Friday night cruiser racing under ECHO handicap at Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour is led by Ian Scandrett’s Kernow. Maurice Kidney/Gerry Holland are second sailing Barossa, Robbie Allen/Damien Leahy third in Rana.

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

The ‘Holy Ground’ is a legendary part of Cobh, renowned in song and remembered in the Cork Harbour town’s folklore.

Now the ‘Holy Ground Lady’ is part of Cove Sailing Club, a boat built by local shipwright Mark Richard in the late 90s who ran Cuskinny Boats and built five of the boats of which type it is one.

The ‘Holy Ground Lady’ is the first one converted for sail and has been gifted to Cove Sailing Club by local man John Hennessy who had used it for fishing. He wanted it to become a club sailing boat which could particularly be used to introduce young sailors to the sport.

The 'Holy Ground Lady' sets sail in bright winter sunshine at the Cove Sailing Club Christmas Race Photo: Bob Bateman

The wooden boat was reconditioned this year. Sails have been donated by Jason Losty and recut by Owen O'Connell, who has carried out extensive work on the rigging.

“Cove Sailing Club is delighted to receive this boat from John,” said Club Commodore Dominic Losty at the hand-over at the clubhouse following the Christmas Dinghy Race in which it was sailed for the first time by George Radley Junior and crew. “We appreciate the work that has gone into it,” said Commodore Losty.

At the hand-over ceremony, Cove Sailing Club donated €1,000 to the RNLI, the proceeds of entry fees to its annual Cobh-Blackrock Race, held last September.

Afloat's Tom MacSweeney interviews John Hennessy at the Cove Sailing Club Christmas Race 2022 for the podcast below

For my Podcast this week, I talked to the man who owned and has given the Holy Ground Lady to Cove Sailing Club, John Hennessy, also to Maurice Kidney, one of those who led the revival of the Rankin dinghies and to the builder of ‘Holy Ground Lady,’ Mark Richard, who refurbished it. First, John Hennessy told me how he had bought the boat and used it for fishing:

Listen to the Podcast below 

A video of the light air start of the Cove Sailing Club Christmas Race by Mary Malone with the Holy Ground lady (313) among the fleet.

The Cove Sailing Club Christmas Race festivities included a €1,000 cheque presentation for the Cobh Branch of RNLI, the proceeds of entry fees to its annual Cobh-Blackrock Race, held last September. (from left to right) Dom Losty Commodore Cove Sailing Club Shirley Scandrett RNLI Cobh Branch Anne Aherne CSC Nial Hawes CSC and Eoin Carmody RNLI Cobh Branch Photo: Bob Bateman

Cove Sailing Club Christmas Race 2022 Photo Gallery

Cove Sailing Club is holding a Christmas Dinghy Race this Saturday, 17th December in Cork Harbour. 

Rankins, Optimists and mixed dinghies are lined up to take part. The First Gun is at 12.30 pm.

The atmosphere will be festive as sailors are encouraged to turn out in fancy dress.

After the race, there will be an official handing over of a donated 14-foot reconditioned wooden boat by local Cobh man John Hennessy.

The Christmas time gathering will also see Cobh RNLI presented with a cheque from the proceeds of last September's Cobh to Blackrock Race.

Cove Sailing Club (CSC) elected Quarter Ton yachtsman Dominic Losty as Commodore at Tuesday night's AGM.

After a busy and successful year for the Cork Harbour club, Losty takes over from outgoing Niall Hawes.

Losty is a long-time Quarter Ton sailor notching up notable victories such as an overall win in the Quarter Ton Cup in 2014, sailing with his brother Jason on 'Illes Pitiuses' in Cowes.

New Cove Sailing Club Commodore Dominic Losty (left) and Treasurer Micheal O'Driscoll

More recently, Losty is part of a Cork Harbour resurgence of 25-foot-sized boats and campaigning the quarter tonner, Illegal, that took second in IRC Class Two at the RCYC 'At Home' Regatta in August. 

