FIONN Lyden has described Baltimore Sailing Club’s bronze medal success at the 2025 Team Racing World Championships as ‘pretty special.’
He is one of the local sailors that has put the Baltimore club on the world sailing map following their heroics at the prestigious New York Yacht Club.
‘Sailing and the water is a massive part of the community in Baltimore, so for a local team to win a world bronze medal is pretty special,’ Lyden told The Southern Star.
Representing Ireland, Baltimore Sailing Club was in esteemed company at the world championships based in Newport, Rhode Island.
The West Cork club battled it out with elite teams from around the world over four days of action to eventually finish in third place, behind winners Corinthian Yacht Club (USA) and Kiwi Racing (New Zealand) in second place.
‘This really is very prestigious because these world championships aren’t held every year,’ Lyden explained.
‘They were the first Team Racing World Championships since 2015 – that in itself added to it, being the first time it was held in ten years.
‘This is also a particular type of medal – it’s a World Sailing medal. There are world championships every year but they only designate World Sailing medals every four years – they normally do it in parallel to an Olympics.’
The Baltimore Sailing Club crew of Lyden, Johnny Durcan (team captain), Amy Harrington, Trudy O’Hare, Mark Hassett, Liam Glynn, Emma Geary and Michéal Ó Suilleabháin travelled in quiet confidence. They are comfortable with the team racing format, though had a lot of variables to contend with.
‘We knew we were good enough to be right up there,’ said Lyden who, along with team-mate Mark Hassett, is a former Rath National School pupil. It was there they first sailed this format at a schools’ national in 2007. Then they walked the corridors of Schull Community College where they were coached by ‘the guru’ Dave Harte. It has all helped prepare them for an event like this.
‘This crew has been training with each other for years, but there were a lot of unknowns – this was a slightly different format. In team racing we are used to sailing three boats v three boats in small dinghies whereas over there it was two boats v two boats, and they were in seven-metre keel boats,’ Lyden explained.
‘We had heard a lot about the other teams, but they are on the other side of the world so it’s not like we get to race them regularly.
‘Finishing third was probably above our expectations so we are thrilled.’
The Baltimore Sailing Club crew of, second from left, Johnny Durcan, Fionn Lyden, Michéal Ó Suilleabháin, Trudy O’Hare, Liam Glynn, Mark Hassett, Amy Harrington and Emma Geary.
There will be a knock-on benefit from this success, too. Baltimore is already a hot-spot for sailing, but winning a bronze medal on the world stage highlights the talent and potential within the region. Club Commodore Peter O'Flynn agrees.
‘We are immensely proud of our team for bringing home the bronze medal at the World Championships. Their performance in such a competitive and international field is a true reflection of the dedication, skill, and spirit that defines Baltimore Sailing Club,’ O'Flynn said.
‘This result not only showcases the strength of Irish sailing on the world stage but also inspires the next generation of sailors in West Cork and beyond. We’ll be flying the flag high for a long time to come.’
