Monkstown Bay Sailing Club in Cork Harbour has issued its Sailing Calendar for the season, following from successful Laser Frostbites it held in January and February.

The new Calendar runs to the Christmas Race this year for the Magner Trophy on St.Stephen’s Day, December 26.

After a break from club sailing in March, during which there has been a refurbishment of the dinghy park on the Sand Quay in the village, dinghy sailing for the season will begin on Saturday, April 9, with the RS Sprints.

MBSC will host the 505 Irish National Championships in July with Club Commodore Sandy Rimmington (above) playing a leading role Photo: Bob Bateman

The following weekend MBSC will host the RS Southerns, on April 16 and 17. Monthly Leagues begin in May and run until October.

The Club’s At Home will be held on Saturday, June 25 and its Sailing Courses are scheduled from June 20 to July 8.

There is a lot of focus at the club this year on the growth of the 505 fleet, with Club Commodore Sandy Rimmington leading preparations for MBSC participation in the World Championships which are being hosted by the Royal Cork YC at Crosshaven
from August 3-13.

As a preliminary to the Worlds, MBSC will host the Irish National Championships on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, July 2/3.

“There has been a rejuvenation of the 5O5 fleet, which had always been strong in Monkstown,” the MBSC Commodore said.

Twenty-knot blustery conditions brought the six-week Monkstown Bay Sailing Club Laser Winter League to a close in Cork Harbour yesterday.

The host club's Ronan Kenneally successfully defended the MBSC Yard of Ale Trophy with the experienced Rob Howe (also an SB20 sailor) taking second overall in the 20-boat dinghy fleet.

Paul O'Sullivan of the host club came up to third. One time series leader Kieran Dorgan of Cove Sailing Club slipped to fifth and Brendan Dwyer finished fourth. 

Rob Howe (centre) with Race Officer Alan Fehily (left) and MBSC Commodore Sandy Rimmington

Paul O'Sullivan (centre) with Race Officer Alan Fehily (left) and MBSC Commodore Sandy Rimmington

The overall leader of the Monkstown Bay Sailing Club Laser Winter League Ronan Kenneally (right) has a six-point lead going into next Saturday's final races in Cork Harbour.

Kenneally took the advantage on the penultimate Saturday to oust Cove's Kieran Dorgan from the top spot in the 20-boat fleet.

Races 13, 14 and 15 were solid races with some great gusts for fast downwind sailing that produced three different race winners in the competitive outing.

The first race was a windward-leeward course over three rounds on Monkstown Bay.

The wind rose from the southwest rose for the second and third races and Race Officer Alan Fehily added a triangle for the second round in both these races giving high speed reaches and a number of spills.

Sunday's Well sailor Paul O'Sullivan capsizes Photo: Bob Bateman

Scroll down for a photo gallery of Saturday's races plus vids by Mary Malone of the racing and a short interview with the MBSC Officer of the Day. 

MBSC Laser Winter League results

Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club Laser Winter League

Wins for Kieran Dorgan in races nine and ten of the Monkstown Bay Sailing Club Laser Winter League was a significant result for the Cove Sailing Club ace in Cork Harbour on Saturday.

Top scorer Dorgan was followed by two host club sailors Brendan Dwyer and Paul O'Sullivan in the light and patchy southwest winds. See overall results below.

Three quick races were sailed off Monkstown leaving six left to sail in the 20-boat series. Dorgan gave Mary Malone his view on the series for far in this vid below:

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club Laser Winter League after ten races sailed

 The fleet come ashore after racing at Monkstown Bay

Local helmsman Chris Bateman leads the Monkstown Bay Sailing Club Laser League after a light air seventh race was sailed in Cork Harbour on Saturday.

The single race sailed brings the lead to its half way stage. A race win for Bateman in ghosting conditions puts him ahead of clubmate Ronan Kenneally with Paul O'Sullivan of Sunday's Well lying third in the popular Frostbite series.

The painfully slow going is depicted in this video clip below by Mary Malone together with an overview from Brendan Dwyer who finished second in the race.

20 boats are competing in the series.

See photos and results in Bob Bateman's Photo Gallery below.

Saturday, January 15th, was day two of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club’s Laser Winter League in Cork Harbour.

A windless morning was in store for the competitors. The bay was calm and clear, and the air had a cold bite. Nonetheless, the ever-popular league had attracted a fleet of sixteen sailors who swarmed the sand quay in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The club hut was surrounded by hustling volunteers who prepared the equipment for the intense racing that was to unfold at Ten O'Clock. With the windward/leeward course set, crash boats launched and sailors dressed, racing could begin.

The first few lasers drifted their way out on a glassy bay. The view of white dinghies on a calm bay was lovely yet unpromising. Alas, the optimism of Race Officer Alan Fehily and his team could not be quenched, and the starting gun went on time.

MBSC Committee Boat and Race Officer Alan Fehily

The pin was crowded and it was a battlefield of lasers fighting their way off the start line for race one. The breeze picked up at a slow pace and the competitors sailed their boats with finesse around the course.

Taking an early lead was MBSC’s Ronan Kenneally who took on the shifty conditions at a rapid pace. Only a metre behind was Richie Harrington. The two pushed each other around the course for the duration of the race. Taking first place was Kenneally, closely followed by Harrington across the finish line.

Slightly more breeze filled the course for race two and an increased tidal flow made race tactics difficult. Battling it out for line honours were MBSC sailors Richie Harrington, Chris Bateman and Rob Howe. With an exciting tacking battle towards the finish line, Harrington took first place. Following in second was Bateman. Rob Howe finished in third, nearly overtaking first and second place boats while they battled it out.

