Deilginis Retains Howth 17 Championship After Four-Race Battle

12 August 2026
The Howth 17 fleet enjoyed near-perfect conditions for its 2026 Annual Championship, with sunshine, a freshening breeze and thirteen boats carrying their distinctive topsails across four races over Friday evening and Saturday.
 
The fleet represented almost the full history of the class, from three of the original Carrickfergus-built boats of 1898 to Gerry Comerford’s newly launched Anna, completed and class-certified earlier this year.
 
 
Friday evening’s opening race saw defending champion Deilginis, sailed by the Massey, Toomey and Kenny syndicate, begin her title defence in convincing fashion. The 1907-built boat took the first gun ahead of Marc FitzGibbon and Donal Gallagher’s Orla, setting the early pace for the weekend.
 
Saturday morning brought gentle conditions before the breeze strengthened from the west and provided ideal topsail weather for the remaining three races.
 
Deilginis recorded another win in the opening race of the day, but this time Conor and Brian Turvey’s Isobel emerged as her closest challenger, taking second place ahead of the newly built Anna in third.
 
The championship took an interesting turn in the third race when David Jones steered Rosemary to an excellent victory. She finished one minute and 26 seconds ahead of Isobel, while only five seconds separated Isobel from Shane O’Doherty’s Pauline in third.
 
 
With one race remaining, Deilginis responded in the manner expected of the defending champion. Luke Massey and crew secured their third victory of the series, finishing 55 seconds ahead of Isobel, with Pauline completing the podium.
 
After the discard was applied, the consistency of the two leading boats was particularly evident. Deilginis counted three first places to retain the championship on three points, while Isobel counted three second places to finish runner-up on six points.
 
Orla completed the scratch podium in third place on 11 points, with Rosemary and Pauline tied on 12 points, the tie-break going in favour of Rosemary.
 
The handicap competition proved equally close. Pauline finished first, with Ian Malcolm’s Aura, one of the original 1898 boats, taking 2nd prize.
 
The championship once again demonstrated the extraordinary vitality of the Howth 17 fleet. Boats spanning 128 years of construction raced together on equal terms, from the original Hilditch-built yachts to the latest addition to the class. With topsails set on Saturday in the freshening conditions and close racing throughout the fleet, it was a memorable and colourful weekend for one of Howth Yacht Club’s most distinctive classes.
 
 
The prizes were presented by Howth 17 Class Captain David O’Shea
Photos kindly taken by Suzanne Barry, Judith Malcolm and Derek Bothwell.
The full photo album can be viewed here.