There was a medal haul for Howth Yacht Club at the Kildare Innovation Campus Sovereign's Cup on Saturday afternoon (June 28th) off Kinsale, where a dominant display by Dublin cruiser racer crews saw three major ICRA IRC National Championship national titles plus the Cup itself go to the Fingal Club.

The North Dublin winning theme continued in IRC Two with a joint Rush/Baltimore victory in the battle of the Half Tonners and a White Sails category win too.

From a weather perspective, the wind was as forecast, with light winds to start the proceedings on Wednesday, gradually building to moderate winds on Thursday, and heavy winds on Friday, before Saturday's finale was accompanied by more moderate breeze (see a photo gallery of Saturday's sailing below).

ICRA Commodore Denis Byrne's Elan 31 Grin & Bear, also Royal Cork, won the final race of the Sovereign's Cup on Saturday afternoon to take third overall in Coastal Two Photo: Bob Bateman

The only IRC title in the spinnaker classes to stay in Munster was IRC 3, thanks to a local Quarter Tonner campaign.

Flawless Checkmate XX Secures Coastal One Title & Sovereign's Cup

Nigel Biggs (on the helm below) and David Cullen's First 50 Checkmate XX (white spinnaker) in Thursday's Jeanot Petch race of the Sovereign's Cup Photo: Bob Bateman

Nigel Biggs and David Cullen's First 50 Checkmate XX counted five straight wins in the Cup's biggest class; a perfect score that delivered Coastal One class honours as well and the Sovereign's Cup itself. The performance gives them a 7-point margin over Peter Dunlop and Victoria Cox's J/122E Mojito from Pwllheli on 11. Taking third overall on the final day was Howth's Simon Knowles in the J109 Indian on 15, who overtook the local XP50, Freya, skippered by Conor Doyle, who discarded his last race and finished on 18.

Mojito's Cox was awarded the 'Jack Roy Perpetual Trophy' for the best female helm in the Cup (See presentation photo of Victoria Cox at the foot of the article).

Welsh crew takes IRC Coastal Two

Mark Thompson's J97 Jac Y Do from Pwllheli Sailing Club and the winning crew below Photo: Bob Bateman

Welsh visitor Mark Thompson in his J97 Jac Y Do from Pwllheli Sailing Club wrapped up IRC Coastal Two. The only boat to sail all the races in this six-boat fleet, Thompson counted two wins in his five-race tally to be on seven points, five ahead of Royal Cork's Kieran O'Brien and Fiorentina Stainchu in the MG 335, Magnet on 12. ICRA Commodore Denis Byrne's Elan 31 Grin & Bear, also Royal Cork, won the final race of the Cup on Saturday afternoon to take third overall on 14.

Four race wins give The Big Picture IRC Zero victory

Michael and Richard Evans's  J112e The Big Picture and her winning Howth crew below Photo: Bob Bateman

Consistent sailing, with four race wins from eight sailed, handed the IRC Zero title to Michael and Richard Evans, on J112e The Big Picture, from Howth. The Dublin brothers built a half-point lead on Friday into a 3.5 margin by Saturday's conclusion to beat early Cup leader, the Jones Family's J122 Jelly Baby of Royal Cork on 16. 

Welsh IRC champion, the South Caernarfonshire YC Corby 37, Impetuous (Crompton/Miller/Hodges), finished third in the five-boat class, just half a point behind.

Eight races, eight wins for Outrajeous in IRC One

ICRA One defending champion Outrajeous of Howth (John and Suzie Murphy) on her way to another victory in the eight-race Sovereign's Cup and her winning Howth crew below Photo: Bob Bateman

With a winning margin of 11 points, the ICRA One defending champion Outrajeous of Howth (John and Suzie Murphy) produced a flawless score sheet to retain its title from local J109 Artful DodJer (O’Regan Family) on 18. The Royal Irish Barry Cunningham's Chimaera on 19 points finished third in the eight-boat class.

2Farr is IRC Two champion

Boardman, Kelly, and O’Leary in the Rush/Baltimore half-tonner, 2 Farr on their way to an overall win in IRC Two of the 2025 Sovereign's Cup and ICRA National Championships. The winning Baltimore/Rush crew are photographed below Photo: Bob Bateman

Boardman, Kelly, and O’Leary in the Rush/Baltimore half-tonner, 2 Farr are the new IRC Two champions following two last race wins to finish on nine points and edge ahead of half ton rival and defending ICRA and Sovereign's Cup champion, James Dwyer's Swuzzlebubble by two points. Steven Quinn's J97 Lambay Rules took third on 27. Quinn was also declared the Cup's Portcullis Trophy winner, for the best performance under ECHO.

KYC Commodore Anthony Scannell (left) presents Steven Quinn's J97 Lambay Rules with the Portcullis Trophy, for the best performance under ECHO Photo: Bob Bateman

The final IRC Two race was not without drama, as Royal Cork half-tonner Miss Whplash had a man go overboard during a downwind leg. He was safely recovered.

Diamond stays shining in IRC Three

The Kinsale Yacht Club Quarter Tonner Diamond of Kieran Kelleher/Colman Garvey and her winning IRC 3 crew below with EU Commissioner Michael McGrath

The Kinsale Yacht Club Quarter Tonner Diamond of Kieran Kelleher/Colman Garvey, which has led IRC 3 since Wednesday, is the new class champion. Finishing on seven points, the crew held a four-point cushion over Paddy Kyne's X 302 Maximus from Howth YC on 11. David Buckley's sistership, Blues Xtra from Tralee Bay Sailing Club, is third on 21. 

White Sails

The White Sails IRC overall winner was John Beckett and Andy George's Splashdance from Howth Photo: Bob Bateman

In a further boost for Howth cruiser interests, the White Sails One IRC overall winner was John Beckett and Andy George's Splashdance in a six boat fleet. 

The Dufour 40 won the National Championship in the non-spinnaker IRC six boat category and was second in the Echo Championship. The Fingal crew also won the Sovereign's Cup perpetual trophy for best performance in all white sails.

The eight-boat White Sails 2 fleet was won by Alan Mulcahy's Albin Express, Gunsmoke from Kinsale.

Sovereign's Cup - Saturday Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

Sovereign's Cup 2025 Main Prizewinners

Sovereign's Cup Prizegiving 2025 Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

(Above and below)The Michelle Dunne Prix d'Elegance Trophy was awarded to Simon O'Keefe's vintage cutter Lady Min from Schull Photo: Bob Bateman 

The 'Jack Roy Perpetual Trophy', awarded to the best female helm, Vicky Cox of the J122 Mojito Photo: Bob Bateman

Results in IRC, ECHO and Sovereigns Cup in all classes here