Race three was the most difficult of them all. Tidelines and tricky wind conditions gave the competitors a traditional South Westerly Monkstown bay racecourse.

Excelling on all fronts was MBSC’S Paul O’Sullivan, who took an early lead. Untouchable for the duration of the race, he extended away from the fleet, finishing with a big lead. Ronan Kenneally followed in second place with the consistent Rob Howe finishing in third place.

Once again, the sailors were ashore before twelve noon. After putting the boats away, they converged in the Bosun to warm up chilly hands. It was another great morning’s racing on Monkstown Bay thanks to the fine race organisers and competitive sailors.

On December 26th, Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's (MBSC) annual Christmas event was held on the tranquil waters of Cork Harbour.

On the early Sunday morning, sailors in competitive spirit showed up on time to make the early start of ten o'clock.

The bay gleamed in the winter sunshine as people began to arrive at the Sand Quay. Although the sunrise was a pretty sight, it revealed the harbour to be as still as a pond.

Alex Barry and Fred Cudmore were second in a pink RS400 Photo: Bob Bateman

Disregarding the light breeze, twelve boats lined up on the start line. Those boats were made up of a mixed fleet; Three 5o5's, an RS400, and the rest of the pack were made up of standard rigged Lasers.

Slight puffs of breeze began to show on the water just in time as the gun went off. This light wind theme continued for all three races.

Tight racing on the bay (Laser to windward is George Kingston, Laser in between Chris Bateman, blue 505 is Anthony Coole and Chris Granby) Photo: Bob Bateman

A very competitive fleet battled it out for their positions. John Downey and Sandy Rimmington's 5o5 dominated throughout the races, showing a turn of speed that put many Laser sailors in their place.

Laser sailor George Kingston (AUS210150) comes off the start line

The results were set after gently steering their boats around the courses all morning. Winning the Magner Cup was John/Sandy in their 5o5. The RS400 sailed by Alex Barry/Fred Cudmore followed up in second. In third place was Harry Pritchard sailing his Laser.

Brian Jones and Gary Frost in their 5o5 Photo: Bob Bateman

The racing was tight, on time, and the competition was intense. This is typical of Monkstown Bay and its club. Alan Fehily and his team did very well to finish the three races on time. Alan has never failed to get us in on time, and as promised, everyone was ashore by twelve o'clock.

Ronan Kenneally in Laser 192703 Photo: Bob Bateman

While the morning was a great success, it is only the start of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's season. Coming up in two weeks is the beginning of the Laser Winter League, where Laser sailors from Cork and beyond will be treated to the best dinghy racing in Cork Harbour.

5o5 duo Sandy Rimmington (left) and John Downey Photo: Bob Bateman

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's St. Stephen's Day Race 2021 Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club (MBSC) will hold the only race in Cork Harbour over the Christmas period.

This is the annual St.Stephen’s Day event, also a fundraiser for the RNLI.

An early start is planned, with First Gun at 10 a.m., which will require quite a bit of commitment from those planning to sail after Christmas Day celebrations!

“It’s an open event, with a €10 entry fee and all are welcome,” MBSC says.

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's dinghy racing ended for the season on Saturday, with the conclusion of the October League in Cork Harbour which had extended into November to finish a series of eight races.

Laser sailor Ronan Kenneally was the Class One winner with a total of 12 points.

Club Commodore Sandy Rimmington and crew Alex Barry sailing an RS400 finished in second place on 17 points. Richard Harrington, sailing another Laser, was third on 20 points. Feva XLs dominated Class Two of the league. Robyn and Hazel Barry being the winners on 8 points. Amy and David Doherty were second on 10 points and Isabelle McCarthy, with Bella Clarke Waterman, third on 12.

The club is pleased with the support for dinghy racing throughout the season where, in the combined overall results for Class One June/July/August/October, Ronan Kenneally has come out the top sailor, having won the August and October Leagues.

Judy Moynihan and Therese Loesberg in a Laser Two finished second overall and Emmet O'Sullivan in an RS Aero 7 was third. In Class Two racing for the months of June/July/August/September the Feva XLs were definitely the dominant boats overall.

Tony Geraghty and Tara Kennedy finished top overall, winning the Class leagues in June/July and August. Lucy O'Connell and Kate O'Connor finished in second place overall. Ann and David Doherty were third. All sailed Feva XLs.

After four races sailed in Cork Harbour, a resurgent 505 fleet leads Class One of the Monkstown Bay Sailing Club October League 2021.

Racing is for mixed dinghies under the Portsmouth Yardstick handicap rule.

Heading a 34-boat Class One, Ewen Barry and David Barry have a one-point margin over Laser sailor Ronan Kenneally in second place on eight points. Laser sailor Richard Harrington lies third on nine.

Race Officer Ciaran MacSweeney set a triangular course in a southwest wind of up to 12/15 knots for Saturday's racing.

Robyn Barry and Hazel Barry lead a 15-boat class two by a point in an RS Feva. Second is Amy and David Doherty with Isabelle McCarthy and Bella Clarke Waterman in third, all sailing Fevas.

As Afloat's Tom MacSweeney reported recently in a podcast here with MBSC Commodore Sandy Rimmington, the club scene is 'buzzing with dinghies'. 

Rimmington says there is a revival of the 5O5 fleet in advance of next year's world championships being held in the harbour and a plan to expand the teaching of sailing through schools.

 Full class one October league results are here, and class two here

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club October League Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman