Irish Sailing congratulates Royal Cork Yacht Club's Team Wildcard on an outstanding performance at the 2026 J/70 Corinthian World Championships in Marseille, where the Cork crew secured an impressive ninth-place finish overall in a world-class international fleet.
Hosted jointly by the Club La Pelle and Union Nautique Marseillaise, the Championship attracted 88 teams from 20 nations and delivered five days of highly competitive racing in challenging conditions off the French coast.
Representing Ireland, Team Wildcard demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the week against some of the strongest Corinthian sailors in the world. The team was helmed by 22-year-old Harry Twomey, alongside Seafra Guilfoyle, Paddy Crosbie and William Twomey.
Competing in a fleet packed with international talent, the Royal Cork crew steadily built momentum across the Championship to finish inside the top ten, a significant achievement at one of the most competitive amateur keelboat events on the global calendar.
The World Championship title was claimed by Alec Cutler's Hedgehog from Bermuda, with Australia's Celestial taking second place and Estonia's Tõnu Tõniste completing the podium.
Reflecting on the result, Harry Twomey said:
"We had an amazing week in Marseille with fantastic racing throughout. As a team we have been building steadily at every event and this top-10 finish at the World Championships is a real testament to that hard work and teamwork. We are really excited for the rest of the season."
The result continues a strong run of international performances by Irish sailors and highlights the depth of talent emerging through Ireland's keelboat racing community. Irish Sailing looks forward to following Team Wildcard's progress throughout the remainder of the 2026 season.