They say lightning never strikes twice—not so true. Thirty years after her father, David Crosbie, won the Optimist Irish National Championship for the second time in 1994, Charlotte Crosbie won the same title and lifted the same trophy at Howth Yacht Club in 2024.
The IODAI National Championships attracted 193 boats across three fleets. Racing was highly competitive and truly international. Irish sailors welcomed 50 overseas competitors from Great Britain, UAE, Hong Kong, Portugal, Czech Republic and Norway.
Neil Murphy, Commodore of Howth Yacht Club, Event Director Jill Sommerville, and IODAI President Paddy Ryan led the opening ceremony. McWilliam Bags kindly provided bags as giveaway prizes to celebrate the Championship opening. Nigel Biggs, Principal Race Officer, presided over racing, with his experienced team running enjoyable races like clockwork.
The highlight of the week was undoubtedly former Irish Optimist sailor and now esteemed Olympian Eve McMahon visiting her home club, Howth Yacht Club, to meet the fleets and offer her encouragement. Fresh from her Olympic racing, Eve was incredibly generous with her time, answering lots of questions and stopping for many photos and autographs with very excited sailors, young and old.
Once the opening ceremony was completed, the first day of racing arrived, and it was a tale of two seasons. Launching in warm sunshine, a significant and sudden squall followed on the race course. This was handled beautifully by the Main Fleet sailors and HYC safety team. The squall gave way to bright sun again, sailors shook themselves down, and racing resumed immediately. Regatta Racing Race Officer Ronan McDonnell made a very measured decision to keep his younger sailors on onshore until the expected squall had passed. Meanwhile, Regatta Coached relaxed onshore for the first day and spent this blustery day making friends and crab fishing.
Senior Main and Junior Main Fleets experienced tight racing on day one, with sailors at the top of each fleet tied on points overnight. Maeve Donagh (Royal St George YC & Lough Derg YC), Charlotte Crosbie (Royal North of Ireland YC) and Max O'Hare became the early contenders in Senior Main.
In Junior Main, it was too close to call between Arthur Baker (Royal Lymington YC), Charlie Holland (Royal Lymington YC) and Sean di Salle (Gurnard SC) at the end of day one for the Open Championship. In the National Championship, Aurele Dion (National YC) was out in front at the end of the day but was being chased hard by his Team Racing teammates, Dylan O'Sullivan (Royal Cork YC) and Ollie Ryan (Royal St George YC), while Iaasc Vaughan (Royal Cork YC) continued his recent strong form.
As more races were completed in Senior Main, GBR sailor Patrick di Salle (Gurnard SC) jumped to the top of the fleet and stayed there, becoming a clear Open Champion. Meanwhile, the race for Irish National Champion between Maeve Donagh and Charlotte Crosbie was underway. Max O'Hare always stayed in close contention, but on the last day, every point began to count for the female sailors. Ultimately, it came down to a very tense last race, with careful consideration required for wind shifts and tide. Donagh rounded ahead of Crosbie in the first beat, but it was all different at the end of the second beat as Crosbie passed the final windward mark ahead of Donagh. Charlotte Crosbie held her nerve on the downwind legs and sailed to the finish to become the overall Optimist Irish National Champion. It was an emotional moment for father and daughter on the water. Charlotte Crosbie and Maeve Donagh challenged each other keenly with very polished performances throughout the week.
In Junior Main Fleet, GBR sailor Arthur Baker had returned to Ireland to defend his Junior Optimist Open Irish Champion title from 2023, and he did so in style. Confidently port tacking the fleet numerous times, Baker counted three first and three second places among his results, discarding a fifth. He held off Charlie Holland (Royal Lymington YC) and Sean di Salle (Gurnard SC) to finish four points clear and take back the Cup.
Aurele Dion (National YC) won the Junior Irish Optimist National Championship, showing that consistency pays by counting six impressive top-ten results. Issac Vaughan (Royal Cork YC) sailed into second in the Irish National Championship, with Dylan O'Sullivan collecting third overall.
Ronan McDonnell was the Race Officer for our aspiring leading fleet sailors in Regatta Racing. Leo Smyth (Royal St George YC) continued his solid winning streak of the season. Counting a first and six second places, Leo was first overall again and took home the trophy. Hot on his heels in second overall was nine-year-old Josephine Dion (National YC) counting three race wins among her results. Oliver Gundersen (Strangford Lough YC) slid into third, counting two race wins, a second and a third.
Ever-popular Head Coach Adam Walsh looked after Regatta Coached. Many of the Regatta Coached sailors were making their first foray into event racing and are all to be congratulated. First place went to Noah John Carty (Malahide YC), 2nd to Robin Mullet (Royal St George YC), and 3rd went to Kate Walsh (Royal St George YC).
The kids weren't the only ones who got to have fun on the water. Gary Cullen of Howth Yacht Club kindly arranged for five Melges15 to be available for a try-a-sail on Saturday afternoon. Over 30 parents got to take the fast new double-handler for a spin, and many updated their Christmas wish lists as a result. As if that wasn't good enough, John Sheehy presented each parent with a very cool Melges 15 hat, which were quickly commandeered and sported by kids throughout the fleet.
