Zhik Irish Laser Nationals starts at Ballyholme tomorrow
by Mark Mackey 27 Aug 2014 16:50 BST
28-31 August 2014
James Espey recently sailing at the Mackey Opticians Ballyholme YC Regatta © Nick Haig
Tomorrow sees the start of the 2014 Zhik Irish Laser National Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club.
We are now expecting 130 boats with great competition across all 3 fleets, especially at the top of the Laser Standard and Laser Radial fleets.
In the Standards Olympian and multiple Irish National Laser Champion James Espey will fend off Finn Lynch who was crowned Under 19 World Champion last week with fellow ISA Performance squad sailors Fionn Lyden and Darragh O'Sullivan hot on their heels.
In the Radials, Olympian Annalise Murphy will have ISAF World Youth Silver medallist Seafra Guilfoyle to contend with as well as a host of Ballyholme YC's best Radials including Ryan Glynn (4th in UK Nationals), his brother Liam who was last year's Topper World Champion and Tim Brow, son of Event Organiser Paddy Brow and 7th in the UK Nationals. Also look out for Ballyholme's Sarah Eames who has spent the summer competing across Europe at the ISAF Worlds, European Youth and World Under 19 Championships.
A mixture of conditions is forecast over the next 4 days with plenty of wind tomorrow afternoon and Friday. Expect to see Annalise Murphy excel in the breeze as always against the best of the boys, and catch most of those in the Standard fleet who start 5 minutes before her.
www.ballyholme.com/zhik-irish-laser-national-championship