Royal Cork Yacht Club Topper Sailors Take on the World and Fly the Flag at the 2026 International Topper World Championships in Quiberon, France
Conditions throughout the championship tested sailors’ all-round ability. Event reports described light, shifting breezes, delayed starts, general recalls, black-flag starts and periods where the race team waited for the wind to settle before racing could continue. Early races saw the breeze drop to around three knots before a stronger south-westerly sea breeze allowed racing to begin, while later days again rewarded patience, tactical positioning and consistency.
RCYC sailors competed against some of the world’s leading youth sailors, with 134 competitors racing across the 5.3 and 4.2 fleets.
RCYC Topper sailors were well represented across both the 5.3 and 4.2 events, with sailors competing in the Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets following the 5.3 qualifying series.
In the 5.3 Gold Fleet, Amy Whyte (RCYC / WHSC) delivered an outstanding performance, finishing 7th overall and achieving one of the leading Irish results of the championship. Ollie Sugars also competed in the highly competitive Gold Fleet, finishing 45th overall.
In the 5.3 Silver Fleet, James Nyhan represented RCYC with determination, finishing 32nd. In the 5.3 Bronze Fleet, Sinéad O’Sullivan and Ewan Twohig also delivered strong performances, placing 17th and 18th respectively.
In the Topper 4.2 Fleet, Nicholas Nyhan and Cillian Fouhy gained valuable international championship experience in a competitive developing fleet. Both delivered excellent performances, with Nicholas finishing 14th and Cillian finishing 34th overall.
There were also notable Irish performances beyond the RCYC group. Leo West-Hurst of Ballyholme YC / Royal Ulster YC finished 3rd in the Topper 5.3 Gold Fleet, securing a place on the overall world championship podium.
These results highlight the depth of RCYC participation at the championship and the value of competing in a major international fleet against many of the world’s strongest Topper sailors, where every place was hard fought and earned.
Well done to all the RCYC sailors who competed. Racing at a World Championship is an achievement in itself, and the experience will no doubt prove invaluable as our RCYC Topper sailors continue to develop their skills throughout the remainder of the season.
We are also delighted to welcome a new sailor to the RCYC Topper fleet. Thomas Prentice has recently purchased a boat and joined the growing group of Topper sailors at the club. We wish Thomas every success and look forward to seeing him out on the water.
For anyone interested in trying a Topper, considering buying one, or joining racing on a Wednesday evening, a club Topper is available to hire through the club office. It is a great opportunity to give Topper sailing a try and get involved with this active and welcoming fleet.
