#OFFSHORE – Commodore Vinnie O'Shea is urging offshore sailors to turn out in good numbers when the 2012 South Coast Offshore Racing (SCORA) programme returns to its more traditional format this season writes Claire Bateman. The Jim Donegan Offshore Championship (IRC and ECHO) will be awarded to the overall winner of the series based on 'ALL IN' results.

This competition will commence on May 31st with the Crosshaven-Milford Haven Race, an event that SCORA's Martin Darrer has been organising.

The Championship will also consist of the Kinsale-Fastnet-Kinsale race on June 8th, the Gas Rigs Race on July 31st, Crosshaven-Schull August 3rd and Fastnet Race-Calves Week August 9th.

The SCORA League will include all races in the Kinsale YC Spring Series, the Cobh to Blackrock Race and all races in the Royal Cork YC Autumn Regatta.

Commodore Vinnie O'Shea is urging a good turnout for a season that promises excellent sailing with a variety of courses and venues and hopefully wind and sun to be included in abundance.

#CALVES WEEK – Calves week is to be cut down to a four day event this August in response to competitors requests for a shorter and less expensive event writes Claire Bateman. This year, as an alternative to the traditional event spanning a two week period, the Schull based sailing programme will consist of a four day Calves Week Championships, running from Tuesday 7th to Friday 10th of August, with the usual mix of courses taking in the Fastnet Rock and many of Carberys Hundred Isles, together with laid courses in Roaringwater Bay.

Daily prizegiving will take place on Main Street Schull where a nautical festival theme for the village is being organised by local businesses.

The traditional regattas on August Monday in Baltimore and the following Saturday and Sunday in Crookhaven and Schull will continue as stand alone events with their own courses and prizegivings being organised by the local sailing clubs.

The week will once again commence with the overnight Crosshaven/Schull race starting the activities on Friday August 3rd, while on Saturday morning August 4th the White Sail fleet will have an early start from Kinsale. Both of these races will form part of the new Scora Offshore Championships, together with the midweek Fastnet Race out of Schull.

Kinsale Yacht Club's SCORA League Fastnet Race sponsored by CH Marine takes place this Friday at 8pm.

This 100–mile round trip to one of the most iconic ocean racing turning points presents all the challenges to competitors associated with classic offshore/coastal racing.

The many headlands along the track present major tactical decision points for skippers and navigators in their race to make the many tidal gates along the route. This coupled to the often fickle winds make the creation of a race winning strategy extremely difficult.

This now classic race on the South Coast typically attracts competitors from the host Club Kinsale Yacht Club along with competitors from the Royal Cork and Cobh Sailing Club. 

The inclusion of the Kinsale Fastnet in SCORA Jim Donegan Memorial Series enhances the standing of this race along the South coast and the very generous sponsorship of this race by CH Marine makes the race highly attractive for South coast sailors.

Intending competitors are reminded that this is a ISAF OSR Cat 3 race with life rafts. Safety checks may be conducted prior to the start.

Today's 'Sailing by the Lee' lunch in Cork in aid of the RNLI featured guest speaker Rick Tomlinson, the Round the World Photographer who hails from the Isle of Man.

The lunch began with a drinks reception sponsored by The Electric Bar and Restaurant of South Mall.

Tomlinson gave a 40 minute slide show that featured a selection of Antarctic images including maginificent wildlife photography. It was immediately clear to the 200 guests that not only does this photographer have a great eye but also a strong techincal ability, his shots ranging from 360 degree fisheye to telephoto lens shots taken from helicopters.

As always it was a packed attendance at the Maryborough hotel for the start of season function, organised by Kinsale's Susie Elliott. This years lunch included host RNLI Governor Peter Crowley, sailmaker Des McWilliam, Afloat.ie's Claire Bateman, Vinnie O'Shea, commodore of SCORA, Gary and Susan Horgan of Sovereigns Cup, Race officer Alan and Mary Crosbie and many, many more. Scroll down for photos (by Bob Bateman) below!

During the lunch, Peter Crowley paid a special tribute to Rick on his remarkable career, "I wish to acknowledge Rick's absolute dedication; commitment and enthusiasm in representing those connected to the sea, in bringing the thrills and excitement of the Volvo Ocean Race back to us at home and capturing the ongoing challenges and adventures of the international maritime community. Rick has also been most important to us over the years, as through his work, he has also captured with his talents the volunteer life saving work of the RNLI."

