Although Friday’s racing was cancelled in the face of heavy winds and the strong possibility of fog in a notably unstable weather phase, it has otherwise been Camelot in Kinsale for the Simple Blue Sovereigns Cup 2023. Any serious rain has gone through in the hours shortly after midnight, and the most of it is only a memory by the time the intensely-focused sailing athletes for which the Sovereign’s Cup is renowned are preparing for another day of sparkling sport afloat. For this is what dictates the maritime perception from the historic port. The view is southward, and if there’s any sun about at all, you look towards the promise of the open sea across an almost ludicrously picturesque stretch of vibrantly shining water.

For the opening two days of the 2023 Sovereigns Cup this week, that gallant old war-horse of a cliché “champagne sailing” was worked within an inch of its life. But if anyone can come up with an equally viable alternative, we’ll gladly use it. Please be advised, however, that “Spritzer Sailing” and “Elderflower Fizz Sailing” have both been run up the flapgpole, but neither has made it to the top.

Be that as it may, part of the delight lies in the nature of the venue itself. It has taken an impressive amount of history and turns of fortune to make Kinsale what it is today. So much so, in fact, that the pivotal Battle of Kinsale in 1601 is increasingly regarded by your average citizen as just another staging post in a long progression in which at times there was no progress at all, and the place went to near-dereliction, while at other times it has been a case of two steps forward, and then almost immediately one step back.

KINSALE IS EAST ATLANTIC EQUIVALENT OF ENGLISH HARBOUR IN ANTIGUA

Yet throughout the 1700s, Kinsale was one of the Royal Navy’s most significant victualling, ship repair and operations control ports serving the North Atlantic fleet. It was in effect the eastern Atlantic version of English Harbour in Antigua. But with the Napoleonic Wars at the end of the Century, ship sizes were rapidly growing, fleet numbers were increasing at speed, and by 1803 it was proposed that the Naval Base would be moved to Haulbowline Island and Cobh in Cork Harbour.

In sunny weather, the outlook from Kinsale is always across sparkling sea

The process got under way in 1805 and the move was completed by 1812. So the Royal Navy upped and departed from Kinsale, but left behind this perfect time capsule of an 18th Century Navy town. Yet even though they had no further use for the place, being the all-powerful authorities they were very reluctant to relinquish control to any other potential users, particularly fishing fleets.

The same attitude prevailed generally through the 1800s when the relatively new packet-boat harbour at Dunmore East became available after the arrival of steam power enabled the Waterford cross-channel ferry to go direct into Waterford city. It took years before the struggling Dunmore East fishermen – forced to work their boats off the beach at what is now the Strand Hotel – were allowed regular access to the much better space in the harbour.

Equally, on the East Coast at Howth, they may have seen the cross-channel Mailboat service moved permanently to the new harbour at Kingstown in 1834, but it was almost 1860 before the many local fishermen were allowed complete access at Howth, and meanwhile it was the drying inlet at Baldoyle which was the main local fisheries centre.

FISHERMEN FINALLY GET A CHANCE

Thus there’s a certain satisfaction in contemplating the fact that both Dunmore East and Howth are now designated Fisheries Harbour Centres before they are allowed to be anything else. But in both cases, the influence of nearby cities created a certain dynamic and development.

Cork Harbour, however, is such a universe in itself that although Kinsale developed a local fishing fleet, it was allowed to slumber on ignored, in a near-coma. Enough was done to preserve much of it as this classic miniature seaport of the 1700s, yet when I first sailed in there in 1966, it was surprising to find how many buildings were still semi-derelict despite the new life and attractions of the pretty little town being indicated by - among other things - the foundation of Kinsale Yacht Club in 1953 by John Thuillier and his friends.

