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Displaying items by tag: Royal Cork YC

Another day of big breeze for the centreboard classes competing at Royal Cork's DinghyFest 2017 that has attracted over 100 dinghies from foiling Moths to RS 200s, 400s as well as National 18s and 420s.

Photographer Bob Bateman was afloat in Cork Harbour to capture all the action

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Published in Royal Cork YC

Sailed from March 9-11 as part of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week the EFG Viper Pan-American Championship is the culmination of a year’s worth of qualifying regattas in Australia, Europe, and North America and attracted its regular Irish entry for the week long regatta in Florida.

Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary, crewed by Ross McDonald from Howth Yacht Club and David Hassett from Cork Harbour (now living in the US) finished tenth in the 23–boat fleet.

A second in race five of the nine race series being the Irish boat's top score.

Published in Royal Cork YC

Royal Cork Yacht Club recently became the first Yacht Club marina in the country to receive the Fáilte Ireland Welcome Standard accreditation for accommodation on its marinas and facilities. “The Club are delighted to have received this accreditation from Fáilte Ireland and we hope the ‘Welcome Standard’ will help attract even more visiting boats from around Ireland, the UK and further afield to visit Cork Harbour. There is plenty to see and do around the harbour as in recent years there has been a huge increase in infrastructural development, with Camden Fort Meagher and Spike Island being two great examples” commented General Manager, Gavin Deane.

Fáilte Ireland's (FI) role is to support the tourism industry and work to sustain Ireland as a high-quality and competitive tourism destination.

With the Quality Assured banner FI have developed new standards to allow for greater innovation, individuality and authenticity in their approved tourist accommodation businesses.

The standards recognise accommodation businesses of all types and styles that are committed to tourism and to maintaining high standards and practices throughout their business. It is targeted at atypical tourist accommodation businesses who do not fit in the existing approval frameworks such as glamping, pods, shepherd huts, yurts, lighthouses and marinas.

The standards identify the strengths of businesses, without taking away any of the character and style of the individual property.

Published in Royal Cork YC
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The final day of racing in the O’Leary Insurance Group Winter league at Royal Cork Yacht Club was shrouded in a thick blanket of fog. The Race Officer Clem McElligott postponed the start of the race by one hour in the hope that the fog would burn off and the fleet would get racing. With just 20 mines to go to the new start time the fleet made their way out through the thick fog to the start area. As the start approached the fog began to clear, but the fleet were now faced with a new problem there was little to no wind across Cork harbour, forcing the RO to again postpone the start. By two O'clock the RO made the call to fly N over A and the fleet made their way back home for some well-earned mulled wine and mince pies awaiting them in the Club bar.

The final prizegiving was then held to a packed bar of sailors in their Christmas jumpers and hats. Anthony O’Leary and his family were all present to award the winners with beautiful Nash19 Christmas hampers, sourced prepared by Sally O'Leary. But it was the final presentation which really stole the show, when the O’Leary family presented the best performing boat of the league under IRC with the Inaugural Irish Mist Trophy, as previously reported by Afloat.ie, in memory of (Anthony’s father and past Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club) Archie O’Leary. This beautifully hand crafted trophy was won by Tom Durcan and Clive O'Shea sailing their 1720 T-Bone. It was a very fitting end to another great winter league at RCYC.

Published in Royal Cork YC
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#RCYC -The Royal Cork Yacht Club was represented this weekend at the Venice leg of the international 2K team racing circuit, hosted by the Compagnia della Vela di Venezia.

The mixed Cork crew, who enjoyed a strong finish in Anzio this summer, placed behind Britain’s Serpentine Racing and the winning Dutch-Italian contingent from the Yacht Club Costal Olanda, but ahead of the home team at Compagnia della Vela di Venezia.

The event, taking place from the 4th to the 6th of November, had 11 teams from Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Britain, Ireland and Sweden competing in generally very light wind conditions. Unfortunately the final day of racing was cut short due to light winds and the results were awarded based on the round robin standings. The RCYC team were beaten by Britain’s Serpentine Racing and the winning Dutch-Italian contingent, known as Yacht Club Costa Olanda.

The team consisting of Fred Cudmore, Lisa Tait, Philip O'Leary, Sonia Minihane, George Kingston, Emma Geary, Sean Cotter and Sarah O'Leary finished in third place.

Published in Team Racing

Clases one, two and 1720’s raced inside Cork harbour today but classes three, four and whitesails was cancelled in what was to be an exhilarating but challenging penultimate day of Royal Cork Yacht Club's CH Marine Autumn Series writes Bob Bateman.

Winds of up to thirty knots greeted competitors and wipe outs and gear failure for some were the order of the day.

Class one were given a harbour course of No5, No11, EF1 no. 20, EF2 No11 no14, EF2 , No11, No 5 and Finish.