Cove Sailing Club members elected Cathy Mullan as Vice Commodore. The Treasurer is Micheal O'Driscoll, and the CSC Secretary is Aine Ni Chinneide. 

As part of the conclusion to a busy 2022 season, CSC made its Club Person of the Year Award to the youngest-ever recipient, as Afloat reports here.

The Cove Sailing Club ‘Club Person of the Year Award' was presented to the youngest recipient of the award ever at the Club’s annual Laying Up Supper in Cobh in Cork Harbour at the weekend.

21-year-old Harry McDwyer collected the award together with fellow Cove Sailing Club member sailor Gary Mills.

Cove Sailing Club Commodore Niall Hawes said Harry was an exemplary member of the Club, and his commitment to carrying out safety cover on the water for all classes, including the Rankins, Mixed Dinghies and Optimists, enabled all to be on the water, whether it was competing, training or just on a jolly.

21-year-old Harry McDwyer (right) collected the award together with fellow Cove Sailing Club member sailor Gary Mills (left) from Commodore Niall Hawes

“Harry is first down to carry out safety cover duties and has not missed a Wednesday race night all season. He also does weekend cover on a regular basis.” However, it was not only for his safety boat cover that Harry won the award, but also his knowledge and expertise, at such a young age, in servicing and fixing the safety boat engines which require regular maintenance. Harry shares a power boat with his father and has gained enormous experience in looking after and repairing his own boat engine over the years.

Cove Sailing Club's Sunday Optimist dinghy League has had up to 19 boats racing under CSC person of the year, Gary Mills Photo: Bob Bateman

Gary Mills

In presenting the award to both Harry and Gary, Commodore Hawes said, “the pair put in a long shift this year, bursting with enthusiasm and willingness to help. The rescue boats were looked after all year round by these two, from launching, recovering, storing, cleaning, and carrying out repairs, it was no trouble to them, whatever the conditions.”

Gary Mills’ involvement with every facet of the Club was also acknowledged – as Optimist Class Captain, his involvement with the Rankins and cruiser racing on his Shipman 28 Tonga, with which he won the season’s Friday Night’s League.

CSC's Foley Rose Bowl

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

The prestigious Foley Rose Bowl was presented to Damian and Anne Ahern, long-standing members of the Club, for their commitment to the Club and their role in the development of Cove SC marina to date. Rankin chief Maurice Kidney won the Boat of the Year award for his performance in winning the Season’s Wednesday Night’s League and his great performance in the annual Rankin Brother’s Cup.

Guests of Honour at the Laying Up Supper included Kieran O’Connell, Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and his wife, Joanne.

Cove Sailing Club’s Friday evening cruiser league was won by Gary Mills’ Shipman 28 Tonga. Second was Nick O’Rourke’s First 32, Bright Wings and third was Robbie Allen’s Dehler 34 Rana.

Three Rankin dinghies topped the Wednesday evening dinghy league in Cork Harbour.

Maurice and Francis Kidney held off their challengers to win convincingly in R12 with 27 points, ahead of second-placed R61, Owen O’Connell, on a total of 46 and Gary Mills sailing R11 in third place on 53.

Spinnakers were flown from start to finish of the Cobh to Blackrock annual race up the River Lee on Saturday afternoon.

It was a great Cork Harbour spectacle as the fleet carried the colourful sails up through Lough Mahon, the Class 1 and 2 boats vying for position as the breeze varied.

Throughout the race, from the start off the seafront at Cobh to the finish off Blackrock Castle, racing was very close.

Dinghies sailed in the Cobh to Blackrock Race for the first time in several years. Monkstown Bay Sailing Club organised the dinghy racing for the overall race organisers, Cove Sailing Club.

Royal Cork's Nieulargo, the ICRA boat of the year, competed in the White Sails Division Photo: Bob Bateman

Cruisers raced two Spinnaker Classes, in whitesail and a traditional boat class.

