#optimist – Royal Cork's Harry Durcan in 70th place overall was the best of a five boat Irish team at the 51st Optimist World Championship on Lake Garda in Italy last week and this week Durcan is best of Irish Optimist hopes again at the UK Nationals in Largs, Scotland.
Both Durcan brothers are top ten in the senior fleet, but light winds are frustrating progress on the Gourock.
Harry Bell also maintains his position in the top ten in the Junior fleet.
In Italy, Megan Parker was 96th, Durcan's twin brother Johnny was 99th, Alix Buckey 156th, and James McCann 191st. A huge 259–boat fleet competed. Next up for the Optimist class after the UK Nationals is the Irish counterpart in August on Dublin Bay where a number of top international entries are expected. Preparations are already underway at the National Yacht Club venue where its dinghy parking area is to be cleared of members boats for over a month (in the middle of the sailing season) to make way for both the Oppie event and the Laser Europeans that follows.
