Originally scheduled as a two-day regatta, racing was condensed into a single day due to Storm Amy, a decision that proved wise as perfect conditions prevailed last Sunday in cork harbour, allowing a full days racing to be completed. Competition was fierce in the Royal Cork National 18 class boats, with only three points separating the top five by the end of the day.

In the end, Wicklow Sailing Club’s Ger Owens and Ross Killian (National Yacht Club) took top honours at the Irish Sailing Dinghy Champions’ Cup, followed by our own Alex Barry and crew Sam Hunt (Kinsale YC), nominated by the National 18 Class. The Fireball Class representatives of Josh Porter (Newtownards SC) and Conor Twohig (Sutton DC) closed out the podium places.

 Winner Ger Owens reflected:

“This was probably one of the best Champions’ Cups we’ve sailed ,both in terms of competition and the spirit it was raced in. The decision to make it just for dinghy sailors was a great move and made it even more competitive, so we’re delighted to come away with the win. Conditions were beautiful, Royal Cork put on a great show, and Ruan (Race Officer) did an amazing job getting all the races in. Honestly, we couldn’t be more thrilled.”

In addition, the National 18 class were highly praised for making the event the success it was. Significant time and effort was given by Adam McCarthy N18 Secretary and Andew Woodward Class Captain, to ensure all boats were equalised. In addition, a team of volunteers from the National 18 class provided all the relevant skills on the water, not only by supporting the invited Helm’s and their crews, but also playing a crucial role across the race management team.

Irish Sailing President Sue Concannon was on hand to present the winners with their trophy and again praised both RCYC and all competitors for “a fantastic day of racing.”

Here is the link below to Afloat for more details and photos . Thank you to Bob Bateman for the photo used in this article.