RIYC 2025 Admiral's Cup Campaign

 

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100th Anniversary Edition - Rolex Fastnet Race | Press Conference
• Scheduled for 25/07/2025, 13:45 hrs
100th Anniversary Edition - Rolex Fastnet Race | Skippers' Briefing
RORC
• Scheduled for 25/07/2025, 15:45 hrs
Rolex Fastnet Race - Start of the 100th Anniversary Edition
RORC
• Scheduled for 26/07/2025, 10:45 hrs

Update 26th July 2025

 

Update 25th July 2025 
And so, the final act in the revived Admiral's Cup series gets underway at midday on Saturday with the epic 695 nautical mile Rolex Fastnet Race.
 
The triple scoring race that will take several days to resolve will be the ultimate arbiter of which of the leading teams currently led by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club will emerge victorious.
 
For the Royal Irish Yacht Club crews, this long offshore race will be an opportunity to potentially get a bump up the leaderboard and end this inaugural appearance at the new AC with a flourish.
 
Both Ron O'Hanley's Cookson 50 and Tom Kneen's JPK11.80 Sunrise IV have strong offshore preferences with the latter a past overall winner of this race in an earlier Sunrise.
 
The 30 boats in the race are just a fraction of the record-break 460-boat fleet gathered to celebrate the centenary of both the race and the organising Royal Ocean Racing Club.
 
At least 90 Irish sailors and over half a dozen boats will be taking part across the nine divisions with at least 20 sailors from Ireland and or the RIYC in the Admiral's Cup fleet alone.
 
A link to the last era that saw strong RIYC involvement in the Admiral's is Tim Goodbody Junior competing on the Black Pearl, a Botin 56 footer sailing for the New York Yacht Club.
 
"It's great to see the Admiral's Cup back - Ireland has had a great tradition for years in it," said Tim Goodbody Junior ahead of the Fastnet start tomorrow.  “It takes a long time to build a team up but this is a start for many more years and many more teams for 'the Irish' and Ireland."
 
Goodbody advises starting the next campaign as soon as possible because the intervening two years goes by so quickly.
 
"The campaign starts the day after this Admiral's Cup finishes if you want to build for the future," he says.  But what about his involvement with a home club team?  "Yes!  I'd love to, it'd be amazing!"
 
The last era of RIYC Admiral's Cup was more than 20 years ago and at a time when 'the AC' was the pinnacle of big boat racing both at home and further afield.  
 
“We were Nippers back then - only kids really in our 20’s,” recalls RIYC member Michael Tyrrell, now an International Race Officer but a regular crew-member on many top boats in the 70’s and 80’s.  “We did ISORA’s, Fastnets and Cork Weeks – anything we could - and lots of inshore racing too.”
 
He recalls a different era before a marina in Dun Laoghaire or the excellent big boat crane and hard-standing facilities at the club.
 
“It was a very different time, long before the marina so the few boats in Dun Laoghaire were all on moorings in the harbour.  The big centres were Howth and Cork so we spent a lot of time there and in Cowes.”
 
It was a time before computing power was only starting to become accessible leading to an explosion in one-design classes in keelboats and dinghies, popularity that would eventually draw keen sailors away from the Admiral's Cup scene that was becoming dominated by a new breed of professional crew that is commonplace 30 years on. 

The prime RIYC years started 1979 with Regardless skippered by Ken Rohan while Golden Leigh was skippered by Michael O’Leary for the Fastnet Race, an event that claimed the lives of 17 people that is still raw in the memories of those sailing each year.
 
Regardless was back again for the 1981 Irish team followed by Ciaran Foley on Stormbird in 1983.  As the cup reached its zenith, Local Hero represented the club led by David Andrews.
 
Success followed in 1987 with Stephen Fein's Full Pelt on charter to Michael O'Leary, Tom Roche and Tom Power.  That was the year when four year old Tim Junior was in Cowes as Tim Snr headed off on Irish Independent for the Fastnet Race that the crew went on to record an historic win at Plymouth at the end of the then 605 nautical mile race.
 
“It was one of the highlights of my life,” said Tim Goodbody Snr.  “Passing the Fastnet and hearing on the RTE news that “Irish Independent” was the first one-tonner to round the rock – we knew we were in the hunt at that point.”
 
The crew had been the first to break away from the leading boats after passing Land’s End and tacked for the Irish coast which later gave them a better angle to sail to the famous lighthouse off Cape Clear.
 
