2025 Doyle Sails GP14 Championship of Ireland at Rush Sailing Club

2025 Doyle Sails GP14 Championship of Ireland at Rush Sailing Club © Lauren O'Hare, Aisling Kelly & Andy Johnston

Despite the late August calendar providing events such as Fireball Worlds (Lake Garda) and the Melges15 National Championship (Howth) that included possibly 8-10 GP14 regulars, Rush Sailing Club played host to a fantastic edition of the GP14 Irish Nationals over the weekend of August 22-24.

With 41 on the water, it was the biggest GP14 event across Ireland and the UK since the 2024 Worlds. A great sign of the class's continued momentum, especially among its growing group of youth and junior sailors. It was also the first event since Keith and Matteo Louden took a tremendous 2nd place at the 2025 UK Nationals raced in Tenby in early August.

Despite a long association with the GP14 Class and with the Class resurgent in recent years, this was the first occasion the GP14 Championship of Ireland was hosted by Rush Sailing Club.

The three-day event delivered a full and competitive race programme despite some light and challenging conditions. With tight racing across the fleet and some standout performances from both experienced and up-and-coming pairs.

2025 Doyle Sails GP14 Championship of Ireland at Rush Sailing Club - photo © Lauren O'Hare, Aisling Kelly & Andy Johnston

Day One

Friday began slowly, with competitors waiting nearly two hours on the water as light conditions stalled the schedule. Eventually, a light southeasterly settled in, and the race committee got two races away:

• Race 1 winners: Ross Kearney & Daniel Nelson (Royal North of Ireland YC)
• Race 2 winners: John & Donal McGuinness (Moville Boat Club)

2025 Doyle Sails GP14 Championship of Ireland at Rush Sailing Club - photo © Lauren O'Hare, Aisling Kelly & Andy Johnston

Day Two

Saturday delivered more stable conditions with 7-9 knots from the southeast. Multiple general recalls early in the day prompted PRO Scorie Walls to introduce the black flag, which helped keep the fleet in check. UK Nationals runner up Keith & Matteo Louden unfortunately were holed in a collison and missed 3 races putting an end to their efforts to win the Championship. Four races were completed, making for a busy and productive day on the water:

• Races 3 & 4: Ger Owens & Melanie Morris (Wicklow SC/East Antrim BC)
• Race 5: Coleman Grimes & Ross Gingles (Rush Sailing Club/Skerries Sailing Club)
• Race 6: Ross Kearney & Daniel Nelson (Royal North of Ireland YC)

Day 3 of the 2025 Doyle Sails GP14 Championship of Ireland at Rush Sailing Club - photo © Lauren O'Hare, Aisling Kelly & Andy Johnston

Day Three

Sunday's conditions remained consistent, with a steady breeze and two final races to close out the championship. General recalls returned to start the day, and several boats fell foul of the black flag in Race 7. Going into Race 8, was tight between Grimes and Kearney, but the continued use of the black flag saw Kearney out of the race:

• Race 7: Ger Owens & Melanie Morris (WSC/EABC) led from the front in a dominant performance.
• Race 8: Sam Street & Josh Lloyd (Blessing Lakes Sailing Club) delivered a strong win, highlighting the rising standard among the youth fleet.

Overall Results:

Gold Fleet
1st - Ger Owens & Melanie Morris (Wicklow SC/East Antrim BC/Rst George YC)
2nd - Coleman Grimes & Ross Gingles (Rush Sailing Club/Skerries Sailing Club)
3rd - Ross Kearney & Daniel Nelson (Royal North of Ireland YC)

Silver Fleet
1st - Adam Torrens & Emily Torrens (Newtownard SC/Lough Erne YC)
2nd - Jessica Greer & Mark Greer (Sligo Yacht Club)
3rd - Patrick Hamilton & Adam Nelson (East Down YC)

Bronze Fleet
1st - Riaghan Boardman & Maedbh Butterly (Rush Sailing Club)
2nd - Matthew Street & Denis Cully (Blessing Lakes Sailing Club)
3rd - Aisling Kelly & Matthew Kelly (Rush Sailing Club)

Youth & Junior Champion
1st - Dvaid Evans & William Draper (Sligo Yacht Club)

Leading Female Helm
1st - Jessica Greer (Sligo Yacht Club)

Masters Champion
1st - John & Donal McGuinness (Moville Boar Club)

Winners of the 2025 Doyle Sails GP14 Championship of Ireland at Rush Sailing Club - photo © Lauren O'Hare, Aisling Kelly & Andy Johnston

The race management team, led by PRO Scorie Walls, alongside Mike Head and Ronan MacDonell, did an exceptional job delivering quality racing going smoothly despite the testing wind and tidal conditions. Their professionalism ensured the championship maintained a high standard throughout.

Rush Sailing Club also shone off the water, with catering provided each evening and live music keeping the atmosphere lively ashore. Event organiser Paul Kelly coordinated a superb team of volunteers who ensured everything ran seamlessly — from laying marks to lifting trailers to keeping the kitchen turning over. Commodore Paul O'Hare expressed his delight at hosting the fleet, noting how proud he was of the home club's sailors and adding, "They're a great bunch to have, the GP14 fleet, and we'd love to have them again."

Runners up during the 2025 Doyle Sails GP14 Championship of Ireland at Rush Sailing Club - photo © Lauren O'Hare, Aisling Kelly & Andy Johnston

A huge thanks go to the generous event sponsors — Doyle Sails IRL, Swords Motor Group, Grimes Estate Agents, and Ellab — whose support made the event possible. David Kelly of Doyle Sails presented spinnakers to the overall winners in each fleet, setting them up nicely for the season ahead which includes the GP14 World Championships to be hosted in Ireland by Royal North of Ireland YC in August 2026.

The GP14 season continues with the Autumn Open and Youth Championship hosted by Blessington Lake Sailing Club. With momentum high and youth energy driving the fleet forward, the future of GP14 racing in Ireland is looking brighter than ever.

Overall Results: