After ten races, the J/24 European Championship hosted by Howth Yacht Club, concluded in a tie at 65 points, with the third-place team only one point back. That third-place team was made up of six junior sailors from the Kinsale Yacht Club, which has worked to create a squad of under 25-year-old sailors or U25s. Along with finishing third overall, one point out of first, Carroll’s team finished second in the Corinthian Class and first in the Youth Class. Micheál O’Súilleabháin was on the helm.

This was the first year sailing a J/24 for this young team. Crewmember Mike Carroll said, “Since we only started in the J24 class this summer, we didn’t know what to expect from ourselves at the event. We had some poor results earlier on in the regatta, but as the event went on, we improved and achieved a good level of consistency that we were happy with. We couldn’t afford another poor result as there was only one discard across the 10 races. We had a mix of all sailing conditions during the week, which led to it being a high-scoring event. Given that most boats had at least one or two bad scores, it allowed us to climb high in the results without needing to win races. What happened on the water exceeded our expectations.” By finishing second in the last race of the regatta, the team moved from sixth to third.

Kinsailor competing at the ten race J/24 European Championship at Howth Yacht Club Photo: Christopher Howell

The young team faced down some serious challenges, which they overcame. A week before the Europeans, while racing in the J/24 Easterns, they broke their mast and had to secure a loner. Their new UK Sailmakers mainsail was damaged when the rig came down, and they finished the Easterns with their delivery main. UK Sailmakers Ireland made an invisible repair in a few short days and had the main ready for the Europeans.

“The sails were fantastic”

Dave Sullivan, the team’s coach said, “It’s just brilliant that a team of kids from Kinsale can get a boat, set it up, and deliver a world-class performance -- all in less than a year. Phenomenal really; we are most proud of them.” The team came about as part of the Irish Cruiser Racing Association Under 25 initiative designed to create a pathway for junior sailors to progress into the adult sailing scene. Sullivan said that members of the Kinsale Yacht Club held a fundraiser to buy, ship to Ireland and prepare a J/24 for the club’s juniors to use. He took on the role of the team’s mentor. The original goal was to compete at the 2022 European Championships and the boat will stay available for juniors at the club for years to come.

Kinsailor is a Kinsale Yacht Club Under 25 initiative

Barry Hayes, President of UK Sailmakers Ireland said, “Our loft is doing everything to help young sailors excel. They are the future of the sport. Therefore, we are doing our best to help them get the best sails, learn how to use them so that they move up to the podium as quickly as possible. From centreboard to keelboats, UK Sailmakers is dedicated to helping the next generation of sailors.”

About the UK Sailmakers J/24 class sails, the team members said, “The sails were fantastic.”

The Kinsailor J24 crew with their prizes in Howth including Mikey Carroll, Jack O’Sullivan, Lellie Collins, Francesca Lewis, Rory Carroll and Micheál O’Súilleabháin

The four men and two women on KINSAILOR were:

• Mikey Carroll
• Jack O’Sullivan
• Lellie Collins
• Francesca Lewis
• Rory Carroll
• Micheál O’Súilleabháin

2022 J24 European Championships results

After a break of a few years caused by the pandemic, Kinsale Yacht Club’s annual RNLI fundraising night has returned.

A strong fleet of seventeen cruisers took part in the race for the Spalpeen Trophy which for many years the race has been sponsored by the Draper Family.

Race Officer Michele Kennelly set a course that aimed to have all back in time for the celebrations ashore which included a BBQ and a fundraising auction and raffle for the RNLI.

The race was won this year by Finbarr O’Regan’s J109 Artful DodJer, with Stephen Lysaght’s Reavra Too in second place and Sean O’Riordan’s Y-Dream in third place.

Cian McCarthy's Cinnamon Girl of the host club has added to her offshore wins this season with an overall IRC victory in the UK Sailmakers Ireland Kinsale Yacht Club Fastnet Race.

A strong fleet of eight started the UK Sailmakers Ireland Kinsale Fastnet race on Friday evening at 7 pm inside Kinsale Harbour.

The race was run in association with SCORA.

Entries were from along the south coast from Kinsale YC to the Royal Cork YC and on to Waterford Harbour SC.