“Later, after finishing in Plymouth the wind dropped and the tide turned (against the fleet at sea) and Tom Power turned to me and said “that’s luck for you.”
 
And so, an new era beckons with new technology and a new generation offering an opportunity to once again take to the world stage of big boat sailing.

Update 24th July 2025

Despite the weather's best attempt at disruption, The Admiral's Cup today completed the inshore series of the competition that saw further improvement in results for the two Royal Irish YC team boats.

 

Although originally planned for Christchurch Bay to the north-west of the Isle of Wight, the Royal Ocean Racing Club race committee opted to sail the three race day back in the middle Solent area to avoid a long passage westwards.

 

The change of plan was just as well because light winds forced a long postponement that was ended with the planned Round the Cans course being sailed first followed by two Windward Leeward races that kept the 30-boat fleet at sea for nine hours.

 

From a RIYC team perspective, the day proved most successful for Tom Kneen's Sunrise IV that delivered a tenth followed by a second then an eighth in the AC2 class.

 

RIYC team captain Michael Boyd summarised the day:  "We're slowly climbing up the lower rungs of a high ladder."

 

"They were tough races, especially this morning but we did a good job," said Eddie Warden-Owen, strategist on Sunrise IV.  "We were able to sail our own race - the boat went fast and we picked the right shifts: we were unlucky not to win the second race."

 

Although Sunrise found her form at last in the inshore series today, offshore remains her forté especially as a past Fastnet winning crew albeit in a different boat rather than this brand new JPK11.80 only recently launched.

 

"You have the Sunrise crew, the Irish crew and me, a Welshman... knitting all that together to make it work has taken some time," said Eddie Warden-Owen.  "Anyway, we had a better day - Sunrise is coming into its own."

 

Meanwhile, Privateer had a seventh in the opening race of the day along with a 13th which was discarded and a 12th and is steadily moving up the points table.

 

"We had a great round the cans race which was one of our best races of the series - it felt like the boat was going really well," said Ron O'Hanley.  "We feel like we beat the boats we needed to beat, the boats we're most well matched against.  We're ready now to do the thing we came here for which is The Fastnet Race."

 

That 695-mile test that starts on Saturday is presently looking like it will be quite slow with moderate winds forecast.

 

"It's looking lighter than we'd like it so I think it's going to be a tactical race and will depend on where you put your boat, it will in some ways be an equaliser,” said Ron O’Hanley.

 

The combined performance of both boats for the day moves the RIYC team up to 12th place overall and within touching distance of the top ten, depending on the outcome of the triple-scoring classic offshore race that will conclude next week.

 

"It was a long day but we're very grateful to have had the round the cans and two windward leeward races," said Privateer crew and RIYC member Cliodhna Connolly.  "We can focus on tomorrow and switch back into offshore mode and an exciting Fastnet which is hopefully our speciality on Saturday."

 

With no racing now due on Friday's layday, putting the inshore series behind them and switching attention to the offshore is on the minds of all crew-members.

 

"In the lighter breeze we were quite competitive against the TP52's," said Privateer crew and RIYC member James Carroll.  "We got the best result we could for the inshore series and now we have to combine that with a good result in the Fastnet Race."

 

"It's been fantastic (competing for the RIYC) restarting where the Royal Irish was with the Admiral's Cup 20 years ago," he said.  "Being here shows you just how much work gets put in - you can see it in the other teams who have been working with much more modern equipment and planned over a year ago with purpose-built boats; that's the level of detail you need in your campaign."

 

Carroll travels the world as a professional crew-member on large racing yachts and is energised about the prospect of future RIYC Admiral's Cup teams.  He sees 2025 as a foundation year for what can follow.

 

"The seeds are now sown for what could come in two years time... the planning needs to start straight after the Fastnet Race," he said.

Update 23rd July 2025
The second day of inshore racing at The Admiral's Cup today proved very frustrating as light winds were tricky in the morning and then deserted the middle Solent racing area for the rest of the day.
 
The race committee have now instead planned a marathon day for Thursday when not only will the racing area shift to the iconic Christchurch Bay area to the north-west of the Isle of Wight, but two windward-leewards plus a round the cans race will be sailed to bring the series to its final test.
 
Once again, both RIYC boats reported positive progress on board and Ron O'Hanley's Privateer had their best result so far with a ninth place in the short morning course.  For Tom Kneen's Sunrise IV, an unlucky windshift saw them pay the price and finished with a 13th place.
 
