After a brief interlude over the last couple of events, Peter McCann resumed his ‘business as usual’ attitude to take overall honours in the senior division at the Ulster Optimist Championships hosted by the Royal North of Ireland Y.C. last weekend.
Close to twenty sailors from the Royal Cork travelled the length of the country to compete and for many their efforts were rewarded. For others, the dice did not roll their way when it came to the stringent enforcement of the black flag rule and other such matters but this will only strengthen their resolve for the next regional event in less than two weeks time. The conditions varied significantly over the two days with wind strength averaging five knots on Saturday and increasing to twenty plus knots on Sunday which tested a range of skills for the sailors.
Douglas Elmes was next in line for the Royal Cork with a very impressive fourth place finish, followed closely in fifth place by Sophie Browne. Twelfth and thirteenth place went to Daire Cournane & Harry Whitaker respectively. Jill McGinley and Adam D’arcy completed the gold fleet .There was a clean sweep in the silver fleet where Charley Breen took overall honours followed by the O’Sullivan double act of Maeve and Claire O’Sullivan taking second and third respectively.
Overall winner of the junior division was Ronan Cournane with some very consistent race results throughout the series, while Rebecca O Shaughnessy followed in fifth junior gold having achieved her first bullet in race three. Second junior silver went to Harry Durcan who scored a sixth and eight place finish in two of the races. The McCann name figured again when younger member of the double act James McCann followed just behind to take third silver overall.
Further down the Junior field, our younger sailors aquitted themselves very well where Luke McGrath, Ronan Walsh & Richard McGinley all finished in the top twenties, while our youngest sailor Tom Keal finished up within the top thirty. Part two of the Durcan double act (Johnny Durcan) unfortunately couldn’t race on Sunday but he will be back out to perform very soon.
Well done to our new champions and to all the sailors for keeping the flag flying at the far end of our island.
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