Cian McCarthy (right) and Sam Hunt of Cinnamon Girl who won Kinsale Yacht Club’s Fastnet Race, sailing the course in 14 hours, 49 minutes and 5 seconds, winning under both handicap systems – IRC and ECHO. It was a battle between the double-handed Kinsale sailors and Brian Jones’ Jelly Baby from the Royal Cork in Crosshaven, which finished two-and-a-half minutes later, in a total time of 14 hours 31 minutes and 50 seconds

The fleet had a southwest wind gusting to 23 knots for a bumpy beat to the Fastnet with the tide against them until midnight. 

In second was George Radley's vintage Imp from Royal Cork YC. Third was Royal Cork YC's Jelly Baby (Brian Jones).

Royal Cork YC's J122 Jelly Baby (Brian Jones) Photo: David Cullinane

As regular Afloat readers will know, McCarthy, sailing with Sam Hunt, also scored a win in May's KYC Inistearaght Race and featured prominently, also two-handed, in June's 700-mile Round Ireland Race.

Scroll down for the results below.

Stephen Lysaght’s Reavra Two topped the 'TGIF' Mid Summer White Sails cruisers league series in IRC 1 fleet at Kinsale Yacht Club, sponsored by A J O’Brien Solicitors, with 11 points after six races.

Second was John Whelan’s Wheels on 13 and third Sean O’Riordan’s Y Dream on 15. Whelan won in ECHO handicap, with Anthony Scannell’s Hansemer second and Reavra Two third. IRC 2 fleet winner was Patrick Beckett’s Miss Charlie by one point, on a total of five, against Albert O’Neill’s Sallybelle on 6. ECHO handicap in Fleet Two winner was Martin Hargrove’s Deboah on 9 points from Sallybelle on 15 and Miss Charlie third on 18.

John Godkin’s GODOT won IRC 1 in the cruiser spinnaker midweek fleet series 2, sponsored by Barry Ryan Civil Engineering, on a total of 12 points after the sixth race, to win by half-a-point from Dan Buckley’s JUSTUS on 12.5 with Reavra Two third on 18. JUSTUS won in ECHO with Godot second and Y Dream third.

Fleet 2 IRC saw the club’s young sailors at the top in their J24, Finsailor on 10 points with No Notions (O’Sullivan/O’Regan) and Samuel Cohen’s Gunsmoke II finishing next overall, both on 13 points, No Notions won second on the tiebreak of higher overall average placings. Gunsmoke II turned that around in ECHO, taking first place with No Notions second and MIiss Charlie third.

Kinsale Yacht Club in West Cork is well pleased with its Under 25 development programme following the team's success at the J24 National Championships raced in Foynes YC, Co.Limerick.

Named ‘Kinsailor’ when it was launched last year, the KYC yacht won the Under 25 section, took the silver prize for second overall and finished eighth of the 20 boats racing that included top sailors in the Class.

The Kinsale crew were: Mikey Carroll, Leslie Collins, Rachel Akerlind, Micheál Ó Suilleabháin, and Jack O’Sullivan.

“A great result,” said former Commodore Dave Sullivan, the Under 25 Team Mentor.

“Little did I think when we started out last October that we would have our boat so successful in the U25 section at the National Championships. She is a super boat with a super team of sailors. It took a lot of hard work and commitment to get to this stage and we are thankful to KYC members for their overwhelming support and continued generosity.”

This membership backing enabled the setting-up of the programme and the purchase of the boat.

“We still have the Eastern Championships in late August and Europeans in Howth in September to look forward to,” says Dave Sullivan.

Mid Summer series racing for Cruisers, Squibs and Dragons is underway at Kinsale Yacht Club.

In IRC Class 1 Fleet, the leader is Reavra (Stephen Lysaght), second Wheels (John Whelan) and third Valfreya (David Riome).

Under ECHO handicap Wheels leads followed by Reavra Too and Y Dream (Sean O’Riordan) in third.

Sallybelle (Albert O’Neill) leads Fleet 2 in IRC and ECHO.

Deboah (Martin Hargrove) is second in ECHO and Miss Charlie (Patrick Beckett) third.

Kinsale Yacht Club has announced a new title sponsor for its biennial Sovereign's Cup and is aiming for a full 100-boat fleet for the 2023 event.