However, the mood in the RIYC camp is upbeat ahead of a busy day on Thursday and thoughts are already turning towards logistics for the 695 nautical mile Fastnet Race that starts on Saturday.
 
"On our boat, the improvement in terms of teamwork is remarkable over three days of racing," said Tom Kneen after coming ashore in Cowes Yachthaven. "The Sunrise happiness index from my perspective is improving - I'm very confident that the boat is quick enough because that's (always) your big doubt - is the boat quick enough and the answer is, yes it is."
 
With the team gelling well on board, Kneen points to the main goal from now which is putting the boat in the right place.
 
"I woke this morning and thought 'I'm lining up with (Olympic) medallists and Volvo Ocean Race winners and the quality of the people I'm sailing against where there is no margin for error'... the fact that we're even on the start line is astonishing and I think that we should take that away and we're lucky to be doing it.
 
We should be pleased with ourselves that we're here and not disgracing ourselves by any stretch of the imagination."
 
O'Hanley agrees that the day was about being in the right place at the right time but also, for Privateer the week has been about bringing what has been a set-up for offshore back to inshore use and so a learning process has been running.
 
"The boat went well in the light - when we gave up anything it had as much to do with not being in the right place than the boat's performance," he said.  "We were both in a good place in the second race before it was abandoned which was unfortunate."
 
He also paid tribute to the race committee for doing a "fabulous job" in the challenging conditions and he is pleased with the three races planned for Thursday which will allow time to get ready for the Fastnet Race start on Saturday.

Update 22nd July 2025
Both crews competing for the Royal Irish Yacht Club at The Admiral's Cup reported positive progress today (Tuesday 22nd) as the inshore racing phase of the event got underway on the Solent close to the Cowes base for the 15 teams.
 
Two laps of a single windward-leeward course were sailed in the morning with a 2.4 nautical mile beat set for the AC1 bigger boats and 1.8nm for the AC2 fleet in moderate wind and rain.
 
Although Ron O'Hanley's Privateer and Tom Kneen's Sunrise IV continue to hold 14th place overall, both crews enjoyed the day as they meshed into the challenge presented by the newer boats of the more established teams.
 
"It was a cracking day, not too one-sided and plenty in it tactically," said Ian Walker, strategist on Privateer.  "Tomorrow will be shifty and light so we'll  hopefully get better starts and go the right way."
 
Privateer had a 12th then an eleventh in the three-hour around the cans race that followed and were pleased to beat French entry Teasing Machine in the second race that saw a spectacular reach eastwards along the Solent to finish off the Royal Yacht Squadron.
 
RIYC member Lauren Donaghy was pleased with how the communication within the crew for manoeuvres is proving very smooth which in turn improves their handling skills on deck.  However, the challenge of the results isn't lost on her either.
 
"It was a tough day in terms of competition," she admitted after racing ended.  "One of our class boats (Red Bandit for Bayersreicher Yacht Club, Germany) snapped their mast.  We were just in front of them going up the beat but thankfully we heard on the radio that nobody was injured so we now have one boat that's out."
 
Meanwhile, Sunrise had a 13th and a 12th, similarly matching their teammates in gradually improving their scores.
 
"The teamwork on board was amazing - we sailed the boat really well and made very few mistakes," said Kneen.  "We said at the beginning of the day that when we reflect that we'd done a good job and we definitely achieved that goal and we've learned a lot about the boat and made progress."
 
In terms of goals for Wednesday's second day of inshore racing, Kneen has a goal of beating one of the other two JPK1180's racing and he recognises that there have been moments when Sunrise has been better than them and making gains.  The task now is how to consolidate those gains.
 
Sunrise crew-member Maurice "Prof" O'Connell agrees that the results don't reflect the fun the crew is having.
 
"It's the Admiral's Cup at the end of the end, the unofficial world championship of big boat sailing and back on The Solent after 22 years... it's a privilege just to be here," he said.  "They (the other JPK's) have a headstart on us and have been here for a long time and in the water longer than us but we're getting better and better every day."
 
Sunrise crew-member Fiona Mulcahy also reckons their best has yet to come.  "We're still try to figure out crew dynamics where everyone works but we're getting there by the end of the day and a lot more trust that everyone can do all their roles."
 
Racing continues at 1100 with another Windward-Leeward and an around the cans course for Wednesday though with lighter winds forecast.

Update 21st July 2025
After the conclusion to the opening race of the Admiral's Cup in Cowes, Monday was an official layday though there was no let-up in the pace of preparations for three days of inshore racing beginning on the Western Solent area tomorrow morning (Tuesday 22nd).
 
