Simon Knowles of Howth is “Sailor of the Month (Offshore)” for September

1st October 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Simon Knowles' J/109 Indian, ISORA Class 2 winner for 2026

Indian summer: Simon Knowles’ Howth Yacht Club J/109 Indian takes the ISORA Class 2 title after a strong 2026 campaign, earning Knowles Afloat.ie’s Offshore Sailor of the Month award for September. Credit: Afloat

In the hyper-busy contemporary sailing programme available to cruiser-racers, it can be something of a jigsaw puzzle putting together your optimal crew in order to hit top form just when it is needed.

Simon Knowles of Howth, with the J/109 Indian — the boat is named after the classic American motorcycle — hit the button by drawing on a wide range of talent, and the final scoring for the Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association shows that Indian is the Class 2 overall winner in the Viking Marine-sponsored series.

The result adds to a successful campaign for the Howth Yacht Club boat, which won the 2026 Viking Marine ISORA Irish Coastal Series after a decisive second place in the August night-race finale. Indian went into that race third overall before jumping to the top of the standings.

There is also a strong continuity angle: Knowles and Indian won ISORA Class 2 in 2025, when they finished fourth overall in the full series.

The Afloat ISORA topic hub carries the full archive and 2026 season coverage.

Published in Sailor of the Month, Howth YC, ISORA

Published in Sailor of the Month

Tagged under

Simon Knowles

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