A busy weekend of racing for members of Sutton Dinghy Club got underway on Thursday. The Irish Optimist Nationals in Royal Irish Yacht Club and the IDRA14 Championships in Galway Bay Sailing Club kicked off their racing on Thursday. In addition the GP14 are holding their National Championship in Ballyholme Yacht Club and that starts today and runs through to Monday.
Sutton is well represented with 6 crews attending GP14 event including Hugh Gill & Conor Twohig who were last years runner-up. In Galway we have 5 crews with Sutton boats taking top 3 places in the only race on Thursday. Weather forced cancellation of Fridays racing but they expect to get 3 races in today to complete the IDRA14 Championship. After 4 races in very difficult windy conditions Oisin Kelly is flying the flag and lying 2nd in a 65 boat Regatta fleet at the Optimist Nationals in Dun Laoghaire.
Last weekend saw Oscar Langan take his first podium finish in regional event as helm with a fine 3rd place at the Mirror Westerns in Sligo Yacht Club. Oscar with crew Lughaidh Croasdel was pipped for 2nd by a couple of point but held off the significant challenge of the current National Champion Caolann Croasdell who had to be satisfied with 4th. Next weekend sees the Mirror Easterns return to Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club and along with Oscar we are very hopeful we will have at least 6 other Sutton Dinghy Club crews on the start line. This is one of the early fruits from our novice coaching programme but we also have to thank the huge efforts and support from Roisn McLoughlin and helping make this happen.