The Cruiser Friday Evening May League racing winners at the Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC) under (IHS) the club’s In House Handicap series were: 1 – Big Mc, Celine McGrath; 2 – Kerensa, Eugene O’:Loughlin; 3 – Orion, Liam O’Keeffe.

RCYC Offshore Coastal Series

The first Offshore Coastal Series for cruisers at the RCYC raced on Sunday, was won in Spinnaker Class, under both IRC and ECHO handicaps, by Jelly Baby, Jones family; 2 – Alpaca, Paul and Deirdre Tingle; 3, Luas, Sean Hanley. White Sails IRC and ECHO winner, Ellida – Ria Lyden; 2, Magnet, Kieran O’Brien; 3, LabousGwen, Darren O’Keeffe.

This Saturday (June 3), the annual Coolmore Race for Junior Crews of the Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC) will provide a great sight down the riverside from Carrigaline to Crosshaven.

The Coolmore Cup is an annual event which attracts a lot of support and will begin with a race briefing for crews at the club’s dinghy centre in Crosshaven at 1545.

This year’s race is being organised by Jim Hughes, who says he wants as many boats on the water as possible. ”If it floats, get it out! The club runs this fun race for its junior and youth sailors, but we would love to see families and friends together on the water. We want to see Mums and Dads (as crews), and we want to encourage the youths to take the helm. It is not all about who comes first; there will be a mix of prizes, from the best turned-out boat, the best-dressed crew, to the youngest helm to mention a few.”

High Tide will be at 1745 hours, and First Gun will be timed accordingly.

Club Admiral Kieran O’Connell and Rear Admiral of Dinghies Maurice Collins will start this year’s race in “an innovative way” - to be outlined at the pre-race briefing!

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney gave the Government's input on the 'Future of Sailing and the Blue Economy' at Royal Cork Yacht Club's annual corporate lunch last Friday.

Working on the theme 'Working together to make it sustainable for all', Coveney addressed a sellout audience at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour.

The Royal Cork Corporate Lunch was a sell-out in Crosshaven Photo: Bob Bateman

The lunch was the first since the inaugural event in 2019 of the oldest yacht club in the world due to the Covid pandemic.

Flag Officers and guests at Royal Cork's Corporate lunch Photo: Bob Bateman 

Royal Cork Admiral, Kieran O’Connell, said, “It was a fantastic opportunity for our corporate partners and members to connect with each other". 

Eoin Gunn of AIB with Daragh Connolly of RCYC and SCORA and Denis Byrne, Chair of RCYC's Marina and Facilities Committee Photo: Bob Bateman

Pat Horgan of AIB and James Fegan of John Paul Construction Photo: Bob Bateman

Guests included local Councillors Audrey Buckley and Paul Murtagh. The Chief Commercial Officer of the Port of Cork, Conor Mowlds, was also part of the speaker panel, along with Royal Cork's Cian O'Brien and south coast sailing club representatives and members of the Irish Sailing Association.

Cllr Audrey Buckley and Annamarie Fegan, the Vice Admiral of Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Guests at the Royal Cork AIB Corporate lunch Photo: Bob Bateman

In a busy year for the Munster Club, RCYC looks forward to a busy season staging both the Topper World Championships and the Quarter Ton Cup in July.

The 1720 Zing leads Royal Cork Yacht Club's May League (SPIN 1 IRC) in Cork Harbour. 

In an eight-boat fleet, the local sportsboat finished ahead of Michael McCann's Etchells 22, Don't Dilly Dally.

Third was the Jones Family's J122, Jelly Baby.

The nine boat White Sail division saw Ian Hickey's Granada 38 Cavatina win from Kieran O'Brien's MG335, Magnet. Third was the Dehler 34 Big Mc (McGrath Family).

Results below

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Alana Twomey and Chris Bateman have a one-point lead after four races sailed at the Irish 29er Southerns Championships in Cork Harbour.

Royal Cork skiff sailors also hold second and third places overnight in the 11-boat fleet.

A race start at the Irish 29er Southerns Championships in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

Ben O'Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain (National Yacht Club) are second, and Rian Collins and James Dwyer lie third on ten points. 

The event is sponsored by Waterman Kelly Consulting Engineers.

Four more races will be sailed back to back on Sunday to complete the championships at Crosshaven.

29er Southern Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

Royal Cork yachts raised over €5,000 for charity in a 'Darkness into Light Sail' at Cork Harbour this morning.

Admiral Kieran O’Connell led a 37-boat club flotilla to the mouth of the Harbour at Roches Point, where he hosted a pennant at daylight (5.55 am). 

The special charity event was organised by RCYC's Rear Admiral Cruising, Mike Ryder. 

Royal Cork Yacht Club Darkness into Light Flotilla Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

Royal Cork’s Harry Durcan and Grattan Roberts were part of the J122 El Ocaso that were declared overall winners of Antigua Sailing Week.

