Ten boats from Howth Yacht Club firmly established themselves as Kings and Queens of the Castle at last week’s Kildare Innovation Campus Sovereign’s Cup, which also incorporated the ICRA National Championship.

The prestigious Sovereign’s Cup, awarded for the best overall performance at the biennial regatta, was claimed by Checkmate XX, who dominated the Coastal Fleet with a clean sweep of first-place finishes. Indian added to the club’s silverware by securing bronze in the same division.

In IRC 0, Big Picture stole some of the spotlight—not only winning the class but also earning widespread praise for exceptional seamanship. The crew rescued a bowman from another boat in testing conditions, a feat that earned them the Spirit of Sovereign's Trophy. More on the rescue below.

No stranger to the podium, Outrageous ruled IRC 1, racking up a string of first-place finishes—“a picket fence,” as one insider put it. Their performance bodes well as they look to defend their IRC European Championship title in Corsica later this season.

IRC 2 saw Lambay Rules and Jeneral Lee take 3rd and 4th respectively, proving that well-sailed production boats can still hold their own against finely tuned Half Tonners. Lambay Rules also claimed the ECHO title and topped their division in that category.

In Class 2, the unmistakable orange 2Farr led the charge, flying the flag for Rush, Baltimore, and Howth—three clubs closely linked through a cadre of outstanding sailors.

Class 3 saw Maximus take ECHO gold and IRC silver. The X-302 proved well-suited to the demanding conditions off Kinsale, with Impetuous also performing strongly to finish 4th overall.

Finally, Splashdance once again dominated the Non-Spinnaker division, earning the title of National Champions in style.

Splashdance, photo credit Robert Bateman

The Big Picture Crew Rescue Fellow Sailor

During Race 5 of the series on Friday, The Big Picture, Michael and Richard Evans’ J/112e competing in Class Zero, proved that seamanship and sportsmanship go hand-in-hand with competitive sailing.

Sailing in challenging 28-knot conditions on a windward-leeward course, the crew were rounding the leeward gate when a distress call came over VHF: “Man overboard.”

Crewmember Sheena Bowers quickly spotted a figure in the water—Ollie O’Carroll, bowman aboard Valentina, another J/112e in the same fleet. He had been flung overboard while handling the spinnaker guy during a drop, which had suddenly come under load.

Thanks to the swift decision-making of tactician and trimmer Eamonn Burke, The Big Picture immediately dropped their spinnaker and turned toward the casualty. Eoin Quinlan, one of the pit crew, threw a lifebuoy, which Ollie was able to reach after a short swim.

The team successfully brought Ollie aboard over the stern and coordinated with a nearby support RIB to transfer him back to Valentina. With Ollie safely back on his own boat, The Big Picture hoisted their headsail, resumed racing. They were later granted a five-minute redress for the time lost during the rescue—a fair adjustment supported by Valentina’s helmsman, Adam Winkelmann.

In a fitting conclusion, The Big Picture went on to win Race 5 and ultimately secured the overall victory in Class Zero.

Daragh White, The Big Picture, with Ollie O'Caroll, Valentina who inherited a pair of armbands to mark the occasion. 

Massive thanks to Kinsale Yacht Club for hosting yet another phenomenal event—competitive, memorable, and great fun for all involved.

HYC boats

1. Checkmate XX
2. Indian
3. The Big Picture
4. Outrageous
5. Storm
6. Lambay Rules
7. Jeneral Lee
8. Maximus
9. Impetuous
10. Splashdance

Click for Full Results

Race Report by Emmet Dalton (Sovereign’s Cup jury)