Strong Showing at GP14 Nationals in Rush

26th August 2025

Afloat.ie Team

The GP14 fleet battles light winds and tight starts at Rush Sailing Club during the 2025 Irish Nationals, August 22–24.

Rush Sailing Club hosted the 2025 GP14 Irish Nationals from 22–24 August, attracting 42 entries and 41 boats on the water, being the biggest showing for the 'geeps' in the UK and Ireland this year.

The three-day regatta delivered a full race programme, despite light and shifty wind conditions.

Racing was competitive across all fleets, with several standout performances from both experienced crews and youth teams.

Coleman Grimes and Ross Gingles during a starting sequence at the GP14 Nationals at Rush Sailing Club

Friday:

As Afloat previously reported, day one started with delays. Crews waited nearly two hours for wind before a light southeasterly allowed two races.

Ross Kearney and Daniel Nelson (RNIYC) won the opener. John and Donal McGuinness (Moville Boat Club) took race two.

Saturday:

A steadier breeze of 7–9 knots allowed four races. Early general recalls prompted the use of the black flag rule.

Ger Owens and Melanie Morris (WSC/EABC) won races three and four.

Coleman Grimes and Ross Gingles (RSC/SSC) claimed race five.

Kearney and Nelson returned to win race six.

Sunday:

The breeze held on the final day. Race seven saw more black flags, catching out several boats.

Owens and Morris dominated race seven, sealing their overall win.

Sam Street and Josh Lloyd (BLSC) took race eight, a strong showing from the youth ranks.

GP14 National Champions 2025 - Ger Owens & Melanie Morris with Rush Sailing Club Commodore Paul O’Hare (pictured centre)

Final Standings:

Gold Fleet:
1st – Ger Owens & Melanie Morris (WSC/EABC/RStGYC)
2nd – Coleman Grimes & Ross Gingles (RSC/SSC)
3rd – Ross Kearney & Daniel Nelson (RNIYC)

Silver Fleet:
1st – Adam & Emily Torrens (NSC/LEYC)
2nd – Jessica & Mark Greer (SYC)
3rd – Patrick Hamilton & Adam Nelson (EDYC)

Bronze Fleet:
1st – Riaghan Boardman & Maedbh Butterly (RSC)
2nd – Matthew Street & Denis Cully (BLSC)
3rd – Aisling & Matthew Kelly (RSC)

Race Officer Scorie Walls, supported by Mike Head and Ronan MacDonnell, led a smooth race operation in tricky tidal conditions.

Rush Sailing Club delivered ashore too, with evening catering and live music for sailors and supporters.

Event organiser Paul Kelly thanked volunteers for their help. Commodore Paul O’Hare praised the GP14 fleet: “They’re a great bunch to have, and we’d love to have them again.”

The GP14 circuit continues at Blessington Lake Sailing Club with the Autumn Open and Youth Championships.

Published in GP14

Tagged under

GP14

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The GP14 is a popular sailing dinghy, with well over 14,000 boats built.

The class is active in the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and parts of north-eastern USA, and the GP14 can be used for both racing and cruising.

Designed by Jack Holt in 1949, with the assistance of the Dovey Yacht Club in Aberdyfi. The idea behind the design was to build a General Purpose (GP) 14-foot dinghy which could be sailed or rowed, capable of also being powered effectively by a small outboard motor, able to be towed behind a small family car and able to be launched and recovered reasonably easily, and stable enough to be able to lie to moorings or anchor when required. Racing soon followed, initially with some degree of opposition from Yachting World, who had commissioned the design, and the boat soon turned out to be an outstanding racing design also.

The boat was initially designed with a main and small jib as a comfortable family dinghy. In a design philosophy that is both practical and highly redolent of social attitudes of the day the intention was that she should accommodate a family comprising parents plus two children, and specifically that the jib should be modest enough for "Mum" or older children to handle, while she should perform well enough to give "Dad" some excitement when not taking the family out. While this rig is still available, and can be useful when using the boat to teach sailing, or for family sailing, and has some popularity for cruising, the boat is more commonly seen with the full modern rig of a mainsail, genoa and spinnaker. Australian boats also routinely use trapezes.

GP14 Ireland Event Dates 2026

April 25–26 — O’Tiarnaigh Trophy, Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club
May 9–10 — Munster Championship, Cullaun Sailing Club
June 6–7 — Ulster Championship, County Antrim Boat Club
June 11–14 — UK Nationals, Llandudno Sailing Club
July 4–5 — Leinster Championship, Howth Yacht Club
August 1–2 — Championship of Ireland, Carrickfergus Sailing Club
August 8–14 — GP14 World Championships
September 19–20 — Autumn Open / Youth Championship, Sligo Yacht Club
October 17–18 — Hot Toddy, Mullingar Sailing Club

At A Glance – GP14 Dinghy Specifications

Crew 2
Draft 1,200 mm (47 in)
Hull weight 132.9 kg
LOA 4.27 m (14 ft)
Beam 1.54 m
Spinnaker area 8.4 m2
Upwind sail area 12.85 m2