Counting three race wins but bouncing back from a disqualification in the third race of five sailed, Alex Barry, Richard Leonard and Kieran O’Connell sailing ‘Howlin’ Mad’ won the National 18 Irish Championship crown at Royal Cork Yacht Club on Sunday evening.
The Cork Harbour-based championships were reduced to one day but in excellent conditions, with Sunday’s racing sailed in up to 15 knots of wind on the Curlane Bank course.
The winning trio concluded the series just one point clear of Nick Walsh, Eddie Rice and Rob Brownlow, who won the final race in Peaky Blinders.
Third in the 13-boat fleet (two more than the 2023 championships) were the defending champions, Charlo Dwyer, Ian Heff Heffernan and John Coakley in Nacho.
Results are available on the Royal Cork Yacht Club website and also below.
Many thanks to Bob Bateman for his time and coverage of the event.