Ireland made a strong start at the 2025 Junior European Championships in Sicily this week, with top-three performances in both the 49er and 49erFX fleets after the opening day of racing.
Lucia Cullen and Alana Twomey top the 12-boat 49erFX standings after three races at Circolo Velico Sferracavallo, leading Germany’s Katharina Schwachhofer and Elena Stoltze. Poland’s Klara Sobczak and Magdalena Skórnóg hold third.
In the men’s 15-boat 49er fleet, Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain sit third, following Germany’s Lucas and Moritz Hamm in first and Italy’s Alex Demurtas and Giovanni Santi in second.
The Cork-Dublin based duo came into the event as strong contenders after a string of senior-level top-three finishes earlier this season. Their consistency and pace have made them ones to watch.
Three races were completed across each fleet in light Mediterranean conditions of 6–9 knots. Forty-three teams from 16 countries are competing this week.
Racing continues until November 9, with three races scheduled daily. Ireland is not competing in the Nacra 17 class.
Results here
