O’Súilleabháin Claims Irish Sailing Keelboat Champions Cup
Michael O’Súilleabháin of Kinsale Yacht Club has been crowned the 2026 Irish Sailing Keelboat Champion following two days of closely contested racing on Dublin Bay this weekend.
Hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the Keelboat Champions Cup brought together twelve of Ireland’s leading keelboat helms, invited from clubs across the country to compete for the national title. Racing took place in a fleet of chartered one design J80s with crews subject to a combined weight limit of 350kg.
Following last weekend’s Dinghy Champion of Champions, the event rounded off another weekend of championship racing, with competitors facing very different conditions across the two days.
Saturday brought fresh breezes, with race management instructing crews to sail with one reef and jib throughout the day's racing. The twelve helms were divided into two flights of six, each completing three qualifying races.
In Flight A, John O’Driscoll and defending champion Cillian Dickson secured the first two places in Sunday's final. Flight B saw SB20 sailor Michael O’Connor and substitute helm Andy Verso claim the next two qualifying positions.
The remaining six crews returned to the water on Sunday morning for a two-race repechage, with Michael O’Súilleabháin and Tom Higgins securing the final two places in the championship final.
The four-race final series produced some of the closest competition of the weekend. O’Súilleabháin opened with a race win before Verso took the honours in race two. O’Súilleabháin was back on top in race three, leaving just two points separating the leading three crews heading into the final race.
With the championship still very much in contention, O’Súilleabháin held his nerve to secure the overall title, ahead of defending champion Cillian Dickson of Lough Ree Yacht Club in second place. Michael O’Connor of the Royal St George Yacht Club completed the podium in third.
Irish Sailing congratulates all twelve helms and their crews on a highly competitive championship and thanks the Royal Irish Yacht Club, its volunteers and the Irish Sailing race management team for delivering an excellent weekend of racing on Dublin Bay.