Irish Tokyo 2021 solo campaigner, 27-year-old Donaghadee Sailing Club member Oisin McClelland has clinched a personal best, claiming 23rd spot at the Finn European Championships at Gdynia in Poland. The event ran from 1st to 6th September and was the sailor's first official race since lockdown took hold.
Consistent scoring throughout secured a position in the top 30 of the 70-strong fleet before the final challenging day on the Saturday at which point he was lying in 26th place with one day left. During Sunday's final races Oisin posted his best performances to date with an 18th and 11th which allowed him to climb back up the leader board into a final rank of 23rd. The winner was Zsombor Berecz of Hungary.
Speaking about his success, Oisin commented: "It is great to be back out racing for the first time since January at the European Championships. I had put a lot of work into my downwind sailing during lockdown and this really paid off, it got me out of trouble in such a tricky venue. I was pleased to finish strong in the last two races after a tough race on the previous day."
RYA Northern Ireland's newly appointed High Performance Manager, Andrew Baker, said: "it is fantastic to see Oisin back on the water and utilising the skills he worked so hard on during lockdown. To secure a top 25 spot at the European Championships is no mean feat and he should be proud of such a solid performance."
Oisin is now back on the road and heading for Kiel Week Regatta which runs from 10 – 13 September.
