Epstein Sisters Win Irish 420 Championship at Lough Derg

13th August 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Championship Charge — The 29-boat Irish and British 420 fleet lines up on Lough Derg during the 2026 Irish International 420 Class Championships

Laragh and Roisin Epstein claimed overall victory at the 2026 Irish International 420 Class Championships on Lough Derg, topping a 29-boat Irish and British fleet after eight races. Lough Derg Yacht Club hosted the three-day championship from 7-9 August, with competitors facing changing conditions and close racing following two days of pre-event coaching.

The Epsteins, representing CBYC aboard GBR 56943, established themselves at the head of the fleet with an exceptionally consistent series. They recorded four race wins and did not finish outside the top two in any of their seven counting scores.

Corkery and Moriarty Lead Irish Challenge

Caoimhe Corkery of Kinsale Yacht Club and Riona Moriarty of Tralee Bay Sailing Club finished second overall and were the leading Irish pairing. They opened their championship with victory in the first race and remained firmly in podium contention with a string of strong finishes.

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Daniel Copithorne and Matt Mapplebeck completed the overall podium in third. Their challenge included victories in races four and eight.

Downwind Dash — The 420 fleet spreads across Lough Derg under spinnaker during the 2026 Irish International 420 Class Championships

Lough Derg Pair Win Silver Fleet

Home-club sailors Kate Kovtun and James Love won the Silver Fleet after taking sixth overall. Their consistent series also made them the highest-placed Lough Derg Yacht Club crew in the championship.

Freddie Nelson and Sam Smith of BLSC secured the Bronze Fleet title with 14th overall. Their results included a second-place finish in race two.

Lough Derg's Sean O'Doherty and David Evans finished 22nd overall, followed by clubmates Seamus Kennedy and Tom Ryan in 26th. Callum Evans and Aidan Love completed the home contingent in 29th.

The championship brought together 29 crews from Ireland and the UK, providing another showcase for youth double-handed racing on Lough Derg. Organisers thanked the competitors, coaches, race committee, volunteers, parents and supporters involved in staging the event both ashore and on the water.

Race Results

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Published in 420

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At A Glance – 420 Dinghy Specifications

Crew 2
Type Monohull
Design One-Design
Construction GRP
Rig Bermuda
Keel Centerboard
Trapeze Single
LOA 4.2 metres (13 ft 9 in)
Beam 1.63 metres (5 ft 4 in)
Draft 0.965 metres (3 ft 2.0 in)
Hull weight 80 kilograms (180 lb)
Mast height 6.26 metres (20 ft 6 in)
Main & Jib area 10.25 square metres (110.3 sq ft) [1]
Mainsail area 7.45 square metres (80.2 sq ft)
Jib / Genoa area 2.8 square metres (30 sq ft)
Spinnaker area 8.83 square metres (95.0 sq ft)