2026 IODAI Munsters Report

17 June 2026
 
The 2026 Munster Championships took place on the 13-14 June in WHSC. Our Waterford pals gave us a warm welcome with unending hospitality, great vibes, a well run event and plenty of racing across two challenging days for the 150+ competitors and their families.
 
A total of 16 HYC sailors descended upon sunny Dunmore East with the goal of having the best fun on shore and taking no prisoners on the water. Spread across the IODAI fleets we had: Eoin, Fiach and Hugo in Regatta Coached; Cillian, Heidi and Will in Regatta Racing; then in Junior Main we had Áine, Lily, Max, Rory, Siún and Willow; and last but far from least Christine, Daniel, Elin, Sam and Sophia in Senior Main. A mammoth turnout for the red hoody gang.
 
 
Saturday brought sunshine, steady winds of 15-20 knots, and strong tide. Some adults also complained of the famous Dunmore Swell showing up leading to a few queasy tummies though it didn’t bother our hardy gang. The Senior and Junior Main fleets had a huge day with 4 intense races completed. Regatta Racing had 3 competitive races just outside the harbour. The breezy conditions unfortunately tested the Regatta Coached fleet with more than half coming ashore early so kudos to those who managed the 3 races. A bonus for the young sailors was the Aquapark water playground that was adjacent to the slipway where they enjoyed some rigorous apres-sail training!
 
 
WHSC hosted us for a fabulous evening with delicious pizzas, a disco for the kids, and a chilled-out DJ set for the adults on the balcony, however the red hoody gang were more interested in crab fishing off the beach than dancing. 
 
Sunday’s session was shorter but equally memorable. The wind had swung around to the east bringing lighter breeze, chop and again strong tides to factor. The Main fleets finished off the event with 2 long races, Regatta Racing had 3 more under their belt, and Regatta Coached finished the event with a whopping 8 races completed in total.
 
Team HYC were a force at the prizegiving bringing home 8 prizes for their trojan efforts:
Regatta Coached:
 
Fiach 1st overall
 
Regatta Racing:
Will 1st overall
Heidi 4th overall 
 
Junior Main:
Rory 6th overall/2nd Silver
Áine 10th overall/4th Bronze
 
Senior Main:
 
Daniel 24th overall/2nd Silver
Christine 29th overall/1st Bronze
Sophia 30th overall/2nd Bronze

 

 
Some other notable moments... Willow port-tacking Junior Fleet on the start line not once but twice. What a gutsy move! Congrats to Sam on completing his first regatta in Silver in Senior Main after getting promoted from Bronze after the Ulsters. Congrats to Siún for cracking the top 10 with a 9th on Sunday and to Cillian, Elin, Lily and Max who all had really solid regattas showing consistency and improvement. Eoin and Hugo had superb days racing on Sunday in Regatta Coached, all that apres-sail physical training in the Aquapark paid off!
 
 
All the kids were a credit to the club, they sailed their best, were gracious to their hosts, and had a positive attitude from start to finish. Each sailor is benefiting from super support and encouragement from their parents on their IODAI pathway, but also from the immense support of the logistical and coaching team. A big thanks to the coaches Andrew Kingston and Sorcha O’Connor Gannon and all the parents who transported an extra boat or rolled up their sleeves (and pants) to muck in.
 
Speaking of mucking in… next up is the Leinsters taking place in HYC on the 18-19 July. Both Strangford Lough and Dunmore East have been super hosts this year and now it’s our turn to roll out the red carpet. It takes a village to run these events so if you want to get involved in any capacity, big or small, please reach out to Jill Sommerville or events@hyc.ie.
 
 
Photo credit: Evelyn McNamara

Report write-up: Sheena McDonald