The top Irish boat at last week's GP14 World Championships in Skerries was the host club's Colman Grimes & Ross Gingles, who finished fifth in the 106-boat fleet.
As Afloat previously reported, there were three Irish in the Top 10, with Ross Kearney & Andrew Vaughan ( RNIYC) finishing in seventh and Hugh & Dan Gill (Sutton Dinghy Club) 10th.
Ireland's Blay & McNally lead overall champions Dobson & Mee to the mark at the GP14 Worlds in Skerries
Another eight Irish crews in the Top 20 made for a strong showing and highlights the strength of the Irish fleet.
Conor Twohig & Matthew Cotter finished 21st overall and took Silver Fleet from Doire Shiels & Lewis Coppinger in 23rd and Sam Street & Josh Lloyd (Blessington) in 27th.
Conor Byrne & Emer McNally (Darwin SC) and 22nd overall took Bronze Fleet from Kerri-Ann & Megan Boylan (Skerries SC) in 34th and Frankie Brown & Dave Lappin (Skerries SC) in 40th.
World Championship Medals
Curly Morris, the outgoing GP14 International President and a great supporter and facilitator for Youth and Female engagement and involvement in the Irish GP14 Class, announced a major surprise when additional World Sailing Championship medals were to be presented possibly for the first time at a World Championship in Ireland.
The World Sailing medals presented at Skerries
The GP14 International organisation would normally present trophies at the GP14 World Championships to categories such as leading Female Helm, leading all-Female crew and leading Youth, but this was the first year that World Sailing has permitted World Sailing medals to be presented to these categories as well as the Overall World Championship top 3.
To major cheers and emotional scenes, the Skerries prize-giving ceremony concluded with the following presentations:
World Sailing GP14 Youth Podium
World Sailing Youth Championship Medals:
- Gold: Robert Richardson & Steven Wilson (Royal Windemere SC)
- Silver: Sam Stree & Josh Lloyd (Blessington Sailing Club)
- Bronze: Ciaran Keogh & Adam Leddy (Greystones Sailing Club)
World Sailing GP14 All Female Crews
World Sailing All Female Championship Medals:
- Gold: Kerri-Ann & Megan Boylan (Skerries Sailing Club)
- Silver: Katie Dwyer & Michelle Rowley (Sutton Dinghy Club)
- Bronze: Meg Tyrrell & Sorcha Donnelly (Royal Irish YC/ Skerries SC)
World Sailing Mixed GP14 Crews
World Sailing Mixed-Crews Championship Medals:
- Gold: Ger Owens & Mel Morris (RoyalSt. George YC & East Antrim Boat Club
- Silver: Jane Kearney & Ollie Goodhead (Royal North of Ireland)
- Bronze: Ruan & Rebekkah O’Tiarnaigh (Ballyholme YC & Sutton Dinghy Club)