Howth’s Equinox on the crest of a wave

After a four-day series that delivered a full range of conditions, Howth Yacht Club’s Ross McDonald and the crew of Equinox won the Sovereigns Cup at Kinsale on Saturday.

The 32-footer took the overall trophy for its performance in Division 2 under IRC handicap that also secured the Irish Cruiser Racing Association class national championship title.

The Dublin club had sent a 15-strong contingent to Kinsale.

Division 3 entry Maximus, owned by Paddy Klyne, won the Portcullis Trophy awarded to the best performing boat of the series sailed under the domestic ECHO handicap system.

A total of 109 boats entered the biennial event, drawn from all corners of Ireland and around the UK.

Howth’s U-25 team of Kilcullen earned the ICRA Division 4 National title after placing second in their 17-boat class behind Blackfun, a quarter-tonner with a professional crew.

The event rules only permit pro sailors to compete in Division 0 and 1 but as the Irish quarter-ton championship was being sailed within Division 4, Blackfun won that title after a masterclass over the four days.

However, Kilcullen rose steadily through the standings all week to earn their title in the heavy winds of the second half of the event.

Those winds took a toll on ICRA Commodore Norbert Reilly on Crazy Horse from Howth. Having led the class on Wednesday and Thursday, the windy conditions that followed proved more challenging and he lost ground.

Initially, it seemed that the way was open for British visitor Keronimo to take the class title but Andy Williams boat had its own issues with the conditions and departed Kinsale on Friday night.

The result might have gone to Crosshaven and Conor Phelan’s Royal Cork YC entry Jump Juice except for broken steering gear on Friday that cost the 37-footer valuable points from two races.

Instead, the new Division 0 class champion is veteran campaigner George Sisk on WOW who counted two race wins and a second place in the breeze during the eight race series. The new Division 1 champion is John Maybury on Joker 2 from the Royal Irish YC in Dun Laoghaire who counted former Olympian Mark Mansfield on his crew as tactician. The J109 won the class Irish championship and was a contender for the overall Sovereigns Cup.