Class Two had a course in the same area but shorter. Meanwhile the enthusiastic competitors supplemented from the fleets not sailing had windward leeward courses across the Channel.

In a departure from the normal Autumn Regattas the final day’ racing will be held next Sunday with a Gala prizegiving dinner that evening.

 

Published in Royal Cork YC
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Anna Ostling, who first shot to match race fame in Cork Harbour two years ago, with crew Annie and Linnea Wennergren are the 2016 Women's Match Racing World Champions. In the Buddy Melges Challenge, the third event of the 2016 WIM Series, the Swedes defeated Anne-Claire Le Berre, Mathilde Geron and Alice Ponsar of France, in a thrilling final over five matches on Lake Michigan.

Ostling took her first World Championship gold at Royal Cork YC, Iin 2014, and this year's medal is a milestone in a very successful year so far. Her Sheboygan triumph is her third consecutive WIM Series victory, after winning earlier in Helsinki, Finland, as well as in Lysekil, Sweden. With this result Team Anna stretches their WIM Series lead further, as only the regattas in Busan, South Korea, and St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, remain.

After a maternity leave of almost one year, Anne-Claire Le Berre came back to the WIM Series just for this World Championship, aiming for the final and for a medal to put around her neck. This time it's silver, but the gold wasn't very far away.

Final results:
1. Anna Ostling, Annie Wennergren, Linnea Wennergren, SWE, 25 points
2. Anne-Claire Le Berre, Mathilde Geron, Alice Ponsar, FRA, 22
3. Renee Groeneveld, Lobke Berkhout, Mijke Lievens, NED, 20
4. Stephanie Roble, Maggie Shea, Janel Zarkowsky, USA, 18
5. Caroline Sylvan, Louise Kruuse af Verchou, Frida Langenius, SWE, 16
6. Samantha Norman, Carla Holgate, Taylor Holland, NZL, 14
7. Pauline Courtois, Jeanne Courtois, Juliette Le Friec, FRA, 12
8. Nicole Breault, Molly Carapiet, Karen Loutzenheiser, USA, 10
9. Elizabeth Shaw, Madeline Gill, Malin Holmberg, CAN, 8

Published in Match Racing
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The Optimist Ulster Championships, hosted by Malahide Yacht Club, saw 120 young sailors compete on the Broadmeadow Water in mixed conditions over two days, with the honours in the Gold Fleets at both Senior and Junior levels going to Royal Cork YC entries.

The event, sponsored by the Grand Hotel, saw Harry Pritchard of RCYC sail consistently throughout to beat clubmate Harry Twomey by just 3 points in the Senior Gold fleet while two other Cork sailors, Michael Crosbie and Justin Lucas, headed up the Junior Gold fleet.

National Yacht’s Club’s Nathan van Steenberge and Jacque Murphy (RStGYC) won the Senior and Junior Silver fleets respectively.

The first day’s racing was notable for fresh westerly and south-westerly winds, with several heavy gusts which severely tested the sailors’ abilities. Conditions improved on the second day and PRO Neil Murphy was able to complete a full 6-race schedule.

 

Published in Optimist

#Cruising - The Royal Cork Yacht Club is among those partnering a new project to develop and market cruising grounds across Europe's North Western Seaboard from Ireland to Norway.

The Cool Route Project, funded by the Interreg VB Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, has the involvement of all national sailing organisations in Ireland and the UK, as well as strategic partnerships in Norway and the Faroe Islands.

Wide-ranging research is now being conducted on a transnational collaborative basis by Cool Route on the cruising preferences of sailors along the North Western Seaboard.

"This research, which is incorporating the expert views and priorities of cruising skippers, will be an important input to the future development and marketing of cruising in these waters," say the project organisers, who invite relevant sailors to complete an online survey HERE.

Published in Cruising

#py500 – Séafra Guilfoyle has won the Royal Cork Yacht Club's  PY 500 dinghy prize this afternoon. Only 8 seconds separated 3 dinghy classes at the finish writes Claire Bateman.

Saturday March 14 was the due date for the second annual PY 500 race at the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Well, what a story. The morning dawned with a beautiful blue sky and wonderful reflections in the clear water but alas and alack not a hint of a breeze could be felt and Race Officer Nathan Kirwan had no option but to postpone racing. As the race was to be held in the river, it was hoped to have a start an hour before high water but it was not to be. 'Experts' scanned the skies and ascertained that what clouds were there were moving slightly from the east. And so, when the light fickle breeze did fill in at 11.45am a windward/leeward course was set starting from the club marina with instructions for all boats to sail three rounds.

