MarJ skippered by Adrian Bendon was the overall winner of the 13-boat Dragon class in Kinsale Yacht Club's Robotic Mowers sponsored Open Keelboat Regatta 2022 sailed at the weekend.

With three race wins from six races sailed, Bendon on seven nett points had a clear six-point margin over second overall James Matthews at the helm of TBD. In third place was Cameron Good's Little Fella with 16 points. 

Scroll down for Bob Bateman's Photo Gallery from the KYC Open Keelboat Regatta 2022

The fleet, under Race Officer John Stallard, included a strong showing from the host club and took the top five positions overall with representation from other West Cork clubs too including Glandore Harbour Yacht Club. 

1st place Dragon overall - Mar J - Adrian Bendon, Eoghan O'Neill, Eoghan O’Mahony & Tristan Bendon with sponsor Fergal O’Hanlon of Robotic Mowers 

In a prestigious role, the club will host the International Dragon Gold Cup at the club in 2024.

Squibs

Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan were the winners of a three-boat Squib fleet

On four points, Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan were the winners of a three-boat Squib fleet after five races sailed. 

Second was Denis and Brid Cudmore in Sensation on seven points with Sonata in third.

Bob Bateman's Photo Gallery from the KYC Open Keelboat Regatta 2022

Results are here

The overall lead changed in three of four classes after the final race of Kinsale Yacht Club's Axiom Private Clients Spring Series on Saturday.

Ending in West Cork style, the wind filled in, the sun came out and the dolphins put on a magical show for the fourth and final race that also counts towards SCORA series points.

Light southwesterly winds of five knots led KYC Race Officer Donal Hayes to lay a weather mark followed by racing around existing club marks in the outer harbour before a reach to an in harbour finish.

Kinsale Yacht Club's Axiom Private Clients Spring Series winners Photo: Bob Bateman

IRC 0 and 1 Fleet

J/109 'Artful DodJer skippered by Kinsale's Finbarr O'Regan was the Zero/One class winner Photo: Bob Bateman

Last week's third overall yacht, the J/109 'Artful DodJer skippered by Kinsale's Finbarr O'Regan took the overall IRC prize following a race win in yesterday's last race but only by the tightest of points as the top three all finished on six nett points overall.

One time leader Reavra Too, an Elan 333 skippered by Stephen Lysaght was second overall with RCYC's J/122 1Jelly Baby (Brian Jones) third in the seven boat fleet.

IRC 2 Fleet

Overall IRC winner Royal Cork Albin Express North Star skippered by Fiona Young to weather of clubmates and second overall Conor Phelan's Anchor Challenge Photo: Bob Bateman

The final race brought no changes to the overall standings in IRC Two. With three straight wins, the Royal Cork Albin Express North Star skippered by Fiona Young was the clear winner on three points in the six-boat IRC Two fleet ahead of clubmate Conor Phelan's Farr Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge on six. 

Third was Kieran Kelleher/Colman Garvey's Dubois Quarter Tonner, Diamond on seven points.

White Sails 1 Echo Fleet

Mike McCarthy's Royal Cork Dehler 40, Jolastan Photo: Bob Bateman

After four races sailed, Batt and Helen O'Leary took the six-boat White Sails 1 Echo Fleet in Sweet Dreams, a Sun Odyssey 36 but it was a tightly fought battle with Mike McCarthy's Royal Cork Dehler 40, Jolastan second on the same six points.  Third was James Matthews' Fiscala on nine.

White Sails 2 Echo Fleet

Sam Cohen's First 32, Gunsmoke 2 Photo: Bob Bateman

Leading the seven-boat fleet is Sam Cohen's First 32, Gunsmoke 2 on five points. Dermot Lanigan's Dufour 365 Privateer was second on seven. Nigel Dann and Vincent Murphy's First 345 Val Kriss took third also on seven

See full results here

Kinsale Yacht Club Spring League Race Four Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

A competitive eight boat fleet is building in Kinsale for the inaugural Matthews Inishtearaght Race taking place in less than a month's time. 

The race, promoted as an 'ideal shakedown race' for boats entering June's Round Ireland Race, has attracted top Dublin J/122 Aurelia from the Royal St. George Yacht Club.

