A top pro-sailor of the calibre of Cian Guilfoyle of Dun Laoghaire will inevitably find his name linked with several high-profile boats as his career progresses, but Guilfoyle and the RC44 Aleph go back quite a long way.
Indeed, Afloat’s coverage has followed Guilfoyle aboard the French campaign over several seasons, including Aleph’s victory in the final round of the 2023 44Cup in Lanzarote.
Aleph began contesting the annual RC44 World Championship 15 years ago, yet it was only on the final extended weekend of September 2026 that everything finally clicked, with Guilfoyle on board as they raced in the Solent, with the championship hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron.
After taking the lead during the opening stages of the championship and holding it through a difficult one-race second day, Aleph Racing finally secured its first 44Cup World Championship title.
Fifteen years is a long time to be saving up for your big push, but that only made Aleph’s breakthrough all the more special, and for Cian Guilfoyle it provided another world championship success at the highest level of international professional sailing.
