National Titles Decided At The ISA Mitsubishi National Youth Championships

Mitsubishi National Youth Championships
Dun Laoghaire 02 May 2011
Final results

With winds gusting up to 25-30 knots and a big swell, sailing for the final day of the ISA Mitsubishi National Championships was cancelled. However all classes had completed sufficient races to complete the series.

Five national titles were decided over the weekend with the top ranking awards going to a range of clubs all around the country. Royal Cork YC achieved two national titles with Laser 4.7 event favourite Seafra Guilfoyle winning the title having previously dominated the Optimist fleet for several years. Brother and sister team Patrick and Chloe Crosbie, also from Royal Cork, won the 420 National title and Patrick was also awarded the Mitsubishi Training Grant for the most promising sailor at the event.

This event was the national trials for the Optimist class and was won by Tralee Bay sailor Sophie Browne who will travel to New Zealand in December to compete in the Optimist World Championships. Irish Optimist sailors are performing well internationally at the moment finishing fourth and fifth at the Brassemermeer Easter regatta. Other events during 2011 where there will be Irish representation include the European Championships in Portugal and the National Championships in Germany and the UK.  

The team that will represent Ireland at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Zadar, Croatia in July 2011 will be announced in the coming weeks.

Final Results are as follows:
Laser Radial
National Champion: Philip Doran (Courtown Sailing Club)
2nd  Robbie Gilmore (Strangford Lough YC)
3rd Eoin Keller (Lough Derg YC) 
1st Girl Sophie Murphy Quoile Yacht Club
Laser 4.7
National Champion: Seafra Guilfoyle (Royal Cork YC) 
2nd Darragh O’Sullivan (Kinsale YC) 
3rd Finn Lynch (NYC/Blessington SC)
1st Girl: Sian Kneafsey (National YC)
420
National Champions:  Patrick Crosbie & Chloe Crosbie (Royal Cork YC)
2nd Aodh Kennedy & Daniel Browne (Kinsale YC & Tralee Bay YC)
3rd Emma Geary & Niamh Connolly (Royal Cork YC & Baltimore SC)

Optimist National Trials
Sophie Browne (Tralee Bay SC) won the trials and took the option of travelling to New Zealand in December 2011 to represent Ireland at the Optimist World Championships. The following sailors were selected by the trial process to represent Ireland at the European Championship which will be held in Portugal in July 2011: Sean Donnelly, HYC, Peter McCann RCYC, Harry Whitaker RCYC, Eoin Lyden RCYC, Jill McGinley RCYC  Cliodhna Ni Shuilleabhain KYC and Megan Parker SSC

The team selected to travel to the German National Championships include Robert Dickson HYC , Daire Cournane KYC, Sean Waddilove Skerries SC,  Richard Hogan HYC, Adam Hyland RSGYC, Ronan Cournane KYC, Sean Gambier Ross KYC and Fergus Flood HYC , Aoife Hopkins and Alacoque Daly Tralee Bay SC.

In addition 10 sailors were chosen for the Irish under 12 squad who will compete in the Optimist UK National Championships.

Feva Class
National Champions: D Johnston & L Flynn Byrne (Howth YC)
2nd C Totterdell & S Craig (National YC/Royal St. George YC)
3rd  C Mollard & J Harris (Howth YC)

Topper
National Champion:  T Brow (Ballyholme YC)
2nd Laura Gilmore (Strangford Lough YC)
3rd  Andrew Penney (East Antrim BC)
Optimist (Championship fleet)
1st Ben Walsh (Skerries SC)
2nd Ross Quirke (National YC)
3rd Colin O’Sullivan (Malahide YC)

The ISA Mitsubishi Youth Championships was an important test event for the organisers of the Youth Worlds that will be held in the same venue from July 12th to 21st 2012. Mitsubishi Motors have been a tremendous supporter of junior sailing in Ireland for the past seven  years.