Lynch wins sailing's Champions’ Cup at Foynes

RIO Olympian Finn Lynch from the National Yacht Club added his name to Irish Sailing's famous silver salver last weekend after a light winds regatta at Foynes Yacht Club in Limerick.

A total of 18 champions drawn from the various classes of the sport, as well as Olympic hopefuls, had been scheduled to race a two-day series comprising qualification, repechage and finals rounds.

However, near calm conditions on Saturday saw no racing and event officials were dubious about Sunday's forecast until all skippers elected to at least attempt to sail a shortened series on Sunday.

In the end, one brief race each decided the top nine boats from both flights with defending champion Ger Owens, of Wicklow Sailing Club, easily winning his place in the final, thus opening the prospect of a three-in-a-row win of this event for this triple Olympian.

However, Finn Lynch brought his downwind skills to bear in near calm conditions as he opened a substantial lead in the short final race that started with minutes to spare before the deadline to start the last race expired.

Even then, the very light winds started to die away just as the eastbound tide started to build and for a while it appeared that the race might need to be abandoned.

But as all nine boats were similarly affected by the wind change it was allowed to continue and a delighted Lynch congratulated his crew of brother Rory Lynch and Carol Martin, the boat owner's representative as they finished first with seconds to spare.

“It's really great to win the All-Ireland Sailing) Championships and great to sail with my brother Rory. It was a really enjoyable weekend getting to meet all different sailors from all over the island,” said Lynch.

“Competing in this event definitely wasn't a distraction from my Olympic campaign, in fact it was an addition. That last race was as hard a challenge as any I've sailed."

Currently ranked Number 5 in the world in his Olympic ILCA7 class, Lynch recently qualified Ireland for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

However, last weekend's event couldn't have been a bigger contrast to his regular event as 2023 was the turn of the 98-year Mermaid wooden clinker-built dinghy class to host the championship.

The silver salver platter that is the Irish Sailing Champions Cup was first contested 76 years ago and holds the names of dozens of the best known sailors from all parts of Ireland.