Last Friday evening, 38 boats took to the start line for Howth Yacht Club's 2026 Women at the Helm event. With 140 sailors afloat, it was the largest gathering of female sailors in Ireland this year.

 

Three races were sailed in breezy, sunny conditions to determine the individual class winners and the overall winner of the Baltic Gold Trophy. The fleet included Puppeteers, Squibs, Howth 17s, J80s, Melges 15s, and a PY dinghy fleet. Renowned Race Officer Scorie Walls made herself available for the event despite an already busy season of race officiating.

 

 

Racing was extremely competitive throughout the evening and, as the breeze built from race to race, the more experienced crews gradually worked their way to the front of the fleet.

 

The Puppeteer fleet attracted the largest entry with 11 boats. Many of the helms in this class were racing in the fleet for the first time and embraced the challenge enthusiastically. Katie Dwyer, previously well known for her success in the GP14 class, won the fleet with two first places and a third aboard Trick or Treat.

 

 

The Howth 17 and Squib classes welcomed a number of female helms from Dún Laoghaire to experience these unique fleets. In the Howth 17 class, last year's winner Steffi Ennis in Orla sailed consistently, recording three second-place finishes. However, she was narrowly beaten by her friend Ann Lynch, helming Aura, whose two race wins and a third place secured the title in the much-loved fleet.

 

 

In the Squib class, Tears in Heaven continued its winning streak from last year, taking three race wins. This year, Aisling Kelly, who normally sails on Storm from Rush, confidently took the helm and claimed the Squib  title.

 

The fleet of five Howth J80s was fully booked as soon as online entries opened, generating strong competition among the club charter teams. Diana Kissane and Laura Dillon battled closely throughout the series. Going into the final race, Diana held a narrow lead, but following a collision with another fleet she sportingly retired from the race, leaving Laura as the clear winner. Laura's crew included a number of newer and less experienced sailors, all of whom were seen celebrating long into the night.

 

 

In the PY dinghy fleet, Paula Carthy took the opportunity to gain valuable experience on Howth waters ahead of the weekend's GP14 Leinster Championships. Facing competition from the IDRA 14 fleet, she successfully claimed the PY title in her GP14, Quamtum Shadow.

 

The Melges class may have been the smallest fleet, but it still produced plenty of excitement. Karena Knaggs and Laura Fitzpatrick won the opening race, but a capsize in Race 2 ended their hopes of securing the title. Instead, Sarah Evans, crewed by her father Mike Evans of The Big Picture, fresh from the Round Ireland Race, delivered three strong results to claim the Melges title.

 

A special mention goes to two sailors who do not normally helm a boat but nevertheless won races on the night. Elizabete Jaconsone won Race 3 in the Howth 17 fleet, while Rozz Byrne claimed victory in Race 2 of the Puppeteer fleet, marking a significant milestone for both sailors.

 

The Baltic Gold Trophy was commissioned and donated by Rima Macken. Ten years ago, Rima took the helm of Eileen, a 1908 Howth 17, with no sailing experience, only determination, curiosity, and a deep love of the sea. She restored the boat, raced her, and developed into a confident sailor and helm. The trophy represents strength, heritage, and endurance. Like sailing itself, it reflects resilience and timeless beauty.

 

This year, the overall Baltic Gold Trophy was awarded to Katie Dwyer, winner of the largest fleet of the evening. More than 178 people attended the event at HYC, and Vice Commodore Gary Cullen summed up the occasion perfectly:

 

“When the men step back and leave it to the women, we end up with a huge turnout and the biggest social event of the year.”