Irish Sailors Showcase Strong Performances at ILCA UK Open & National Championships

21st August 2024

Irish prizewinners at ILCA UK Open & National Championships at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) in Dorset were Lucy Ives of Carlingford and RStGYC, Caoilinn McDonnell RSGYC, Zoe Whitford East Antrim Boat Club, Cormac Byrne Ballyholme YC, Tom Coulter East Antrim Boat Club, Fiachra McDonnell RStGYC and Andrew Kingston RCYC

Irish prizewinners and team members at the ILCA UK Open & National Championships at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) in Dorset were Lucy Ives of Carlingford and RStGYC, Caoilinn McDonnell RSGYC, Zoe Whitford East Antrim Boat Club, Cormac Byrne Ballyholme YC, Tom Coulter East Antrim Boat Club, Fiachra McDonnell RStGYC and Andrew Kingston RCYC

Irish sailors joined 252 competitors at the ILCA UK Open & National Championships at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) in Dorset and raced over six days from 12th - 17th August.

Conditions varied enormously from light to very strong 30 knots.

In the 60-boat ILCA7 fleet, Fiachra McDonnell (Royal St George YC) finished a strong 4th in the U21 category, with Tom Coulter from East Antrim BC in the 7th slot.

The ILCA 6 entry attracted a large fleet of 115, and Irish sailors also performed admirably.

Racing at the UK Open & National Championships at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) in Dorset Photo: ILCA UK

In the Gold fleet, Carlingford sailor Lucy Ives (RSGYC) finished 3rd Female overall and 1st Female U19 with East Antrim's Zoe Whitford 4th Female U19. Andrew Kingston from Royal Cork took 6th U19, and Cormac Byrne (Ballyholme YC) was 15th Male U17.

In the Silver fleet, Caoilinn McDonnell (RSGYC) finished 4th overall, and in the 77-strong ILCA4 fleet, Iseult Speirs, also from Ballyholme, took 67th.

Another Ballyholme success was in the Prize Draw for a new Ovington ILCA, which was won by the Co Down club and presented by Team GB Olympian Micky Beckett.

Nationals Results — ILCA UK

Race Results

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Published in Laser, RStGYC, Northern Ireland Waters

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About The Author

Betty Armstrong

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Betty Armstrong is Afloat and Yachting Life's Northern Ireland Correspondent. Betty grew up racing dinghies but now sails a more sedate Dehler 36 around County Down

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About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):