The fleet is in port, and the breeze is forecast to be up, raising the prospect of some pre-championship predictions for the 2025 Kildare Innovation Campus Sovereign's Cup.

Kinsale Yacht Club is all set for the 2025 Kildare Innovation Campus Sovereign's Cup Photo: Bob Bateman

Medium to strong southwesterly winds will prevail in Kinsale from Wednesday (June 25) to Saturday for the Cup, providing a hint of who the favourites might be in a potent fleet of 95 boats that has gathered to decide Irish Cruiser Racing Asssocation (ICRA) National Championships titles in eight classes (under IRC and ECHO handicaps).

95 cruiser racers are in port for a four-day Sovereign's Cup festival Photo: Bob Bateman

The four-day week starts with a First Gun on Wednesday afternoon, with south-westerly winds blowing at 14 mph to 20 mph. These winds, which will be repeated early on Thursday, will then intensify on Thursday afternoon and reach speeds of 20 mph to 35 mph for most of Friday. Winds are expected to ease for the Cup's conclusion on Saturday, so overall, it's a scenario that offers sailing throughout the wind range, making it a true test, particularly over coastal and around-the-cans and fixed-mark courses.

The Old Head of Kinsale and the waters of the 2025 Sovereign's Cup and ICRA National Championships

While there have been some Kinsale Yacht Club organisational adjustments to original plans for the big boat class ahead of the regatta since last week's pre-regatta briefing and Afloat's last Cup look, a Class Zero Spinnaker fleet is now set to sail with six quality boats. 

Windward leeward courses look like they are set to be a dominant feature of the championship, and while asymmetric kites will work well in lighter winds, symmetric spinnaker boats may produce an edge with the breeze as they carry kites deeper downwind. 

Coastal 1 (20 starters) There is little doubt that Frank Whelan's Elliott 57 Opal, the line honours winner in this month's 2025 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race, will lead the Cup's strongest class on the water, but the Greystones Sailing Club entry is unlikely to feature on handicap due to her 1.416 TCC.

Frank Whelan's Elliott 57 Opal and below some of the crew dockside in Kinsale Photo: Afloat

Surprisingly, two potent Dun Laoghaire contenders that are normally at the top end of the IRC One division have opted for coastal racing this week, which means both multi J109 champions Joker II (John Maybury) and Timothy and Richard Goodbody's White Mischief from the Royal Irish Yacht Club can be expected in the offshore mix.

Timothy and Richard Goodbody's White Mischief Photo: Afloat

They are joined by seasoned ISORA Howth 109 Indian (Simon Knowles) and that league's overall leader, Chris Power Smith, in his J122 Aurelia.

Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia Photo: Afloat

Also expected to feature well are Royal Cork's Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo and George Radley's vintage 40-footer Imp, which shares the same rating as a 35-foot J109.

George Radley's vintage 40-footer Imp Photo: Bob Bateman

The First 50, Checkmate XX Photo: Afloat

The clear favourite, though, through the mix of conditions expected, must be the all-rounder and IRC Euro Corinthian champion, the First 50, Checkmate XX of Nigel Biggs and Dave Cullen of Howth. 

Coastal 2 (6 starters) Half of this six-boat class features Kinsale boats, who will have a local advantage, but it is perhaps the well-sailed ISORA J97 Jac Y Do of Mark Thompson from Pwllheli that might shine or the leader of the Cork Harbour Combined league in ECHO, the MG 335 Magnet of Kieran O'Brien and Fiorentina Stanciu from Royal Cork YC.

Kieran O'Brien and Fiorentina Stanciu's MG 335 Magnet Photo: Bob Bateman

Spinnaker Zero (6 starters) - Some of the smart money is on Welsh windward-leeward specialist Impetuous (Crompton/Miller/Hodges), which has already chalked up a Class One win in the IRC Welsh National Championship in May. Still, in this small but competitive class, the South Caernarfonshire Corby 37 will have to contend with Royal Cork's Jones family J122 Jelly Baby, who will be sailing their last regatta in this boat? Also, the Evans brothers' J112e Big Picture from Howth, along with Johnny Treanor's National Yacht Club  J112e sistership, Valentia, was last year's Cork Week Boat of the Week.

The Evans brothers' J112e Big Picture Photo: Afloat

Spinnaker One (9 starters) - According to the script, a J109 should win this class, and as the defending champion and European champion status, plus overall win in the Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race earlier this month, who would be against Johnny and Suzie Murphy's Outrajeous of Howth?

Johnny and Suzie Murphy's J109 Outrajeous Photo: Afloat

Expect sisterships Storm (Pat Kelly) and Chimaera (Barry Cunningham) to have something to say about it, however, especially as Joker II and White Mischief now race in Coastal 1, making the way comparatively clear. 

J109 Storm (Pat Kelly) Photo: Afloat

Spinnaker Two (12 starters)  This is most likely to be a repeat battle between two Half Tonner sisterships, Swuzzlebubble and 2 Farr.

The Boardman, Kelly, O'Leary Half Tonner 2Farr Photo: Afloat

Swuzzlebubble sailed by James and Dave Dwyer Photo: Michael Chester 

And what a battle it will be between the ICRA Boat of the Year and defending 2023 Sovereign's Cup champion sailed by James and Dave Dwyer against the Boardman, Kelly, O'Leary Half Tonner 2Farr that comes to the south coast, having already won on the Solent at Easter and on home waters in June's Lambay Race. 

Stephen Quinn's Lambay Rules Photo: Afloat

Filling out the podium will likely be a third Half Tonner Miss Whiplash (Ronan Downing) or the J97 Lambay Rules.

Spinnaker Three (10 starters) Pundits say this will be a local derby between the J24 Kinsailor Under 25 crew and the Quarter Tonner Diamond of Kieran Kelleher and Colman Garvey. 

See the full entry list here