Racing onboard Chris Body’s J122 El Ocaso, they led CSA 2 by a slim margin of a single point going into the last day.

The crew were awarded the Lord Nelson Trophy as the overall Antigua Week 2023 winner.

Chris Body’s J122 El Ocaso crew that includes Grattan Roberts and Harry Durcan from Royal Cork Photo: Paul Wyeth

Louay Habib caught up with them after racing on the final day, first Durcan, then Roberts in the audio below.

El Ocaso, GBR 4860, winners of the Lord Nelson Trophy 2023, at Antigua Sailing Week Photo: Paul Wyeth

Colman Garvey’s KH+P Nolde, with a team from the Royal Cork Yacht Club scored a perfect 12 race wins at Antigua Sailing Week to dominate the Bareboat 2 Division overall.

Garvey's crew include Roy Darrer (grinder), Ger Coakley (main trimmer), Paul O’Regan (strategist) and Kieran Kelleher (tactician).

The final day of racing at Antigua Sailing Week was held in the strongest wind of the regatta, with solid south easterly trade winds gusting up to 18 knots.

Second was Alexander Pfeiffer’s KH+P Nevis, and third was Thomas Sparrer’s KH+P Anguilla.

“It’s been a hard week, especially living with these guys for the last six days!” commented Coleman Garvey. “This is a great regatta, good fun, with close racing every day. We first came here in 2013 as a once-in-a-lifetime regatta, and this is our sixth! This is only our second class win, so that shows you how hard it is.”

On a day that suggested summer is coming, Royal Cork Yacht Club boats topped the Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 in both Spinnaker One and Two divisions at Kinsale Yacht Club on Sunday. 

Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble (David and James Dwyer) won the first race in the Spinnaker One division.

Light winds prevailed for the first race that saw the J109 Artful DodJer (Finbarr O'Regan of the host club) in second and Stephen Lysaght's  Elan 333 Reavra Too in third.

The McCarthy brother's Swift Trawler Mac Eile is the Kinsale Yacht Club Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 Committee Boat Photo: Bob Bateman

This event is the year's first event to count for SCORA season points.

Kieran Kelleher/Colman Garvey in the Royal Cork Dubois Quarter tonner Diamond were winners of the first race of the Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

In the Spinnaker Two division on IRC, Kieran Kelleher/Colman Garvey were winners in the Royal Cork Dubois Quarter Tonner Diamond.

The RCYC crew beat the  Kinsale Yacht Club Kinsailor under-25 crew. Third was Dunmore East visitor David Marchant from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club.

Overall, there was a good turnout from visiting RCYC boats that included Jelly Baby, Nieulargo, Alpaca, Luas, Sweet Dreams, Magnet and the under 25 j24, Jambalaya. 

Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 Main Fleet Photo Gallery Day One By Bob Bateman

Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 White Sails Fleet Photo Gallery Day One By Bob Bateman

Saturday's 2023 Royal Cork Yacht Club PY1000 turned out to be a day for ILCA6/Radials, which took the top three prizes overall in breezy conditions for the ninth year of the competition, which saw entries topping 50 dinghies for the first time.

Chris Bateman sailing an ILCA 6, was a convincing winner in this year’s Crosshaven House-sponsored race, with 32 boats finishing the race. 

Second to fifth was hotly contested, with Portuguese Laser coach Andre Granadeiro taking second in his ILCA 6.

2021 winner Oisin MacSweeney was third, again in an ILCA 6. It was a year for the Lasers this year as they joined 29ers, N18s, 420s and RS400s as previous winners.

This year the race was run in a pursuit format with boats starting on a staggered basis in line with their handicaps; the first to cross the line then after 90 minutes is the winner.

Chris Bateman, overall winner, (centre and sailing below) with Stacey O’Sullivan from Crosshaven House and Alex Barry, event organiser. Chris took away the new trophy and a cheque for €700 Photo: Bob Bateman

The Toppers and RS Tera were first out of the blocks in the new pursuit format. Isha Duggan led for much of the race before eventually being hunted down by the faster boats.

The National 18s looked mighty at speed Photo: Bob Bateman

With gusts of over 30 knots forecast, race officer John Crotty set an interesting course with mark one upriver at Coolmore House towards Carrigaline and mark two off Crosshaven House near the boatyard. 

Oisin MacSweeney is at full speed on his way to third place this year, having won it in 2021 and been 2nd in 2022 in a 29er. Photo: Bob Bateman

The course raised some eyebrows when announced, but on returning to shore, the consensus was that getting a fair race in was great, given the conditions involved.

Staying upright in the gusty conditions was the aim of the game; not all could manage it, however!

Nick Walsh got a special prize for helping a capsized Topper Photo: Bob Bateman

The river course gave some reprieve from the strong gusts at times, but Laser champion Nick Walsh got a special prize for helping a capsized Topper.

Download results below

Royal Cork PY1000 Photo Gallery 2023 by Bob Bateman