RYA Scotland's Celtic Cup 2026 Showcases Sailors' Skill and Spirit
by RYA 4 Feb 04:10 PST
31 January -1 February 2026
Glasgow 2026 Mascot Finnie with RYA Scotland CEO Finlo Cottier - Celtic Cup 2026 © RYA Scotland
More than 30 young sailors from Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales came together at Port Edgar over the weekend [31st Jan - 1st February] for RYA Scotland's 2026 Celtic Cup - an annual event hosted on rotation by RYA Scotland, RYA Northern Ireland and RYA Cymru Wales, offering a high-energy celebration of youth sailing talent across the Celtic nations.
Competitors battled strong winds on Saturday, completing seven races, before lighter conditions on Sunday halted further competition. RYA Northern Ireland was crowned Top Nation, with Wales second and Scotland third.
Individual results included:
- Cameron McDaid (Scotland) - 1st ILCA
- Adam Green (Northern Ireland) - 1st Topper
- Emily Macafee (Northern Ireland) - 1st Girl, ILCA
- Sophie Venning (Wales) - 1st Girl, Topper
This year's event carried added significance following confirmation that sailing will debut at the Malta 2027 Youth Commonwealth Games, strengthening the performance pathway for young athletes across the home nations.
Leaning into the Commonwealth excitement was a special guest 'Finnie', the official mascot of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Finnie delighted sailors, coaches, and volunteers alike - touring the boat park, posing for photos, and even joining the race committee afloat to cheer on competitors.
Finnie's appearance also tied in with the latest campaign from Glasgow 2026 - All In, a nationwide call for communities across Scotland to celebrate the Games in their own way, from ceilidhs and club open days to local sport festivals. The campaign, launched as part of the six-month countdown, aims to spark grassroots excitement and community pride through locally led events and activities across the country with Glasgow 2026 providing free All In branding, digital toolkits and opportunities for activities to be showcased on Glasgow 2026 channels.
Looking further ahead than 2026, the inclusion of sailing in the 2027 Youth Commonwealth Games strengthens the performance pathway for young athletes across the home nations, underlining the value of events like the Celtic Cup in developing skills, confidence and lasting friendships.
Speaking on Finnie's appearance and the Commonwealth connection, RYA Scotland CEO Finlo Cottier said:
"It was brilliant to see Finnie interacting with sailors in the boat park during the weekend and spreading some Commonwealth Games excitement. There was a lot of buzz around the place, and we managed to get Finnie on the water as well, all kitted out with a lifejacket. She was very well behaved in the boat, and got to experience the conditions out there which is great.
"It's a hugely exciting moment for our young sailors, knowing their sport will feature in the 2027 Youth Commonwealth Games in Malta. With that momentum building, it felt fitting to embrace the growing Commonwealth Games buzz during what is a special period for Scottish sport more broadly."
Reflecting on the weekend, RYA Scotland Pathway Manager Jamie Rogers said:
"This weekend's racing was a brilliant showcase of talent across the home nations, as well as the camaraderie between teams.
"Sailors responded really well to the challenging conditions and threw themselves into some very close racing. Even with light winds on day two, the enthusiasm never dipped - they made the most of the chance to catch up and socialise with friends from across the Home Nations.
"A huge thanks to the sailors for everything they put into the event, and to all the support teams who make it possible."
RYA Scotland extends thanks to RYA Northern Ireland, RYA Cymru Wales, event volunteers, coaches, parents, Sea Cadets' Port Edgar Boat Station, and Fordell Firs Scouts Centre for their support.
A special thanks also goes to Principal Race Officer Ann Roy - recently named Scotland's 'Technical Official of the Year' at the Scottish Sport Awards - whose expertise ensured sailors enjoyed some top racing throughout the weekend.
The Celtic Cup will return in 2027, hosted next year by RYA Cymru Wales.
Northern Ireland Sailing Team make it two in a row
The NI Sailing Team delivered a credible performance last weekend to retain the Celtic Cup. Notable performances from our NI Athletes include Cormac Byrne and Joseph Robinson (BYC) in 2nd and 4th, respectively, in the ILCA 6 Class were Emily McAfee (BYC) also claimed First Girl.
In the Junior Topper Class Adam Green (LEYC), Ben McCaldin (LEYC) and Leo Westhurst (BYC) were 1st, 2nd and 3rd, making it an NI Podium.
Off the water, this event offers the sailors time with their peers from other nations, to plan their seasons, make new friends and gain independence away from home and their families.
"To win the Celtic Cup is a great outcome for our Sailors. To then retain the Cup shows depth and consistency. We have many other classes getting of the ground but it is important not to lose momentum with the Topper and ILCA as our primary fleets. We can always improve, and there a few areas will now address before the season really gets going, but I am proud of the team's performance," said Anrew Baker, RYANI Perfromance Manager.
The team's success at Port Edgar is an encouraging season opener and provides momentum heading into upcoming competitions, including a 'home games' as Ballyholme YC host the Irish Sailing Youth Championships in April.
Although the overall points difference between Northern Ireland and their Scottish and Welsh counterparts was very small, the weekend finished with a Northern Irish clean sweep after team victories in the Topper and ILCA 6 class.
Royal Yachting Association of Northern Ireland Performance Manager Andrew Baker said: "A clean sweep is fantastic but I don't think the scores reflect just how close the racing really was. The other nations were definitely pushing hard, which is fantastic to see.
"They say you earn the medals in the winter and you gain them in summer. It's not what you do this weekend but it's all the training sessions we've been doing previously.
"It was pretty windy and hard work this morning. I think at times they had only 30 seconds rest between races so everyone looked pretty 'gassed'! You could clearly see in the results those sailors who had put the effort in with their fitness because talent only gets you so far.
"For a lot of these guys, they're going to go to the ILCA Europeans or Topper Worlds and it's very easy to get stuck in your nation or little group. This event spreads that out and just makes life so much easier."
Conditions all weekend were challenging and sailors had to contend with the strong tides and variable winds of Strangford Lough.
Welsh ILCA 6 sailor, Flo Tovey said: "It was 'snakes and ladders' racing out there really, especially with the tide, waves and wind coming from all over. It was quite hard to pick out your priorities for the upwinds, but I think I managed to do that pretty well in some of the races.
"I've been training with the Welsh Squad and GB Youth Squad so it's nice to get some racing in with the other nations. I was training out in Valencia recently with some of the Irish and Scottish ILCA sailors so it's nice to come together for some racing with your friends.
With such high-quality opposition, this is a great achievement for those Northern Irish sailors and coaches involved.