Debriefing the outcome of the 24 hour Channel Race was also underway but one person was definitely not put off by the result as RIYC member Lauren Donaghy revelled in the experience of sailing with the highly-experienced crew on board Ron O'Hanley's Privateer.
 
It's been quite the journey in a relatively short space of time for the one-time Mirror dinghy sailor from Sligo.
 
She's been sailing offshore for the past eight years and readily admits that she constantly learning in every race she does but now with the Admiral's Cup comes an opportunity to combine offshore with inshore in a complex and demanding regatta format that easily earns its reputation as the unofficial world championship of offshore racing.
 
"From the very beginning, sailing felt like freedom, the kind that demands respect, courage, and curiosity. I didn’t know then where that little red-sailed gaff rigged boat would take me. I just knew I wanted more, bigger and faster," she previously has written.  "Over time, that ‘more’ led me to the Royal Irish Yacht Club, where I found not only world-class racing but a home, a community, and a standard that pushed me to grow."
 
And its little surprise that she would end up competing for her club and country in Cowes because part of her formation was with Tim Goodbody on White Mischief and heard the stories of winning the Fastnet Race on Irish Independent.
 
"This is definitely a big step for me - it’s a privilege to be here representing the Royal Irish Yacht Club and also a privilege to be sailing with such amazing crew-mates; we have some of the best sailors in the world," she says.  "I'm getting my brain to be a sponge, taking in all that I can learn from this event and even just practice days."
 
For Lauren, her goal for this event is to form the basis for finding spots on other good boats and getting lots more racing and perhaps even make a career from it.
 
"I can only dream about those races and hope that opportunities arise from here."
 
She is very supportive of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's initiative in mandating female and youth participation which is now really evident in the crews competing in the fleet.
 
She cites Britain's Pip Hare and other Irish sailors such as Laura Dillon and Pamela Lee who have all made their mark in international sailing who she finds particularly inspirational.
 
It's all a far cry from last Christmas when Joe Conway contacted her and asked for her Sailing CV and if she might be interested in the Admiral's Cup.  From there, she joined the Privateer crew and soon assimilated her way into her role as mid-bow crew and float for other jobs that need doing.
 
"I carry with me the waves of Sligo, the knowledge passed down by mentors throughout the years and the pride of representing the Royal Irish Yacht Club
at the highest level."

Update 20th July 2025
After Saturday's lottery start to the Channel Race that opened the Admiral's Cup series in Cowes, the first scores are now posted that highlight the steep learning curve that this no holds barred regatta presents.
 
Both Ron O'Hanley's Privateer and Tom Kneen's Sunrise IV placed 14th out of 15 boats in their respective AC1 and AC2 divisions and so lie 14th overall on the team standings.
 
The double-points, no discard race ended up being close to 200 nautical miles routing across the English Channel to a turning mark off Le Harve and back in a time of less than 24 hours.
 
"This is exactly why we are here, to learn and improve with the best international talent in the world of offshore sailing," said Michael Boyd, Team Captain for the Royal Irish Yacht Club.  "It was a harsh race, especially at the start where it was a bit of a lottery so we have catch-up to do but there's a lot more racing to come."
 
Italy's Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club teams are tied for the overall lead while the Monaco Yacht Club, who had been leading in the early stages of the overnight race are third.
 
"I'd say we did some of it very well and some of it not so well," said Ian Walker, double Olympic Silver medallist and strategist on Privateer.  "We did a reasonable job but can definitely do better."
 
The next races will be the inshore series over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday where the newer TP52's are expected to have an edge over Privateer in AC1.  Nevertheless, the 20-year old Cookson 50 footer still has some advantages such as a reputation for good starts plus canting keel and push button winches that will help in the round the cans courses.
 
"We're here to surprise people and disrupt where we can, never write the Privateer off!" commented Jesse Fielding, Navigator on board.  "We have to sort ourselves out and get ready for more."
 
Privateer was also slow for a period, with half a knot off pace and the crew were suspicious.  Eventually, a precautionary backdown freed a large clump of weed from the saildrive and they were back on pace
 
"It was a great race - short but great and real mix of conditions," commented Lauren Donaghy.  "Coming back into the Solent it was very different to yesterday - we had range of conditions from very light up to 25 knots."
 
Meanwhile, Tom Kneen's Sunrise IV enjoyed speeds of over 20 knots early on Sunday morning as they blasted back to The Solent in the fresh conditions.
 