With the weather on his side and a keen sense of what this fleet is all about, Nigel Biggs ensured the sailors all got to shore to kick back and relax with their pals, enjoy huge helpings of pasta, ice cream and popcorn - not to mention the not to be missed 'In it to Win it!'. Next year, Nigel says he's coming just for the ice cream and prizes!
Junior Irish National Champion Auele Dion (National YC) Photo: Sean Hannon
Racing Regatta Champion Leo Smyth (RSGYC) Photo: Sean Hannon
The 193-strong Optimist Irish National Championship had an entire team of volunteers from Howth Yacht Club, to whom IODAI and sailors extend a heartfelt thank you. Lead sponsors included Avolon Aerospace and Fingal County Council, while prize and goodie bag sponsors included Kilmeaden Cheese, McWilliam Bags, National Dairy Council, Viking Marine, 4orm and WaterWipes.
Next on the Irish Optimist calendar is the last regional Championship with the Leinsters, which Malahide Yacht Club will host on September 7th and 8th. Entries are now open, and a large turnout is expected after a full season of sailors developing their skills.
Optimist Irish and Open National Championship 2024 Prize Winners
Senior Fleet
Senior Open Championship – Patrick de Salle (Gurnard SC)
Senior Irish National Championship - Charlotte Crosbie (Royal North of Ireland YC)
Senior First Girl – Charlotte Crosbie (Royal North of Ireland YC)
Senior Under 13 - Patrick de Salle (Gurnard SC)
Senior Gold National 1st – Charlotte Crosbie (Royal North of Ireland YC)
Senior Gold National 2nd – Maeve Donagh (Royal St George YC & LDYC)
Senior Gold National 3rd - Max O'Hare (Royal St George YC)
Senior Gold National 4th – Kate Spain (Royal St George YC & Howth YC)
Senior Gold National 5th – Lily Donagh (Royal St George YC & LDYC)
Senior Silver National 1st – Jackson Clark (Royal St George YC)
Senior Silver National 2nd – Amy Whyte (Royal Cork YC)
Senior Silver National 3rd – Hugo Breen (Lough Ree YC)
Senior Silver National 4th – Arthur Rogers (Waterford Harbour SC)
Senior Silver National 5th – Amy Shelley (Royal St George YC & NYC)
Senior Silver National 1st Girl – Amy Whyte (Royal Cork Yacht Club)
Senior Bronze National 1st – Ethan Murphy (Royal Cork YC & WHSC)
Senior Bronze National 2nd – Kate Kovtun (Lough Derg YC)
Senior Bronze National 3rd – Ethan Harte (SDC)
Senior Bronze National 4th - Robbie Clarke (SDC & HYC)
Senior Bronze National 5th - Amy Kiernan (Royal St. George YC)
1st Overseas – Patrick di Salle (Gurnard SC)
2nd Overseas - Freddie Jones (Chichester Yacht Club)
3rd Overseas - Nina Byrne (Pevensey Bay SC)
Junior Fleet
Junior Open Champion - Arthur Baker (Royal Lymington YC)
Junior Irish National Champion - Aurele Dion (National YC)
Junior First Girl (Gold) - Kornelia Pajak (Dubai Offshore Sailing Club)
Junior Under 11 – Rufus de la Haye (Hayling Island SC)
Junior Gold 1st - Aurele Dion (National YC)
Junior Gold 2nd - Issac Vaughan (Royal Cork YC)
Junior Gold 3rd - Dylan O'Sullivan (Royal Cork YC)
Junior Gold 4th - Ollie Ryan (Royal St George YC)
Junior Gold 5th - Alex Butcher (National YC)
Junior Silver 1st - Ruairi Slattery (Lough Derg YC)
Junior Silver 2nd - Ciara McElligott (Royal Cork YC & ISC)
Junior Silver 3rd - Louis Trickett (National YC)
Junior Silver 4th - Aisling Cronin (Royal St George YC & Malahide YC)
Junior Silver - 5th Ava Malloy (Royal St George YC)
Junior Silver - 1st Girl Ciara McElligott (Royal Cork YC & ISC)
Junior Bronze - 1st Felix Crinion (Royal St George YC)
Junior Bronze - 2nd Edward Fitzmaurice (Galway Bay SC)
Junior Bronze - 3rd Cian Farrell (Royal St George YC)
Junior Bronze - 4th Jamie Blennerhassett (Kinsale YC)
Junior Bronze - 5th Eabha Brennan-Hobbs (National YC)
Junior Overall - 1st Aurele Dion (National YC)
Junior Overall - 2nd Issac Vaughan (Royal Cork YC)
Junior Overall - 3rd Dylan O'Sullivan (Royal Cork YC)
1st Overseas - Arthur Baker (Royal Lymington YC)
2nd Overseas - Charlie Holland (Royal Lymington YC)
3rd Overseas - Sean di Salle (Gurnard SC)
Regatta Fleet
Regatta Racing 1st Overall Winner – Leo Smyth (Royal St George YC)
Regatta Racing 2nd - Josephine Dion (National YC)
Regatta Racing 3rd - Oliver Gundersen (Strangford Lough YC)
Regatta Coached 1st - Noah John Carty (Malahide YC)
Regatta Coached 2nd Robin Mullet (Royal St George YC)
Regatta Coached 3rd Kate Walsh (Royal St George YC)
