Tralee's sailing sensation Sophie Brown continued her winning form this month when Galway Bay Sailing Club played host to the Optimist Connacht championships last weekend. Brown was the winner of this month's bank holiday Mitsubish Youth championships in Dun Laoghaire. The west coast venue lived up to its reputation of being wild and windy for competitors divided into three fleets senior, junior and a beginner/regatta fleet.
Conditions on Saturday were challenging for race organisers where the breeze was a constant 20+ knots and rose significantly, hitting 30 knots soon after race one had been completed by both the senior and junior fleets. A decision was taken to send the sailors home for the day.
Similar to Saturday, Sunday was also forecast to be consistently breezy and the prediction proved to be right with the added bonus of an even stronger breeze. The race committee took the decision to stand down both the senior and junior silver fleets and needless to say the regatta fleet sailors focused hard on the theory side of the sport in the comfort of the clubhouse.
Three races were completed on Sunday which ensured that the series was completed. In the senior fleet Sophie Browne delivered consistently to take overall honours while Robert Dickson of Howth was second and Daire Cournane of Royal Cork third.
The Junior fleet saw Issy Delamer from Howth YC take the junior gold title.
Full results below
| Series Place | Sail No | Fleet | Helm | Prize Age | Club | Series Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1444 | Gold | Sophie Browne | 14 | TBSC/RCYC | 4 |
| 2 | 1355 | Gold | Robert Dickson | 13 | HYC | 7 |
| 3 | 1410 | Gold | Daire Cournane | 13 | RCYC/KYC | 7 |
| 4 | 1438 | Gold | Sean Donnelly | 14 | NYC | 10.5 |
| 5 | 1437 | Gold | Sean WADDILOVE | 14 | SSC/HYC | 11 |
| 6 | 1441 | Gold | Eoin Lyden | 14 | RCYC | 17 |
| 7 | 1443 | Gold | Sean Gambier-Ross | 14 | KYC | 19.5 |
| 8 | 1439 | Gold | Peter McCann | 14 | RCYC | 22.5 |
| 9 | 1407 | Gold | Conor O'Beirne | 13 | RStGYC | 25 |
| 10 | 1307 | Gold | Anna Kelly | 13 | RCYC/BBSC | 25 |
| 11 | 1433 | Gold | Jil McGinley | 14 | RCYC | 27 |
| 12 | 1348 | Gold | Megan Parker | 13 | SSC | 27 |
| 13 | 1440 | Gold | Harry Whitaker | 14 | RCYC/BSC | 27 |
| 14 | 1315 | Gold | Fergus Flood | 13 | HYC | 27 |
| 15 | 1314 | Gold | Alexandra Walsh | 14 | RStGYC | 37.5 |
| 16 | 1298 | Gold | Bill Staunton | 14 | SSC | 38 |
| 17 | 1375 | Gold | Richard Hogan | 13 | HYC | 40.5 |
| 18 | 1335 | Gold | Scott Levie | 14 | LDYC | 42 |
| 19 | 1425 | Gold | Douglas Elmes | 13 | RCYC/WHSC | 42 |
| 20 | 1436 | Gold | Daniel RAYMOND | 13 | nyc | 48 |
| 21 | 1422 | Gold | Chloe Eggers | 14 | RStGYC | 51 |
| 22 | 1415 | Silver | Caitlin Waters | 15 | RStGYC | 51 |
| 23 | 1402 | Silver | Lucy McCutcheon | 14 | RStGYC | 63 |
| 24 | 1154 | Gold | Ciaran Finnegan | 13 | WHSC | 96 |
| 25 | 1413 | Gold | Adam HYLAND | 14 | RStGYC | 98 |
| 26 | 1349 | Gold | Conor KNEAFSEY | 14 | NYC | 102 |
| 27 | 0 | Silver | Rhona FUREY | 13 | GBSC | 126 |
| 27 | 961 | Silver | Claire O'Sullivan | 13 | RCYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1225 | Gold | Peter Healy | 14 | KYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1229 | Silver | Maeve O'Sullivan | 15 | RCYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1243 | Silver | Charley Breen | 13 | RCYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1278 | Silver | Eoghan O REGAN | 13 | RCYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1313 | Silver | Alex Kavanagh | 13 | HYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1332 | Silver | James O'Connor | 13 | RStGYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1353 | Silver | Thomas Moore | 14 | SSC | 126 |
| 27 | 1369 | Gold | Adam D'ARCY | 13 | RCYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1392 | Silver | Cian BUCKLEY | 14 | MYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1406 | Silver | Lochlann O'REGAN | 13 | LRYC | 126 |
| 27 | 1412 | Gold | Eva DONWORTH | 15 | RCYC/BSC | 126 |
| 27 | 1429 | Silver | Sam WARREN | 13 | LDYC | 126 |
| 41 | 1316 | Silver | Ross Quirke | 14 | NYC | 168 |
