Irish Optimist Nationals at the Royal St. George Yacht Club

27 GBR optimist sailors travelled to Royal St. George Y.C to compete in the Irish Open and National Championships over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The coaches that were there were Peter Saxton, Bonnie Holt, Dave Webster and Gemma Suggitt. Peter Saxton did a good job organising the coaching so thanks to him.

On the first day, Thursday, we launched in good time and were out there by 10:30 for the first race. There wasn’t much wind but the race officer endeavoured to start a race. There was about 3 knots of wind and it was dying so he postponed it thinking that some more wind would come in. Some little puffs came in but not enough to race so he abandoned it at about 3:30.

The next day we all got to the club on time for the Force 1-2 out in the Bay. We got out for the racing at about 10:15 after a detailed British briefing. The racing got underway after a few general recalls but no Brits were caught apart from Owain Matthews. Conner O’Brien went up the left and was winning at the windward mark, followed by Will Atkinson but he got yellow flagged downwind but held second. I was 3rd , Ben Saxton and David De Boltz closely followed in 4th and 5th.Conner O’Brien won and I pulled up to second on the second beat. Ben was 4th and David 5th. The next race got underway with a few boats black-flagged but no Brits were. Will Atkinson was winning and I was 2nd. By the leeward mark the wind had died a lot. Will and I were a long way ahead so we ended up match racing to the finish. I just got him at the end. The wind was always dying and the third boat finished about 7 minutes after me. It was David De Boltz. Rhian Williams finished 7th.16 boats finished the race in the time limit, all the other boats got DNF’s. Race 3 got started later as the sea breeze came and then went so the conditions were much the same the other two races. We got away ok and Jamie Watts was coming first Brit and was 2nd, he was being beaten by Will Atkinson who went on to win the race, Jamie finished 2nd which was his best result David De Boltz came 3rd to equal his best result. Rhian was 7th again and Peggy Webster got her best result, an 8th.

We were ready for the three scheduled races for Saturday in the steady Force 2-3 dying slowly throughout the day. The first race got underway but Alex Daish got black-flagged. Ben Saxton was winning and I was 2nd at the windward mark. Claire Lasko, David Deboltz and Tim Saxton all closely followed. Will Atkinson got yellow flagged so he had to retire down the run. I overtook Ben up the last beat to get 1st with Ben coming 2nd. Claire came 4th, David 5th and Tim finished 6th.Hannah Daimond was 9th. Edd Whitehouse was 7th, Owain Matthews was 10th and Oliver White was 20th, all their best results. The next race got away cleanly for the Brits. George Kenefick was leading at the windward mark but was soon overtaken by Kenny Rumball. Kenny was leading at the leeward mark, I was 2nd and Ben Saxton was 3rd. Ben and I soon overtook Kenny. Ben then overtook me up the beat and held it to win the race, I was 2nd. The final race of the day was the most shifty race of the day and the port end was favoured. Not many people were there, but if you were you were bound to have a good race. Ben Saxton was leading at the windward mark but was overtaken by Andrew Hibberd downwind. They were closely followed by Matthew Rainback. Andrew held his 1st to the finish, Ben was 2nd with Matthew Rainback in 3rd, securing the 1st British 1,2,3. Kelsey Suggitt was 7th, Jamie Watts 9th, Henry Maxfield scored his best result, a 5th. Alex Daish was 6th . Overall this was the best day for the Brits as we had over fifteen boats in the top twenty-five.

The sunniest day of the event so far was Sunday and a good Force 2 to greet all the sailors. We got out there slightly earlier for racing but a dying gradient wind meant that racing didn’t begin until after 12 o’clock when the sea breeze came in. The Brits didn’t have such a good race as Ben Saxton, Rhian Williams and Jamie Watts were all black flagged. Peggy Webster failed to do her 720 for being yellow-flagged got a DSQ as well. Martin McGonagle was leading at the windward mark and I was 2nd. I caught him and overtook him down the run and went on to win the race. Claire Lasko was 5th, Lucy Deboltz was 15th, Dominic Breen-Turner came 9th with Ffion Haf Jones coming 10th. The next race got away well with a Brit 1,2, 3 at the windward mark but Ben Saxton tacked in Ivor McNamara’s water so he had to do a 720 after the mark. Tim Saxton was winning all the way round until the end of the last beat where he was overtaken by Claire Lasko, who went on to win the race. Tim was 2nd, Ben Saxton pulled up to 3rd and I was 4th which was enough to win the championship by 16.5 points. Hannah Diamond was 6th, and the race was another Brit 1,2,3.

The Junior fleet was sailed on the Saturday and Sunday with only 6 races sailed. On the 1st day Elizabeth Whitehouse was hit by her boom and nearly knocked out so she didn’t start any of the three races sailed that day. Josh Cripps got a 14th, DSQ and he didn’t start the last race either. The second day was more successful, Elizabeth got a 1st in the 1st race, 47th in the second race and a 14th in the last race to put her 62nd overall counting two DNS’s. Josh also had a good day getting 20th, a 27th and a 33rd to finish him 42nd counting a DSQ.

Overall Results: