Royal Cork's Jonathan O'Shaughnessy and Michael Crosbie, who put in a strong showing at the Laser Europa Cup in Hyeres, France, are the favourites for youth honours this Thursday in Cork Harbour.

O'Shaughnessy finished just outside the important top ten in 11th and Crosbie 21st in a tense edition of the Under-18 test.

More than 260 sailors participated in the French regatta, and full results are here.

Radial racing in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

It's a result that confirms O'Shaughnessy, who took the Radial National title in August, and Crosbie, who was the winner of the Kinsale Laser end of Season Regatta in October, as favourites for the Investwise Youth Sailing Nationals at Royal Cork later this week. 

Rocco Wright (Howth YC) Photo: Bob Bateman

It'll be a new look Radial fleet in Cork with some new names into the fleet, including Rocco Wright (Howth YC), who dominated the 4.7 National Championships back in August.

Michael Crosbie Photo: Bob Bateman

New names into 4.7s

As well as some high profile departures from the ILCA4 (Laser 4.7s), there's also some new entries into the class.

Sienna Wright (Howth YC) and Hannah Dadley-Young (Ballyholme YC) are now racing 4.7s along with Daniel Palmer (Ballyholme YC), who's moved in from the Topper class, along with Mauro G Regueral Noguerol (RCYC).

Four-course areas will operate in Cork Habour Aghada, Curlane Bank, Cuskinny and Roches Point with an 11-race schedule for the ILCA 6/Laser class.

Racing begins on Thursday, October 28th, and as well as deciding national honours, the event serves as the second part of a qualifications system to determine Ireland's representative at the Youth World Sailing Championships in Oman this December.

Youth World ILCA 6/Laser Radial Champion Eve McMahon from Howth Yacht Club is a clear favourite for success at this Thursday's youth sailing championships hosted by Royal Cork Yacht Club and sponsored by Investwise.

Former Irish youth champion McMahon, who earned more international stripes this month with a senior world championship race win in Bulgaria, is embarked on a campaign to represent Ireland at Paris 2024, so there's no doubt the U18 sailor will be putting her impressive boat speed on show in Cork Harbour. 

This month, laser sailors have been training on the Royal Cork race track with Tokyo trialist Aisling Keller as a coach in advance of the championships.

Tralee Bay's Ellie Cunnane (right) Photo: Bob Bateman

The closest guide to form is the 2021 Laser National Championships held in Royal Cork back in August. At that event – in which McMahon did not compete – Tralee Bay's Ellie Cunnane was third overall and top Girl in the 46-boat national championship fleet.

Cunnane will be racing on Cork waters again next week, but there will be no doubting McMahon's speed advantage, especially in breeze. The sixth-year student demonstrated that with a consistent scoreline on Lake Garda in August to take the Girl's worlds crown, as Afloat reported here.

Laser 4.7 sailing in Cork Harbour

Next week, four-course areas will operate for the youth championships in Cork Habour; Aghada, Curlane Bank, Cuskinny and Roches Point with an 11-race schedule for the ILCA 6/Laser class.

Racing begins on Thursday, October 28th, and as well as deciding national honours, the event serves as the second part of a qualifications system to determine Ireland's representative at the Youth World Sailing Championships in Oman this December.

Competitors in today's AIB Autumn Series in the Royal Cork Yacht Club competed over one and a half-mile long windward-leeward courses off Cork Harbour. 

After six races sailed in the three boat IRC SPIN 0 Division, Conor Phelan's, Ker 37 Jump Juice leads overall but share the same points 7.0 as Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo. 

Conor Phelan's, Ker 37 Jump Juice

In the seven boat IRC SPIN 1 division, Kieran Collins Olson 30 Coracle IV has a one-point margin after six races sailed over the Jones Family J109 Jelly Baby.  Third is the Kinsale sistership Artful Dodjer skippered by Finbarr O'Regan.

Kieran Collins Olson 30 Coracle IV leads the IRC SPIN 1 division

J109 Close combat - The Jones Family J109 Jelly Baby and Artful Dodjer skippered by Finbarr O'Regan

Dave Lane's J24 YaGottaWanna leads overall on ten points in the nine boat SPIN 2 IRC division from Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star on 13 points. The Tony Donworth Quarter Tonner SuperNova is third on 14 points.

Dave Lane's J24 YaGottaWanna (IRL5098) and Richard Leonard's Bolero Bandit

Results are here and scroll down for today's photo gallery

Aidan Heffernan's Dufour 36, Indulgence leads IRC White Sails Division One

RCYC Autumn Series Photo Gallery Day 4

Competitors in today's AIB Autumn Series in the Royal Cork Yacht Club enjoyed light northerly breezes and summer-like conditions.

All fleets sailed coastal courses off Cork Harbour under the watchful eye of race officer Ross Deasy. 

Kieran Collins Coracle IV of the host club continues to lead the IRC Spinnaker 1 Division. 

Class 0, 1 and Sports boats headed all the way south to Cork Buoy for their first mark, followed by Harp, Ringabella and beat to finish off White Bay. 

Race officer Ross Deasy

The Olson 30 made the most of the light winds to stay ahead of Brian Jones' J/109 Jelly Baby after four races sailed. 

Third in the seven boat fleet overall is Kinsale visitor, Finbarr O'Regan's J109 Artful Dodjer.

Conor Phelan's Ker 37 Jump Juice

In a three boat IRC Zero division, the Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo (Denis and Annamarie Murphy) leads on five points from Conor Phelan's Ker 37 Jump Juice on seven. Eric & Wan Waterman's X37 Saxon Senator is third.

Class 2, 3 and non-spinnaker started their coastal race at Cage and sailed to Harp, Ringabella, No.14 off the refinery, back to Roches Point, and finished at White Bay.

Dave Lane's J/24 YaGottaWanna

There's only a point between the top three in nine boat IRC 2 Spinnaker division. Dave Lane's J/24 YaGottaWanna leads on six points from today's race winner Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star on seven. Tony Donworth's Quarter Tonner SuperNova is third on eight points.

In the dayboat IRC division, the race winning 1720 Heroes & Villans leads from Michael McCann's Etchell Don't Dilly Dally but the pair are drawn on four points each. Third is Billy Campion's 1720 Wight Hare.

Michael McCann's Etchell Don't Dilly Dally

In the biggest division of the league, the White Sails ECHO Division 2, with 12 entries, Conor Hanlon's Sun Odyssey Lapwing leads from John O'Connor's Impala Fast Buck. Third is Mike Rider's Dehler 37 Freya.

The RCYC Autumn League White Sails division

Sailors were met by a live band and food in the club on arrival ashore at Crosshaven.

Racing continues next Sunday with the penultimate races.

Results are here

Day Three AIB Autumn League RCYC Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

Royal Cork's Alex Barry is going quick in his new 505 campaign towards the World Championships in Cork Harbour next year.

The Irish dinghy ace is teamed up with Harry Briddon of the UK for a title at the 2022 title and is putting in some time this year training at Hayling Island, where last weekend's 505 Euro Cup competition included 49er Gold Medalist from Tokyo, Stuart Bithell. 

After five races sailed in the 15-boat fleet, Barry ended up fourth overall, just two points behind Ian Pinnell and Tom Pickles of the host club in third position. Results are below.

The early boat speed looks promising for the Irish-English duo. Barry told Afloat he was 'flying' upwind, but he and Briddon still have some work on downwind technique.

The class looks forward to holding its 2022 World Championships in Cork from August 3 – 13th, 2022, where Barry is also an event organiser.

One hundred twenty crews from over 15 nations are expected for the 2022 championships. Eight or ten Irish boats will be among this number.

As Afloat previously reported, this will be the fourth time RCYC will have hosted the 505 World Championships, having welcomed visiting crews in 1959, 1964 and 1982. 

Kieran Collins Coracle IV of the host club leads the IRC Spinnaker 1 Division after a breezy second day of Royal Cork Yacht Club's AIB Autumn League in Cork Harbour on Sunday.

The Olson 30 made the most of the big seas and strong winds to stay ahead of Brian Jones' J/109 Jelly Baby after three races sailed. 

Third in the seven boat fleet was Kinsale visitor, Finbarr O'Regan's J109 Artful Dodjer.

Denis Ellis's Mazu

In a three boat IRC Zero division, the Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo (Denis and Annamarie Murphy) leads on three points from Conor Phelan's Ker 37 Jump Juice on six. Eric & Wan Waterman's X37 Saxon Senator is third.

Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo (Denis and Annamarie Murphy)

Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star has been knocked off the top of a nine boat IRC 2 Spinnaker division. Dave Lane's J/24 YaGottaWanna now leads on 6 points from Tony Donworth's Quarter Tonner SuperNova on 9. Sean Hanley's HB 31 Luas lying third with Young now fourth. 