Spinnakers/Kites 1 was won by George Radley's Imp; 2nd Jelly Baby, Jones Family; 3rd Alpaca, Paul and Deirdre Tingle. All from RCYC.

Spinnakers/Kites 2 was won by Illegal, K.Dorgan, Cove SC; 2nd Scribbler, Cormac MacSweeney RCYC; 3, Bad Company, Desmond/Ivers/Keane, RCYC.

Only one boat sailed in ECHO/Kites Netta J, Des Corbett, Cove SC.

The Cork Harbour One Designs Elsie raced in the Traditional boat class Photo: Bob Bateman

The Whitesails Class 1 was won by Prince of Tides, Frank Caul; 2, Magnet/KOB/F.Carroll; 3, Aramis/Pat Vaughan. All RCYC.

The Whitesails 2 winner was Barossa, Maurice Kidney of Cove SC; 2nd Loch Greine, Tom O'Mahony/RCYC; 3rd, Re Eile, D&A Ahern, Cove SC

The Rally Fleet Prize was awarded by the Race Committee to the 1720/MBSC, Crotty/Dineen.

There were two dinghy fleets. Class 1 winner was Ronan Kenneally's National 18 from the RCYC; 2nd, Ewen Barry/505/RCYC; 3rd, Simon Butler, Laser, MBSC. 

Tim and Isobel O'Connor sailed the smallest boat in the fleet, a 10 foot 10 inch Mirror dinghy Photo: Bob Bateman

The smallest boat in the fleet, the Mirror sailed by Tim and Isobel O'Connor from Monkstown Bay SC won Class Two; 2nd was Fiona O'Connell's Rankin, The Green Machine, Cove SC and 3rd, Cliodhan, T Class boat, Owen O'Connell, Cove SC.

Download results below

Bob Bateman's 2022 Cobh to Blackrock Race Photo Gallery

Cove Sailing Club has announced details of the 2022 Cobh to Blackrock Race taking place on Saturday 10 September.

The race will encompass a variety of classes and bands to ensure tight racing in Cork Harbour for the highly coveted trophies, featuring kites, White Sails and return of dinghy racing with the support of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club.

In addition, this year’s race supports the RNLI, with the modest entry fee of €15 per boat going in its entirety to the charity that saves lives at sea.

The club is encouraging all boats to take part. “this is not a formal race incorporating handicaps, and the winner of the rally will be decided by the race committee on the day,” the club says. “So please come along and support the fantastic work done by the RNLI.”

For more — including the entry list, Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions — see the Cove Sailing Club website HERE.

John Cotter’s Miracle won the 12^th race of Cove Sailing Club’s Wednesday Night Dinghy League in Cork Harbour.

David O’Brien was second in his Laser Radial and Rankin R12 was third, sailed by Maurice and Francis Kidney. The Rankin Class still dominates the league however, with the Kidney duo leading overall on 51 points.

Owen O’Connell’s Rankin R61 is second on a total of 96, giving the Kidney duo a distinct advantage in the final stages of evening league racing. In third place is Gary Mills’ Rankin R11 on 105 points.

The club’s Sunday Optimist dinghy League has had up to 19 boats racing. Eoin Jones leads on 9 points. Theo Carney is second on 12 and Alex Mills third on 23

Competing also in the Cruiser Class racing on Friday nights at Cobh, Gary Mills and his crew in their Shipman 28, Tonga, are first overall in the ECHO fleet on a total of 17 points after 11 races.

The league is sponsored by Great Island Motors. Second is Nick O’Rourke’s First 32, Bright Wings, on 25. There is a big gap to the next placed boat, Robbie Allen’s Rana, a Dehler 34, which is on 60 points, so the first two places seem fairly set overall as the evenings close in for racing and there is a clear Autumnal feeling in the sea air.