Mayo Sailing Club will host the Ruffian 23 National Championship, which is being held in conjunction with the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association (WIORA). The WIORA event will run for four days from Wednesday, June 18th, to Saturday, June 21st, while the Ruffian National Championships will run from Friday, June 20th, to Sunday, June 22nd.
The Mayo Sailing Club Ruffian 23 fleet has been building steadily with 15 regularly racing
The Mayo Ruffian fleet has been building steadily over recent years, and now boasts the biggest Ruffian fleet in Ireland, with over 15 Ruffians regularly racing on Thursday evenings in summer. In a break from tradition, Irish Ruffian Association Class Captain, Rory Conlon, who hails from Mayo, has succeeded in bringing the National Championships to Mayo Sailing Club, as the club celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025. Prior to this year, the Championships have always been held in Dun Laoghaire.
The winner of the Ruffian Ulster Championship, Stephen Penney’s Hot Orange will compete at the Ruffian 23 Nationals at Mayo Sailing Club Photo: Afloat
There are currently 37 entries in WIORA – 15 in the IRC Class, 3 in the White Sails Class, and 19 Ruffians. A further three Ruffians will join for the National Championships, commencing on Friday, June 20th. In addition to the 16 Ruffians from Mayo Sailing Club, six will travel from further afield; Stephen Penny’s Hot Orange from Carrickfergus Sailing Club, David Ryan’s Ruff Nuff from Wicklow Sailing Club, Robbie Keys’ Siamsa from Skerries Sailing Club, as well as 3 from Dun Laoghaire – Frank Bradley’s Ripples, Eoin O’Héochaidh’s Loco, and Ann Kirwan and Brian Cullen’s Bandit.
Lambay Race class winner Robbie Keys’ Siamsa from Skerries Sailing Club will compete at the Ruffian 23 Nationals at Mayo Sailing Club
Mayo Sailing Club’s Eoghan Cunningham of Cunningham Marine and Civil Engineering, and Mayo Sailing Club Commodore Pat Aylward, are generously aiding the transportation of the visiting Ruffians from Skerries, Dun Laoghaire, and Carrickfergus, ensuring the 2025 Ruffian National Championships will have participants from all corners of Ireland.
Multi Champion Ann Kirwan and Brian Cullen’s Bandit will travel from Dun Laoghaire to compete at the Mayo Sailing Club-hosted Ruffian 23 Nationals Photo: Afloat
With 22 Ruffians racing, the competition is set to be intense. While local knowledge may favour the Mayo sailors, the winner of the Ruffian Ulster Championship, Stephen Penney’s Hot Orange, and the winner of Howth Yacht Club’s Lambay race, Robbie Keys’ Siamsa are likely to be in the mix, as well as local offshore sailor Joan Mulloy sailing Golden Girl, who is currently leading the Mayo Summer Series.
Ruffian 23 entries for WIORA 2025 and National Championships
The Race Officer for both the WIORA Championship and the Ruffian National Championship is Scorie Walls from Howth Yacht Club.
Seven races are planned for the WIORA Championships, including one coastal race. The Ruffian results on ECHO handicap as well as Scratch will be published for both events. The Sailing Instructions will be available shortly for WIORA and the Ruffian Nationals.
Ruffian 23s on Clew Bay at a Mayo Sailing Club event
As Mayo Sailing Club celebrates its 50th anniversary with an event that promises to be the biggest in the club’s history, there will be a great social programme as well as what promises to be competitive racing on the water. The club will kick off the celebrations with the 50th Anniversary Dinner in the clubhouse on Saturday, June 14th.
Throughout the WIORA event, there will be a daily prize-giving and social events at a venue in Westport, culminating in the WIORA event dinner at the clubhouse on the final day of racing, Saturday, June 21st. The Ruffian sailors will have to save themselves for a final day of racing on Sunday, June 22nd, after which their prize-giving will take place at the clubhouse.