Rick Tomlinson is best known for capturing the Southern Ocean at its most treacherous from the decks of various yachts in the Whitbread Round the World Race/Volvo Ocean Race. Born in 1958, Rick grew up on the Isle of Man, where he established a serious interest in sailing. Rick's enthusiasm for photography began while he was boatbuilding and sailing. Yacht racing aside, Rick has extended his skills into expedition and project photography to such places as the Arctic and Antarctic, Chile, Alaska, Caribbean and Africa, together special assignments for the RNLI.

Speaking at the event, Kinsale RNLI Fundraising Secretary Susie Elliott stated, "It has been a remarkable year for Kinsale RNLI. Having opened our boathouse just over a year ago, we continue to work to raise the funds needed to meet the construction costs. Our sponsors and supporters for this year's event have been extremely generous and we are very grateful to them, particularly given the challenging economic climate.

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The members having been welcomed by Kinsale Vice Commodore Cameron Good, the meeting got under way with the first business of the evening being to elect a new Commodore. Vinnie O'Shea of Royal Cork Yacht Club was an unopposed unanimous choice and then took the chair. Jackie Kenefick of Schull Harbour Sailing Club was elected Executive Officer of the Association and Michael Murphy of RCYC and SHSC agreed to remain in his role of Treasurer and PRO. Also in attendance at the top table was Denis Kiely the hard working National Handicapping Officer.

The agenda item on class bands as was expected provoked lively input from the members, in fact the debate looked like going on for the evening such was the interest until the Chairman advised the members that he would shortly be calling a meeting with just one item on the agenda and that would be the class bands and handicapping.

A digital slide show of summer sailing was presented by Bob Bateman (SEE BELOW) just before there was a break for refreshments and then the eagerly awaited presentation of trophies and prizes took place. The prizes were presented by Sue McWilliam of McWiliam Onesails and Hugh Mockler of HM Yachts Ltd. and the SCORA prizes consisting of framed photographs from the 2010 sailing season were presented by the newly elected Commodore, Vinnie O'Shea.

The 2010 Annual General Meeting and Prizegiving of the South Coast Offshore Cruising Association (SCORA) will take place at Kinsale Yacht Club on Friday December 3rd at 8pm.

Hugh Mockler of HM Yachts will present the League prizes for the eighteen race series that included the Kinsale April league and the Royal Cork Autumn League.

Des Mc William of McWilliam One Sails will present the championship prizes for the series that was sailed in Cobh in September.

The SCORA Committee will present a series of sailing action photographs from the various events covered by Sailing Photographer Bob Bateman during the season.

The meeting will discuss the state of sailing on the South Coast and the ongoing development of the Echo progressive handicap system, together with the possible movement of class bands.

At the close of the sailing season an interesting evening is assured so all sailors are urged to attend and avail of the opportunity to air their views on the handicap system and the class bands.

It was one of those weekends in Cork Harbour where the wind refused to play the game writes Claire Bateman. All was prepared and in readiness at Cove sailing Club for the McWilliam One Sail SCORA South Coast Championships on Saturday morning. They had the committee boat, the support RIBS, the marks and last but certainly not least they had acquired the services of the hard working Neil Prendeville as the PRO.

Setting up the committee boat off "Foxes Cover" in about 6 knots of wind the Race Officer sent off the fleets who started with great enthusiasm but alas and alack this wind did not hold but was quite happy to die and fill in again from a different direction only to die once more, making it a frustrating day for the sailors.

Sunday, if anything, was worse with the wind boxing the compass. Despite the lack of wind the fleets did manage to complete one shortened round thus enabling a result for the Championships.

OVERALL RESULTS:

In Class One IRC Ria Lyden in Elida was first with Colman Garvey in True Pennance second. This situation was repeated in ECHO.

In Class Two IRC Vinnie Delaney's Yanks & Ffrancs was first with the other Corby 25 Denis Coleman's Thunderbird second.

In Class Two ECHO Yanks & Ffrancs again prevailed with Leonard Donnery's No Gnomes in second place.

In Class Three IRC Niall Kelly's WOT Like took first place with Dominic Losty's Woody second.

In Class Three ECHO it was Fergus Coughlan's White Knight took the win followed by Liam and Pat Coakley's J24 JAY.

In Class Four IRC Two GK 24s fought it out with Mike Sexton's Granny Knot beating Kevin O'Connell's Gaelic Kiwi into second place.

In Class Four ECHO Granny Knot again took the win with Peter Webster's Thistle in second place.

The SCORA (South Coast Offshore Racing Association) Championships will take place out of Cove Sailing Club on September 25th/26. From September 24th any competitors travelling to this event and who will be entering the O'Flynn Exhams Solicitors Autumn Regatta the following week will be provided with berthage or moorings free of charge at the Royal Cork Yacht Club right through to the end of the Autumn League.