Counting three race wins but bouncing back from a disqualification in the third race of five sailed, Alex Barry, Richard Leonard and Kieran O'Connell sailing 'Howlin' Mad' won the National 18 Irish Championship crown at Royal Cork Yacht Club on Sunday evening.

The Cork Harbour-based championships were reduced to one day but in excellent conditions, with Sunday’s racing sailed in up to 15 knots of wind on the Curlane Bank course.

The winning trio concluded the series just one point clear of Nick Walsh, Eddie Rice and Rob Brownlow, who won the final race in Peaky Blinders.

Third in the 13-boat fleet (two more than the 2023 championships) were the defending champions, Charlo Dwyer, Ian Heff Heffernan and John Coakley in Nacho.

Results below

2024 National 18 Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo Gallery 

The J/70 European Championships kicks off today with 'Team Wildcard' as the only Irish entry for this year's highly competitive event in Italy.

With over 70 J/70s from 18 nations, the event in Argentario is going to make for five days of very exciting racing and a chance for the Munster team to make its mark after placing sixth earlier this year at the Primo Cup in Monaco.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club crew comprises Harry Twomey, Harry Durcan, Micheal O'Suilleabhain, Sally O'Flynn and William Twomey.

Friday's Royal Cork Yacht Club May IHS cruiser-racer league in Cork Harbour was won by Louise O'Keeffe's Dufour 30, Labous Gwen in a corrected time of 1 hour 16 minutes and 16 seconds.

Fiona Young's Albin Express, North Star was second in the light air race in a time of 1:16:45 corr. The McJenkins family were third in the S&S 34, Morning After (1:18:47 corr).

A dull Friday turned sunny by mid-afternoon but the wind went light for the start of the race and was no match for the harbour's foul tide.

Overall, after three races sailed in the May league, Labous Gwen leads by five points from Clodagh O'Donovan's First 35s5, Roaring Forties on 15 points. Danny Rock's RCYC 1720 is lying third.

Results are provisional (below) for the 11-boat fleet, which produced further proof for the Royal Cork claim that momentum is growing in Summer keelboat racing with a combined harbour league resuming in June.

"The largest number of boats racing on a Summer Series Friday night in over 10 years, a remarkable achievement,” says Royal Cork Yacht Club Rear Admiral Keelboats, Rob Foster, after the second week of the club’s May League.

Between the Thursday and Friday leagues, over thirty boats raced out of the Crosshaven club, giving the season its best start in many years.

The conditions were light on both nights for the second week and there was a distinctive taste of summer in the air. On Thursday night, Fiona Young’s North Star reigned supreme in Spinnakers IRC, with Ria Lyden’s Ellida winning in ECHO handicap.

The club 1720 won Whitesail IRC and Pat Vaughan was the winner on Aramis in ECHO.

Friday is especially for whitesails.

The second Friday evening race under IHS club handicapping had the biggest racing fleet so far, a turn-out of 18 yachts. The winner was Louise O'Keeffe’s Labous Gwen.

As Afloat reported earlier, in a further boost for Munster cruiser-racer interests, the Cork Harbour Cruiser League is to be revived next month.

After a break since the impact of Covid, the Cork Harbour Combined Cruiser League is to be held again.

It will start on Friday, June 5, and be jointly organised by the Royal Cork YC and Cove SC. It is open to both Whitesail and Spinnaker racing and will run for four Fridays in June.

The event is sponsored by Johanna Murphy and Associates.

"It promises to be a fantastic league with the Harbour Clubs working together to deliver great racing for both clubs," says RCYC Rear Admiral Keelboats, Rob Foster.

The overall league prize-giving will be on Friday, June 28, in Cobh.

Sailing Instructions and the Notice of Race are being published on club websites.

For the first time in five years the Rankin dinghy ‘Worlds’ will be held again this season.

The Rankins are a revered Cork Harbour class that was revived, beginning in 2016, by dedicated enthusiasts in Cobh and is now thriving again as part of Cove Sailing Club.

The ’Worlds were last held in 2019 and will be race again on June 29 and 30. hosted by the Royal Cork YC at Crosshaven.

The title ‘holders’ from then are Conor and Robbie English. Conor was one of the two leaders who led the revival of the Rankins.

Rankin R4 and Helga of the fleet on the Cork Harbour dinghy class's first sail of 2024 Photo: Rankins/Facebook

The other, Maurice Kidney, told me: “We are eagerly looking forward to the revival event.

“As of now, we've 23 confirmed boats and anticipate another five, which gives us upwards of 28 boats on the water. Peter Crowley of the RCYC, himself a long-time Rankin enthusiast, has kindly agreed to be the Sailing Coordinator for the weekend.

“While the emphasis will be on participation, it can be expected to be fairly hot at the top of the fleet.

“Alex Barry will be sailing his brother Colin’s boat, Tommy Dwyer, in scintillating form at Rankin events last year are ones to note. There are many others. The ‘Worlds’ will be a great event.”

