The Irish J109 fleet has been boosted again this year by early season inshore and offshore Irish cruiser–racer success.
This month, Royal Irish YC skipper John Maybury's J109 Joker II successfully defended her IRC One ICRA national title in a light wind series off Howth and in the Round Ireland Race, the J109 Storm (aka Euro Car Parks) was IRC3 class winner. Both J campaigns had Olympic helmsman Mark Mansfield onboard.
In offshore racing, another J109, Ruth, skippered by Liam Shanahan of the National Yacht Club, has got off to a solid defence of her 2016 ISORA title in a Irish Sea series that has been dominated by the J-type over the last few seasons.
On Dublin Bay, although the fleet still DBSC club–race as part of a 22–strong cruisers one division, there are now 12 J109s in that class. After 16 years in the Sigma 33, Maybury's club-mate, the former Fastnet race winner, Tim Goodbody of the Royal Irish Yacht Club has moved into the J109 this season, and it's a step that has already borne fruit with individual race wins at the ICRA Nationals and a win at the National Yacht Club regatta too.
However, in what yet may be a threat to ongoing J109 domination, Paul O'Higgins's recently arrived JPK10.80 was the IRC class one winner of this weekend's RIYC Regatta.
There is news this week of another of Dun Laoghaire's international keelboat sailors joining the J–ranks next season.
