Kinsale Yacht Club's Optimist sailors delivered encouraging results at the 2026 IODAI Leinster Championships in Howth, with eight young sailors competing across the Senior, Junior and Regatta fleets.
The championship attracted some of Ireland's strongest junior sailors, with 46 competitors in the Senior Fleet, 51 in the Junior Fleet and 35 in the Regatta Fleet. Kinsale's eight-strong team marked one of the club's biggest representations at the event in recent years.
Fresh from representing Ireland at the French Optimist National Championships, Jamie Blennerhassett and Siofra Buckley continued their strong form.
Blennerhassett led the Kinsale challenge by finishing 12th overall in the Gold Fleet. Consistent race results, including 11th, 10th and 8th-place finishes, secured his place among the front runners.
Joe Kingston finished 16th overall in the Senior Fleet, ending his regatta with an impressive seventh-place race result.
Buckley claimed second place in the Silver Fleet and was Kinsale's leading female sailor. The result also earns her promotion to the Gold Fleet.
Tom Kingston continued to gain valuable experience in the highly competitive Senior Fleet, while Annabelle Goggin finished eighth in the Senior Bronze Fleet after another encouraging championship.
In the Junior Fleet, Ally O'Riordan added to his national championship experience.
Kinsale's Regatta Fleet sailors also made progress. Olaf Sorensen finished 17th overall, Arthur Hunt placed 21st and Harry Hunt completed another important championship as he continued his development.
Ellen Kingston was unable to compete through injury. Kinsale Yacht Club wished her a speedy recovery and looked forward to welcoming her back on the water.
The club acknowledged the work of coach Olan Dillon, who supported the team throughout the weekend, and Rory Buckley, a recent graduate from the Optimist fleet, who returned to assist the younger sailors ashore and afloat.
Away from the racing, families camped together throughout the championship, creating a strong team atmosphere. Saturday evening's paella gathering proved a popular social highlight and reflected the community spirit that continues to underpin Kinsale's expanding Optimist programme.
The team now turns its attention to the British Optimist Championships in Largs before returning home for the Irish National Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club in August.
