When the Royal Alfred Yacht Club was established on Dublin Bay in 1870, it was the first in the world to codify amateur sailing, though its rule did allow that larger yachts might carry paid hands in the form of a Steward and a Ladies' Maid.
Over time, and particularly through the growth of Olympic sailing and club racing, strictly regulated amateur sailing became the norm. But for the past three or four decades crews an increasingly professional input returned to reflect the increasing investment involved.
The overall winner of the IRC European Championships strictly Corinthian Division was the big First 50 Checkmate XX (Nigel Biggs & Dave Cullen, Howth YC) Photo: Afloat
Thus the published results of major events highlighted the straight winners, and amateur or Corinthian crews sometimes didn't even get a mention. But 154 years after that first codification of sailing amateurs in Dublin Bay, Chairman Patrick Burke and the Organising Committee of the IRC Europeans 2024 in September at the Royal Irish YC included prominence for the new Maples Group Trophy for the overall winner of the strictly Corinthian Division, and the popular winner was the big First 50 Checkmate XX (Nigel Biggs & Dave Cullen, Howth YC), which is raced with sporting flair and makes a point of introducing young crews from other disciplines to cruiser-racer.
