FOLLOWING the spectacular success of the 2024 ILCA 6 Youth European Championships, Ballyholme Yacht Club are set to host the ILCA Ireland National Championships next weekend as the event celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Up to 150 competitors of all ages from across Ireland are expected to compete, racing in ILCA 4, 6, and 7 classes over three thrilling days from August 15 to 17. Organisers also anticipate entries from the UK and further afield for this flagship event on the Irish ILCA sailing calendar, especially as a week later, Dun Laoghaire will host the ILCA Under-21 World Championship and those competitors have been pointed to the Ballyholme event as a good warm-up.
Eight races are scheduled and the conditions are expected to be top-tier in the excellent sailing waters off the Bangor club. This year’s Irish Nationals has also been selected as a qualifying event for Irish youth sailors aiming to compete at the Youth Sailing World Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal. Local favourites include current Irish Youth ILCA 6 champion, BYC’s own Bobby Driscoll, and Daniel Palmer, who was runner-up to Bobby.
The event organisers are delighted to have RBC Brewin Dolphin, Rea Estates and SailCoach support the event as major sponsors with additional support coming from Bangor Marina, Rooster, CH Marine, Optimum Time and McWilliam. As an event that boosts the local economy, Ards and North Down Council are also providing their support.
50 years of ILCA sailing
The first Irish Nationals were held in 1975 in Kinsale and in the same year, Trevor Millar, founder of event sponsor SailCoach, introduced the first ILCA (Laser) into Ballyholme Yacht Club.
The single-handed one-design class gained a foothold at the club and today, the club still boasts a large fleet of ILCA dinghies, competing year round.
Recounting her early experiences in the class in the 1970s, Ballyholme sailor Elaine Taylor said: “Trevor first introduced me to Lasers in 1977 and there began the fun of travelling around Ireland to all the various events. I used my babysitting money and bought my first boat from McCready Sailboats for £466,” she explained.
“Trevor took us all in his builder’s van to the events where we arrived on Friday night, pitched tents, raced hard, enjoyed the craic and then home and ready to go back to work on Monday for a rest!”
This early start with the now Olympic class dinghy has given BYC a leg up when it comes to producing Olympians and ILCA champions. Eighteen of the 49 ILCA Ireland National titles awarded so far have been won by Ballyholme Yacht Club sailors, including the current champion, Dan McGaughey.
Other winners from BYC include Olympians Bill O’Hara and James Espey, each of whom have won the national title five times; three-time winner Gareth Flannigan and single title holders Alastair Ley, Ryan Seaton, Colin Kevelighan and Liam Glynn.
This event comes at a time when performance sailing in Ireland is enjoying a period of exceptional success. Irish sailors have made their mark on the international stage, delivering strong performances at World and European championships and securing qualification across multiple Olympic disciplines for the 2024 Paris Games.
The success of standout Ireland athletes like Annalise Murphy, who won Olympic silver in 2016, and more recently, Finn Lynch and Eve McMahon who are ranked numbers seven and one respectively in the World Sailing Rankings, has inspired a new generation of sailors on the island of Ireland.
Their achievements have helped to strengthen the sport from the grassroots up, supported by a robust development pathway spearheaded by Irish Sailing.
ILCA Dinghy: A global standard in competitive sailing
Once known as the Laser, the ILCA dinghy has cemented its place as the world’s most popular racing sailboat for both youth and adults.
Designed for solo sailors, this single-handed racing dinghy is renowned for its strict one-design class rules, ensuring a level playing field where the sailor’s skill – not modifications to the boat – determines the outcome.
BYC sailor and former ILCA Ireland National Championship title holder, Liam Glynn, said: “At first glance, it’s as simple as racing boats can be with one sail and limited settings, but this leads to many sailors matched for boat speed fighting it out in an intense game of sailing chess.
“This long search for the small margins defines the ILCA class. After a couple years out from coaching the class, I am thrilled to be coming back to compete at the 50th anniversary nationals among so many rising stars and seasoned sailors that respect the challenge of this class. Even more so to be competing at my home club, where weekly club racing got me hooked on the sport.”
Every ILCA dinghy, whether fresh off the production line or a decade old, is virtually identical. These rigid standards have made it a staple in competitive sailing, from local clubs to the Olympic Games, where it serves as an official class for both men and women.
The ILCA rewards athleticism, precision steering and tactical prowess. With more than 225,000 boats sailing in 140 countries, it continues to be a benchmark of excellence in the sport.
Today’s top ILCA sailors like Eve and Finn are full-time athletes competing all over the world, but the ILCA also attracts new blood into the class. It is not only a class for young people, as there is also a very active local and international Masters fleet (over 30) within the class. Indeed, last year’s ILCA Masters World Championships had six over 80 year-olds competing.
