Rounding out a busy summer of IODAI events, the Optimist Connachts were held at Galway Bay Sailing Club in Galway Bay this past weekend. As ever, our Red Hoody gang showed up and sailed well. The group included 21 sailors from HYC; Eoin & Lucas in Regatta Coached, Cillian, Harry, Fiach, Hugo and Christopher in Regatta Racing, Aine, Rory, Siún, Max, Willow, Lily, JJ, Heidi, Will and Nina in Junior Main, and Elin, Hannah, Sophia and Sam in Senior Main, with coaches Matthew, Sorcha, and Cillian leading our sailors to success.

A big front came through on Friday night, bringing lots of wind and rain. On Saturday morning, it was still gusting over 20 knots, and the sea conditions meant that the Main Fleet was APed for an hour while the Regatta Fleet had to stay ashore for the day. As the wind eased slightly and the tide turned, the Main Fleet eventually got afloat in more favourable, though still challenging, conditions. There were plenty of nerves and a little apprehension from all involved, particularly those venturing into the Main Fleet for the first time, but lots of bravery was shown by everyone on the water, trusting that the race management team was keeping them safe. The Race Officer somehow managed to squeeze in four races despite the late start. There were a lot of tired but happy sailors arriving back ashore that evening.

In contrast to Saturday, Sunday was a calm day, with very little wind in the morning before it eventually started to fill in. All fleets launched just after 10am; however, when the Main Fleet arrived at the race area, they had to wait a while for the wind to increase and settle. The RO had a challenging time dealing with shifts in the wind, light conditions, and tides. There were a number of false starts, but eventually the Junior Fleet got away, with the Senior Fleet following shortly after. While waiting, the junior and senior sailors entertained themselves with some dancing on the coach boats and a bit of dolphin watching!

By the second race, the wind had fully filled in and, after two races, the Main Fleets made their way back ashore, having completed the six-race series. The Regatta fleets were revelling in the conditions, with Regatta Coaching getting in five races and Regatta Racing completing four races.

We’re super proud of the Red Hoody gang for representing Howth Yacht Club so well. Congratulations to Christopher, JJ, and Harry on competing in their first away regatta with IODAI. A shoutout to Heidi, Nina, and Hannah for making their first jump into the Main Fleet, and a big well done to Siún on her first top-ten finish in the Junior Fleet.

• Aine – 2nd in Silver / 8th overall in Junior
• Rory – 5th in Gold / 9th overall in Junior
• Siún – 2nd in Bronze / 10th overall in Junior
• Sam – 2nd in Silver / 16th overall in Senior
• Hannah – 5th in Bronze / 26th overall in Senior
• Eoin – 5th in Regatta Coaching
• Cillian – 5th in Regatta Racing

A big thank you to all our wonderful helpers, and to Galway Bay Sailing Club for having us! Congratulations to all the HYC juniors who took part in the Connachts, we hope to see you over the next few weekends and at Mid-Terms!