29 hardy entrants in 3 fleets were on the start line today for the first day of the Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Series kindly sponsored by Osean74 writes Michelle Kennelly. The marina was white with frost as the Squibbers slid down to their boats to rig while the Toppers, Lasers and 420 cracked the ice off boat covers to go afloat.

A sunny but calm morning saw the AP/1 go up at 10.55hrs. However the wind filled in and the first racing got under way at 12.00hrs. The weather decided, in typical Irish style, to throw everything at the fleets. The first beat for all 3 fleets was slow – to the point that the S Flag was flown - then a squall passed through which saw winds of over 23 knots, wiping out half the Topper Fleet, followed by very pleasant 8 – 10 knots. A strong ebbing tide also added to the challenge.

First off were the mixed dinghies with the fleet comprising of Laser Full Rig, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7 and a 420. Micheal O’Suilleabhain & Michael Carroll in the 420 sailed an excellent first race and lead all the way. Sean Collins in a Laser Radial came in 2nd with Hugo Morgan also in a Laser Radial in 3rd. In the 2nd race Sean Murphy in a Laser Full Rig got a great start and held on to the lead to come in clear ahead of the fleet by over 3 mins with Sean Collins taking 2nd on corrected time and Micheal & Michael in 3rd. The series is tied at the top which will make for great racing over the coming weeks.

This is only the 2nd year that the Topper Fleet has sailed in KYC so it was great to have six on the water so early in the season. For some it was their first time racing and the conditions were very challenging. The first race started in ideal conditions for them however the sudden squall with 23 knots of wind wiped out some and the first race has two finishers with Maeve Buckley 1st and Francesca Lewis in 2nd. In the second race Ellie Cronin was well ahead to take first place, however 2nd and 3rd place were hotly contested between Maeve, Francesca and David Carter. David just pipped Francesca on the line to take 2nd and Francesca came 3rd.

The Squib Fleet had 15 boats on the start line today with Scooby Do, Diarmuid Wrenne & Mary Coyne, travelling from Glandore Harbour Yacht Club to join in the fun. Several new additions/returns o the KYC Squib Fleet took to the water today. Welcome back to Pulpo, looking stylish in her new livery, with Commodore Tom Roche at the helm & Irish National Squib Champion Finbarr O’Regan crewing. Welcome to Flora with Dave Ross & Bobby Nash, Plan B with Pat Salter & Richard Callanan and Mucky Duck with Michael O’Sullivan & Sean O’Sullivan. Viking Gold is also back with Jeff Cochrane at the helm and Claire Cochrane crewing.

The 1st race saw Allegro, Colm Dunne & Rob Gill, dominate by staying out of the strong ebbing tide and looking like the clear winner until an unfortunate error saw them try to finish on wrong side of the Committee Boat which let Pulpo in to take 1st, with Sensation, Denis & Brid Cudmore, in 2nd. Allegro tacked swiftly on realising their error to take 3rd. Lessons in reading SI’s being provided to all next week.

The 2nd race saw Sonny P, Tony Doody & Josephine Manley, get off to a flying start. The fleet split after rounding the windward mark and Fuggles, Jeff Condell & Eoghan O’Mahony, sailed lower and took advantage of the tide to get to leeward mark first. Fuggles held position for the next lap with Allegro coming in 2nd. Eala, John & Bill Thullier sailed a great race to come in a close 3rd.

Here’s to five more weeks of fun and competitive Osean74 Frostbite racing in Kinsale.

#Kinsale - Harbour users in Kinsale can now check tide times online thanks to a new Twitter account.

Kindle Tides (@KinsaleTides) does exactly what the name suggests, tweeting daily with the latest tide information for the Co Cork harbour in an easy-to-use format.

#RNLI - Courtmacsherry RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was called out at 2.45pm yesterday afternoon (Sunday 2 October) as three divers and their support boat sought help as their vessel got into difficulties near Black Head off Kinsale.

The lifeboat was quickly away with a crew of seven and was on scene at 3.15pm to join Kinsale RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard boat from Oysterhaven.

As the divers and their boat were being brought back to shore, another call came from Valentia Radio of an injured crew person on board a sailing vessel off Kinsale Harbour.

Both the Kinsale and Courtmacsherry lifeboats assisted in the transfer of the female casualty to Kinsale Pier, where an ambulance was awaiting to take her to Cork University Hospital.

Conditions at sea today deteriorated from early afternoon with a Force 5 to 6 wind and a strong sea swell.

The cew on the Courtmacsherry lifeboat yesterday were coxswain Sean O'Farrell, mechanic Stewart Russell, Ciaran Hurley, Mark Gannon, Dara Gannon, Dean Hennessey and Evan O'Sullivan.

#Squib - Poor weather forecast for this weekend has prompted Kinsale Yacht Club to postpone the scheduled Squib Nationals till 1-2 October.

Seven races had been planned for the Old Head of Kinsale and the Sovereign Islands in what would be the club's third time hosting the event, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The club has also pushed back the annual Mary P trophy race till Saturday 27 August on account of the wet and windy outlook for this weekend.

