Exceptional Start For Irish Team At European Sailing Championships On Dublin Bay

Ireland has gotten off to an exceptional start at the massive 254-boat Optimist European Championships on Dublin Bay this afternoon.

Exceeding expectations of top half results, the Irish U16 sailors are placed tenth and 17th in the 153 boat boys' fleet after the first two races where winds gusted over 20 knots.

James McCann of Royal Cork Yacht Club scored seventh in both races with teammate Loghlen Rickard of the National Yacht Club (NYC) scoring eight and ten.

In the 101 boat girls fleet Clare Gorman (NYC) lies 16th after scoring 12 and seven. Alix Buckley of Skerries scored a superb second in her opening race and currently lies 40th.

The Irish team of 14 sailors, in separate boys' and girls' categories, will compete against 32 other nations for the European titles. However a total of 254 competitors will represent 44 countries in the Open Championships from as far afield as Argentina, Bermuda, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

The boys' event after two races is being led by 2013 German National Champion Jacob Ahlers from MSC Hamburg followed by, in the open ranklist, Iagor Franco of Brazil and Campbell Patton of Bermuda. In 4th and 5th (2nd and 3rd in the European closed event) are Elias Odrischinsky (POL) and another German Lennart Kuss.

Defending champion Tytus Butowski (POL) started his championship well with a fourth place. He showed great boat speed both up and down wind and could have won except for a conviction that the left was the favoured side of both beats. His second race was less successful, placing 17th.

In the girls' event Josefine إkesson of Sweden leads from Iset Segura of Spain and Senef Seder (TUR).