Swords Sailing and Boating Club's Pawel Trojanowski and Sean Dorenbusch have been crowned Irish Multihull Association (IMA) National Champions for 2026 after a six-race series on the Broadmeadows Estuary.
The Swords pair finished the two-day championship on 10 points, just one point clear of clubmates David and Orlaith Biddulph, with Simon and Anne O'Gorman completing an all-SSBC podium on 13 points.
Strong Winds Delay Saturday Start
The championship, hosted by Swords Sailing and Boating Club (SSBC) on September 12-13, attracted multihull crews from Galway Bay Sailing Club and Ballyholme Yacht Club to compete alongside the home fleet.
Strong westerly winds delayed Saturday's opening. Race Officer Siobhan Broaders and her team went afloat at 1 pm to assess conditions, with the eight-boat fleet following at 2 pm.
Four races were subsequently completed in winds averaging around 17 knots on a windward-leeward course with a spreader mark, leeward gate and downwind finish.
Trojanowski and Dorenbusch made the strongest possible start aboard their F18, winning the opening race ahead of Ballyholme's McNicholl/Billington, with the Biddulphs third.
The SSBC pair won again in Race 2, this time ahead of Galway Bay's Lemonier/Mathieu, while the O'Gormans took third in their H59SX.
A third successive victory followed for Trojanowski/Dorenbusch, with Biddulph/Biddulph second and McNicholl/Billington third.
The Biddulphs broke their clubmates' winning run in the fourth and final race of the day, taking victory ahead of Trojanowski/Dorenbusch and O'Gorman/O'Gorman.
After application of the discard, Trojanowski/Dorenbusch led overnight on three points, one ahead of Biddulph/Biddulph, with McNicholl/Billington third on 10.
O'Gorman's Strike in Lighter Airs
Sunday brought a significant change in conditions, with an easterly breeze of around seven knots for the scheduled 10.55 am start.
Ballyholme's Anderson/Collins were first across the line in the opening race but placed second on SCHRS corrected time, as O'Gorman/O'Gorman took the race win. Biddulph/Biddulph were third.
The O'Gormans repeated the feat in the final race, taking another corrected-time victory. Biddulph/Biddulph, first on the water, placed second on SCHRS, while Galway Bay's Lemonnier/Cronin took third in their Spitfire.
One Point Decides National Title
The final standings left just three points separating the leading three boats, with Trojanowski and Dorenbusch holding on to claim the 2026 national title.
IMA National Championships 2026
- Pawel Trojanowski / Sean Dorenbusch (SSBC) — 10 points
- David Biddulph / Orlaith Biddulph (SSBC) — 11 points
- Simon O'Gorman / Anne O'Gorman (SSBC) — 13 points
Champions Crowned: 2026 IMA National Champions Pawel Trojanowski and Sean Dorenbusch celebrate their title with Swords Sailing and Boating Club Commodore and Race Officer Siobhan Broaders
One-Point Margin: David and Orlaith Biddulph took second overall for Swords Sailing and Boating Club, finishing just one point behind the new IMA National Champions. Pictured with IMA Chair Pawel Trojanowski, SSBC Commodore and Race Officer Siobhan Broaders
Podium Sweep: Simon and Anne O'Gorman completed an all-Swords Sailing and Boating Club podium with third overall after taking two corrected-time race wins on Sunday. Pictured with IMA Chair Pawel Trojanowski, SSBC Commodore and Race Officer Siobhan Broaders
The club thanked the visiting competitors, volunteers and Race Officer Siobhan Broaders for their contribution to the two-day championship.