In the dayboat IRC division, the 1720 Heroes & Villans leads from Michael McCann's Etchell Don't Dilly Dally. Third is Billy Campion's 1720 Wight Hare.

Billy Campion's 1720 Wight Hare

In the biggest division of the league, the White Sails ECHO Division 2, with 12 entries, Conor Hanlon's Sun Odyssey Lapwing leads from John O'Connor's Impala Fast Buck. Third is Mike Rider's Dehler 37 Freya.

Results are here

Day Two RCYC Autumn League Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

2004 Athens 470 Olympic partnership Ger Owens and Ross Killian teamed up again to win the 2021 All Ireland Sailing Championships in convincing style at Royal Cork Yacht Club this afternoon. 

After three wins put Owens, representing the GP14 class, firmly into Sunday's final, the dinghy champion then scored another unassailable 3, 3, 1, 1 into today's breezy final raced inside Cork Harbour.

Owens of the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour previously won the silver salver trophy 21 years ago, as WM Nixon reports here.

Squib representative Ross Kearney was runner up

Squib representative Ross Kearney finished second overall, a point behind with Owens clubmate Laser Radial sailor Sean Craig taking third place in the eight boat final raced in National 18 Ultras.

As per the forecast, Sunday's final certainly lived up to its heavy air billing, putting a premium on a 90kg wireman.

There was at least one capsize among the borrowed fleet of N18s in the strong winds.

There was also a disappointing retiral from ICRA 2 rep Nigel Biggs.  "We just found our 148kg insufficient to race the boat competitively in 20 knots in the first race today", Biggs told Afloat.

Biggs concluded that there was not much point in thrashing a borrowed boat just to get around the course, so he took the difficult decision not to participate in the remainder of the day.

"Pretty gutted as we were quick yesterday, but at least we live to fight another day", he said.

Sean Craig representing the Radial class was third overall Photo: Bob Bateman.

All Ireland Sailing Championships 2021 Overall 

All Ireland Sailing Championships 2021 Overall 

 All Ireland Sailing Finals Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

Kieran Collins Coracle IV of the host club leads the IRC Spinnaker 0/1 Division after the first race of Royal Cork Yacht Club's AIB Autumn League in Cork Harbour.

The Olson 30 made the most of the big seas and strong winds to take the first gun ahead of Brian Jones' J/109 Jelly Baby.

Third in the combined Zero and One eight boat fleet was the Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo (Denis and Annamarie Murphy).

Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star tops an eight boat IRC 2 Spinnaker division. Dave Lane's J24 lies second with Sean Hanley's HB 31 Luas lying third.

Royal Cork's club J/24 Jumbalaya surfs a wave in the first race of the Autumn League

Royal Cork's Autumn League Race One Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

Full results across all divisions are here 

"We have a lot of quick boats entered, and it's going to be a very competitive and hotly-contested league," predicts the Royal Cork's Rear Admiral for Keelboats, Daragh Connolly, as he assembles fleet arrangements for the Autumn League, which begins at the Crosshaven club on Sunday.

There will be two races each Sunday for all fleets with First Gun at 11.25 a.m.

Conor Phelan's Ker Jump Juice has recovered from the hull drama that beset her prior to this month's ICRA Nationals on Dublin Bay and is looking forward to Autumn competition on home waters Photo: Bob Bateman

A variety of courses is planned using Windward/Leeward, Round-the-Cans and Coastal. The number of classes into which the fleets will be divided will be finalised when entries close this Friday. Over 40 boats have entered so far.

Making her return to Cork from the Dublin Bay J109 Nationals last weekend, Brian Jones's Jelly Baby is an RCYC Autumn League stalwart Photo: Bob Bateman

Fleets will be split into groupings depending on the number of entries. These groups are expected to be: Group A Class 0, Class 1 & Class 2; Group B 1720s/Sports boats/Dayboats; Group C. White Sail 1 and 2.

The winner of the RCYC July League, Mike McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally is entered for the Autumn Series Photo: Bob Bateman

Racing will be inside and outside Cork Harbour.

Valid 2021 IRC and ECHO rating certificates are required.

