Fresh conditions in Cork Harbour provided the backdrop for the annual Naval Race on Saturday (September 19th), the third and final racing fixture of the 2026 Hibernia Line Cork Harbour Triple Crown.
The race followed the opening Blackrock Race on September 5th and the Cork Buoy Race a week later, bringing the three-race programme involving Royal Cork Yacht Club, Cove Sailing Club and Monkstown Bay Sailing Club to its conclusion.
Race officer Niall Hawes sent the spinnaker divisions away from 1pm, followed by the White Sails fleets eight minutes later.
Base Course: Cork Harbour One Design Jap sails past the Naval Base at Haulbowline during the third and final race of the 2026 Cork Harbour Triple Crown. Photo: Bob Bateman
Resolute Takes IRC 1
Jon McClean and Mark Mansfield’s Fareast 28R Resolute completed a clean sweep of the Kites IRC 1 division, winning Saturday’s Naval Race after victories in both of the preceding Triple Crown races.
Resolute finished the Naval Race in 1:59:21 elapsed and 2:04:00 corrected, ahead of Tim McCarthy and Wan Waterman’s J/111 Joyride on 2:07:34 corrected. Simon Coveney’s Corby 34.7 Waterfront was third on 2:10:23.
The ECHO result reversed the leading IRC pair, with Joyride taking first place, Resolute second and Waterfront third.
[PHOTO: Simon Coveney and Commander Brian Matthews aboard Waterfront during the Naval Race. Photo: Bob Bateman]
North Star Wins IRC 3
In Kites IRC 2, John Michael McCann’s Etchells Don’t Dilly Dally won on 2:01:28 corrected, with Ronan and John Downing’s Miss Whiplash second and George Radley’s Tuco third.
The corresponding ECHO 2 race went to Batt O’Leary’s Sweet Dreams, ahead of Don’t Dilly Dally and Tuco.
Fiona Young’s North Star won Kites IRC 3, correcting to 2:04:39. Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher’s Illegal was second on 2:08:02, with Barry and Marina Rose’s Obsession third on 2:08:20.
Gary O’Neill’s Musketeer took the Kites ECHO 3 victory, followed by Obsession and North Star.
Ellida Doubles Up in White Sails
Ria Lyden’s X-332 Ellida produced a double victory in White Sails 1, taking both IRC and ECHO honours.
On IRC, Ellida corrected to 1:24:58, ahead of Ronan Twomey’s First 40.7 Rosmarina on 1:27:10 and Tom McGrath’s Big Mac on 1:27:22.
Ellida also headed the ECHO results, with Charles MacDonnell’s Surfdancer second and Rosmarina third.
White Sails 2 also produced a double winner, Robert Foster’s Four Seas taking both IRC and ECHO. Sean Hanley’s Siamsa was second in both divisions, while Maurice Collins’ Speideh took third on ECHO.
[PHOTO: Cork Harbour One Design Jap sails past the Naval Base at Haulbowline during the Naval Race. Photo: Bob Bateman]
In White Sails 3 ECHO, Eugene O’Loughlin’s Cahira took the Naval Race win, with Stewart Hosford’s Cork Harbour One Design Jap second and Chris McGinley’s Elf third.
All Aboard: Simon Coveney (right) and Commander Brian Matthews (third from right) among the crew during the Royal Cork Yacht Club Naval Race, the third and final fixture of the 2026 Cork Harbour Triple Crown. Photo: Bob Bateman
Naval Base Welcome
Competitors were welcomed to the Naval Base at Haulbowline after racing, where Commander Brian Matthews spoke of the Naval Service’s continuing support for the annual race.
Matthews highlighted the cooperation between the three Cork Harbour clubs behind the Triple Crown and said the Naval Service was delighted to support the event into the future.
He also drew a parallel between that cooperation and the importance of joint working within the Defence Forces.
The Naval Base subsequently hosted the overall Hibernia Line Cork Harbour Triple Crown prizegiving, with the three-race series results covered separately on Afloat.ie.
