Mayo Mayhem delivers big waves and massive performances
WITH big winds, massive waves, incredible performances and an international crew, Mayo Mayhem powered by RWE 2026 delivered a weekend to remember on Ireland’s wild Atlantic coast.
Just a week before the event, there were doubts whether the conditions would arrive in time. But the Atlantic had other ideas! What followed was arguably the biggest and best Mayo Mayhem yet, with riders travelling from across Ireland, Britain, France, Poland and beyond to battle it out in some truly epic conditions.
After a brilliant Thursday warm-up at Elly and Cross Beach, Friday saw the competition get underway at Cross Beach.
Southwest winds, a solid Atlantic swell and glorious sunshine provided the perfect opening day. Nearly 20 heats were completed across the Amateur, Women's, Under 18 and Pro fleets before a massive spring tide eventually brought proceedings to a halt.
The atmosphere was buzzing, the standard was already high, and everyone knew the best was still to come.
Saturday delivered the conditions everyone had travelled for.
Solid side-shore winds, logo- to mast-high waves and sails down to 3.4–3.7m transformed Elly Beach into a spectacular competition arena.
With the waves building and the wind continuing to strengthen, the level of sailing went through the roof. Huge forwards, backloops, push loops and powerful wave riding kept spectators glued to the action.
The Pro competition produced some of the most impressive sailing ever seen at Mayo Mayhem.
The semi-finals were packed with action, including a massive double-forward attempt from Irish wave-sailing legend Timo Mullen. Although he narrowly missed the final, it was one of the standout moments of the weekend.
The final brought together France's Baptiste Cloarec and Nicolas Quéméner, Britain's Lucas Meldrum and Ireland's Julius Byrne.
Meldrum looked unstoppable early on, combining powerful wave riding with stylish aerial moves. Byrne was also on fire, while Cloarec gradually built momentum with huge backloops and a spectacular one-handed Goiter.
Then, in the closing minutes, Cloarec launched into a massive push loop, scoring 8.67 points and sealing victory with a winning heat total of 31.37.
PRO RESULTS
1st Baptiste Cloarec – France
2nd Lucas Meldrum – UK
3rd Nicolas Quéméner – France
4th Julius Byrne – Ireland
AMATEURS
The Amateur fleet delivered fierce competition throughout the weekend, culminating in a final held in some of the biggest conditions of the event.
With logo- to mast-high waves rolling through, Mark Henderson and Pawel Jankowski went head-to-head in a thrilling battle.
A clean forward loop proved decisive, giving Henderson the points needed to take the title ahead of Jankowski, with Irish rider Cathal Clarke completing the podium.
Results:
1st Mark Henderson – UK
2nd Pawel Jankowski – Poland / Ireland
3rd Cathal Clarke – Ireland
4th Clément Créach – France
WOMEN
The Women's fleet delivered another fantastic international contest, with Irish riders Amy O'Donnell and Aoife Cooke facing French challengers Taina Postec and Maïwenn Deffontaines in the final.
In demanding wind and waves, local rider Amy O'Donnell rose to the occasion, producing a brilliant performance to claim the Women's title on home waters.
Results:
1st Amy O'Donnell – Ireland
2nd Taina Postec – France
3rd Maïwenn Deffontaines – France
4th Aoife Cooke – Ireland
UNDER 18S
One of the biggest developments for 2026 was the introduction of Mayo Mayhem's first Under 18 fleet.
Joshua Roberts, Oscar Roe, Mateusz Lotocki and Sam Comey showed incredible enthusiasm and courage, tackling some of the biggest conditions many had ever experienced.
With the wind and waves continuing to build, the safety team eventually called a halt to the youth competition. Joshua Roberts claimed the inaugural Under 18 title, but all four young riders deserve huge credit.
The future of Irish wave sailing looks bright.
The Future Pro / Mikey Clancy Award went to Fionn Lynch, whose infectious enthusiasm, positivity and love of windsurfing perfectly captured the spirit of the event.
MORE THAN JUST A COMPETITION
With the heats completed, everyone returned to Una's Pub in Blacksod for the prize-giving, food, drinks and the legendary DJ Mayhem celebrations.
And the sailing didn't stop there. Sunday brought more fantastic conditions at Cross Beach and Faulmore, while those who stayed on were rewarded with another logo-high session at Elly on Monday.
What makes Mayo Mayhem special isn't simply the results. It's the atmosphere, the friendships and the sight of international professionals, Irish locals, dedicated amateurs and young talent sharing the same waves.
The 2026 edition had it all: exceptional conditions, outstanding performances, dramatic finals and an incredible sense of community.
* Report: Malcolm Scott
* Photos: Marco Cavalleri, Maleen Hoekstra, Matthew Burridge and Conor Ryan