Royal Cork Yacht Club's Dylan O’Sullivan finished eighth as Ireland's official representative in the Junior Gold Cup in Bermuda, where Strangford Lough Yacht Club's Ollie Gundersen also competed, finishing 22nd after receiving a wildcard entry.
The two young sailors joined Ollie's father, Jon Gundersen, in a dockside celebration following Sunday's conclusion of the Bermuda Gold Cup, where the Strangford Lough sailor was part of Christian Hamilton's winning crew.
The occasion brought together two generations of sailors with Irish club connections, captured in a photograph by Ian Roman showing the three celebrating with the famous Gold Cup trophy.
Originally from New Zealand, Jon Gundersen has lived in Whiterock, Co Down, since 2021 and is a member of Strangford Lough Yacht Club.
An experienced professional sailor, he was part of Ian Williams' winning team at the 2023 Match Racing World Championship and previously won the Congressional Cup in Long Beach in 2022.
Gundersen has also raced with friends in Strangford Lough's River Class fleet aboard Moyola.
In correspondence with Afloat in December 2023, Gundersen described how his then nine-year-old son Ollie was becoming increasingly involved in junior sailing and developing an interest in Optimist racing.
Three years later, Ollie has competed in the Junior Gold Cup in Bermuda, alongside Ireland's official representative, Dylan O’Sullivan, whose eighth-place finish was the stronger of the two Irish club results.
Gundersen also shared a light-hearted Facebook video showing Ollie pushing his father at the conclusion of the event.
The family success adds another Irish club connection to Hamilton's Gold Cup victory, with both Royal Cork and Strangford Lough represented in the junior competition. Read more in Afloat's match racing coverage.
