The 420 season is well underway. Kinsale Yacht Club’s young sailors showed up in force at a breezy Munster Championships hosted by Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven on March 28th – 29th 2026 – turning in a performance that we can be genuinely proud of.
The International 420 is the largest double handed junior dinghy in Ireland, attracting sailors typically aged 12 to 19. With spinnaker, trapeze, and a hull built to plane hard, it’s a great boat and a natural step for sailors pushing out of single handed classes. This year has seen a wave of new talent join the national fleet. Several of those fresh faces hail from Kinsale Yacht Club.
Sailing across 6 of the 22 boats on the start line, KYC junior members made their presence felt from the gun. For Tristan Bendon, Emma Thuillier and Anabelle Wilson, this was their first 420 regional event – stepping up alongside more seasoned KYC campaigners Caoimhe Corkery, Matthew Thuillier and Matt Mapplebeck, who are regulars on the regional and national circuit. Months of consistent practice in Kinsale and elsewhere clearly paid off.
Matt Mapplebeck sailed brilliantly to take first place overall, a dominant result at a regional championship. Caoimhe Corkery backed that up with a superb 3rd place overall, taking the top spot among all-female crews. Matthew Thuillier finished 9th overall and 2nd in Silver fleet, a nice result in a competitive division. Emma Thuillier, sailing with Lough Derg’s Ryan O’Doherty, came 11th overall.
For the newcomers, the breezy conditions were a real test and rising to it earned its own recognition. Anabelle Wilson and crew Tara Hayes were awarded the Endeavour Prize, a fitting tribute to their persistence in challenging conditions. Tristan Bendon, sailing with James Nyhan, showed real promise before gear failure cut their regatta short. There’s certainly more to come from that pairing.
The 420 is, quite simply, fantastic to sail. At a recent national training week, relatively new sailors were clocking speeds of 15 knots – a reminder of just how exhilarating this class can be. Check out the 420 on YouTube.
Looking ahead, three KYC-crewed 420s will line up at the Irish Sailing Youth National Championships in Ballyholme (April 9–12), before attention turns to the 420 Ulster Championships in Skerries in May. The momentum is building.
Any KYC junior curious about getting into 420 sailing is encouraged to reach out directly to the sailors above.
Parents can also contact KYC member Bill Thuillier, who serves on the Irish 420 Association National Committee.
A special thank you to Bill Thuillier for the report and photos.