"It was a very challenging exit from the Solent and (we) lost the lottery in the end," Kneen said at Cowes Yachthaven after the race ended.  "But the boat is quick and we've never sailed together properly offshore - there's guys sailing this boat, and sailing JPK1080's for the first time so a lot of learning done in the last 24 hours and there's a lot of racing left to do in this event."
 
Nevertheless, Kneen remains both determined and optimistic for the remainder of the series.
 
"I'm pretty confident that if we can iron out some of our little hiccups...  There's no excuses in this game - you have to be ready.  The boat is certainly quick, we always knew, I think but now we know that."
 
Like all the Admiral's Cup boats, while the Channel Race counted for double points, next weekend's Fastnet Race is a triple pointer and Kneen reckons that if it becomes a small boat favoured race then Sunrise could do very well.
 
"You have to have the right people, the right boat and a bit of luck and we didn't have the luck today because we were unlucky at the beginning and from there after your decisions are reactive and proactive."
 
"It certainly puts a smile on people's faces when you're having some fun sailing and when the results aren't going your way," said Maurice "Prof" O'Connell.  "The most important thing for us is that we concentrate on learning and improving every single day as we haven't had a long run-in to this event."

 
Update 19th July 2025
The opening race of the Admiral's Cup in Cowes, Isle of Wight today (Saturday 19th July) was classic offshore affair as the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Channel Race set the scene for the coming ten days of racing.

Planned as a 140-nautical mile race of about 24 hours duration, the two hour postponement to allow the forecast breeze to build turned out to be optimistic thought the fleet was able to get away cleanly from the line close to Lee On Solent and a running start eastwards towards Portsmouth.

A series of gybes followed but even before the fleet had sailed a couple of miles, huge gaps appeared in the wind with some boats parked and others even drifting backwards briefly.

Despite good starts for both Ron O'Hanley's Cookson 50 Privateer and Tom Kneen's JPK 11.80 Sunrise IV found themselves blanketed from what breeze there was by other boats close by.

The earlier starters of the multihulls and class zero boats plus the other IRC classes that started later were all soon mixed in with the Admiral's Cuppers by the time the boats reached the first mark of the course, No Man's Land Fort off Portsmouth.

But then the skies cleared and the forecast breeze filled in to a reasonable 10 knots as the 30-strong Admiral's Cup fleet plus the other RORC racers headed off to some turning marks off the Isle Wight and a night of crossing the Channel towards Cherbourg and back.

With winds forecast to reach 25 knots overnight, plenty of drama and position changes lie ahead before the first finishers on Sunday morning.

But for this evening's report, based on provisional standings, a highly fluid situation exists with Privateer within a few miles of the leading boats in the AC1 class and producing some of the fastest speeds - so far.  Sunrise IV is in a closely grouped bunch of back-markers in AC2 but well positioned and sailing fast so could gain ground in the coming hours.

As for the overall standings and early leaders in this double-points, non-discardable opening race, both of the Monaco Yacht Club boats are in the top three overall while Karl Kwok's highly fancied Beau Geste from the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is leading on the water and provisionally overall.

Update 18th July 2025
The crews and boats have gathered and the stage is set for the revival of the Admiral's Cup in Cowes, Isle of Wight where the two boats representing the Royal Irish Yacht Club are ready for the opening race tomorrow (Saturday 19th July).

The return of the club to the Admiral's Cup scene echoes the glory days of the event in the 1980's when the Admiral's Cup was regarded as the world championship of offshore yacht racing.
 
It's a theme reflected in the pre-race media conference that took place at the Royal Ocean Racing Club overlooking The Solent earlier today.  Many of the teams competing including the RIYC are introducing younger sailors to the event that was and remains for many sailors, a pinnacle regatta in the world of sailing.

"I've been so proud to show the young sailors from the Royal Irish around here and seeing their reactions," said Ian Walker, the British double Olympic silver medallist who has skippered Irish entries in the Volvo Ocean Race and TP52 circuit and is competing as strategist on Privateer.  "We have so much to be proud of here."

Lights winds forecast for Saturday morning have resulted in a postponement to midday of the Channel Race that is expected to take around 24 hours to complete on a course length of 120-140 nautical miles.

This opening race is both high-scoring at double-points and non-discardable so the boats that do well could gain an early advantage on the leaderboard.

On the other hand, while offshore specialists could do well in the channel over the 150 nautical-mile course, next week sees a three-day inshore series on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that could collectively prove just as decisive.

