As part of the Irish contingent lining up to compete at the first Sailing Grand Slam event of the year, FX girls 20-year-old Lauren O Callaghan and 19-year-old Charlotte Eadie will be there. The girls are members of the Irish Development FX squad but have decided on their own account to get exposure at the senior level as part of their progress in the class.
They are now on-site in Mallorca, supported by the National YC head coach Thomas Chaix, finalising the preparation of their new boat and squeezing valuable hours afloat and observing how top teams approach such events, learning about best practices and the tweaks and tricks making running an Olympic campaign just that bit easier. The sailing conditions were challenging at first, but the winds eased, and yesterday's training delivered a champagne sailing session. The team has three more days of training in the Bay of Palma before taking a few days off to recharge batteries before the event.
Lauren started sailing her Optimist at the National YC before progressing in the 29er. She had a few ups and downs in the 29er, competing at four worlds, including participation at the youth worlds as part of team Ireland, and growing her experience as a skiff sailor. Charlotte followed the Northern Ireland single-handed path, sailing a Topper before progressing into the ILC6 as part of the Irish Academy. The two girls teamed up in the FX in 2024 and have been training as part of the Irish Sailing Development squad.
The Princess Sofia regatta is their third event together and fits in their programme as a very competitive learning experience, exposing them to the level they aspire to reach. They are hoping the lessons learnt at the event will stand to them before reverting to their objectives of 2025, which focus on the Under23 main regattas later in the year.