On Saturday morning, the Carrigaline Choral Group participated in the annual Darkness into Light national fundraiser with the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Up to 30 pleasure crafts sailed out into Cork Harbour before sunrise to support the charity Pieta, which raises awareness about suicide and provides support to those suffering from suicidal ideation, self-harm, or those bereaved by suicide.

A flotilla of up to 30 boats headed out into a misty Cork Harbour for the annual Darkness into Light national fundraiser with the Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

The flotilla was led by Royal Cork Yacht Club Admiral Annamarie Fegan. The Carrigaline Choral Group was onboard the RCYC's Committee boat, Gem, and was accompanied by the Crosshaven RNLI inshore lifeboat.

The  Darkness into Light flotilla of boats included the Crosshaven RNLI inshore lifeboat Photo: Bob Bateman

Although there was a foggy start to the proceedings, the boats set off from Crosshaven in a parade and headed for the entrance to Cork Harbour just off Roches Point.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Committee Boat Gem, skippered by marina manager Mark Ring underneath Roches Point at sunrise for the Darkness into Light charity appeal  Photo: Bob Bateman

At 5:45 a.m., just after sunrise, Admiral Fegan raised the club pennant to honour the Darkness into Light charity appeal, and the choir, led by honorary choral secretary Mary Malone, sang in the misty morning. 

Royal Cork Yacht Club Admiral Annamarie Fegan raises the club pennant to honour the Darkness into Light charity appeal Photo: Bob Bateman

Carrigaline Choral Group perform at sunrise off Roches Point in Cork Harbour as part of the Royal Cork Yacht Club's support of the annual Darkness into Light national fundraiser Photo: Bob Bateman

After the event, the fleet returned to the clubhouse for tea, coffee, and croissants.

Pieta was founded in Dublin in 2006 to provide free, accessible one-to-one counselling to people in need.

Royal Cork Yacht Club's 2024 'Darkness into Light' Fundraiser in aid of Pieta House Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

The Royal Cork YC’s Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo is always a busy boat, and usually successful too. But things are in over-drive for 2024 and 2025, as co-owner-skipper Annamarie Fegan - aka Mrs Denis Murphy - is also the RCYC’s first woman Admiral. Thus she and Denis and their crew are finding their energies well spread, for as we’re all only too well aware, getting enthusiasm going for the new 2024 season has been a bit of a challenge in the face of decidedly mixed weather. And in any case, being Admiral RCYC is virtually a full-time job.

Nieulargo is well-accustomed to leading on the water in straightforward racing, but in early 2024 it has behoved them to lead by example too. So they took themselves off – as the keener Crosshaven boats usually do – for total commitment to the Axiom Spring Series in Kinsale, and never mind the weather. They won Class 1 overall. Now that is truly inspirational leadership.

On Saturday evening (April 20), the Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC) honoured British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who arrived into Cork Harbour during his Round Ireland cruise.

Knox Johnston, who famously completed the first single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the world in 1969, presented the prizes after the successful staging of RCYC's Crosshaven House PY 1000 dinghy race.

The round-the-world legend presented the winner's cheque for €700 to National 18 trio Colin Chapman (winning for a second time), Ewan O'Keefe and Dave Lane on the RCYC lawn in the evening sunshine.

The tenth edition of the mixed dinghy event featured a pursuit race in the Owenabue River, organised by Alex Barry.

Race Officer John Crotty saw the first boats off at 3:30 p.m. and finishers arriving at 5 pm.

National 18 dinghies head off in the tenth Crosshaven House PY 1000 dinghy race Photo: Bob Bateman

420 dinghies competing in the tenth Crosshaven House PY 1000 dinghy race Photo: Bob Bateman

The sunny day with an east, south-east wind made for a gentle start to the proceedings, perfect for the three-man National 18 dinghy to show its performance potential and arrive in first place.

National 18 trio Colin Chapman (winning for a second time), Ewan O'Keefe and Dave Lane on their way to RCYC Crosshaven House PY 1000 dinghy race victory Photo: Bob Bateman

Charles Dwyer and Peter Scannell, in another N18, were second, with Daphne O'Leary (aged 8) and her father, Peter O'Leary third. 

Daphne O'Leary (aged 8) and her father, Peter O'Leary were in the third in RCYC's Crosshaven House PY 1000 dinghy race. Photo: Bob Bateman

New marque - A Melges 15 dinghy (IRL 561) made its RCYC Crosshaven House PY 1000 dinghy race debut on the Owenabue river Photo: Bob Bateman

Royal Cork's 2024 PY1000 Dinghy Race Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

The 1980s tend to get a bad press as a time when young people left the country in droves, searching for jobs that matched their potential and training. Those of us who stayed at home to battle on, but now find ourselves living in one of the allegedly richest countries in Europe, survived the bad times by generally not keeping overly close tabs on those who had made the Great Escape. For indeed, some had more or less vanished without trace, while others were rumoured to have made some sort of determinedly-sought breakthrough to become household names in their own household, or even better.

