Irish Crews Secure Top-Six Finishes at UK Flying Fifteen Nationals

13th July 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Irish Mark — Emma Pierce and Ian Smyth of Strangford Lough Yacht Club round the weather mark aboard IRL 3892 during the final day of the 2026 UK Flying Fifteen National Championship at Tees & Hartlepool Credit: Flying Fifteen UK

Irish sailors John Lavery and Alan Green finished fifth overall, while Niall O'Brien and Dermot Flaherty claimed sixth at the 2026 UK Flying Fifteen National Championship after a breezier final day at Tees & Hartlepool Yacht Club.

The Irish crews maintained their positions in a competitive 30-boat fleet as stronger north-easterly winds and a moderate swell finally delivered the most demanding conditions of the championship after several days of light and variable racing.

After a short postponement ashore to await the incoming tide, racing got underway in the bay. A general recall at the first attempt prompted race officials to introduce the Black Flag for the remainder of the day's racing.

In Race Five, championship leaders Ian Cadwallader and Steve Graham strengthened their grip on the regatta with victory. Andy and Michelle Tunnicliffe were second, while Irish pairing Niall O'Brien and Dermot Flaherty took an impressive third place after mastering the testing downwind conditions.

The final race was sailed in similar conditions but produced much closer racing as the fleet had learned the favoured side of the course. Jeremy Davy and Martin Huett claimed the race win ahead of Steve Goacher and Tim Harper, with Andy and Michelle Tunnicliffe finishing third.

Consistency across the six-race series proved decisive. Cadwallader and Graham, sailing a brand-new boat that had not been launched before the championship, secured the national title by ten points for Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club.

Steve Goacher and Tim Harper of Royal Windermere Yacht Club finished second overall on their return to Flying Fifteen competition after a two-year absence. Andy and Michelle Tunnicliffe completed the podium in third, with Michelle competing in her first major Flying Fifteen championship.

National Yacht Club's John Lavery and Alan Green ended the championship fifth overall after opening the series with race finishes of third and first. Fellow Irish crew Niall O'Brien and Dermot Flaherty finished sixth overall, adding a race-three podium on the final day to cap a consistent championship.

Results here

Published in Flying Fifteen

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Flying fifteen

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