"The beauty of this event is that its everything - offshore and inshore," commented Irish veteran sailor Gordon Maguire, who is sailing for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia as the last winners of this event 22 years ago.  "It's about minimising what goes wrong, and things will go wrong - for everyone."

Once next week’s inshore racing ends, that leaves the triple-scoring 690-nautical mile Fastnet Race as the ultimate arbiter for the revered trophy staerting on Saturday 26th July.  Celebrating its 100th year, the race to "The teardrop of Ireland" off the coast of Cape Clear in West Cork leaves little to chance and nothing decided until the fleet finishes in Cherbourg by the end of July.

The RIYC team is one of 15 two-boat squads featuring Tom Kneen's Sunrise IV and Ron O'Hanley's Privateer that will compete against a strong international field featuring many of the world's top professional sailors.

Nevertheless, while the goal for all 15 teams is winning the Admiral's Cup, exposing the next generation of younger sailors to the type of event that kickstarted several generations of professional sailors remains central.

"Not treasure is found in Silver and Gold," said Gerd Jan Poortman, quoting Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean fame.  The Dutch skipper was a team Nipper when The Netherlands won the 1999 edition of the cup.

Walker agrees:  "You always need a mix of youth and experience (and while) Privateer is an established team for more than 17 years, its great to see the youngsters from the RIYC on both team boats."
 
RIYC Crew list:

PRIVATEER
Ron O’Hanley
Tim Dawson
Jesse Fielding
John Hayes
Justin Clougher
Peter Fletcher
James Carroll
Ford Law
Scott Innes Jones
Cliodhna Connolly
Lauren Donaghy
Ian Walker
Kyle Martin

Shore crew: Andy Smith and Jo Bird

SUNRISE IV
Tom Kneen
George Bridge
Fiona Mulcahy
Angus Gray-Stephens
Tom Cheney
Andrew Baker
Eddie Warden Owen
Maurice O’Connell
Matias Sabate

Shore crew: Tim Rogers

Update 3rd July 2025
RIYC ADMIRAL'S CUP TEAM BOATS PERFORM IN THE MORGAN CUP RACE

RORC’s Morgan Cup Race to Guernsey started from Cowes on 27th June and saw the RIYC's Admiral’s Cup team boats perform admirably - Sunrise IV finishing second in class and second overall, while Privateer was 2nd in IRC class o and seventh overall of 100 boats. Privateer also won line honours, see results here. We are looking forward to the start of Admiral's Cup racing on Saturday 19th July.


Update 20th June 2025
By Jesse Fielding - Navigator, Privateer

As the other half of the Royal Irish Yacht Club’s entry into the 2025 Admiral’s Cup, we have been preparing the boat and crew since September of 2024.  We have the majority of a new IRC optimized sail inventory on the boat for this Summer. 

Main, J2, J5, Genoa Staysail, Offshore Staysail, A1.5, and A2 spinnakers.  We have endeavoured to engineer these sails specifically for racing under IRC in the Solent and then the grander Fastnet race track.  Along with sail optimization we have added a spinnaker drop system, another mast control system, new deck paint, and optimized the position of the dagger board in the boat.  All of this work took the majority of last winter before shipping directly to Cowes.  
 
From a personal aspect we endeavoured to bring on talent and experience from the racing area.  We secured Ian Walker last fall to be our strategist and guru in the area as well as valuable offshore helm.  From there our established crew was excited to join the ranks of the prestigious Royal Irish Yacht Club and be joined by two Irish sailors. Royal Irish Member Lauren Donaghy and Royal Cork Member Cliodhna Conolly who have proven fantastic additions to our team and bring a fresh energy and tenacity to our seasoned group.  

We will continue to improve our manoeuvres in shore and refine our new equipment as we look ahead to the Admiral’s Cup start on July 17th, 2025.  

We are proud to represent the Royal Irish YC alongside Team Sunrise on this Grand Prix International stage.


image: Privateer returns to Cowes last Sunday after the UK IRC championship.

 

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Update 19th May 2025
Our Admirals Cup campaign is coming together under the direction of our Chef d’Equipe Michael Boyd. 

