GP14 World Championship 2026 at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club - Day 2
by Angela Hunter 11 Aug 01:47 PDT
8-14 August 2026
After the rain, cold and dramatic wind shifts of opening day, Belfast Lough showed competitors a very different side on Monday as sunshine and a steady north-easterly breeze provided near-perfect conditions for Races Two and Three of the 2026 GP14 World Championship.
Irish pairing Sam Street and Josh Lloyd were the standout performers of the day, taking back-to-back race victories, while Irish Olympian Ger Owens and Mel Morris continued their impressive championship with second and third-place finishes.
Monday dawned bright, sunny - and completely windless - giving competitors and volunteers an unexpectedly relaxed morning ashore at the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club while they waited for the forecast breeze to arrive.
By noon, conditions were beginning to improve and Race Officer Ruan O'Tiárnaigh released the fleet to launch, setting the course in Helen's Bay, approximately three miles east of the Club.
By 1.30pm the international fleet had reached the race area and, with a steady eight-knot north-easterly breeze established across Belfast Lough, Race Two got under way cleanly at 2.20pm.
It proved to be an exceptionally tight contest.
Sam Street and Josh Lloyd of Ireland claimed the Race Two victory, finishing just six seconds ahead of fellow Irish pairing Ger Owens and Mel Morris. Great Britain's Oli Hale took third, only 14 seconds behind the winners.
With the breeze holding, the race team was able to turn the fleet around for Race Three later in the afternoon.
Once again, Street and Lloyd proved the pair to beat, securing their second victory of the day. This time Oli Hale moved up to second place, finishing just 13 seconds behind, while Ger Owens and Mel Morris completed another excellent race in third, only 27 seconds off the winners.
The close finishing margins demonstrated just how competitive racing has become among the leading boats, with very little separating the front of the fleet after more than an hour on the water.
Following two successful championship races, competitors enjoyed the long and scenic sail westwards back along Belfast Lough towards Cultra, arriving ashore after 6pm hungry, happy and - in stark contrast to Sunday - warm and dry.
Local sailor Ross Kearney also enjoyed a strong day on home waters, recording fourth and 11th-place finishes and praising the race management team, courses and quality of racing.
Master boat builder Alistair Duffin was equally appreciative of Monday's improved conditions, particularly after the relentless rain and cold experienced during Sunday's challenging opening day.
Meanwhile, Hender Blewitt of Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club in the North East of England secured two good mid-fleet results. Blewitt credited some of his improvement to the mentoring and boat-setting advice he had received from his dinghy-park neighbour Ross Gingles, highlighting the camaraderie that has become as much a feature of this World Championship as the competition itself.
Monday's racing was sponsored by Goacher Sails and Clamcleats, with both races successfully completed after the weather frustrations of the opening day.
After three championship races, the fleet has now experienced almost every side of Belfast Lough - from Sunday's rain, cold and dramatic wind shifts to Monday's sunshine and steady breeze.
And with Street and Lloyd recording two bullets in a single afternoon, the battle for the 2026 GP14 World Championship title is beginning to take shape.
Race Two Results: (top three)
1st - Sam Street & Josh Lloyd (IRL)
2nd - Ger Owens & Mel Morris (IRL)
3rd - Oli Hale (GBR) & Harry Shaw
Race Three Results: (top three)
1st - Sam Street & Josh Lloyd (IRL)
2nd - Oli Hale (GBR) & Harry Shaw
3rd - Ger Owens & Mel Morris (IRL)