Snoopy, the Joubert/Nievelt designed Quarter Tonner with bases at Courtown Sailing Club in Wexford and Royal Ulster on Belfast Lough can most certainly be classed Top Dog after Marty Mahon's consistent top three performance at the ICRA Nationals in Dublin Bay last weekend. The annual championship regatta resumed after a 25-month gap due to the Covid crisis, with 80 crews entered from 17 clubs around Ireland to decide four titles under the IRC rating system.

The event was run with precision and afforded superb competition in all five classes. Of particular interest in Northern Ireland Waters was the performance of the five boats from that region, Forty Licks and Game Changer in Class 0, Hijacker and Le Basculer in Class 1 and Snoopy in Class 3.

Forty Licks, Jay Colville's First 40CR from RUYC, had an excellent regatta taking second overall in IRC Zero

Shaun Douglas's Beneteau 40.7 Game Changer, from Cockle Island Boat Club, finished fourth in IRC Zero

Marty Mahon was delighted with the win in Snoopy; " It meant a lot to everyone to be back out racing after such a long period so many thanks to ICRA and the National Yacht Club. It was a shame to see Quest have to retire from the regatta. They are great friends and supported us all the way. Very much looking forward to meeting them on the start line at the next event. On a personal note, it meant a huge amount to me to be out racing with close friends and family from home. It was really special.

A big thanks to my brothers James and Sean, our super crew of Brian Allen, Jonathan Sutton, David Switzer, Matthew O'Gorman and most of all, my wife Joanne for the surprise birthday present of Snoopy this year."

The Snoopy crew on their way to overall IRC 3 victory on Dublin Bay...

...and toasting success dockside at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Forty Licks, Jay Colville's First 40CR from RUYC, had an excellent regatta, managing to squeeze into second overall between Kaya, Frank Whelan's J 122 from Greystones Sailing Club and Jump Juice from Royal Cork. Kaya emerged overall winners of the annual Irish Cruiser Racing Association National championships with four straight wins, which meant the final day wasn't needed for Whelan's team, who won the Class Zero title, as well as the overall event win.

Only Forty Licks came close to challenging the Wicklow boat by counting four top three results. Conor Phelan's Ker 37 Jump Juice from the Royal Cork YC took third place. Colville was pleased with their performance; "Despite not having sailed as a team for two years, my crew is awesome, the best – and they stay consistent. The wind strengths were perfect for racing. My thanks go to all at ICRA and the Dun Laoghaire clubs".

Stuart Cranston's Strangford Lough YC Ker 32 Hijacker

Le Basculer, Mike Spence's Archambault A35 from Killyleagh Yacht Club

And another Belfast Lough boat, Shaun Douglas's Beneteau 40.7 Game Changer, from the small Groomsport club, Cockle Island Boat Club, finished fourth, having given Jump Juice from Royal Cork a run for their money. They finished on equal points (17), with the tie split in Jump Juice's favour.

In the Class 1 B fleet, the two Strangford Lough Le Basculer, Mike Spence's Archambault A35 from Killyleagh Yacht Club and Stuart Cranston's Strangford Lough YC Ker 32 finished 4th and 5th.