Noted Royal Cork Yacht Club dinghy ace Tommy Dwyer swapped his National 18 for a smaller Rankin dinghy last weekend (August 12th) and, together with grandnephew Harry, won the Rankin Brothers Cup Cove Sailing Club regatta in Cork Harbour.

Nine Rankins took the starting gun for a two-race contest in what was described as a 'very competitive fleet'.

Maurice and Frances Kidney were second in R12, and Daniel and Grace O'Connell were third in R61.

Cove Sailing Club regatta also held racing for mixed PY dinghies, and there was a great turnout of Optimist junior sailors, with RCYC and MBSC sailors joining in.

Bob Batemans's Cove Sailing Club Regatta 2023 Photo Gallery 

The highly anticipated Rankin Brothers Regatta Cup, which was set to take place this Saturday at Cove Sailing Club, has been postponed due to the anticipation of high winds. Instead, the dinghy event will now take place on Sunday afternoon in Cork Harbour.

The annual regatta is known as the "big event of the season" for the Rankin Class and draws in sailors from all over Cork Harbour.

Despite the delay, participants and spectators alike are still eagerly looking forward to the exciting competition and camaraderie that the event always brings.

The Rankin Class “big event of the season” is scheduled to be raced this Saturday at Cove Sailing Club – the Rankin Brothers Regatta Cup. First Gun will be at 2.30 pm.

The revival of the traditional, historic Rankin Class at Cobh, a two-person 12-footer dinghy, is an example of what the Class describes as “ordinary sailors with a love of the sport reviving a traditional, beloved local boat.” The Class members located Rankin dinghies in various places, which were unused, refurbished them and found new owners. They put a huge commitment into the Class for “basic and enjoyable sailing with an emphasis on family involvement.”

At present, Rankins are dominating Wednesday night dinghy league racing at Cove SC. Owen O’Connell is leading in Rankin 61 on 28 points from R30 (David and Richard Marshall) on 29 with Rankin 12 (Maurice and Francis Kidney) 3rd on 32. Three other Rankin comprise the top six in a mixed fleet, including Lasers, RS 400s, Fevas and Topaz.

The Class says it wants to encourage more people, including those new to sailing, to consider joining the Rankins and to look at their web page for more details here

John Cotter’s Miracle won the eleventh race of Cove Sailing Club’s Wednesday night summer dinghy league. Cathal and Ruadhán Jackson were second in their RS Feva XL. Kate and Tadgh Scannell were third in an RS 400. Overall, on 45 points, Maurice and Frances Kidney in RankinR12 are league leaders, with David and Richard Marshall in RankinR30 second on 49. Rankin61 (Owen O’Connell) is third on 52. Rankins still hold the top three places.

“A great Rankin day,” said Tommy Dwyer describing the annual Ballinacurra Race from Cove Sailing Club to the former port in East Cork. “It is the first time the Rankins have done so well in the race. We ghosted along for about two hours, and four Rankins were in the top five.”

Sailing Rankin R29 Tommy Dwyer, crewed by his grandnephew Harry Coole, won the Ballinacurra Cup, a cherished Cork Harbour Trophy dating back to 1947 when the Naval Service presented it to Cove Sailing Club. It is competed for by dinghies from harbour clubs.

Tommy, from Monkstown, is better known as one of the leading National 18 sailors in Cork Harbour, sailing out of the RCYC. He has also owned Rankin R29 for thirty years. 

Rankin dinghies made their mark at when the renowned Cobh boats formed the winning trio making it a ‘Rankin Day.’

Rankin R30, sailed by David and Richard Marshall Photo Bob Bateman

The race course is from Cobh to the eastern end of the harbour at East Ferry, then up the Owenacurra River to Ballinacurra village, once an active port. The mecca there is Creenan’s Pub, hallowed location of the family which operated the last schooner to trade out of Cork Harbour, the famous Brooklands.

Twelve boats raced for the Ballinacurra Cup in a mixed fleet, including another older-style Cobh dinghy design, a T-Class. There were National 18s, a Topaz, a Solo and several Lasers.

Finishing second was Rankin R30, sailed by David and Richard Marshall. Rankin R14, sailed by Dan and Lola O’Regan, was third. Owen O’Connell sailing the T-Class Cliodna was fourth, crewed by Eamon Twomey. Another Rankin, R12, sailed by Maurice and Frances Kidney, was fifth. Conditions were light.

Wednesday night league at Cove Sailing Club

Rankins are also dominating the top of the Wednesday night league at Cove Sailing Club. Four of them are in the top six at present of the May/June event, in which there are 19 entries. Kieran Dorgan leads the league in his Laser. He won the Monkstown Bay SC Winter League in February. Second is the Rankin R30 sailed by David and Richard Marshall, third is George Radley’s Topper, and then there are three Rankins in 4th (R61 Owen O’Connell); 5th (R2 Johnny Horgan) and 6th (R12 Maurice and Frances Kidney).

The revival of the Rankin fleet over the past few years has been a notable achievement by enthusiasts for the boat at Cove SC. Older, unused boats were located, refurbished and owners found to use them, emphasising family involvement.

Rankin R39 – Cooleen

The latest boat to join the fleet is Rankin R39 – Cooleen - which the Johanssen father and son crew, Eric and Flynn is sailing.

The second of the May/June series of Cove Sailing Club's midweek races was sailed on Wednesday, 17th May, in Cork Harbour.

A fine fleet of 19 boats took to the water, with Fevas, Rankins, and Lasers/ILCAs competing.

In his Laser, Kieran Dorgan took line honours and was a clear winner on corrected time in his first league outing.

