YM Celtic Triangle sailors arrive in Kinsale

A mixture of skilled and Corinthian shorthanded offshore racers began the Yachting Month-to-month Celtic Triangle Race from Falmouth on Sunday eighth June, with the ultimate boats ending in Kinsale within the early hours of tenth June 2025, the place they had been welcomed by the Kinsale Yacht Membership. Yachting Month-to-month’s Jayne Toyne defined:

‘Leg one was the everyday combined bag of climate and sea state, delivered in typical Celtic Sea fashion, with quick waves that slap you within the face with out a lot warning. On J105 Jaldi, one inexperienced wave got here aboard and deposited a really startled fish on our decks, earlier than it swam aft and was flicked overboard.’

Leg one was began by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Membership on the Pendennis line in calm circumstances, however freshened considerably on the fleet crossed the Celtic Sea, with later boats battling by means of 25-knot headwinds and tough seas to succeed in the end line off Kinsale, after crusing a distance of roughly 190 miles. The quickest boat took someday, three hours and 24 minutes, whereas the final boat in crossed the road after someday, 21 hours and 9 minutes. Leg one – full outcomes.

Boats line up forward of the beginning of Leg 1 of the Yachting Month-to-month Celtic Triangle Race at Pendennis Level, Cornwall on eighth June 2025.Photograph: Luke Williams

The winner of Class 1, double-handed JPK 1030 Il Corvo from the Netherlands, had a difficult first half, however went on to steer the fleet for the latter a part of the leg, and to be the primary boat over the end line in a time of someday, three hours and 24 minutes.  

‘There have been a whole lot of drained faces on arrival in Kinsale. Those who arrived earlier did so in thick fog and needed to place confidence in their electronics to navigate them to the cardinal mark end line,’

stated Jayne Toyne.

‘Those who arrived later had been gifted clearing skies and a moonlit sea.’

Getting into Kinsale at evening having crossed the end line of leg one within the YM Celtic Triangle race. Photograph: Jayne Toyne

Skipper Roeland Franssens commented on the race: 

‘The beginning from Falmouth was beautiful, and we had been with the main bunch coming round Lizard. Within the UKDHOS sequence we’re by no means actually the main boat, so earlier than the race we had been probably not into expectations.

‘Recreation plan was to remain clear from Lizard, having had our moments once we becalmed behind the lighthouse, and keep exterior the bay going to Lands Finish. The primary name was a mistake, the group behind us went inshore and would already tack forward which we didn’t anticipate. We knew the final miles might get a bit extra sporty. Course and pace weren’t very regular. It saved us awake as we needed to maintain doing the tweaks.

‘Fortunately the end was in Irish fashion. Within the final couple of miles we might see the cliffs popping out of the mist. May it’s extra romantic? The welcome in Eire was grand and totally to expectations. The primary pints are in, whereas the fleet shortly arrived behind.’

J112e J’ouvert traces up forward of the beginning of Leg 1 of the Yachting Month-to-month Celtic Triangle Race at Pendennis Level, Cornwall on eighth June 2025.Photograph: Luke Williams

Division two was received by David Butters and Ian Braham crusing their JPK 10.10 Pleasure, ending in someday, three hours and 49 minutes.

The one Irish competitor Donal O’Halloran, racing to his house port of Kinsale, additionally achieved a terrific outcome, ending 2nd in Class 2. Racing on his Sunfast 3200R2 Sunfire, he commented after ending the race: 

‘As YMCTR virgins, my daughter Róisín and I had been massively enthusiastic about collaborating in our first offshore double handed race and Leg 1 didn’t disappoint. After a mild begin we had a terrific tactical beat to Lands Finish earlier than the enjoyable and video games began. 

‘Selecting to not take the within route, we had been swept by the tide far too near that bloody massive lighthouse – which is fairly scary within the pitch black. As a Dad to expertise your daughter calmly take over and reassuringly navigate our approach round it – with out bailing out, as I assumed we wanted to do, was an expertise I’ll always remember. I assume it’s moments and experiences like these that make quick handed crusing so particular.’

Division three victory was claimed at 22.30 by Gary Heward and Russell Hawkins aboard the Maxi 1100 AmyLou, in a time of someday, six hours and 10 minutes, adopted ten minutes later by James Hardiman, singlehanding his Dehler 38 Elsa.

The final finisher was David Faucher aboard his Rustler 36 Ventura, who completed at lunchtime the the subsequent day in a time of someday 21 hours and 9 minutes. Two boats retired from the leg, the Westerly Oceanlord Sulaco due to gentle airs and a foul tide round Lands Finish, the place skipper Andrew Moncrieff motored cleared so far as Longships, earlier than having fun with a ‘cracking sail shut hauled throughout the Celtic Sea’,  and the Forgus 37 Strona Hoga, after circumstances grew to become significantly boisterous. 

Night time watch on board J105 Jaldi

The harbour days are full of social occasions, a historic tour of the city by KYC Vice Commodore Anthony O’Neill, brewery excursions, in addition to alternatives to restore broken sails, type defective electrics and treatment thriller gasoline leaks. Crews queued up for the companies of the native marine electrician, whereas others leant one another sealant, spares and instruments to assist get all of the boats prepared for the subsequent and longest leg of the race.

The Yachting Month-to-month Celtic Triangle race is the rebirth of a basic occasion first launched in 1984. Enthusiasm to see the occasion revived from the Solo Offshore Racing Membership (SORC), the UK Doubehanded Offshore Sequence (UKDHOS), in addition to a number of veteran ‘Triangleurs’, coalesced across the Royal Cornwall Yacht Membership and noticed the occasion run once more for the primary time in seven years. It’s an offshore race meant to be a casual and pleasant in addition to aggressive occasion that’s open to each critical offshore racers and cruising sailors dipping their toe into offshore passage making and racing for the primary time. 

The three-legged course takes short-handed boats of a minimum of 25ft, from Falmouth to Kinsale, a distance of roughly 190nm, from Kinsale to Tréguier (300nm), and eventually Tréguier to Falmouth (110nm). The the second leg of the Celtic Triangle additionally acts as a qualifier for the Azores and Again Race (AZAB) 2027 entry.