European Championships cut short due to fog

For a second time this week, fog on Dublin Bay cut short the 44-nation Optimist European championships, this time ruling out today’s planned final race on safety grounds.

Overnight leaders in the 254-boat fleet were therefore crowned boys and girls champions this afternoon with Ireland’s James McCann (15) featuring strongly in the top ten of the boy’s 151-boat fleet.

The Royal Cork teenager’s result was hailed as one of the best Irish placings in the history of the event and follows a week of youth sailing success for the Munster club, McCann’s 18-year-old club mate Seafra Guilfoyle winning silver at the ISAF youth worlds in Portugal yesterday.

The top Irish girl was local Dublin Bay sailor Clare Gorman (13) of the National Yacht Club, who finished in 24th place.

Boys' winner Enzo Balanger of France is the first French winner of the event since 1985. Second was Sweden's Kasper Nordenram.

In the girls' event Ebru Bolat, sailing for the Royal Romanian Yacht Club, had virtually secured the title on the penultimate day with a superbly sailed second place in Friday's race and could only have been defeated if her main rival Spain's Iset Segura had come in the top two. Third was Swiss lake sailor Martina Müller from Zürich.

In other racing on Dublin Bay, fog also curtailed the second day of the Ruffian 23 and J109 national championships at the National Yacht Club. Racing has been rescheduled for tomorrow.

Results

Optimist European Championships 2014 at Royal St. George Yacht Club overall

Boys: 1 (FRA) Enzo Balanger 47pts; 2 (SWE) Kasper Nordenram 57; 3 (SIN) 125 Daniel Ian Toh 59. Top Irish: 10 James McCann 98.

Girls: 1 (ROU) Ebru Bolat 42; 2 (ESP) Iset Segura 43; 3 (SUI) Martina Mueller 72. Top Irish: 24 Clare Gorman 146

254 competed.