Racing kicked off on Friday afternoon under glorious 20°C sunshine, creating perfect conditions for a thrilling three days of racing. As the weekend progressed, 34 teams battled it out in over 300 races, all vying for the coveted Wilson Trophy. By Sunday, with the final day upon them, the stage was set for an exhilarating finale.

As the fleet entered Sunday, it became clear that anything could happen. With clear skies and a brisk 23-knot breeze, teams ranked 1st through 14th all had a chance to make the quarterfinals. The pressure was immense, but the Jesters—a team composed of three former Irish ILCA National Champions—thrived in the challenging conditions.

In the quarterfinals, the Jesters faced the formidable West Kirby Hawks, seven-time Wilson Trophy champions. Ranked 5th and 4th respectively through the round robin, this was a high-stakes clash that promised nothing short of fireworks. The racing was fierce and evenly matched, but the Jesters showcased their resilience and tactical prowess to secure a hard-fought 2–1 victory. Their grit on the water earned them a place in the semi-finals, where they would face the round-robin winners, Yale Corinthian YC (USA), a team known for their formidable sailing pedigree and an Olympic medal in their ranks.

As the wind increased to 24 knots, the Jesters were undeterred. The team, led by three helms who had mastered heavy wind conditions through their ILCA success, proved they were more than up to the challenge. With powerful and precise sailing, they dominated the 3-boat racing, defeating Yale 2–0 in a stunning display of control and skill. This victory not only secured them a spot in the final but also etched their names into history as the first Irish team to reach the Wilson Trophy final since 1976.

The final was an incredibly tough battle, with the Jesters going head-to-head with Biscayne Bay Yacht Club under cut-down sails both teams where 1 apiece from the Round Robin series Biscayne Bay who are US national and College champions posed a battle for the jesters. Despite putting up a valiant effort and sailing with determination, the Jesters were ultimately defeated. However, the achievement of reaching the final was a monumental accomplishment, particularly considering the strength of the competition and the international prestige of the Wilson Trophy.

John Sheehy, who runs the annual Royal St. George Yacht Club Elmo Trophy, described the result as “The best Irish team racing result since the ‘70s,” underscoring the magnitude of the achievement for Irish sailing. The Jesters’ journey to the final was a testament to their skill, perseverance, and the growing strength of Irish team racing on the world stage.

While the Jesters may not have brought home the trophy this time, their performance was nothing short of exceptional. It was a defining moment for Irish team racing, and their success has left an indelible mark on the history of the Wilson Trophy.

In addition to the Jesters’ historic performance, the Royal St. George Youth Team also achieved a remarkable feat, claiming the Under-21 title in their very first appearance at the Wilson Trophy. Oisín Hughes, May McGlew, Sam Ledoux, Georgia Goodbody, Russell Bolger, and Zoë Whitford represented both the George and Trinity College Dublin with skill and composure, securing the Under-21 prize with their impressive debut.

With this incredible success behind them, the Jesters and the Irish contingent now turn their attention to the upcoming George Invitational on 17–18 May, where they will look to build on their momentum and continue their rise in the world of competitive sailing.

The jester team comprised of LEFT TO right Tom Higgins, Jack Fahy, Liam Glynn, Cian Lynch, Kathy Kelly, Katie Sheehy While the Jesters may not have brought home the trophy this time, their performance was nothing short of exceptional. It was a defining moment for Irish team racing, and their success has left an indelible mark on the history of the Wilson Trophy.

The post A Historic Achievement for the Jesters at the 76th Wilson Trophy – Irish Team Racing Breaks New Ground appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

Locker Information

Cost:
Men’s Standard (€85)
Men’s Medium (€45)
Ladies Standard (€85)
Ladies Medium (€45)

Once you have completed your Locker Application the Sailing Office will email you your locker assignment and temporary code. Your locker can be accessed the next time you are in the Club.

NOTE: IF YOU HAD A LOCKER LAST YEAR, IT HAS BEEN AUTOMATICALLY RENEWED FOR THE SAME LOCKER. NO ACTION REQUIRED.

Click here to apply for a Locker.

Questions? – Please contact us.

The post Need a locker this season? appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

Spaces have become available for the Junior Courses next week

There are 2 spaces available in each of these classes – start racing, improving skills and start sailing

If you would like to book a class for your child please click Here

or contact us at sailing@rsgyc.ie

The post Junior Sailing Courses – Spaces Available For Next Week appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

Well done to all the Irish college sailors who took part in the  Laser Performance Collegite Cup (LPCC) on Lake Garda last week. This is an international annual team racing event and the Z420 is the boat used in the competition.

Greg Arrowsmith, Niamh Henry, Andrew Sykes, Kieran Hall, Emily Cullen, and Kate Lyttle, Isobel O’Grady, Dan Little, Shona Gibson all from the RSGYC Under 25 squad have had an amazing week in Lake Garda, team racing in the Laser Performance Collegiate Cup.

Ireland has sent two teams. A mixed team consisting of Dan Little,  Nicole Hemyrick,  Greg,  Kieran Hall,  Andrew and Aoife Hynes  and an all girl team. Niamh, Kate, Isobel, Emily and Shona are joined by Heather Spain and Iseult Kneasfey from the NYC.

