The line up for the 2026 Irish Sailing Junior Champions’ Cup has been announced, with 16 of Ireland’s top junior sailors set to compete at the Fastnet Marine Outdoor Education Centre (FMOEC) this coming weekend. Each invited sailor will compete alongside their chosen crew in a supplied two person TR6 dinghy, with competitors drawn from a range of dinghy classes including RS 200, ILCA 6, Optimist, 420, Topper, RS Feva and 29er. The two day competition will begin with a qualifier series, before the top ten boats progress to a final medal race. Double points will be awarded in the medal race, with the sailor and crew combination finishing with the highest overall score crowned Junior Champions’ Cup winners.
The 16 invited sailors have enjoyed successful seasons across their respective classes, with nominations received from dinghy classes around the country. Stephen O’Shaughnessy of Irish Sailing said the level of interest in this year’s event reflects the strength of junior dinghy sailing in Ireland.
“There was a large number of nominations received into Irish Sailing for this year’s event through the various dinghy classes, well in excess of the sixteen slots available. This is testament to the very active summer of junior dinghy sailing right across the entire country and amazing to see such talent emerging at a young age in terms of both girls and boys.”
National Race Officer John Leech will oversee race management throughout the competition. Further details, including the event information and all competitors are available on the Irish Sailing Junior Champions’ Cup event page.