Ballyholme Yacht Club's McNicholl and Swanston claimed the Irish Multihull Association Eastern Championships title after a closely fought weekend at Swords Sailing and Boating Club.
The championship, held on 13 and 14 June, attracted competitors from Galway Bay Sailing Club, Ballyholme Yacht Club, Blessington Sailing Club and the host club on the Broadmeadows Estuary. Sponsored by Caterbox and Biddulph Refrigeration, the event featured seven races across two days in contrasting conditions.
Race Officer Declan O'Brien and his team set a windward-leeward course with a spreader mark and gate, providing challenging racing for both Class 1 and Class 2 fleets. Strong westerly winds gusting above 20 knots greeted sailors on Saturday.
SSBC's Trojanowski and Dorenbusch won the opening two races aboard their F18, with McNicholl and Swanston finishing second on both occasions. The Ballyholme crew responded in Race 3 and Race 4, taking back-to-back victories to move into the overnight lead.
Galway Bay's Lemonier and Mathieu remained firmly in contention throughout the day, consistently finishing among the leaders. Several crews were caught out by demanding conditions, with several capsizes recorded around the course. After four races and one discard, McNicholl and Swanston led overnight on four points, ahead of Trojanowski and Dorenbusch on five points and Lemonier and Mathieu on eight.
Second Wind — Galway Bay Sailing Club’s Laurik Mathieu and Sean Lemonier finished second overall at the IMA Eastern Championships 2026. Photo: SSBC
Sunday brought lighter easterly breezes and a fleet of 12 multihulls to the start line. A new Galway Bay and Ballyholme combination of Mathieu and Wallace excelled in the lighter conditions, winning the first two races of the day.
McNicholl and Swanston maintained their consistency with a series of second-place finishes before securing victory in the final race. That result proved enough to seal the 2026 IMA Eastern Championship title. Lemonier and Mathieu finished second overall, while Trojanowski and Dorenbusch completed the podium in third.
In the Class 2 fleet, Blessington Sailing Club's Dermot Mangan dominated aboard his Catapult, staying ahead of Nicholas Metzger's Dart 16 throughout the opening day. SSBC's McKay and Cullen joined the Class 2 fleet on Sunday aboard their Topkat, adding further competition, but Mangan held on to secure the Class 2 championship title.
Class Winner — Dermot Mangan of Blessington Sailing Club receives the Class 2 winner's award at the IMA Eastern Championships 2026, hosted by Swords Sailing and Boating Club. Photo: SSBC
The event concluded after two days of competitive racing, keeping the overall standings in doubt until the final race.
Find the full list of results here.
