Youth Crew Keeps Aurelia's K2Q Challenge Alive

4th July 2026

Afloat.ie Team

New at the Helm: National Yacht Club sailor David Turner (centre at the wheel) skippered Aurelia in the Kingstown to Queenstown Race after owner Chris Power Smith was forced to withdraw through illness Credit: Afloat

Aurelia's Kingstown to Queenstown Race challenge continues this weekend despite owner Chris Power Smith being ruled out through illness, with a youth-focused crew stepping aboard the Royal St George Yacht Club J/122 for the offshore classic.

Power Smith, who is recovering from a viral infection, has handed the helm to regular crew member David Turner of the National Yacht Club for the 160-nautical-mile race from Dún Laoghaire to Cork Harbour.

Challenge Continues: David Turner helms Chris Power Smith's Royal Irish Yacht Club J/122 Aurelia in the Kingstown to Queenstown Race as a Lough Ree Yacht Club youth crew gains valuable offshore experience. Photo: Afloat.ie" title="Challenge Continues: David Turner helms Chris Power Smith's Royal Irish Yacht Club J/122 Aurelia in the Kingstown to Queenstown Race as a Lough Ree Yacht Club youth crew gains valuable offshore experience. Photo: Afloat.ie

The owner was determined the boat should take part, not least because the crew includes an offshore youth development team from Lough Ree Yacht Club. Former Commodore John McGonigle leads the group, with club members Caolan Crosdale and Paddy White gaining valuable offshore experience.

"We are a bit light for a totally upwind race with only eight crew, but I didn't want too many new crew on board at once in an overnight race," Power Smith told Afloat.

Aurelia also remains in contention for the prestigious Wolf's Head Trophy, although Power Smith acknowledged the challenge posed by series leaders Pata Negra.

"We are fighting hard to maintain our challenge for the elusive Wolf's Head Trophy against Pata Negra, who have a formidable lead in the series," he said.

Isobel O'Grady in RORC Cowes–Dinard–St Malo Race

Meanwhile, another Aurelia crew member is also flying the flag offshore this weekend. Isobel O'Grady of Wicklow Sailing Club is racing in the RORC Cowes–Dinard–St Malo Race aboard the RORC Griffin Project Sun Fast 36, skippered by Nicola Curwen.

O'Grady, who sailed aboard Aurelia in this year's Round Ireland Race, recently accepted the Round Ireland team trophy on Aurelia's behalf from her father, Round Ireland Race organiser Kyran O'Grady, at Wicklow Sailing Club.

Proud Moment: Aurelia crew member Isobel O'Grady (front left) receives the Round Ireland Race team trophy on behalf of the J/122 crew from her father, race organiser Kyran O'Grady, at Wicklow Sailing Club. Photo: Courtesy Chris Power Smith" title="Proud Moment: Aurelia crew member Isobel O'Grady (front left) receives the Round Ireland Race team trophy on behalf of the J/122 crew from her father, race organiser Kyran O'Grady, at Wicklow Sailing Club. Photo: Courtesy Chris Power Smith

Published in Fastnet 450 Race

'K2Q' Dun Laoghaire to Cork Race Live Tracker 2026

Track the progress of the 160-mile K2Q Race (formerly known as the 'Fastnet 450 race') fleet on the live tracker and see all Afloat's K2Q Race coverage in one handy link here

Published in Fastnet 450 Race

Tagged under

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

The Kingstown to Queenstown Yacht Race or 'K2Q', previously the Fastnet 450

The Organising Authority ("OA") are ISORA & SCORA in association with The National Yacht Club & The Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Kingstown to Queenstown Race (K2Q Race) is a 260-mile offshore race that will start in Dun Laoghaire (formerly Kingstown), around the famous Fastnet Rock and finish in Cork Harbour at Cobh (formerly Queenstown).

The K2Q race follows from the successful inaugural 'Fastnet 450 Race' that ran in 2020 when Ireland was in the middle of the COVID Pandemic. It was run by the National Yacht Club, and the Royal cork Yacht Club were both celebrating significant anniversaries. The clubs combined forces to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Yacht Club and the 300th (Tricentenary) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Of course, this race has some deeper roots. In 1860 the first-ever ocean yacht race on Irish Waters was held from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) to Queenstown (now Cobh).

It is reported that the winner of the race was paid a prize of £15 at the time, and all competing boats got a bursary of 10/6 each. The first race winner was a Schooner Kingfisher owned by Cooper Penrose Esq. The race was held on July 14th 1860, and had sixteen boats racing.

In 2022, the winning boat will be awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a Trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world.

The 2022 race will differ from the original course because it will be via the Fastnet Rock, so it is a c. 260m race, a race distance approved by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club as an AZAB qualifier.

A link to an Afloat article written by WM Nixon for some history on this original race is here.

The aim is to develop the race similarly to the Dun Laoghaire–Dingle Race that runs in alternate years.

Fastnet 450 in 2020

The South Coast of Ireland Racing Association, in association with the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay and the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork, staged the first edition of this race from Dun Laoghaire to Cork Harbour via the Fastnet Rock on August 22nd 2020.

The IRC race started in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, August 22nd 2020. It passed the Muglin, Tuscar, Conningbeg and Fastnet Lighthouses to Starboard before returning to Cork Harbour and passing the Cork Buoy to Port, finishing when Roches's Point bears due East. The course was specifically designed to be of sufficient length to qualify skippers and crew for the RORC Fastnet Race 2021.