#opti – A general recall in today's first race at the Leaseplan Irish Optimist National and Open Championships at Skerries Sailing Club led to black flags being brandished by Race Officer Liam Dineen with the result that a total of five sailors received race disqualifications. One of them, Hannah Leonard (RIYC), was unlucky enough to be black flagged in both the second and last of today's (Saturday's) races. Also affected were both the Spanish leaders in the Open Fleet, Arnau Gelpi and Eduardo Ojeda Suarez. While Gelpi barely holds onto his Open lead, Suarez has yielded second in the Opens to Skerries' Peter Fagan.
The top of the National Championship Senior fleet was unaffected by the black flag epidemic although Gemma McDowell (Malahide YC) was forced to surrender her precarious lead to Fagan (SSC) following his storming performance with a second, a third and a sixth. Peter Fagan's Nationals lead of 13 points over MacDowell seems very comfortable. The National's Clare Gorman looked set to score even better in today's racing although she was unable to maintain the momentum of two firsts and now lies third overall after McDowell. Tom Higgins (National YC) has equal points and is nipping at Gorman's heels: she will require extreme concentration tomorrow to secure a podium finish because the light airs threatened in Sunday's forecast could produce unpredictable results in the remaining two races.
In other fleets Howth Yacht Club's Hugh Turvey is a strong contender for the Junior National Championship although his performance today was surpassed by Royal Cork's Rory O'Sullivan who proved the best of the Irish in the Junior Fleet. The previous day's Junior Fleet leader, Harry Twomey (RCYC), has dropped back to third place closely followed by Conor Gorman of the National. Unlike the tight placings of the Senior fleet, no Irish sailor is likely to stand an even remote chance of snaring the Junior Open title which appears to be Britain's Archie Leckie's for the taking with the other Open podium places likely to be shared among his compatriots.
Zoe Hall (National YC) sailing in the Junior Fleet. Photo: Outdoor Photography Skerries
Royal Cork Yacht Club's dominance of the Regatta Fleet continues as Jamie Venner scored three firsts and a second today (Saturday) virtually cementing his lead of this fleet. Howth's Johnny Flynn also did well today although he remains 16 points astray of Venner's 9 points score. The next three places are firmly held by RCYC with Anna Keal, Max Coveney and Lucy Bateman in 3rd, 4th and 5th places respectively.
The Leaseplan Irish Optimist National and Open Championship concludes with two races on Sunday in Skerries.
