Kinsale Yacht Club was proudly represented by eight sailors at the 2026 IODAI Leinster Championships this weekend, hosted by Howth Yacht Club. Racing against Ireland’s best young sailors in fleets of 46 Seniors, 51 Juniors and 35 Regatta sailors, the Kinsale Yacht Club (KYC) team was one of the club’s largest representations at an IODAI championship in recent years, reflecting the continued growth and strength of our Optimist programme.
Fresh from representing Ireland at the French Optimist National Championships, Jamie Blennerhassett and Siofra Buckley carried their international experience into another excellent weekend of racing.
Jamie led the KYC challenge with an impressive 12th overall finish in the Gold Fleet with consistently high finishes of 11th / 10th and 8th, while Joe Kingston finished 16th overall, highlighted by an excellent 7th-place race finish in his final race that demonstrated his pace amongst the country’s best sailors.
Another highlight of the weekend came from Siofra Buckley, who claimed 2nd place in the Silver Fleet, earning a podium finish as KYC’s top female Optimist sailor. Her result also secures promotion to the Gold Fleet, a well-deserved reward for a season of hard work and consistent improvement.
Tom Kingston continued to build valuable experience in a highly competitive Senior Fleet, while Ellen Kingston was unfortunately unable to compete due to injury. Everyone at Kinsale Yacht Club wishes Ellen a speedy recovery and looks forward to welcoming her back on the water soon.
Annabelle Goggin continued her progress with an impressive 8th place finish in the Senior Bronze Fleet, gaining valuable experience and showing great determination against a strong national field.
In the Junior Fleet, Ally O’Riordan gained further national championship experience, while in the Regatta Fleet Olaf Sorensen finished a strong 17th overall, Arthur Hunt placed 21st, and Harry Hunt continued his development, gaining valuable championship experience.
A special thank you goes to coach Olan Dillon, who travelled with the team throughout the weekend, providing expert coaching and encouragement both on and off the water.
Thanks also to Rory Buckley, who graduated from the Optimist fleet earlier this year and returned to assist the team, demonstrating the strong community spirit that exists within Kinsale Yacht Club sailing.
Beyond the racing, the weekend was another reminder of what makes the Kinsale Yacht Club Optimist fleet so special. Families camped together throughout the regatta, creating a fantastic team atmosphere both on and off the water. Saturday evening’s paella night was a particular highlight, with sailors, parents and supporters enjoying time together after racing. These shared experiences, combined with the encouragement shown between teammates, help build friendships, confidence and a real sense of belonging. While the racing is always important, weekends like this show that the Optimist fleet is about much more than results, it’s about developing young sailors, creating lifelong memories and strengthening the future of Kinsale Yacht Club.
The continued growth of Kinsale Yacht Club’s Optimist fleet is something the whole club can be proud of. The increasing number of sailors attending national and regional championships, together with improving performances across every fleet, is a testament to the commitment of our young sailors, families, volunteers and coaches. These sailors represent the future of Kinsale Yacht Club, and it is exciting to see the foundations being laid for many successful years of junior sailing ahead.
The fleet now looks ahead to two of the biggest events of the season: the British Optimist Championships in Largs, Scotland, followed by the Irish National Championships at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in August. We wish all of our sailors the very best as they continue an exciting and successful season.
Congratulations to everyone involved, and thank you to Howth Yacht Club, IODAI, the race officials and volunteers for hosting another excellent championship.
Report by: Aoife Horgan
