#lasersailing – With news that Finn Lynch has added a European youth title to his ISAF Youth Silver medal Irish Laser sailing is on a high with international results coming at Olympic and youth level and for the domestic scene it looks like Howth's venerable winter league is returning to some sizeable fleet numbers as the Laser emerges as the ideal recession beating boat.
Lynch is the current U17 European Champion in the Laser Radial following a great regatta in Nieuwpoort, Belgium. It ends a fantastic season for the National Yacht Club sailor.
The superb result was followed when clubmate Philip Doran won the Europa Cup Regatta U19 category on Lake Balaton in Hungary earlier in September. Doran was second overall in the international event finishing on equal points with the winner.
Howth Laser Frostbite
Among a number of top dinghy sailors are moving to the Laser dinghy next month for the Howth Yacht Club's Laser Frostbites starting on November 4th.
The low maintenance single hander is proving to be a great recession boat and making a comeback at club level on both sides of Dublin Bay with DBSC's own handicap fleet dominated by the Olympic boat.
Up to 50 Lasers are expected for the frostbite series at Howth in a few weeks time. There's a handy format of two short races each Sunday with a first gun at 10:45 am.
There's a wide range of standards entering from high ranked national level sailors to beginners. The club is reporting strong interest to the extent
it may yet end up at 1990 levels where the long running series attracted up to 80, making it the biggest laser club racing series in the world at the time.
Laser Radial Programme
With an emphasis on preparation for overseas competition a Munster and Leinster Laser Radial Academy squad has been announced along with training dates for Autumn 2012 starting this weekend. The full squads named are below.
MUNSTER
Mark Hassett
Darragh O'Sullivan
Daire Cournane
Dara O'Shea
Tadhg O'Loingsigh
Darragh McCormack
Sorcha Ni Shuilleabhain
Darragh O'Sullivan
Conor Murphy
Dermot Lyden
Aisling Keller
Ross O'Sullivan
LEINSTER
Dan O'Beirne
Rory McStay
Kevin Harrington
Cian Cahill
Patrick Cahill
Luke Murphy
Aoife Hopkins
Stephen Craig
Frank Devlin
Ronan Jones