third position overall (first non-UK) in the Senior fleet; in the Junior fleet, Richard McGinley leads the Irish in 6th place, closely followed by James McCann who had a first yesterday and jumped to 7th.

With wind conditions relatively unchanged, sailors are hoping for a good day's racing today

#optimist – Irish youth sailors are holding their own after day two of racing in Pwllheli at the UK Optimist Nationals with recently crowned Irish champion Douglas Elmes in third place overall after two race wins. Harry Whitaker is in eighth position. In the junior fleet, Alix Buckley, also with two wins, is in second place, with Richard McGinley 10th.

Conditions look difficult for sailors toda in day three, if racing gets attempted at all, with heavy onshore winds forecast for today and tomorrow.

#optimist – The 2012 Irish Nationals ended in Kinsale Yacht Club yesterday with Douglas Elmes (RCYC) the overall winner, winning the Irish National and the Irish Open trophies. Douglas was the winner of the 2012 Trials, and has just returned from the Dominican Republic where he was part of the Optimist World's team.

Almost 200 sailors, from Ireland, the UK, India, Spain, Bermuda, Hong Kong, France and the USA competed for the Nationals trophy which took place over five days in Kinsale. Conditions were changeable; heavy winds meant that sailing had to be cancelled on day 2, and seas remained heavy during the event.

Championship winner Douglas Elmes going fast at the Optimist Nationals in Kinsale. Photo: Bob Bateman

In the Senior fleet, competition was intense, with top five places going to Douglas, Megan Parker (SSC), Rory Caslin (Bermuda), Jim Vincent (France) and Robbie King (UK), and Senior Silver fleet won by Dara Donnelly (NYC).

The UK Junior Optimist team attended the event and they dominated the Junior Fleet, with the Junior Open trophy going to Milo Gill-Taylor of the UK, and top five places won by UK sailors. The Irish Junior champion is Loghlen Rickard (NYC), and the Junior Silver trophy was won by Clare Gorman (NYC).

The Regatta Fleet, which is a training event for the youngest Optimist sailors, included daily racing which took place inside Kinsale harbour. Forty Regatta Fleet sailors launched each day in conditions that challenged their sailing abilities to the limits, and coped excellently, completing as many races as the Main Fleet. With sailors from 8 years upwards sailing at this level, the future looks bright for sailing in Ireland. The National Trophy for the Regatta Fleet was won by Robert Keal (RCYC).

Wednesday's Optimist National Action photos from Bob Bateman here

#optimist – The Irish National and Open Championship got underway in Kinsale Yacht Club on Tuesday but got off to a blustery and were scrubbed on Wednesday. Afloat's Bob Bateman captured the action from Thursday's 3 race day in the 200 boat fleet. See his gallery of shots below.

In the 47-boat Senior Fleet Douglas Elmes leads from Megan Parker after seven races sailed.

Milo Gill Taylor leads a group of five visiting British sailors at the front of the 96-boat junior fleet..

In the 34 boat regatta fleet local Jack McGrane leads.

#optimist – The Optimist World Championship has concluded in the Dominican Republic, and for yet another year, a girl has taken top place; Yukie Yokoyama of Singapore took first, while her team-mates took 2nd, 3rd and 5th; Bart Lambriex of Netherlands finished in 4th position.

RCYC's Harry Whitaker finished the event in style with a 2nd in the last race, and the entire Irish team – Harry Whitaker, Douglas Elmes (WHSC/RCYC), Megan parker (SSC), Harry Durcan (RCYC) and Sophie Browne (TBSC/ RCYC) ended the event in the top half of the fleet. They travel home today just in time to compete in the Irish Nationals at Kinsale Yacht Club next Tuesday, July 31st.

#optimist – Sailing conditions improved in the Dominican Republic for the penultimate day's racing in the Optimist World Championships and with it came a great day's racing for the Irish team, with 12-year old Harry Durcan taking a bullet, Harry Whitaker continuing his run of great results with a third and a second, placing him in tenth position. The entire Irish team is now comfortably in the top half of the world championships, with Harry Whitaker tenth, Douglas Elmes 44th, Megan Parker 78th, Sophie Browne 91st and Harry Durcan 101st.

#optimist – Following on Sophie Browne's Gold Medal in the 2011 CIE (French Summer Championships) finishing seventh overall and first girl; last weekend Cliodhna ni Shuilleabháin (Kinsale Yacht Club) has achieved a Silver medal in the 2012 CIE, finishing second girl and eighth overall.

Cliodhna already represented Ireland earlier this summer in the Optimist European Championships in Italy.

#optimist – News continues to be slow from the Dominican Republic, with the rest day, Monday 23rd July, being changed to a racing day. Despite this, only one race was completed bringing the total number of races to 5, with only two days left until the end of the event. Harry Whitaker and Douglas Elmes had a good day in shifty conditions, with Harry getting another 4th place and Doug a 10th. Tuesday's racing will see a discard kick in. Full event results on the Optiworld site here