The offshore energy company Simply Blue was unveiled as the new sponsor by Sovereign's Cup Director Anthony Scannell at the Cork Week prizegiving at Royal Cork Yacht Club last Friday.

The full title of the cruiser-racer event is the 'Simply Blue & Emerald Sovereign's Cup 2023', reflecting the energy company's Emerald project on the site of the former Kinsale Gas fields.

Scannell, who was competing on his yacht Hansemer at Cork Week, was appointed Cup director by the West Cork club in May, and signed the new title sponsorship two months later.

"There's great 'harnessing the wind' synergies between Simply Blue and the Sovereign's Cup, so we are delighted to have them on board", Scannell told Afloat.

The regatta will take place from 21st to 24th June 2023.

"The club is very much looking forward to returning to the pre-covid number of entrants," according to KYC Commodore Matthias Hellstern.

The 2023 event will be the 15th edition of the biennial event.

Kinsale Yacht Club will hold its Fastnet Race on Friday, August 19. Racing is All-In for both IRC and ECHO, no class divisions.

The Fastnet Trophy is for the primary handicap system, IRC winner on best corrected time. The Minihane Trophy is for best in ECHO.

Start and finish will be at KYC Charles Fort Line. First Gun on August 19 at 1925, an All-In Start and latest finishing time allowed is 1600 on Sunday, August 21.

Yachts must pass to the south of the Kowloon Bridge cardinal mark en route to rounding Fastnet Rock to port. The race is sponsored by UK Sailmakers Ireland.

Michael Carroll’s ‘Chancer’ won the club’s recent Horse Rock Trophy Race.

Kinsale Yacht Club's long tradition with the Round Ireland Yacht Race was celebrated again at the weekend when the West Cork Club marked the achievement of their three boats in the 21st race. 

June saw one of the longest and toughest races of recent times and the event was recalled in detail when the competitors past and present gathered at Kinsale for a special evening of Round Ireland memories.

There was a packed clubhouse to recognise the Kinsale YC Round Ireland competitors Photo: Bob Bateman

Many competitors, past and present spoke, of the trials and tribulations of "doing a Round Ireland". File footage of past events was shown during the evening.

J109 - Artful Dodjer 

The top overall IRC performance came from Finbarr O'Regan's J109 Artful Dodjer.  

The O'Regan crew were Corinthian race winners and 18th in Line Honours, third in IRC Overall, second in IRC 3 and 2nd in the ICRA division too.

Kinsale J109 Artful Dodjer departs Wicklow on the 2022 Round Ireland Race Photo: Bob Bateman

Finbarr O'Regan (pictured centre with trophy) and the J109 Artful Dodjer crew with Tony Scannell, KYC Vice Commodore (second from left) Photo: Bob Bateman

Sunfast 3300 - Cinnamon Girl

Cian McCarthy sailing two-handed on the Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl with Sam Hunt held the overall lead of the race as Afloat reported here.

It was a stirring performance from the duo who a month earlier had won KYC's own inaugural Inishtearaght Race. 

Cinnamon Girl completed the Round Ireland 14th in Line Honours, eighth in IRC Overall, fifth in IRC 3, second in 2 Handed Class and fifth in the ICRA class. 

Cian McCarthy sailing two-handed on the Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl with co-skipper Sam Hunt Photo: Bob Bateman

Sam Hunt (left) with Tony Scannell of KYC (centre) and Cian McCarthy Photo: Bob Bateman

Swan 40 - Shindig

Tony Kingston and son Jack were third in the Round Ireland's Cruising class in their immaculate Swan 40, Shindig. The duo were 23rd in IRC Overall, 6th in 2 Handed Class and 5th in IRC 4

The Kingston's Swan 40 Shindig shortly after the Round Ireland start off Wicklow Photo: Bob Bateman

Jack Kingston, Tony Scannell of KYC and Tony Kingston Photo: Bob Bateman

Bad weather last Saturday affected entries for the annual Kinsale Yacht Club Cruiser Race to Glandore in West Cork.

Anthony Kingston’s Swan 40 Shindig was the ECHO handicap winner. White sails fleet winner was Anthony Scannell’s Hansemer.

The KYC Squibs and Dragons Early Summer Series starts on Thursday evening at 1855 and the White Sails Cruiser series on Friday at 7 p.m.

Anthony Scannell’s Hansemer Photo: Bob Bateman