Last year’s U23 European champions Ben O’Shaughnessy of Royal Cork Yacht Club and Ethan Spain of the National Yacht Club have won bronze at the U23 49er European Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, on Saturday (14 November), returning to the podium a year after winning gold in Sicily last year.
The Irish Sailing Development crew recovered from a difficult opening day to record two third places on Saturday, climbing into the medals after an eight-race series compressed into just two days by storms sweeping across Portugal.
Protest Hearing Adds Late Drama
Racing did not begin until Friday (13 November) after two days of postponements. Winds initially around 10 knots built to 20 knots, with strong gusts and unsettled seas making for demanding skiff racing. O’Shaughnessy and Spain ended the first day just outside the top ten, with fifth their best race result.
Improved conditions on Saturday allowed the pair to move up the leaderboard, but a protest concerning their result in race six threatened their medal position. The hearing went in their favour, confirming bronze.
“We had a tricky first day so I’m very glad we sailed so well today. It was a bit of a stressful afternoon with the protest but we’re delighted with the third place,” O’Shaughnessy said.
“We’ve done a lot of training since the fifth place in the Junior Worlds and we’re glad to be back in the medals here today at the Europeans.”
The result follows their fifth place at the 49er Junior World Championships earlier in 2026. As Afloat reported ahead of the regatta, they arrived in Vilamoura hoping to retain the U23 European title they won in 2025.
Irish 49erFX Crews Finish Strongly
In the U23 49erFX fleet, Elysia O’Leary (Royal St George Yacht Club) and Alana Twomey (Royal Cork Yacht Club) finished seventh overall, with fourth their best result across eight races. Japan’s Manase Ichihashi and Rinko Goto took the European title.
Erin McIlwaine (Newcastle Yacht Club) and Ellen Barbour (County Antrim Boat Club) finished fifth overall in the 49erFX Open category, which also included crews outside the U23 age group and male competitors. They won two races on the final day.
McIlwaine and Barbour, who are pursuing a Los Angeles 2028 Olympic campaign, will remain in Portugal for the Vilamoura Grand Prix from 26–29 November. They will be joined by Irish Olympic 49er sailors Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club).
Full championship results and images are available via the organisers’ results and images link.