With a prize fund of €500 for the lucky winner and the ebb tide starting to flow more strongly the competitors were somewhat over eager and a general recall was necessary for the first start but all boats got away cleanly on the second attempt. The race had attracted an excellent entry of 38 but with the light wind morning this was whittled down to 32, still an excellent number. There was a great variety of craft on the water heading for the first mark ranging from National 18's, RS 400's, Lasers full rig, Laser Radials and Lasers 4.7, Toppers, an International 14, a 29er, a Pico, a Laser Stratos, a Finn and a brave Mirror and they all rounded the first mark without any incidents. They completed three rounds of the course and great concentration was needed in the light wind sailing but it proved to be a very enjoyable event resulting in only minor shouting between the competitors

When the results were calculated using the Portsmouth Yardstick only eight seconds separated the first three boats and indeed only three seconds separated the first two boats. Séafre Guilfoyle in a Laser full rig was the popular winner followed by a National 18 sailed by Nicholas O'Leary crewed by Michael O'Brien and Alex O'Connell, in second place and David Kenefick crewed by Grattan Roberts in an RS400 third .

Given the tightness of the results, one wonders what would have been the final placings if the two leading National 18's hadn't decide to concentrate between themselves on having a luffing match approaching the leeward mark in round 2, and who can tell whether or not this was where the vital three seconds between first and second place was lost. Neither they nor we will ever know for sure!

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Published in Royal Cork YC
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Dublin Bay

Dublin Bay on the east coast of Ireland stretches over seven kilometres, from Howth Head on its northern tip to Dalkey Island in the south. It's a place most Dubliners simply take for granted, and one of the capital's least visited places. But there's more going on out there than you'd imagine.

The biggest boating centre is at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the Bay's south shore that is home to over 1,500 pleasure craft, four waterfront yacht clubs and Ireland's largest marina.

The bay is rather shallow with many sandbanks and rocky outcrops, and was notorious in the past for shipwrecks, especially when the wind was from the east. Until modern times, many ships and their passengers were lost along the treacherous coastline from Howth to Dun Laoghaire, less than a kilometre from shore.

The Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea and is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south. North Bull Island is situated in the northwest part of the bay, where one of two major inshore sandbanks lie, and features a 5 km long sandy beach, Dollymount Strand, fronting an internationally recognised wildfowl reserve. Many of the rivers of Dublin reach the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay: the River Liffey, with the River Dodder flow received less than 1 km inland, River Tolka, and various smaller rivers and streams.

Dublin Bay FAQs

There are approximately ten beaches and bathing spots around Dublin Bay: Dollymount Strand; Forty Foot Bathing Place; Half Moon bathing spot; Merrion Strand; Bull Wall; Sandycove Beach; Sandymount Strand; Seapoint; Shelley Banks; Sutton, Burrow Beach

There are slipways on the north side of Dublin Bay at Clontarf, Sutton and on the southside at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, and in Dalkey at Coliemore and Bulloch Harbours.

Dublin Bay is administered by a number of Government Departments, three local authorities and several statutory agencies. Dublin Port Company is in charge of navigation on the Bay.

Dublin Bay is approximately 70 sq kilometres or 7,000 hectares. The Bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and seven km in length east-west to its peak at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the southside of the Bay has an East and West Pier, each one kilometre long; this is one of the largest human-made harbours in the world. There also piers or walls at the entrance to the River Liffey at Dublin city known as the Great North and South Walls. Other harbours on the Bay include Bulloch Harbour and Coliemore Harbours both at Dalkey.

There are two marinas on Dublin Bay. Ireland's largest marina with over 800 berths is on the southern shore at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The other is at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club on the River Liffey close to Dublin City.

Car and passenger Ferries operate from Dublin Port to the UK, Isle of Man and France. A passenger ferry operates from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Howth as well as providing tourist voyages around the bay.

Dublin Bay has two Islands. Bull Island at Clontarf and Dalkey Island on the southern shore of the Bay.

The River Liffey flows through Dublin city and into the Bay. Its tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac.

Dollymount, Burrow and Seapoint beaches

Approximately 1,500 boats from small dinghies to motorboats to ocean-going yachts. The vast majority, over 1,000, are moored at Dun Laoghaire Harbour which is Ireland's boating capital.

In 1981, UNESCO recognised the importance of Dublin Bay by designating North Bull Island as a Biosphere because of its rare and internationally important habitats and species of wildlife. To support sustainable development, UNESCO’s concept of a Biosphere has evolved to include not just areas of ecological value but also the areas around them and the communities that live and work within these areas. There have since been additional international and national designations, covering much of Dublin Bay, to ensure the protection of its water quality and biodiversity. To fulfil these broader management aims for the ecosystem, the Biosphere was expanded in 2015. The Biosphere now covers Dublin Bay, reflecting its significant environmental, economic, cultural and tourism importance, and extends to over 300km² to include the bay, the shore and nearby residential areas.

On the Southside at Dun Laoghaire, there is the National Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as Dublin Bay Sailing Club. In the city centre, there is Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club. On the Northside of Dublin, there is Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club and Sutton Dinghy Club. While not on Dublin Bay, Howth Yacht Club is the major north Dublin Sailing centre.

© Afloat 2020