KINSALE TODAY IS IRELAND TOMORROW

Since then, it could be argued that if you took the pulse of Kinsale, then you were taking the pulse of what Ireland could become. For sure, there have been some highly visible developments that might have been better left unbuilt. But knowing how Ireland went through a crazy phase of sudden prosperity when it seemed the right thing to tear down the fine old buildings which had witnessed the years of relative poverty and replace them with questionable new structures, by some fortunate miracle the character of the Kinsale of the 1700s is still very much present in an otherwise modern town.

In Kinsale’s ancient winding streets, they’re not nervous about livening things up with strong colours

It’s a town where marinas and small commercial quays and fishing berths and hotels and the yacht club and waterfront homes and business buildings live in such comfortably close proximity that you can sit down to your lunch in the Trident Hotel with the quayside empty behind you, and when you rise well-fed, you turn around to find that just a very few metres from the window behind you, there is now the stemhead of a handy little coaster which has come in to discharge grain for the local company.

It’s this lively mix of bustling activity and space to relax that gives Kinsale much of its highly-individual character. It’s a character and personality with which its sailors are so confident and comfortable that they reach their own conclusions about what’s best for Kinsale and its sailing, and for some years now they’ve side-stepped the numbers game, particularly when fleets with classes of larger cruiser-racers are involved.

SOVEREIGNS HIT THE SWEET SPOT ON NUMBERS

Thus although the Sovereigns Cup in times past saw fleets pushing towards the 120 mark, most are now quietly aware that the Kinsallions reckon that around 90 is the sweet spot for a typically contemporary fleet in the biennial Sovereigns Cup, and with enthusiastic support from the environment-friendly energy company Simply Blue in 2023, that’s precisely what they’ve got.

Yet in 90 boats, you can find a universe. And so much of it is in a family situation too, such that rising talents - looked on as sailing-rock-stars-in-the-making in the national or international context –find themselves still seen as the local lass or lad who done good.

“Gibberish Spoken Here” – Ross McDonald at the helm of the McBearla’s 1720 Atara. Photo: Robert Bateman

You get it at the front end of the 1720s where the McBearlas – “bearla” in old Irish means those who spoke English, in other words, gibberish – are battling to defend their European title. And if they do so, it will be clarified that they’re a mix of the children of the late great Joe English of Crosshaven (where his former house is now home to Darryl Hughes of the Old Gaffers) and the McDonalds, who came south from Barra in the Outer Hebrides in 1745 to Donegal after the failure of the invasion by Bonnie Prince Charlie, who is mostly famous today for being the only man in history to have been named after three sheepdogs.

Amongst others, the McBearlas are up against Julian Hughes of Dunmore East and Fionn Lyden of Baltimore, added to the O’Learys of Crosshaven and Baltimore in at least two boats, and also such household names as the After Headcase crew – formerly of J/24 Headcase – of Dickson, Mulloy, Ryan, Glynn and O’Byrne. They are very much on campaign in alien territory, as Munster is the only province not personally represented in their all-star lineup.

J/109 COMEBACK

Recently in pondering the results of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race 2023, we idly wondered with a bit of coat-trailing if Ireland and the Irish Sea had passed J/109 peak, as the best-placed J/109 in that surprisingly rugged event was Mojito from Pwllheli way back at ninth overall. But we’re certainly getting our come-uppance at Kinsale, as the super-hotties in IRC Class 1 are being dominated by the J/109s, with three out of the top four places filled by ever-young veteran J/109s, with John Maybury’s multi-winner Joker (Royal Irish YC) first.

The Comeback Kids – the J/109s occupy three of the top four places in IRC 1, including the lead held by John Maybury’s Joker (RIYC). Photo: Robert Bateman

That said, the defending champion, Mike & Richie Evans J/99 Snapshot from Howth, is just one point behind the Maybury boat, so there’s all to play for today (Saturday). Meanwhile, further down the line the Dwyers of Crosshaven with the historic Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble, have had a clean sweep so far. The much-loved and very characterful Bubble has come through so much merely to survive this far that she deserves her own online page if she doesn’t have one already, and it gives pleasure simply to see her work her own special way through the sea.