#RNLI - The volunteer crew from Kinsale RNLI launched twice overnight on Saturday (6 August) and into the early hours of Sunday (7 August) this past weekend.

The lifeboat first launched at 9.40pm to Saturday to aid a 26ft yacht that had become propped. Visibility was poor and weather conditions were deteriorating as the vessel was located south of the Sovereign Islands.

Lifeboat crew member Aidan Henry boarded the vessel to set up a stern tow until the lifeboat reached the Charles Fort area, when the yacht was taken alongside and returned safely to the Kinsale Yacht Club marina.

Just hours later at 3.23am on Sunday morning, the emergency pagers went off for a second time in response to reports of distress flares in the Summercove area.

Nick Searls and Jonathan Connor, who attended the earlier incident, were joined by Mark Lewis as the lifeboat searched Kinsale’s inner and outer harbours in poor visibility.

Waterford's Rescue 117 helicopter and Irish Coast Guard units from Kinsale and the Old Head of Kinsale also conducted an extensive search of the area but no vessels or persons in distress were located. The operation was called off by the coastguard at 5.15am.

"Flares are there to save lives at sea and are a vital piece of equipment for any vessel," said Kinsale RNLI lifeboat operations manager John O’Gorman. "When the RNLI receives a report of a flare being released, we respond immediately.

"We would ask every member of the public to be aware that flares should only be used in a genuine emergency as it sets in train an operation involving a large number of RNLI volunteers and resources and members of other rescue services."

Sea fog reduced boating activity for a time today in Kinsale Harbour where sea fog rolled in from the Atlantic. 

In its sea area forecast Met Eireann said a ridge of high pressure extends from the continent keeping the country in a light and humid airflow. The high will slowly drift eastwards during today and tonight. The forecaster said there would be fog locally on the east and south coast and in the Irish Sea.

#RNLI - A major search was mounted on the south coast between Crosshaven and Kinsale on Friday (15 July) after a lone yachtsman broadcast a Mayday call that he was on the rocks at the Little Sovereign Rock.

Lifeboat pagers were activated at 12.07pm and both Crosshaven and Kinsale RNLI headed to the location, joined by Crosshaven Coast Guard and the Waterford-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117.

Conditions were poor on scene, with a fog reducing visibility to just 200m. Kinsale RNLI found no trace of the yacht at the Sovereigns, while Crosshaven RNLI searched the shore from Roberts Head west. Crosshaven Coast Guard stood offshore as a radio relay to Valentia Coast Guard.

The Crosshaven lifeboat crew eventually located the vessel aground in Rocky Bay. One crewmember swam to the yacht with a towline and retrieved the its anchor and line. The yacht was then refloated and towed into deeper water.

After handing off the tow to Kinsale RNLI, the vessel and its yachtsman were returned to Oysterhaven none the worse for wear.

Round the World Irish sailing couple Paraic O'Maolriada and Myra Reid returned to their home port of Kinsale in County Cork at the weekend having completed a six–year circumnavigation writes Bob Bateman.

The fluent Irish speakers returned to the West Cork port on Saturday in their 63–foot long yacht 'Saol Eile' to be greeted by family and friends. The craft was dressed with flags from all the countries they had visited over the course of their 43,000 nautical miles voyage.

Paraic, a non–swimmer, was formerly a master brewer in Guinness Brewery who has also designed breweries in Scotland. Paraic says it was a relatively quick decision to 'pack it all in' and take on the global journey.

Above and below: The 63–footer yacht Saol eile safely back in Kinsale after its round–the–world voyage. Photos: Bob Bateman

The couple prepared for the journey in 2010 with assistance from Zafer Guray of Bantry who gave them tips about how to handle the boat with just the two of them onboard.

Married for 49–years, Paraic and Myra said their scariest moment of all came on day two when the short–handed couple encountered a force nine storm in the Bay of Biscay.

Their most pleasant cruising experience was in Namibia, sighting hundreds of thousands of birds pelicans and flamingos. Another place they loved was Madagascar with its multitude of beautiful anchorages. But Myra says overall that 'the best part of the trip was being home'.

Round the World Irish sailing couple Paraic O'Maolriada and Myra Reid reunited with family at Kinsale Yacht Club. Photo: Bob Bateman

With aerial views of the Charles Fort, James Fort, visiting Super yacht 'Grace E' and the town marina, Kinsale is filmed by drone pilot Daniel Foran with spectacula results for the harbour that marks the start of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Kinsale Yacht Club host the Irish Squib National Championships for the third time in August. They hosted it first on 2008 and again in 2013 when KYC members James and Bruce Mathews in Mucky Duck took the title.
Seven races are planned between the Old Head of Kinsale and the Sovereign Islands in the Bandon Co–Op Sponsored event. Last year, the Irish title went to UK visitors, father and son crew Nigel and Jack Grogan of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club at Burnham–on–Crouch, when the event was sailed at Howth Yacht Club.