If you wanted a quiet weekend on the lake, Lough Derg Yacht Club was probably not the place to be.

 

The 2026 1720 European Championship delivered almost everything a sailor could ask for; big breeze, spectacular planing, close racing, a fleet packed with talent and, as always on Lough Derg, enough shifts to keep everyone guessing right to the finish. The weekend produced a memorable combination of superb sailing, challenging conditions and intensely competitive racing, with plenty of entertainment both on and off the water, and some spectacular results for HYC boats. 

 

Lough Derg is never an easy venue. Its shifty winds can make life difficult for even the best sailors, and this championship was no exception. The fleet was constantly faced with snakes and ladders, with boats gaining and losing places throughout races as the wind shifted and pressure moved across the course. There were few opportunities to relax, and consistency proved every bit as important as outright speed.

 

The championship delivered three very different days of racing. Two days brought heavy-weather sailing, with gusts reaching an impressive 37 knots. Race Officer Michael Tyrell rose to the challenge, mandating smaller jibs and kites as conditions demanded. The result was spectacular.

 

With the 1720s powered up and planing at extraordinary speeds, boats were regularly reaching 18 knots, producing exhilarating racing and some spectacular scenes. There were plenty of moments when the boats appeared to be more airborne than afloat, while a few competitors even managed to put their masts into the water in the more extreme gusts.

 

The contrast came on the other racing day, when the fleet sailed in medium conditions under full sails. Once again, the changing breeze on Lough Derg ensured that there was never a straightforward race, with the leaderboard regularly being reshuffled.

 

The quality of the fleet was exceptional. A number of Olympic sailors were competing alongside class champions and some of the best 1720 sailors in Ireland and beyond. The intensity of the competition was reflected in one remarkable statistic: there were eight different race winners during the championship.

 

In the end, it was Howth Yacht Club’s Ross McDonald and his Atara crew who emerged as European Champions after a consistently strong performance across the series. Sailing with Julian Hughes, Robbie English, Paddy Good and Rory O'Sullivan, McDonald's crew delivered an impressively consistent championship, recording nine finishes of sixth or better across the ten-race series. Victories in races three and eight, combined with a discard for a final-race DNF, saw Atara finish on 26 nett points and nine points clear of the fleet.

 

Howth Yacht Club’s Robert Dix and his LemonCello crew, with Killian Collins aboard, took second place, while Baltimore Sailing Club’s Fionn Lydon completed the podium in third. LemonCello remained firmly in contention throughout the championship, ensuring that HYC occupied the top two positions on the final leaderboard and underlining the club's strength within one of Ireland's most competitive keelboat classes.

 

In fourth was National Yacht Club’s Finn Lynch, sailing Mo while taking time out from his Olympic campaign. Lynch arrived in Lough Derg fresh from an impressive eighth-place finish at the ILCA 7 World Championship in Dun Laoghaire, bringing yet another layer of talent to an already outstanding fleet.

 

Behind the results, however, was a huge organisational effort from Lough Derg Yacht Club. The club delivered a superb championship, with excellent race management, challenging courses and a warm welcome ashore. The demanding conditions left competitors exhausted by the end of the weekend, but there was widespread satisfaction with the quality of the racing and, of course, plenty of the legendary 1720 craic ashore.

 

The championship also highlighted what makes the 1720 class special. The fleet continues to go from strength to strength, combining experienced sailors with a growing number of younger competitors. There is also an increasingly strong mix of men and women sailing together across the fleet, making the 1720 one of the most inclusive and competitive keelboat classes in the country.

 

The 2026 European Championship was therefore much more than a contest for the title. It was a showcase for the 1720 class: fast, competitive, demanding and hugely enjoyable- all the hallmarks of a proper European Championship.

 

Photos thanks to Reggie Goodbody