The 1720 fleet will be competing for European honours in Waterford this weekend but are expected to join the Autumn league in subsequent weeks Photo: Bob Bateman

"If club racing is anything to go by, there will be strong battles for the top places," says Connolly. "These were seen in the club's Tercentenary At Home Regatta. in the Cobh-to Blackrock Race and in the Navy Race, so the scene is well set for a great Autumn League, sponsored by AIB, which has given great support to sailing. From the start next Sunday to the end of October, the rivalry between boats will make for great competition."

The Bolero Bandit is an Autumn league regular Photo: Bob Bateman

The Autumn League is an Open event with boats and fleets from other clubs taking part.

Daragh Connolly is my Podcast guest this week and describes the fleet that will be competing. It is a big change from last year when the Covid pandemic impacted the League.

PODCAST here

For the second time in three editions, Southern Yacht Club will leave the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court with the most prestigious trophy in Corinthian sailing, the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, firmly in its collective grasp.

Ireland's two teams at the week-long event from Cork and Howth finished fourth and 18th respectively. 

The team from New Orleans—led by skipper John Lovell and tactician Marcus Eagan, and supported both here and in New Orleans by hundreds, if not thousands of family, friends and fellow members—were incredibly consistent through 12 races over 5 days, with 9 top-four finishes and not a single race result outside the top 10.

In some races, it looked simple as the team parlayed solid starts, prescient tactical calls and superior boatspeed into an express pass to the head of the 19-boat fleet of international yacht club teams. But in other races, particularly in the second half of the regatta, it was a battle as Southern Yacht Club spent a fair bit of time in the back half of the fleet.

"It’s never easy," said Eagan, who skippered the team's winning 2017 entry, with Lovell as his tactician. "The leads are always marginal, it’s just crazy. Especially when you’re up the Bay in a light northerly. It was very dicey. It’s all about that one cross or that good start."

After four straight wins on Day 3 and Day 4, San Diego Yacht Club started the final day looking every bit a legitimate threat to overtake Southern for the championship. But the first race of the day couldn't have gone any worse; an 18th knocking San Diego out of contention. Royal Thames Yacht Club took the gun, and assumed second place in the overall standings.

The regatta's final race was perhaps its most mentally challenging, with the breeze fading in and out and shifting frequently. Royal Thames started on the wrong foot by fouling Southern just seconds before the gun. But RTYC tactician Ian Dobson and skipper John Greenland made quick work of the variable breeze to climb right back into the hunt, rounding the first mark one place ahead of Southern.

Being in front was one small victory, but getting enough separation to overcome SYC's 13-point advantage proved too steep a climb. Greenland continued to slice through the fleet for a third, but Southern was able to follow suit, finishing sixth and becoming the second yacht club, after the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in 2011 and 2013, to win the trophy for a second time.

As is tradition at the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, the final day started with a Parade of Nations around Newport Harbor, complete with multiple cannon salutes. That ceremony completed, all 19 teams and assorted race committee and support craft headed north of Gould Island in Narragansett Bay's East Passage for an on-time start at 11 am.

It was apparent before the first gun that the day of racing would be anything but straightforward. The breeze, forecast for the middle teens, was barely holding onto double digit windspeeds and regularly dancing right or left of the median wind direction. For a crew with solid boat speed and a lead to defend, it was far from ideal.

"I was pretty stressed, I couldn’t even eat in between races," said Lovell, an Olympic silver medalist in the Tornado class. "You don’t want to choke. Our goal going into the day was 10 points, and I think we got nine. I can’t thank the crew enough.

"Our team just put it together. Everyone did their jobs and did them well. Marcus said it best at the beginning of the event, 'If everyone does their job, we’re going to be there.' And everyone did their job, and we didn’t make any real big mistakes, and that was it."

Also on the Southern team were Andrew Eagan, Dwight LeBlanc IV, Christian Gambel, Jay Kuebel, Miia Newman, Katy Lovell and Rick Merriman. Kuebel, both Eagans, Lovell and Merriman were all part of the winning team in 2017. Merriman is now the only three-time winner of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, having also won the inaugural edition as part of the New York Yacht Club team.

For host New York Yacht Club, it was an up-and-down regatta that included two race wins, but also a quartet of double-digit finishes. It ended on a strong note for Commodore Christopher J. Culver and his crew (Bow 19, at left) as they won the pin, hit the left corner and took the victory in the final race of the regatta.