ILCA 7 sailor Kieran Dorgan competing in the Cove Sailing Club Midweek League in Cork Harbour Photo: Afloat

Richard Marshall, sailing his Rankin, R30, continued his form, finishing second, having won the inaugural race.

In all, four Rankins finished in the top six on corrected time.

George Radley, in his Topper, Spice, finished third.

Eric and Flynn Johanssen in their newly restored Rankin, R39 – Cooleen Photo: Bob Bateman

The Johanssen father and son team (Eric and Flynn) continue testing their newly acquired Rankin, R39 – Cooleen, recently restored by the Rankin class.

They are taking a very active part in the sailing at CSC.

With two races sailed, Rankins are in the top four places

• Richard Marshall’s R30 on 3 points
• John Horgan’s Freedom, TR2 on 7 points
• Owen O Connell’s Helga R61, on 8 points
• Maurice Kidney’s R12 on 9 points

Cove Sailing Club midweek racing Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

Rankins are dominating Wednesday night dinghy sailing at Cove SC in Cork Harbour. Fiona O’Connell’s R21 leads, with David and Richard Marshall’s R30 second and Maurice and Francis Kidney third in R12. Eight boats are entered.

There are also eight entries in the Sunday Optimist League for young sailors of the club. After the first race Theo Carney leads from Eoin Jones, with Ruadhan Jackson second.

The Friday night cruiser league is led, also after the opening race, by Cathy Mullan’s First 260, Angela; with Gary Mills second in the Shipman 28, Tonga and third Déjà Vu, the Sun Odysessy 37, owned by Brian Curtis.

A fine turnout of revived Rankin dinghies raced in a Cork Harbour mist and drizzle to commemorate the class founders in Saturday's Cobh People's Regatta. 

Fiona O'Connell's Rankin R21 was the overall winner of the 29 boat fleet after two races sailed, scoring a 3 and a 1.

Ewan and David O'Keeffe were second in R5.  Third was Richard Marshall in Rankin R30.

The packed regatta schedule included cruiser racing for the Titanic Trophy on Friday night.

It was followed by the Optimist Spit Bank Challenge plus racing for a fast dinghies fleet and lower handicap dinghies too.

Cruiser Racing involving other harbour clubs will be on Sunday, with the first gun at 1330.

A Rankin is a traditional wooden dinghy that was built in Cobh, of which it’s believed there were 80 and of which The Rankin Dinghy Group has traced nearly half.

The name of the Rankin dinghies is revered in Cork Harbour and particularly in the harbourside town of Cobh.

Maurice Kidney and Conor English are driving the restoration of the Rankin dinghies in Cork Harbour. They have discovered that Rankins were bought and sailed in several parts of the country.

Fiona O'Connell's Rankin R21was the winner

 Ewan and David O'Keeffe were second in R5

Third was Richard Marshall in Rankin R30

Rankin Dinghies Race at Cobh People's Regatta Photo Gallery below

There is a hectic weekend ahead in Cork Harbour with four events scheduled.

Cobh People's Regatta, the 1720 National Championships, the SB20 Southerns and the National 18's Lowflo Trophy are to be sailed.

Cobh People's Regatta will be held at Cove Sailing Club with racing for cruisers and dinghies. The packed schedule includes a commemorative event for the revived Rankin dinghy fleet on Saturday, for which the First Gun is at 1245.

Cruisers racing for the Titanic Trophy on Friday night are the first regatta event, with First Gun at 7 p.m. The Rankin dinghies will begin the racing on Saturday with their commemorative event for the Rankin Brothers Cup.

This will be followed by the Optimist Spit Bank Challenge starting at 1300 and followed by the Fast Dinghies fleet racing at 1330 and the Lower Handicap Dinghies at 1400. Cruiser Racing involving other harbour clubs will be on Sunday, with First Gun at 1330.

National 18's are racing for the Lowflo Trophy at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

As Afloat reported previously, the 1720 National Championships, organised by the RCYC and the Sportsboat Class Association, start this Friday afternoon with two races. Four are scheduled for Saturday and three on Sunday.

The SB20s, also to be raced out of the Crosshaven club, have three races planned for Saturday and the same number on Sunday.

Colin Galavan and Richard Hayes from the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire are sailing their SB20 Carpe Diem in the Southern class Championships at Royal Cork

The Rankin dinghy revival has positively impacted Cove Sailing Club and is a source of satisfaction to those who have made great efforts over the past few years to restore this historic fleet in Cork Harbour.

Two of the stalwarts of that revival are battling at the top of the Club's Wednesday Night Dinghy League – Maurice Kidney and Owen O'Connell.

As regular Afloat readers will recall, Kidney and Conor English were the two men who drove that revival and Afloat was invited back to Whitepoint in 2019 was invited back to Whitepoint in 2019, just outside the town, to witness the latest stage in the remarkable progress of what they started as “a dream”. 

The Rankin is a traditional wooden dinghy which was built in Cobh, of which it’s believed there were 80 and of which The Rankin Dinghy Group has traced nearly half. 

Cove Sailing Club's Wednesday Night Dinghy League Photo: CSC/Facebook

The league lead has changed hands several times. After seven races, with one discard allowed, the two are locked together at the top on 12 points, a slight advantage resting with Kidney, who has three first placings, while O'Connell has two.

Owen O'Connell's blue hulled Rankin dinghy

Another Rankin, sailed by Gary Mills, is tied just behind, this time with Jon Keenan's Solo, both on 27 points.

Maurice Kidney at the helm of his Rankin Photo: Bob Bateman

Cove Cruiser League

After seven races in the Friday night cruiser league, whitesail ECHO handicap Gary Mills is the leader in his Shipman 28, Tonga, followed by Nick O'Rourke's First 22, Bright Wings and Brian Curtis sailing Déjà Vu third.