These sailors all learned their team racing skills as teenagers in the RSGYC.  They raced in the annual Elmo Cup and trained on Wednesdays with John Sheehy and other great coaches.  Now in college, they are sailing this week in this prestigious international college competition.

The Elmo Cup will take place in the RSGYC next weekend with 20 teams from all over Ireland competing.  It promises to be a great event.

The post RSGYC sailors Team Racing on Lake Garda appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

Thursday last saw the inaugural 29’er National Championship hosted by the RSGYC. With record entry, great race management and support both ashore and afloat the event was a resounding success.

The RSGYC has been pushing to build and promote the 29’er class and it was great to see nine boats on the start line for the first National Championship. As a ISAF Youth Worlds class the 29’er is proving very popular for those that sail and compete in the class.  

For a full event report & some super photos please click over to our friends at Afloat.ie. 

Special thanks to Deutsche Leasing for their very generous support of the National Championship event.

More details on the 29’er Class can be found by clicking here.

The RSGYC is looking forward to continuing to support the class and welcome new boats that are on the way. It is expected that there will be training sessions 2 – 3 times a week into the winter and beyond. If you would like to get involved in this exciting class please contact us.

The post Deutsche Leasing 29’er Nationals Championship a great success appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

Congratulations to RSGYC Sailors Elysia O’ Leary and Lilly Dwyer who hauled some silverware at the Inter-Schools Regatta 2018 last week where they were representing their school -St. Gerards. 
Their haul included the following: 
1- Best overall School team.
2- Lady Sailor of the Day.
3- Fleet 2 (skiffs) Winner.
4- Jack Roy Trophy for best overall sailor.

The post Congratulations to RSGYC Sailors Elysia O’ Leary and Lilly Dwyer appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

Conditions went from near gale on day 1 to light and shifty with fog on the last 2 days. Race officer, Con Murphy, was constantly having to change courses and position but did manage 7 races with a nail biting finish.

Jack Fahy took 1^st place with 2 points to spare over Tom Higgins in 2^nd; Jamie McMahon (HYC) 3^rd followed by our Peter Fagan, 4^th, Toby Hudson Fowler 5^th and Hugo Kennedy 6^th.  Helen O’ Beirne finished 19^th and Sarah Fogarty 29^th.

Jack Fahy received the nomination for the Youth Sailing Worlds (formerly ISAFs) and will represent Ireland in Corpus Christi, Texas, next July assuming he fulfils the other qualifying criteria.

Most of the above sailors have recently qualified as sailing instructors and will be able to pass on their wisdom and techniques to our younger members.

RSGYC congratulates them all and we look forward to watching their future sailing endeavours.

The post Volvo Irish Sailing Youth Pathway Nationals- Laser Radial Fleet Report appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

We would like to thank our sponsors Lee Overlay Partners, Viking Marine and MGM Boats for their support on this event and look forward to working with them this Wednesday.

If you have registered but are unable to attend this date, please advise us ASAP
by emailing us at juniorsailing@rsgyc.ie or call us on (01) 280 1811.

If you have yet to register and or pay for your single or double hander,
Please Click HERE

The post ***RSGYC Junior Regatta Wednesday 2nd August 2017*** appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

A big congratulations to Kate Lyttle and Niamh Henry who came in First place at the 2017 Connaught Championships this weekend.

Please see below for Final Results:

420 Connaughts Final Results

The post 420 Connaught Championship in Spiddal appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.

The RSGYC was well represented at the recent Laser Connaught and Laser Youth National championships in Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club. Our youth sailors acquitted themselves admirably across both 4.7 and Radial fleets, with many taking home prizes.  

In the 4.7 fleet, Jack Fahy and Tom Higgins kept up their recent winning form and came 1st and second respectively, in both the Connaught’s and Youth Nationals. They now travel to the 4.7 World Championships in Belgium, as part of the Irish team, at the end of this month, and we wish them both the very best of luck.  Our only other club sailor in the 4.7, was Sarah Fogarty who finished in 9th position, and 4th Youth lady.

In the highly competitive and hotly contested Radial fleet, Henry Higgins was our most successful competitor, there were not only titles for the Connaughts and Youth Nationals up for grabs but this was also a qualifying event for the ISAFs, so the competition was fierce.  Henry finished 6th in the Connaughts and 4th in Youth Nationals, following close behind him and within the top ten, in Youth Nationals, Toby Hudson-Fowler, Peter Fagan and Tara Coveney, finishing 8th, 9th and 10th respectively.  Tara also finished in 4th position in the Ladies Championship.  Also representing the ‘George in the radial fleet were Richard O’Rahilly and Jamie Matthews.  Well done everyone – some great sailing, yet again, by our younger members. See you all in Rush Sailing Club, for the Leinsters!

1st place Jack Fahy – RStGYC

2nd Tom Higgins – RStGYC

3rd Clare Gorman – NYC

The post RStGYC Sailors take First and Second Place at the Connaught Lasers appeared first on Royal St George Yacht Club.