Having only narrowly missed out on overall Round Ireland race victory previously, Chris Power Smith's potent ISORA entry is showing the depth of the Dun Laoghaire crew's ambitions by taking on the new Kinsale offshore challenge.

As Afloat already reported, the race will take the fleet along the coast of West Cork and Kerry, around Inishtearaght and return to finish in Kinsale.

Cian McCarthy's Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl from the host club will race in May's Inishtearaght Race Photo: Dave Cullinane

The starting times are planned so that boats would stand the best chance of rounding the island in daylight.

The race was formally launched last December by KYC Commodore Matthias Hellstern. The first race will be sponsored by Matthews of Cork.

The course will be approximately 240nm long and will run along the spectacular coast of West Cork and Kerry, round Inistearaght and back to Kinsale. 

KYC Inishtearaght Race Current Entry List (April 24th)

Sailing Instructions for the race will be available shortly.

The inaugural Matthews Inishtearaght Race takes place on Friday 20th May with FG 08.55hrs

Local yachts are back in charge at the top of the IRC One fleet after two races sailed in the Kinsale Yacht Club's Axiom Private Clients Spring Series in West Cork.

The wind for the second race of the series, after last week's cancellation, was flukey, up and down in strength and the race began in lighter winds.

Race Officer Donal Hayes laid a weather mark and then used fixed marks outside the harbour and finished at the club line off Charles Fort.

Race Officer Donal Hayes set the course (below) Photos: Bob Bateman

Such was the nature of wind race two featured a lot of reaching with limited upwind or spinnaker work.

IRC 1 Fleet

The start of IRC Zero and One Photo: Bob Bateman

New Royal Cork yachts that enjoyed debut success in the first race of the seven boat fleet a fortnight ago have been replaced by the recent Frank Godsell Series winner Reavra Too, an Elan 333 skippered by Stephen Lysaght. Second is the host club's Finbarr O'Regan in the J/109 'Artful DodJer'.

Third overall is the Royal Cork yacht of the year, the Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo (Annamarie & Denis Murphy).

IRC 2 Fleet

The Royal Cork Albin Express North Star skippered by Fiona Young was a clear winner in the six-boat IRC Two fleet beating Conor Phelan's Farr Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge. Third is Waterford Harbour's Sigma 33 Flyover (David Marchant). 

White Sails 1 Echo Fleet

After two races sailed, Batt & Helen O'Leary lead the six-boat White Sails 1 Echo Fleet in Sweet Dreams, a Sun Odyssey 36 from new arrival Mike MacCarthy's Royal Cork Dehler 40, Jolastan. Third is Tony Scannell's Hanse 370, Hansemer.

White Sails 2 Echo Fleet

The Beneteau First 345 Val Kriss (Nigel Dann VincentMurphy) leads Albert O'Neill's Feeling 326 Sallybelle. Third in the seven-boat fleet is Sam Cohen's First 32, Gunsmoke 2.

See full results here

Bob Bateman's Kinsale Yacht Club Axiom Spring Series Race Two Photo Gallery

Wednesday, May 4, has been set as the start date for Midweek Sailing at Kinsale Yacht Club in Cork.

Dragons and Squibs will have their own racing on Thursdays.

The club committee has told members: "We have an amazing amount of sponsorship this year."

51 boats have so far entered for the Squib Nationals at Kinsale and 60 "are anticipated," according to the Regatta Director, Ian Travers.

"The First Gun for the Bandon Co-op Squib Nationals is now a little over two months away. With 51 boats already entered, and 60 anticipated, the club will be sure to be buzzing over the week-long Championships. On the water, the nine race schedule over six days will be managed by the ever-supportive Peter Crowley and a full social programme will keep competitors entertained when ashore."

The Bandon Co-op Squib Nationals runs from the 19th to the 24th of June.

Racing in the second race of the Axiom Private Clients Spring Series for sailing cruisers at Kinsale was cancelled today due to inclement weather.

An attempt was made to stage racing, but there was difficulty in getting the anchor to hold on the Kinsale Yacht Club Race Committee vessel.

Training went ahead for Topper dinghies in the harbour regardless, with some cruisers also venturing out.

