With the addition of the vintage Quarter Tonner Diamond to Royal Cork's winter league (the first to be sailed as White Sails only), the fleet provided a glimpse of the popular boat choice for club racing this summer, a season that includes Volvo Cork Week as a high point in July.
Overall, the top ten included some authentic classic designs, including an Albin Express, various Quarter Tonners, a Bolero, vintage J24s and an HB31.
Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher sailing their new Quarter Tonner Diamond were the winners of Sunday's first IRC race of the Royal Cork Winter League Photo: Bob Bateman
Further down the pecking order, there was also the appearance of Alan Mulcahy's short-lived First 8, sadly lost in a fire off Cork Harbour in Mid December as Afloat reported here.
Tony Donworth's Quarter Tonner Supernova Photo: Bob Bateman
What's the attraction of this size of cruiser? Most likely, it is the opportunity to sail with a small crew, often made up of just family and friends. And the fact that it is cruiser racing on a budget might also have a bearing.
Richard Leonard steering his Bolero, Bandit Photo: Bob Bateman
RCYC itself has also got involved with purchasing an older J/24s as a club training boat.
A J24 takes a ride on a Cork Harbour wave Photo: Bob Bateman
As Afloat reported previously, after a month-long series of five races, the O'Leary Insurance Winter League was won by the Albin Express, a Swedish trailerable sailboat that was designed by Peter Norlin as a cruiser-racer and first built in 1978.
Fiona Young's consistent performance at the top of the IRC fleet in North Star was rewarded with the perpetual Archie O'Leary Trophy.
On seven points, the restored Albin Express had a two-point winning margin over early series leaders Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher in the newly arrived Quarter Tonner, Diamond.
Third was Richard Leonard in his Bolero, Bandit on 13 points. The Bolero was designed when Quarter tonner racing was all the rage, and it was quite a successful racer, although not too many were built.
In her prize-giving speech in December, the winning helmswoman highlighted the tight racing they had enjoyed in a buoyant 32-boat fleet turnout.
Winning form - The well-sailed Albin Express North Star skippered by Fiona Young Photo: Bob Bateman
"This club is so active at the moment it is incredible we are all out here every Sunday. We are out here night and day, more active than I have seen the club for years", she told the fleet.
And in saluting her competitors, she revealed great competition is the reason behind the renewed focus in this particular size of boat: "You Guys in Diamond and Bandit, My Goodness! Every day we went out, we wondered who is going to do it today? We won it, but either of you could have won too. I want to thank you for that great, great racing".
Adding to the RCYC scene there are two other active clubs in Cork Harbour that have active small boat fleets that add to the lively community of sailors; Cove Sailing Club on Great Island, and Monkstown Bay Sailing Club on the western side of the River Lee.
In Cobh, there are at least five smaller sub 26ft Boats regularly racing. Two of them actively participated in all of the winter league series at RCYC; Angela, a First 260 Spirit sailed by Cathy Mullan and “NettaJ”, a Sadler 25 sailed by Des Corbett.
Angela, a First 260 Spirit sailed by Cathy Mullan from Cove Sailing Club Photo: Bob Bateman
The very successful Combined league which included all clubs in the harbour ran for a couple of seasons pre-2020 with great success and enthusiastic participation and now there are hopes to revive that event again.