GETTING OUT IN 1985

One such is Ken Corry, now Commodore of the highly-regarded 1901-founded Los Angeles Yacht Club. Yet when he departed the intense Cork sailing scene in 1985, boats and sailing in his new life in California were barely even on the to-do list as he worked with increasing success on the lively West Coast, where the multi-opportunity California is nearly 15% of the entire US total economy, while New York state is only 8%.

Neill Love from Cork with Commodore Ken Corry at the Los Angeles Yacht Club

DEEPLY INTO CROSSHAVEN JUNIOR SAILING

Yet back in Crosshaven he’d been completely invested in the junior sailing programme, having joined the Royal Cork YC as a kid in 1970, then moving up the ranks to race in the Mirrors and be a helm in the RCYC Team which beat Sutton Dinghy Club for the historic Book Trophy by a cool 17.5 points in 1976.

The most junior of juniors – a young Ken Corry at Crosshaven (left) with Eddie Tingle and the late Suzanne Crosbie. The lifejackets back then were so uncomfortable that where the rules said “Life Jackets Must Be Worn When Sailing”, the youngsters interpreted that to a very fine point, and in a less prosperous era of fewer items of equipment, life jackets could be used as fenders when the boats weren’t actually under way

Success! Forty-eight years after the event, the 1976 page of “The Book” show young helm Ken Corry (bottom left) proving his worth for Royal Cork in the annual tournament against Sutton Dinghy Club

MOVING UP THE ROYAL CORK SAILING RANKS

Then he went on to the National 18s for a couple of years before being elevated to a crewing role on Denis Doyle’s new Crosshaven-built Frers 51 Moonduster in 1981, going on to race with The Doyler in that year’s Admiral’s Cup including the Fastnet, and the Sardinia Cup in Porto Cervo in the Mediterranean in 1982. By 1984, he had been swept into the wave of enthusiasm for the J/24s, crewing both for Stephen Hyde in that year’s Worlds at Poole, and subsequently with Anthony O’Leary in the legendary Flying Ferret.

Fresh out of Crosshaven Boatyard in May 1981, Denis Doyle’s new Frers 51 Moonduster had a youthful crew – including Ken Corry – who took a while to realise just how much they needed to ease the backstay when running. Photo: W M Nixon

But in the mid-1980s, the winters were long and the economic outlook was bleak, and in 1985 he fetched up in California, keen to work. The way his friend Neill Love back in Cork tells it, his reinvolvement – eventually to the highest levels – in the sailing scene in the new environment came about in a very laid-back style:

• Sailed casually with friends for a number of years before becoming a partner (and now sole owner) of a Cal 40 in restoration project.
• Joined Board of Directors (the Committee) in Los Angeles Yacht Club 2018
• Launched superbly restored and successful Cal 40 in 2021
• Commodore LAYC 2024

Joining the real club….the restoration of Ken Corry’s Cal 40 nears completion in 2021

It’s a beautiful story, and the involvement of a Cal 40 is the cream on the cake. Back in 1963, sailors of a modernist mind in Ireland were much taken by the new van de Stadt-designed Excalibur 36, virtually all fibreglass and with a spade rudder in the newest of the new styles, completely separate from the keel. There was an attempt to get an OD class going in Dun Laoghaire, but it had petered out by the 1970s, as moving from the very stylish and classic DB24s to the utterly plastic fantastic Excalibur was just too much of a leap.

CAL 40 IS CALIFORNIA’S ENDURING CLASSIC

But meanwhile, in California in 1963, Bill Lapworth unveiled the Cal 40, the same concept as the Excalibur 36, but with a more slim Pacific style in that very useful extra 4ft of length and enough traditional varnish-work – particularly a wooden cockpit coaming – to keep many traditionalists happy.

The ultimate restored Cal 40 – Stan and and Sally Honey’s Illusion sweeps into another ocean race win. After many years of massive successes on both the Pacific and Atlantic coats of the US with Illusion, Stan and Sally have gone over to the dark side with the purchase of a fully-powered trawler yacht, while Illusion has gone to Stan’s nephew “as he gets what she means”.

To cut a long story short, you won’t see any Excalibur 36s making the offshore racing scene these days. Yet in the US on both coasts the Cal 40 wonderboat just keeps on winning, and restoring one – as super-sailors Stan and Sally Honey did with their hugely successful yet ancient Illusion, which had bullet holes in the hull when they took on the job - is looked on along the West Coast as an almost sacred duty for serious sailors.

Thus from being someone from a cosy Irish sailing community who was making a leap into the dark in moving to the Coast, Ken Corry is now very much at home at the heart of Los Angeles sailing and its finest traditions. Rather than travelling to visit, he is the one to be visited – he has had Neill Love calling by, and when his mother Sheila arrived, they were able to get together with Ron Holland down from Vancouver, and his daughter Kelly.

And so far, he seems to have comfortably resisted any projects to make the LAYC the Western Station of the RCYC, but may well be open to the idea that the RCYC becomes the Eastern Station of the LAYC.

Sailing folk from several homes in Ken Corry’s home club are (left to right) Ken’s mother Sheila, Ron Holland down from Vancouver, Ken Corry in one of the places he knows best, and Ron Holland’s daughter Kelly.