"I'm so proud of the team," said Culver of his crew. "They worked so hard, first to qualify as the New York Yacht Club representative and then all week during the regatta. We feel we left a little bit out there on the racecourse, but every team probably feels that way. So it was really special to finish on a high note. I love our team, they really came together well and were so competitive. The camaraderie is really special as well."

Another team ending with a bang was the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, which followed New York Yacht Club across the line in the final race to record its best finish of the regatta.

"We were building up to this for three days," said Royal Swedish Yacht Club skipper Filip Engelbert. "We started off a little bit too hot tempted on board, I think, and then we decided, three days to go, just have a little bit of fun. We were gradually building up and finally we came through in the last race. A happy boat is a good boat."

Thanks to a second in the first race of the day, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda moved from ninth to seventh in the overall standings, by far its best finish in three Invitational Cup appearances.

"We changed our tactics for the start, and we had a really good start in the first race," said Edoardo Mancinelli Scotti, the team's main trimmer. "We had a really good tactician, we went on the left and turned the first mark first. It was a really good race for us and we gained two places in the final standings. This was my second Invitational Cup here in Newport, I just love this place and the IC37 is fantastic."

But no one was more pleased than Southern. A proud club with a strong sailing tradition, it has established a new standard of excellence at this event, and its domestic championship the Resolute Cup, which it won in 2016.

"It’s just incredible, a wonderful event," said Lovell. "This is, in my opinion, the best big boat regatta in the world."

2021 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup Final Results

(Place, Club Name, Boat Number, Country, Race results; Regatta Total)
1. Southern Yacht Club, Boat 3, USA, 1, 10, 2, 4, 1, 3, 3, 4, 9, 2, 3, 6; 48
2. Royal Thames Yacht Club, Boat 10, GBR, 2, 2, 1, 8, 8, 9, 9, 2, 10, 3, 1, 3; 58
3. San Diego Yacht Club. Boat 17, USA, 12, 4, 5, 6, 12, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1, 18, 11; 77
4. Royal Cork Yacht Club, Boat 13, IRL, 3, 3, 11, 1, 6, 6, 4, 9, 2, 16, 11, 9; 81
5. New York Yacht Club, Boat 19, USA, 4, 1, 7, 3, 5, 12, 7, 11, 15, 10, 7, 1; 83
6. Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Boat 5, CAN, 13, 9, 16, 9, 2, 4, 5, 5, 3, 14, 4, 4; 88
7. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Boat 14, ITA, 7*, 12, 3, 16, 7, 8, 6, 14, 4, 12, 2, 13; 104
8. Eastern Yacht Club, Boat 16, USA, 12*, 6, 4, 5, 3, 2, 8, 16, 18, 8, 16, 8; 106
9. The San Francisco Yacht Club, Boat 2, USA, 17, 7, 9, 2, 11, 1, 14, 15, 5, 4, 9, 15; 109
10. American Yacht Club, Boat 8, USA, 9*, 11, 8, 13*, 13, 16, 2, 6, 11, 6, 15, 5; 115
11. Royal Swedish Yacht Club, Boat 6, SWE, 10, 8, 18, 14, 9, 13, 16, 10, 6, 7, 10, 2; 123
12. Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Boat 15, CAN, 7, 5, 6, 7, 19, 17, 19, 12, 19, 5, 8, 12; 136
13. Noroton Yacht Club, Boat 7, USA, 15, 14, 10, 10, 14, 10, 17, 8, 14, 15, 12, 7; 146
14. Nyländska Jaktklubben, Boat 12, FIN, 6*, 18, 13, 15, 10, 15, 12, 7, 17, 19, 5, 10; 147
15. Yacht Club Argentino, Boat 9, ARG, 14, 13, 17, 11, 15, 7, 10, 3, 13, 17, 13, 17; 150
16. Yacht Club Italiano, Boat 18, ITA, 10*, 17, 12, 17, 16, 14, 11, 13, 12, 18, 6, 14; 160
17. Itchenor Sailing Club, Boat 11, GBR, 19, 15, 15, 18, 4, 18, 13, 17, 8, 11, 17, 16; 171
18. Howth Yacht Club, Boat 4, IRL, 16, 16, 14, 13, 17, 11, 15, 19, 7, 9, 19, 19; 175
19. Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Boat 20, BER, 18, 19, 19, 19, 18, 19, 18, 18, 16, 13, 14, 18; 209

*Race score includes 1-point penalty for early extension of sprit