This week, the football Euros—in two weeks, it will be the ILCA 6 Euros at Ballyholme on Belfast Lough in Northern Ireland on July 27th.
The Club on the east side of Bangor on Belfast Lough has hosted many successful international dinghy championship events in the past, but none as huge as the upcoming Youth European Championships and the Open European Trophy for the ILCA 6 (International Laser Class Association), previously the Laser Radial.
This event is a major coup for the Club, which has some of the best sailing waters in the British Isles on its doorstep, virtually tide and hazard-free within a short distance from the club.
The ILCA 6 Euros at Ballyholme has attracted 370 entries, mostly from Europe but including nine from Australia, Canada, Japan, and the USA Photo: Polish Yachting Association
This event has attracted 370 entries, mostly from Europe but including nine from Australia, Canada, Japan, and the USA.
During competition week, 27 July to 3 August, the Club on Ballyholme Bay will host not only the competitors but also their parents and guardians, some 80 coaches, officials from the Association, and the dozens of volunteers helping to ensure the smooth running of the event.
The entry list shows 16 competitors from Ireland and several with enviable sailing achievements. Sienna Wright from Howth YC is probably the Irish one to watch, and she is reported in this magazine as a new star on the rise. She is a talented junior sailor who has recently made waves at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championships in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Her remarkable performance not only earned her a silver medal in the Women's division but also the prestigious ILCA 6 Under 17 world title.
Ireland's Sienna Wright making waves on the International scene
Zoe Whitford from the Larne Lough club, East Antrim BC, is part of the Irish Sailing Academy and competes in this class. Autumn Halliday from Strangford Lough YC gained considerable success in the Topper Class and was awarded a John Merricks Trust Topper dinghy in 2019 before progressing to the ILCA 6 Laser. Emily Cantwell from Royal St George YC was in the ILCA 4 (4.7 Laser Squad), who competed in Greece last year along with her clubmates, Ava Ennis, Caolinn McDonnell, and Kate Flood. Also in that Squad were Megan O'Sullivan of Royal Cork, Ciara McMahan from Howth YC, and Lucy Ives (Carlingford SC). Zita Timpany of Royal St George took 3rd at the ILCA 4 championship last year at Ballyholme. They all have moved up to the ILCA 6. The host club's Isabel Nixon has just moved from an ILCA 4, taking advantage of a major tournament at her club in Ballyholme, adding the experience to her Team Racing with RYA Northern Ireland.
Among the European competitors are some who featured well on the scoresheet last year in Gdynia, Poland, and will race in Bangor. Maria Vittoria Arseni from Italy was 4th in the Girl's Gold fleet, and Israel's Gaya Datiashevili came 7th. In the same event, Isabella Mendoza Cabezas (USA) was 14th. In the Worlds in Brazil, Spain's Adriana Castro Nunez finished in the top ten (when Ireland's Eve McMahon was top).
So high grade competition for the Irish team. Visitors and residents will be able to enjoy the spectacle of hundreds of sailing dinghies from Bangor's Waterfront between the Marina and Ballyholme Yacht Club, but will, of course, have to cope with some disruption to the traffic and parking along the Seacliff Road.
Hosting such major events successfully hinges on the generous contributions of BYC volunteers, the support of other sailing clubs, the local community, Ards and North Down Borough Council, and the industry sponsors who together make this event possible.
Rob Milligan, Commodore of Ballyholme Yacht Club says "members are looking forward to welcoming all the competitors for the EurILCA event at the end of July, and wish them all the best. It will be a huge event for the club, involving numerous volunteers to facilitate the racing on the fabulous Belfast Lough, and bringing many visitors to the borough"
Among the boys competing, the highest placed last year and entered this time is Feodor Zoubovski from Cyprus who took Ist in the Silver Fleet in Poland. He started sailing at the age of seven and has progressed through ILCA 4 taking 6th in the U16 and 19th place overall at the ILCA4 Youth Championship in Portugal.
In the Emerald division last year and racing again in Ballyholme is Till Heiman from Germany, runner up in the fleet. Mattia Cesana from Italy, the 2023 Gold Fleet winner, will not be defending his title.
Among the 27 Irish entrants are seven from Northern clubs. Bobby Driscoll, who was runner up the ILCA 6 Leinsters, Daniel Palmer, Lewis Thompson and Cormac Byrne were placed 3rd, 5th and 13 in the same event earlier this month. Joseph Robinson was well placed in the Silver fleet at the Topper Worlds in Cork last year and and from County Antrim YC across the Lough are Luke Simpson and Rory Pollard both high achievers in the Topper class at international level.
At a meeting at Ballyholme recently to introduce some of the Northern Ireland competitors, the Co Down Spectator reports that the Deputy Mayor, David Chambers, remarked that the event will show what Bangor has to offer. “To be out there on the water will be an incredible experience whether they win or not, and I wish them the best of luck”.
