Irish sailors Ben O’Shaughnessy (Royal Cork Yacht Club) and Ethan Spain (National Yacht Club) have won Gold at the 49er U23 European Championships.
The Irish pair delivered a confident performance throughout the regatta, which took place in Sicily, and featured the Olympics disciplines of men’s and women’s skiff. O’Shaughnessy and Spain remained tied for the lead before sealing victory with a decisive win on the final day.
The regatta suffered a little from light winds, with racing postponed on day two, but Ben and Ethan made the most of it, building on their impressive senior debut earlier this year which saw promising results including a race win and a second place.
“The boys sailed so well at this event,” Sean Evans, the Irish sailing development coach said. “It has been an honour to see how they’ve developed. They have taken lessons from the senior events and put them directly into practice. This result was really a culmination of all the things they have been trying to develop over several years.
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Also competing at the event were three Irish crews in the 49erFX/Women’s Skiff including Erin McIlwaine (Newcastle Yacht Club) and Ellen Barbour (County Antrim Yacht Club) who finished sixth overall delivering a second, fourth and sixth place as some of their best.
Lucia Cullen (Royal St. George) and Alana Twomey (Royal Cork Yacht Club) finished 14th and can a boast a second and third place finish from the competition. Lauren O’Callaghan (National Yacht Club) and Charlotte Eadie (Ballyholme Yacht Club) were 15th overall with a fourth and ninth as their best results.
