Jaguar Leads WIORA Fleet After Weather-Hit Opening Day

2nd July 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Points Chase — David Cullen's Chronos from Howth Yacht Club competes at the WIORA Championships in Fenit, where the crew sits joint on points at the top of the tightly contested Class Three IRC standings

Jaguar leads both IRC and ECHO in Class One after two races at the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association (WIORA) Championships in Fenit, Co Kerry. The opening day of the regatta was abandoned as gale-force winds swept Tralee Bay, but competitors returned to complete two races in vastly improved conditions on Thursday.

Strong winds arrived exactly as forecast on the opening day, forcing race organisers to abandon racing. Gusts of 35 knots were recorded in Fenit Marina, with an estimated 40 knots across the bay.

Recent poor weather also prevented three of the 41 entered boats from reaching the championship.

Conditions improved dramatically on day two. Light winds gradually gave way to sunshine as Principal Race Officer John Leech set windward-leeward courses for the fleet.

Eight starts were completed across two races without a single recall.

In Class One, Jaguar, skippered by Gary Fort of Tralee Bay Sailing Club, heads both the IRC and ECHO standings on three points. Tux, sailed by Pat Irwin of Galway Bay Sailing Club, lies second in both divisions, while Mynx, skippered by K. Cunnane of TBSC, is third. Several boats failed to finish within the time limit in the second race.

Class Two is being dominated by Smile, sailed by S. McGibney of TBSC, with two race wins securing the lead in both IRC and ECHO. She was the only boat in the class to finish within the time limit in Race Two. Ibaraki, sailed by M. Guilfoyle of GBSC, and Blues Xtra, campaigned by Buckley and O'Keeffe of TBSC, occupy second and third respectively.

Class Three IRC remains finely balanced. Stouche, skippered by D. McCormack of Foynes Yacht Club, leads on countback after the opening races, with Jibe, sailed by F. Kelliher of TBSC, and Chronos, helmed by David Cullen of Howth Yacht Club, all tied on four points.

The Class Three ECHO standings are headed by visiting British-Australian entry Vera May, sailed by A. Richardson of Blackwood & Fleetwood Yacht Club. Chronos and Jibe complete the top three.

Class Four Whitesail is currently led by Foynes Yacht Club entries. Shelduck, skippered by K. Reidy, heads the fleet ahead of Arctic Fox, sailed by J. and E. Conway, with Snoopy, skippered by E. Lowe, in third. The Whitesail fleet was the only class in which every competitor finished the second race.

In the Soling fleet, Vera May also leads, ahead of Romance, sailed by C. Murphy of TBSC, and Blizard, skippered by R. Skinner of Lochaber Yacht Club.

Forecasts suggest slightly stronger winds for Friday, when organisers hope to complete two further races, including a longer coastal contest.

Race Results

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Published in WIORA

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WIORA

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