Optimist Leinsters – An event of two halves!
The Optimist Leinster Championships were held at Skerries Sailing Club last weekend. There were two days of two completely different extremes of weather. Saturday was forecast to be breezy but the wind increased and as the weather deteriorated many competitors retired and by the time of the third and last race just a third of the junior fleet of 57 sailors was left.
Sunday was the opposite with very light winds which decreased so that only one race was sailed for each fleet before the racing was abandoned for the day.
The National Yacht Club was represented by 17 young sailors and as before, brought home plenty of silverware. Loghlen Rickard was first and Peter Fagan second in the junior fleet, Loghlen won the junior gold fleet trophy and Peter the junior silver fleet trophy in addition to their first and second places. Patrick Coyle was placed second in the senior silver fleet. Conor Gorman represented his club very well in the training regatta fleet.
Further honours for the National Yacht Club at this event when Daniel Raymond and Heather Spain were presented with their Irish lifejackets prior to representing Ireland at the Optimist European and French Championships respectively later this summer. 