SAILING ISA All Ireland Sailing Champion

28 Sep 2009
  • Nicholas O'Leary (Royal Cork Yacht Club) retains his title as ISA All Ireland Sailing Champion
  • Junior Champion is Matthew O'Dowd from the Royal St George Yacht
  • Diana Kissane (Howth Yacht Club) is 2009 GIRL Champion

The ISA All Ireland Sailing Championship took place at the Royal Cork Yacht Club this weekend (25th - 27th Sept in very light winds however that didn't prevent the race committee from completing the regatta.

The 2009 ISA All Ireland Sailing Champion is Nicholas O'Leary, from the Royal Cork Yacht Club for the second year running. In 2008 he was also the recipient of the First Timer GP14 Award and previous to that he won the Student Yachting World Championship, when representing Cork Institute of Technology in La Rochelle, France

His father, Anthony O'Leary was second overall, which incidentally was the same result for both of them at the 2008 Championship. Both O'Leary's are members of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and provided a battle royal between the pair throughout the weekend.

In third place, despite winning the final two races, was Ben Duncan from New Zealand. The Howth Yacht Club member will also take home the GP14 1st Timer Trophy.

The overall results are as follows:

Place - Sailor - Representing - Club

  • 1st Nicholas O'Leary - 2008 All Ireland Champion, RCYC
  • 2nd Anthony O'Leary (father of Nicholas) - 1720 class, RCYC
  • 3rd Ben Duncan - Laser SB3 Class, HYC
  • 4th John Driscoll - Squib Class, RNIYC
  • 5th Paul McMahon - Laser Class, HYC
  • 6th Colin Chapman - National 18 Class, RCYC
  • 7th David Dwyer - ICRA 0, RCYC
  • 8th Tim Corcoran - GP14 Class, SYC



At the same venue the 2009 ISA Junior & Girls All Ireland Sailing Championship took place on Saturday and Sunday in Laser Radial Dinghies

The 2009 Junior Champion is Matthew O'Dowd, from the Royal St George Yacht Club, while Diana Kissane (Howth Yacht Club), in 6th place overall, took the title of 2009 Girl Champion.

17 year old Matthew 'Mattie' O'Dowd was a Wild Card nomination to this event based on his win at the Laser Radial Europa Cup in Denmark earlier this year. In July, Matthew travelled to Brazil where he represented Ireland in the Laser Radial Boys class at the 2009 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship.

A previous winner of the Girl's Trophy (2005), 17 year old Diana Kissane is from Howth Yacht Club. Nominated by the Laser 4.7 class, Diana is currently 2nd in their national rankings. Diana's first boat was an Optimist, she campaigns competitively in the 420 class with Hazel O'Neill and her favourite boat at the moment is the exciting Olympic class 49er.

Place - Sailor - Representing - Club

  • 1st Matthew O'Dowd - Euro Cup in Denmark, RSGYC
  • 2nd Conor Lyden - RS Feva Class, RCYC
  • 3st Rob Lehane - 420 Youth Europeans, KYC
  • 4th Finn Lynch - Topper Class, BSC
  • 5th Mark Condy - Laser 4.7 Class, HYC/LDYC
  • 6th Diana Kissane - Laser 4.7 Class, HYC

This is Ireland's most prestigious national sailing competition, which sees the best of our sailors (both amateur and Olympian, dinghy and cruiser) compete to be crowned the 2009 All Ireland Sailing Champion.