The Cat With Nine Lives – the Dwyers’ historic Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble deserves a fan club if she doesn’t have one already. Photo: KYC

ANCESTOR WORSHIP AFLOAT?

But in terms of family history and special boats, the two classics racing – the O’Keeffes with Lady Min and the Sisks with Marian Maid – are in a league of their own. The immaculate condition of both boats is ancestor-respecting piety raised to fresh heights. The O’Keeffe’s Lady Min was designed and built by Simon O’Keeffe’s great-grandfather Maurice O’Keeffe in Schull in 1902, and her restoration by Tiernan Roe of Ballydehob is the current holder of a Classic Boat International Award.

The O’Keeffe family’s 1902-built Lady Min is the 2023 holder of a Classic Boat Award. Photo: Robert Bateman

As for Marian Maid, she was built by Hal Sisk’s father John Sisk in 1954 in Dun Laoghaire, in a shed behind the West Pier after Sisk Snr had to move his Dalkey Yacht Company from premises at Bulloch Harbour.

Marian Maid is unusual in many ways, not least in being a yawl-rigged version of Swedish designer Knud Reimers take on the newly-introduced International 8 Metre Cruiser/Racer Rule, with Reimers liking the boat so much that he had a sloop-rigged version built for himself in Sweden.

At 69 years old, Marian Maid has been re-born. Photo: Robert Bateman

Meanwhile, for the last 69 years, the Maid has been through a variety of experiences, not all of them pleasant. But now she has been restored at Rossbrin Boatyard in West Cork by Jimmy Murphy and Peter Sweetman and their team with Sisk boat specialist Ian Squire, and the result is a creation of such a high standard that it seems almost sacrilegious to put her in something as harsh and abrasive as the south coast’s very salty sea, yet the hyper-elegant Marian Maid has been taking it all in her stride.

 The restoration of Marian Maid has been to such a high standard that it might be felt she shouldn’t be put in anything as abrasive as salt water, but off Kinsale she is taking it all very elegantly in her stride. Photo: KYC

Disappointment in Kinsale, County Cork for the 90 competing boats as the penultimate day's 2023 Sovereign's Cup racing was cancelled this morning in light of sea conditions, "actual and forecast weather".

The final day of racing will be held tomorrow, Saturday, with forecasts indicating similar strong southerly winds.

Beginning on Wednesday, the first two days of racing in light winds have produced an exciting range of coastal and round-the-cans racing, view all Afloat's reports, photos and results on one handy link here

Sovereign's Cup competitors who sailed around two different marks in race two of Wednesday's opening day in Kinsale have submitted a 'Request for Redress' for the 'entire' White Sails Two Fleet (WS2) Class.

The hearing is scheduled for 1700 hrs at Kinsale Yacht Club this evening.

One party from each of the 12 competing boats is expected to attend.

After four races sailed, WS2's lead is held by Alan Mulcahy's Albin Express Apache with a margin of one point over the 1902 vintage Lady Min from Schull Harbour Sailing Club.

Lying third is Kinsale YC's John Twomey in the Blazer 23, Shillelagh. 

Patrick Beckett's Tofinou 8 Miss Charlie from the host club is a competitor in White Sails 2 IRC at the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman

Results below 

The 17-boat Coastal IRC division got a new overall leader after today's second race of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale. 

Early leader Scotland's J122E El Gran Senor has been overhauled by Howth Yacht Club's First 50 Checkmate XX, co-skippered by Nigel Biggs and Dave Cullen. 

Jonathan Anderson's Clyde Cruising Club entry slipped to third place today, allowing race winners Biggs and Cullen into the lead by a single point in the Cup's biggest class.

Light westerly winds opened the regatta on Wednesday, which continued for the second race today. 

The brand new J112E ValenTina skippered by Johnny Treanor of the National Yacht Club, makes her Irish debut at the Sovereign's Cup 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

The brand new J112E ValenTina of Johnny Treanor of the National Yacht Club, stays third in coastal racing with a second scored today. 

