Lough Ree and National YCs Share Honours in Kinsale YC Inishtearaght Race

31st May 2026

WM Nixon

Red Alert — John Malone and Emmet Sheridan's JPK 1030 Loinnir on her way to overall IRC victory in the Kinsale YC Cantor Fitzgerald Inishtearaght Race, beating 20 rivals in the 280-mile offshore classic Credit: Bob Bateman

One thing to be said in favour of a slow but steady deterioration of the weather after a period of heatwave is that the declining millibars should be close enough together to provide a decent sailing breeze from between south and southwest

Thus although the biennial Kinsale YC Cantor Fitzgerald-sponsored Inishtearaght Skellig Michael Race got away headed westward as recently as Friday evening, the line honours winner – John Treanor’s high-rated NMD Cristina from Dun Laoghaire – was back alongside the pontoons in Kinsale in the early hours of this morning (Sunday), ahead of Chris Power Smith’s J/122 Aurelia.

First Home — John Treanor’s NMD 43 Cristina slices through Atlantic swells during the Kinsale YC Cantor Fitzgerald Inishtearaght Race. The Dun Laoghaire entry was first across the finish line after the 280-mile contest Photo: Bob Bateman

But with a classy and varied fleet of 21 boats covering a wide range of ratings, both Cristina and Aurelia saw themselves slipping down the IRC times, such that in the end Cristina found herself well back at 15th, but Aurelia kept well in touch to be fourth.

The winner was a lake boat. But then, when the lake in question is the inland sea of Lough Ree, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. John Malone of LRYC – better known in times past for his association with the SB20s, though he has also done well in major offshores too - came in with co-skipper Emmet Sheridan in the JPK 1030 Loinnir at 03.19.21 this morning, and this corrected to what proved to be a wining time of 1 day 8hrs 31 minutes and 21 seconds.

Stern view – Loinnir claims overall IRC victory in Kinsale YC's Inishtearaght Race offshore classic. Photo: Bob Bateman

Fair play to Stephen Lysaght of the host club, his Elan Class Reavra Too corrected to just 22 minutes later than the lakemen, but Loinnir’s good performance is emphasized by their corrected time being and hour and 27 minutes ahead of the third overall, Finbarr O Regan’s J/109 Artful Dodjer (KYC), the boat that Simon Coveney sailed to glory in Cork Week 2024.

Until now, Irish sailors had been experiencing difficulty in getting the same successful performance out of the JPK 10.30 as they’d been showing with JPK 10.80s such as Paul O’Higgins Rockabill, but Loinnir’s impressive performance has put the record straight.

Race Results

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Published in Inistearaght Race

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Inisteraght Race

About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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