Ever since it started in 1982, Howth’s Autumn League has from time to time experienced blustery late-season weather which has seen the race officers and competitors hanging on until the very last possible race in order to have enough results to provide a viable series.
But thanks to the summer of 2026 going on forever – particularly at weekends - they already have a result if needs be with four days of completed racing. And after brisk breezes – with one day marginal – it was the fourth weekend, October 3rd, that provided the most summery weather, with Factor 50 and the best Ray-Bans at a premium as the low-slung October sun seemed to burn with super-radiant extra power, while some unlucky crews got DNF for their troubles
VANISHINGLY LIGHT WESTERLY
For this time round, the usual westerly wind was at times vanishingly light, but then sharpened enough to keep the show on the road for most boats. Although conditions undoubtedly suited some craft more than usual, there’s something especially satisfying about keeping a genuine and fully-equipped cruiser-racer going at her best in conditions like this, particularly when it brings you in ahead of similarly well-furnished comfort zones.
The Kavanaghs with the J/97 Jeneral Lee grabbed the win in IRC 1. Photo: Afloat.ie
In Class 1 IRC, Team Kavanagh with the J/97 Jeneral Lee displaced Team Evans with the J/112e The Big Picture from her usual lead, but it simply means that, for the time being, Big Picture discards her fourth to retain the overall lead.
Class 2 IRC saw Anton Korshunov’s Classic Quarter Tonner Symmetry add another win to the two victories she recorded back in Races 1 and 2, and after the discard (a third) she leads overall from the Gore-Grimes family with the X-322 Dux by 5 to 10, with Paddy Kyne’s Maximus close behind on 11.
Pink is sooo it for Autumn 26……..and there are times when it’s soothing to have a good old-fashioned squarely set-up spinnaker, rather than chasing every which way with an assymetrical
Kevin Darmody’s Gecko found form to win Class 3 IRC from usual front runner, the Laser 28 Alliance II (Vincent Gaffney), but Alliance still holds the overall lead in both IRC and HPH. Class 4 Non-Spin didn’t get a finish with calm afflicting their race area, and nor did Class 5.
TWO RACES FOR PUPPETEERS
By contrast, in the One Designs on the inshore course, they managed two races for the big Puppeteer 22 fleet, and veteran skipper David Clarke with Harlequin won them both, moving him into a total of just 8 points to the tied 12 points of Nigel Biggs’ Nimon and Alan Blay & Alan Pearson’s Trick or Treat.
The Puppeteers bustled along to such good effect on their inshore course that they logged two races. Here, winner Dave Clarke’s Harlequin is giving a hard time to Ian Dickson’s Weyhey
The Howth 17s had one contest, the Massey Toomey Kenny syndicate with Deilginis getting another win which makes them unassailable for the overall win, while the Squibs saw team Kay in Crackertoo register another bullet to put them likewise unassailably ahead.
Definitely topsail weather for Howth 17s Zaida (built 1900), Rita (built 1898) and Oona (built 1909)
The last weekend of racing is scheduled for 17th October. But for now, after a week of disturbed weather, Saturday, October 10th looks like the top of a high-pressure ridge, which will suit the light-weather hawks.
Photos by Neil Murphy, Mary McDyer and John Furlong. Race Results.
