#youthsailing – Nine wins from nine races gave Fionn Lyden the Junior All Ireland Sailing Championship this afternoon in Schull, West Cork. Scroll down to download full results as a pdf.
Lyden, a member of Schull's Youth Team that lifted the under 21 trophy at the Wilson trophy at West Kirby in the UK in May, capped off the 2012 season with the storming win in the locally built TR3.6 dinghy.
Conditions remained ideal for the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) event with a steady easterly breeze of between 10 and 12 knots on the windward leeward courses today.
Under the management of David Harte, racing got off to a good start at 10.30am and Fionn and his crew of Anna O'Regan were quick to take the lead yet again. Continuing their domination of the fleet, the duo from Schull Community College Sailing Club were unbeatable in the locally built boat TR3.6 dinghy as they won all three of the remaining fleet races putting them on 7 points entering the medal race followed by Finn Lynch and his crew Sean Donnelly on 24 points and Eoin Lyden and Darragh McCormack on 28 points in third place.
At 1.25pm the top 10 sailors, consisting of eight boys and two girls, crossed the start line for the last time. Fionn got off to a bad start but echoing his skill from the previous races, he sailed hard and rounded the first mark in first place. The wind dropped off to only 3 knots at the windward mark but Fionn extended his lead while his cousin Eoin Lyden chased him in vain from second place. Never wavering from his leading position, Fionn crossed the finish line in first place.
The TR3.6 dinghy fleet in action. Photo: Brian Carlin
Meanwhile Finn Lynch from the National Yacht Club and Eoin Lyden from Royal Cork Yacht Club had been fighting it out for the silver. Finn had a four point lead going in to the medal race but the 2012 ISAF Youth Worlds silver medallist had a disastrous final race finishing in 10th place. The additional 20 points meant he dropped to third overall to take the bronze.
Eoin however sailed a great race finishing in second place moving him up to second overall to take the silver.
Competing for the title of First Girl were Aisling Keller from Lough Derg and Laura Gilmore from Northern Ireland. Both girls had sailed a strong regatta with a total of nine top 10 finishes between them but ultimately a 4th in the medal race for Aisling saw her finish the regatta in 7th overall taking the prize for Frist Girl with Laura finishing in 9th overall.
