Displaying items by tag: J70 Corinthian World Cup

17th June 2023

Wildcard On Form at First J/70 Corinthian World Cup

Wildcard took 13th overall out of 75 boats at the inaugural J/70 Corinthian World Cup on Lake Garda earlier this month.

This was a remarkable result especially for young helm Harry Twomey as it was his first time back sailing after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash while attending the Sailing Intervarsities earlier this year.

Due to his injuries, Harry helmed with restricted use of his right hand and a slight adaptation of the stick to make it easier for him to drive, making the result an even more amazing achievement.

The J70 Corinthian Cup from 1-4 June at Riva del Garda was the first event in the history of the class exclusively dedicated to Corinthian crews.

Seventy-five crews from 20 countries were greatly challenged for the first two days of the event by the famous Lake Garda wind, “Ora”.

Due to a lack of wind for the final two days there was no racing on those days. This was disappointing for the Irish team who were hoping to build on the strength of their performance on the first two days of the event.

Team Wildcard (from left): Richie Harrington, William Twomey, Sally O’Flynn and Harry Durcan and Harry Twomey

Winners of the inaugural event were the Italian team White Hawk with two bullets, a second and a third place. The silver medal went to Irrational Exuberance from Estonia and the bronze went to the Australian crew of Celestial.

Wildcard’s crew scorecard included a third and an eighth place in the six-race series.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club team made up of helm Harry Twomey, Richie Harrington, William Twomey, Sally O’Flynn and Harry Durcan will now turn their intentions to the J/70 Europeans in Weymouth this September.

Speaking about their experience in Lake Garda, Wildcard owner William Twomey said: “Coming out here to compete against 75 J/70 crews sharing our passion was an amazing experience.

“The icing on the cake was seeing my son [Harry] back on the water again. He has spent a very gruelling four months in recovery, having undergone several surgeries due to the injuries he sustained in a car crash last February and is facing many more months of rehab as his recovery from the accident in still ongoing.

“Instrumental to how well he performed was the support of the amazing Wildcard team who have now been with team Wildcard for a number of years. They are a fantastic group of sailors who all stepped in and went above and beyond to help Harry who has a number of restrictions due to his injuries.

“Our goal going to Italy was to get Harry back on the water, we are thrilled to have achieved 13th place in the World [Cup].”

Published in Royal Cork YC

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