RORC has launched its event guide and you can download it here https://admiralscup.rorc.org/admirals-cup-event-guide-2025

Our small boat, Sunrise, went into the water on May 10th and has been christened! Sunrise is a JPK 1180 and incorporates a number of tweaks learnt by Skipper Tom Kneen’s previous campaigns in an earlier JPK1180. The latest Sunrise is lighter and has a taller rig. Initial impressions from early test sailing are that the boat will sail well to its IRC Time Correction Factor (TCF). Sunrise’s first race will be the RORC Myth of Malham race. Starting in Cowes on May 21st, the race fleet heads West along the first part of the Fastnet race course, rounding the Eddystone Lighthouse and back to Cowes. 

Privateer has completed it programme of optimisation over the winter and has undergone sea trials in the US. She is currently aboard the ship Stadion Cracht. She departed Port Everglades, just north of Miami, on May 14th and is heading for St Thomas and Guadaloupe before crossing the Atlantic and arriving in Southampton in early June. She is expected to be launched on June 8th. 

We are currently finalising the design of event related clothing and will be launching this in the next few weeks. This will be available for members to pre-order in due course.

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RORC Press Release - 19th March 2025

Royal Hong Kong & Royal Irish Yacht Clubs Set Sail for the Admiral’s Cup
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is delighted to announce that 15 teams from around
the world have entered the 2025 Admiral’s Cup prior to the 28thFebruary deadline. The Royal
Irish & Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club entries add to the impressive lineup. Late entries are
still available, if approved by the RORC, to join the 30 international boats that will be
competing for the Admiral’s Cup.

2025 Admiral’s Cup Entry List 

Among the latest competitors to officially enter the 2025 Admiral’s Cup are the Royal Irish
Yacht Club (RIYC) which has assembled a team of proven winners from blue riband races.
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) has an equally impressive line-up, including a
brand new boat built for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup.

Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC):
Irish teams have a rich history competing in the Admiral's Cup dating back 13 editions since
1965. Although an Irish team has never won the golden trophy, Ireland came very close in
1979. Leading the regatta going into the tragic Fastnet Race, two of the Irish boats broke
their rudders, ending their challenge for victory.
The Royal Irish YC has committed to the 2025 Admiral’s Cup, fielding two distinguished
yachts. Ron O’Hanley’s Cookson 50 Privateer will race in the big boat class. Privateer won
the 2013 RORC Caribbean 600 overall under IRC and was second overall in the 2017 Rolex
Fastnet Race. Privateer is currently the only boat in the Admiral’s Cup that has a canting
keel; the last was Bob Oatley's Wild Oats, scoring an emphatic win in the big boat class, to
win the 2003 Admiral’s Cup for Australia.
Royal Irish team Chef D’Equipe Michael Boyd commented: “Royal Irish Commodore Tim
Carpenter has a vision that this Admiral’s Cup should help to lead an increase in interest for
offshore racing in the club. It’s a longer-term plan and this is a key part of this campaign. A
number of the Admiral’s Cup sailors are joining the club; people like Ian Walker who has
offered to come and talk to our younger sailors.”
Ian Walker hails from Great Britain but his passion for Irish sailing was ignited when he was
skipper of Green Dragon, the Irish flagged entry in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race. Walker
has raced in several editions of the Admiral’s Cup.
“I come from a generation that had the chance to sail in the Admiral’s Cup and it was always
the stepping stone into big projects,” commented Walker. “I think it's especially important for
the younger guys and girls to get the same opportunity that we had. The RORC have
obviously come up with a formula that's attractive and it's going to be great to have so many
teams wanting to be part of it.”
Tom Kneen’s new JPK 1180 is Sunrise IV. Kneen and his crew have been one of the most
successful combinations in offshore racing over the past five years, taking Sunrise III to
overall victory in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race, a controversial second overall in the 2021
Rolex Middle Sea Race, and more recently overall winner for the 2024 Cowes Dinard St
Malo Race. The new Sunrise IV will be racing in class against another two JPK 1180s; Per
Roman’s Garm (RORC Red) and Giovanni Stronati’s JPK Django (YCCS).