Still lying fourth is Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44, Samatom, and regatta sponsor Hugh Kelly of  Simply Blue Group stays fifth in the J122, JellyBaby.

Following a short postponement of race two, waiting for the breeze to fill in, the race officer for the coastal fleet, Peter Crowley, set a 22-mile course, making the most of the steady 10 knot southerly breeze.

Sovereign's Cup Coastal Course Race Officer Peter Crowley and his team onboard Sparetime Photo: Bob Bateman

The fleet got away at the first attempt, and Checkmate XX rounded the first mark in the lead, gradually extending on Samatom over the following legs.

Behind them, El Gran Senor sailed another good race but couldn't save their time on Valentina. The final results were; Checkmate, Valentina, and El Gran Senor in third.

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries across all divisions, runs from 21st to 24th June, and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Southwesterly winds gusting to 30 knots are forecast for Friday's races, with KYC organisers telling competitors tonight: "Due to the current forecast for tomorrow, please keep an eye out for an amendment to the SI’s in the morning as to the location of each start area".

See results below

Quarter Tonners have control of the top of Class Three IRC at The Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge continues to lead the ten-boat fleet after four races sailed, but another Quarter Tonner has leapfrogged visiting Welsh Sigma 33 'Partisan' into second overall. Courtown Sailing Club's Joubert Quarter Tonner, Snoopy (Joanne Hall & Martin Mahon), is eight points behind Conor Phelan's leading Farr design.

Phelan's Farr design has an impressive scorecard of 1.0, 2.0, 1.0, and 1.0 over the four round-the-can courses so far in the ten-boat fleet.

Regular Afloat readers will recall Snoopy's 2021 performance. With a statement of her intent delivered at Calves Week in West Cork in August 2021,  'Snoopy' became the ICRA Divison 3 National Champion at the first attempt that September after a superbly sailed series on Dublin Bay.

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries across all divisions, runs from 21st to 24th June, and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Southwesterly winds gusting to 30 knots are forecast for Friday's races, with KYC organisers telling competitors tonight: "Due to the current forecast for tomorrow, please keep an eye out for an amendment to the SI’s in the morning as to the location of each start area".

Results below.

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble prowess in Class Two IRC is not doubted after the second day of racing at Kinsale Yacht Club's 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup.

James and David Dwyer have a perfect scoreline in the Farr design to be six points clear of the host club's Elan 333 Reavra Too, skippered by Stephen Lysaght, who counts two seconds and two thirds to be on 10 points. Lying third in the eight-boat fleet and just one point behind Lysaght is John Gordon from Mayo Sailing Club in the X-332 X-Rated.

Consistent sailing in the Kinsale Yacht Club's 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup from Elan 333 Reavra Too, skippered by Stephen Lysaght of the host club Photo: Bob Bateman

There were more light westerly winds of up to ten knots with Class Two sailing two round the cans races. 

John Gordon's Mayo Sailing Club X-332 X-Rated is lying third in IRC Two of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup from Elan 333 Reavra Too, skippered by Stephen Lysaght of the host club Photo: Bob Bateman

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries across all divisions, runs from 21st to 24th June, and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Southwesterly winds gusting to 30 knots are forecast for Friday's races, with KYC organisers telling competitors tonight: "Due to the current forecast for tomorrow, please keep an eye out for an amendment to the SI’s in the morning as to the location of each start area".

Results are below

National J109 Champion John Maybury of the Royal Irish Yacht Club has moved into the overall lead of Class One IRC on day two of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale.

Maybury's Joker II crew won race two, were third in race three and won the last race of the day, and found themselves quite at home in the light winds that prevailed on Thursday, moving up from fifth overall after Wednesday's opening single race.

Mike Evans's J99 Snapshot from Howth has moved up to second place in IRC One of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman

The  J109 design continues to hold four of the top five places in IRC One but also moving up overall is defending Sovereign's Cup Champion, Mike Evans's J99 Snapshot, now in second place from yesterday's third. 

