The fifth Women at the Helm (WATH) Regatta 2026 (WATH) took place at the National Yacht Club over the weekend of June 12th-14th, with the Water Wag WATH Regatta race held on Wednesday June 10th in keeping with the Wag tradition of holding each club’s regatta race on the previous Wednesday.
The WATH Regatta was held in conjunction with the National Yacht Club Regatta on Saturday June 13th with WATH racing continuing on Sunday June 14th. Event organiser Ann Kirwan, along with her organising committee aimed to deliver a fun-filled, female-led, event on and off the water.
The WATH Regatta, kindly supported by Sia, kicked off with a speaker supper on Friday evening with Bryan Dobson in conversation with leading sports psychologist Kate Kirby, and offshore sailors Gráinne Costigan and Pamela Lee, both of whom are competing in the round Ireland race which starts on Saturday June 20th. The speakers inspirational stories enthralled the packed NYC dining room.
Over 60 women took the helm in the regatta on boats ranging from 44 footers to Flying Fifteens and Water Wags. Many more female crews partook – well over 150 of them. Saturday’s NYC and WATH racing was run by Race Officers Con Murphy, John McNeilly and Suzanne McGarry, while Mairead NiCheallachain ran Sunday’s WATH racing aboard DBSC committee vessel Freebird. Saturday’s race took place in moderate to breezy conditions, while Sunday’s race took place in sunny conditions with light easterly winds. Entries included 2 boats from Wicklow, while sailors from HYC crewed on NYC’s Echo 90, and offshore Sailor Gráinne Costigan and her French team mate sailed on NYC J80 Jay-Z.
Newly elected NYC Commodore Rosemary Cadogan presented the WATH Regatta prizes in glorious sunshine on the NYC platform on Sunday afternoon.
As well as the class prizes, the two premier prizes were presented. The inaugural Woman at the Helm overall prize – the O’Connor family trophy, was awarded to Sarah Cooney on J80 Joyride. The Roy Family Trophy was awarded to the winning 3-boat team of NYC’s J80 Sea Jade helmed by Clare Gorman, DB21 Oola helmed by Jean O’Driscoll, and Ruffian 23 Bandit helmed by Ann Kirwan.