In addition, there was a range of watersports and other activities underway at the West Cork port, as captured below by Bob Bateman.

The Robotic Mowers Cork One-Design Keelboat Regatta is on Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd May 2022 in Kinsale Yacht Club.

The regatta is open to Squib and Dragon keelboats. It is an open event and KYC is looking forward to welcoming entrants from Glandore Harbour Yacht Club.

Six races are scheduled over the two days, and they will be sailed in the waters between the Old Head and the Sovereign Islands.

Download the NOR below.

New Royal Cork yachts for the 2022 season enjoyed debut success in the first race of Kinsale Yacht Club's Axiom Private Clients Spring Series on Sunday (April 3). 

Cork Harbour sailor Brian Jones took victory in his new Jelly Baby in Class One while clubmate Conor Phelan topped Class Two in his new Quarter Tonner, Anchor Challenge.

The J122 Crosshaven entry beat an impressive seven boat fleet at the first attempt. Second in the race was the host club's Finbarr O'Regan in the J109 'Artful DodJer'. The recent Frank Godsell Series winner Reavra Too, an Elan 333 skippered by Stephen Lysaght, was third. 

As regular Afloat readers will know, this Jelly Baby is the former Greystones based Kaya and current Class Zero ICRA champion.

Brian Jones new J122, Jelly Baby

In Class Two, Royal Cork entries also topped the top three places in the six-boat fleet with the Farr Quarter Tonner beating Fiona Young's Alin Express North Star. Kieran Kelleher and Colman Garvey were third in the Dubois Quarter Tonner, Diamond. 

As regular Afloat readers will know Anchor Challenge only recently rejoined the Cork fleet after some years in Cowes. 

Conor Phelan's new Quarter Tonner, Anchor Challenge Photo: Bob Bateman

Sunday's series also saw the launch of Kinsale Yacht Club's Under 25 Team J24 named ‘Kinsailor.’ The boat is the last J24 to have been built by Jeremy Rogers, who also built Contessas, on the Isle of Wight as Afloat reported previously here. The crew finished fifth in their first race.

Results here

Bob Bateman's Kinsale Yacht Club  Axiom Private Clients Spring Series Photo Gallery Race One

With 50 days to go to the start, Kinsale Yacht Club in West Cork has opened the online entry for its inaugural Inishtearaght Race.

The new Irish offshore fixture race will take place on Friday, 20th May with a first starting gun at 08:55 hrs. 

"We are confident this race will become a regular feature in the offshore racing calendar, we are planning to run the race every second year", Honorary KYC Sailing Secretary Michele Kennelly told Afloat. 

Inishtearaght is the westernmost of the Blasket Islands pictured below and hence the westernmost island of Ireland Credits: via Wikipedia

The race will take the fleet along the coast of West Cork and Kerry, around Inishtearaght and return to finish in Kinsale.

The starting times are planned so that boats would stand the best chance of rounding the island in daylight.

As Afloat reported previously, the race was formally launched last December by KYC Commodore Matthias Hellstern. The first race will be sponsored by Matthews of Cork.

The course will be approximately 240nm long and will run along the spectacular coast of West Cork and Kerry, round Inistearaght and back to Kinsale. 

Enter online here and download the Notice of Race here

A nice east south-east sailing breeze brought this year's two-day Frank Godsell Mixed Cruiser League to a conclusion in Kinsale Harbour on  Sunday.

In the IRC Handicap division, first overall was the Carroll Brothers Elan 40 Chancer. Second was the Elan 333 IRC Reavra Too (Stephen Lysaght) with third place going to Colman Garvey's quarter tonner Diamond. 

On ECHO, which reflected the overall results, Lysaght was the winner with Diamond second and Chancer in third.

Anthony Scannell, Vice Commodore KYC (right) makes a presentation to sponsor Frank Godsell, a sailing enthusiast, who has sponsored the series for the last forty years Photo: Bob Bateman

As it was the 40th year of Frank Godell's sponsorship of the Kinsale Yacht Club event, the sponsor presented a gift of wine to all the competitors.

Colman Garvey, skipper of Diamond Photo: Bob Bateman

The Carroll Brothers Elan 40 Chancer was presented with third overall Photo: Bob Batemans

Results are here