Mike Evans's J99 Snapshot from Howth leads into a mark on day two of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman

Early leader Howth Yacht Club's Indian skippered by Simon Knowles, and Finbarr O'Regan's Artful DodJer have both dropped off the podium, letting Maybury's clubmate Richard and Timothy Goodbody's ' White Mischief' into third overall.

Finbarr O'Regan's Artful DodJer of the host club has dropped to fourth Sovereign's Cup Class One IRC after four races sailed Photo: Bob Bateman

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries, runs from 21st to 24th June, and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Southwesterly winds gusting to 30 knots are forecast for Friday's races.

Results below

Two classic Irish yachts are turning heads in the perfect sailing conditions of the first two days of racing at the Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup Regatta off Kinsale. 

The immaculately restored O'Keeffe family's gaff cutter Lady Min of 1902 vintage and the Sisk family's Marian Maid, built in 1954, are both racing in the White Sails Two division.

Re-born. The restored Lady Min raced at Cork Week 2022 and is racing this week at the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman

Designed and built in Schull by Maurice O'Keeffe in 1902, Lady Min was acclaimed as the Best Restoration Under 40ft by Classic Boat Magazine in April in celebration of the meticulous work carried out by Tiernan Roe of Roe Boats of Ballydehob for Simon O'Keeffe, who is at the heart of a four-generation family involvement with this very special boat.

The O'Keeffe family's gaff cutter Lady Min of 1902 is racing at the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman

Marian Maid at Kinsale

The vanished-hulled Marian Maid is racing again and has recently travelled from her home port of Dun Laoghaire back to the south coast to compete at this week's biennial Sovereign's Cup. 

It's easy to see why the Knud Reimers designed Marian Maid made something of a splash in the Yachting World Annual of 1954 Photo: Bob Bateman

As Afloat reported recently, the eight-metre cruiser-racer is owned by George and Hal Sisk and Hal's son Owen and immaculately restored by Jimmy Murphy and Peter Sweetman and Sisk boat specialist Ian Squire with the team at Rossbrin Boatyard in West Cork, where the up-dating mods have included the installation of an electric auxiliary engine.

The yawl-rigged Marian Maid was built in the Marian Year of 1954 for John Sisk by Dalkey Shipyard on Dublin Bay Photo: Bob Bateman

Marian Maid was spotted at Crosshaven Tradfest in Cork Harbour last Sunday evening, as Afloat reported here, before the yawl began racing this week in White Sails Two Division.

Designed with the 1954 RORC rule  in mind, Marian Maid’s rig leads to no less than six headsails, two jibs, a boom foresail with a reef, a working foresail, and a foresail for reaching Photo: Bob Bateman

The potent J109 design holds four of the top five places in IRC One after the first race of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale.

Howth Yacht Club's Indian skippered by Simon Knowles leads from Finbarr O'Regan's Artful DodJer with the defending Sovereign's Cup champion, the J99 Snapshot of Mike Evans in third. 

Light westerly winds and a developing sea breeze up to ten knots opened the regatta, with Class One sailing a single round the cans race. 

Although two races were scheduled, the first race was abandoned in Class One.

Richard and Timothy Goodbody's ' White Mischief' from the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay took fourth, with clubmate John Maybury in Joker II in fifth in the 11-boat fleet.

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries, runs from 21st to 24th June, and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge leads a ten-boat fleet after today's first two races of Class Three IRC at The Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale.

Conor Phelan's Farr design scored a one and a two on the round-the-cans courses to be four points ahead of visiting Welsh Sigma 33 'Partisan' on seven points. 

Just one point behind Neyland Yacht Club's Dan Lewis is the host club's under 25-team on the J24, Kinsailor.

The Class Three IRC course at The Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries across all divisions and runs from 21st to 24th June and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Results below.