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC):
Hong Kong has raced five times in the Admiral’s Cup, consecutively from 1975 to 1981.
Their last appearance was in 1995 in which Karl Kwok’s ICL 40 Beau Geste was part of the
team. Kwok’s TP52 Beau Geste is the big boat for Hong Kong for the 2025 regatta and is
now based in Cowes. Kwok’s teams have won three offshore world championships and the
RORC Caribbean 600.
Notable victories around the world for Kwok’s TP52 Beau Geste include IRC Zero in the
2024 IRC European Championships, IRC Zero in the 2021 52 Super Series in Puerto
Portals, Spain and IRC A for the 2015 Hamilton Island Race Week, Australia.
Hong Kong YC member Karl Kwok has commissioned a new boat for Admiral’s Cup IRC
Class Two. Beau Ideal is a Botin 40 which is undergoing final construction at Carrington
Boats in Hythe, Hampshire.
Royal Hong Kong YC team Programme Manager is Gavin Brady who has been a seasoned
campaigner for Karl Kwok for 30 years, including the 1995 Admiral’s Cup. Brady has
competed in six America’s Cup campaigns, the Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Races. His
involvement with the Beau Geste team and their preparations for the upcoming competition
underscore the Admiral’s Cup’s active role in the evolving offshore yacht racing.
“The vision for the Botin 40 Beau Ideal was to build a PAC40, so to speak, but there is no
such thing as a free lunch,” commented Brady. “If you are building a boat that can race
inshore and offshore, there has to be compromises, but the overall philosophy was to keep
things as simple as possible. In many ways, Beau Ideal is more normal than some of the
other designs racing. You are not going to walk down the dock and say ‘wow’ but it will be a
boat that is capable of racing all the 600-milers, transatlantic, and also be just as competitive
inshore.”
Brady commented that there are no penetrations in the cockpit and proper water-sealed
hatches, all with the goal of keeping Beau Ideal dry down below, but the simplicity of the boat
goes further than just water-proofing.
“Beau Ideal will have only one instrument display on the mast and we will have just a single
rudder. The water-ballast is a simple three button system – in, transfer and out. The mast will
not be a fancy design, the sails will be simple and we will not have any complex take-down
lines or sheet rollers. So, it's good old-fashioned sailing - how many years has it been since
we've done that?”
The Royal Hong Kong squad will be a mixture of the regular Beau Geste team, blended with
younger sailors, many of which Brady has got to know through the World Match Racing Tour.
“We are investing in younger sailors and the Royal Hong Kong YC is very supportive and
excited that we will be competing. Well done to the RORC for scheduling the Admiral’s Cup
well in advance – it makes logistics far more economic and manageable, especially when
you are building a new boat. We plan to be training and racing both Beau Geste and Beau
Ideal in May,” concluded Brady.
The 2025 Admiral’s Cup is set to be a landmark event, marking the centenary of the Royal
Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and it will also be held biennially. The 2025 regatta has
attracted 15 teams from prominent yacht clubs around the world. After a break of 22 years
the Admiral’s Cup returns to Cowes this summer and promises to be a breathtaking display
of hi-tech racing.

For more information about the Admiral’s Cup: www.admiralscup.rorc.org
Ends/.. Louay Habib/RORC
 

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First Release - 21st February 2025
The Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), is proud to announce its participation in the 2025 Admiral's Cup. The Admiral’s Cup, often dubbed the ‘unofficial world cup’ of offshore racing, was first established in 1957, and is one of the most prestigious and cherished competitions in the sailing community. 2025 is the first year the Admiral’s Cup is being held in twenty-two years. The event will take place at the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) at Cowes, Isle of Wight from July 19th to August 1st.

Since the Admiral’s Cup event was first held in 1957, thirteen Irish teams have competed, coming closest to victory in 1979. For the 2025 Cup, the Royal Irish Yacht Club is determined to bring the prestigious trophy to Ireland for the first time, assembling a solid and competitive team to do so. 

Under Chef d’Equipe Michael Boyd, a past Commodore RORC, the RIYC team for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup will comprise of Ron O’Hanley’s Privateer, a Cookson 50 and Tom Kneen’s Sunrise IV, a JPK 1180.

Privateer, skippered by Ron O’Hanley has an impressive record, including winning the overall prize at the RORC Caribbean 600. This is a major 11-island 600 mile race around the Caribbean islands with some of the world's top sailors and crews competing from all over the world. As well as coming second overall in the 2017 Fastnet Race they currently hold the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle course record at 19 hours and 19 minutes.

Tom Kneen is renowned as an offshore racing skipper. He and his crew have been one of the most successful combinations in offshore racing over the past five years taking Sunrise III to victory in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race. The Fastnet Race is a biennial offshore yacht race, named after the Fastnet Rock off southern Ireland which the racecourse rounds. They also placed second in the Middle Sea race in 2021, and more recently won the Cowes Dinard St Malo Race, in 2024.

The RIYC's participation underscores the Club’s commitment to achieving excellence in offshore sailing and honours its rich maritime heritage. With a formidable team, the RIYC is ready to compete at the highest level at the Cup this summer.