Five weeks of racing produced comprehensive winners in all four IRC divisions of Royal Cork Yacht Club's 2023 Autumn League sponsored by AIB, but points were tight for the rest of the podium, with second and third places in both IRC One and Two spinnaker divisions decided by tie breaks.

Downwind in Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

In an unusual edition, the traditionally breezy Cork Harbour series offered five weeks of only light winds to the extent that there was no final day's racing on October 29th due to a lack of breeze.

With five wins from six races, David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble, won the IRC One Spinnaker Division by nine clear points in the nine-boat fleet. Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo took second, and Brian Jones' J122 Jelly Baby was third, finishing on an equal 14 points.

Dave Dwyer's Half tonner Swuzzlebubble (leading the fleet to the green buoy) won the Spinnaker One Fleet of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League. Pictured (below) left to right are Pat Horgan of sponsors AIB, James Dwyer, Brian Heneghan, Dave Dwyer, Conor Horgan and (front row) Johnny McCann and Oisin MacSweeney and Vice Admiral of RCYC Annamarie Fegan Photos: Bob Bateman

With four wins from six races, Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner Anchor Challenge, in an eight-boat IRC Two Spinnaker division, had a ten-point win margin. Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star, who, despite counting two 'DNCs' for the first two races of the league, took second overall ahead of Stephen Lysaght's Elan 333 Reavra Too in third, both on 16 points.

The "Anchor Challenge " Quarter Ton crew (above and below) winners of IRC Spinnaker Two Division of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League Photo: Bob Bateman

In White Sails One IRC Dan Murphy's X-99 Anteex won by two points from Kieran O'Brien's MG335 Magnet on ten points. Third place was taken by Ronan Twomey's First 40.7, Rosmarina

Dan Murphy's X-99 Anteex was the White Sails One IRC winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League Photo: Bob Bateman

In White Sails Two IRC, Alan Mulcahy's Albin Express Apache won by six points from Sean Hanley's HB 31 Luas on 11 points. The Impala Fast Buck was third. 

Alan Mulcahy, skipper of Apache and crew, with Pat Horgan AIB and Vice Admiral Annamarie Fegan, won the IRC Two White Sails Fleet of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League Photo: Bob Bateman

In a five-boat 1720 sportsboat fleet, national champion David Kenefick took four wins to win overall from Young Offenders (Walsh / Brownlow). Third was Padraig Byrne's Zing. 

Full results in all classes below.

David Kenefick's full Irish was the winner of the 1720s at Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League  Photo: Bob Bateman

Royal Cork Yacht Club's 2023 Autumn League Prizegiving Photo Gallery 

The Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour will be the centre for fun and learning at the IODAI Optimist National Training Week from the 1st to the 4th of November.

Over 120 boats are signed up at the time of writing, and more latecomers are also expected.

Now in its third year, the NTW offers Optimist sailors from all over Ireland a chance to connect and learn from some great coaching.

The coaching ticket is led by world-famous ‘Bocha’ Pollitzer of Argentina, who has coached Olympic Teams from the 49er class and has coached world champions in the 29er class and Optimists. Supported by Soren Laugenson of Denmark and Thomas Chaix of Ireland and France. This senior team will lead a talented Irish lineup of younger coaches, ensuring great fun and lots of learning.

The sponsors Grant Thornton and O’Leary Insurance Group, are delighted to support this gathering of the Optimist tribe, say the IODAI.

Swag’ bags have been put together, and the NTW event hoodie is now a collector's item. RCYC has a full food menu for the kids and parents, and the Club and Class are happy to give back by running a coffee morning in aid of the RNLI. As is tradition now, the training week ends with a Halloween Regatta, allowing the sailors to test their newfound skills.

IODAI President Paddy Ryan says, ‘National Training Week is really our most important event of the year. After a long season, it’s the perfect tonic for the sailors and their family to relax, spend time with their friends and engage with the sport in a very positive way that differs hugely from their Regional and National events. As one of the biggest fleets in the country, we are very aware of how an event such as NTW can build a really positive atmosphere for the whole Oppie family and support our sailors in the years ahead'.

Last minute booking can be done here and RCYC have an information page here 

After a one-hour postponement ashore, waiting for fog to lift, the Royal Cork Yacht Club fleet got set for the penultimate round of its 2023 Autumn League.

Race Officer Anthony O'Leary, with his team of Sally O'Leary, Tom Durcan and Tom Kirby, headed to the outer harbour in a light south-easterly, which gradually built during the day to no more than 8 to 10 knots.

O'Leary set a weather mark to seaward for spinnaker classes and set both white sail fleets on a downwind start into the harbour, where they did two rounds (as per number 11 on the RCYC course card).

The white sail fleet goosewinging downwind on the penultimate day of racing at the Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Mary Malone

The spinnaker classes, having gone to the weather mark, sailed back to the harbour to do three rounds of the same course.

Five 1720 sportsboats competed on their course, and with the cruiser fleet sailing through them, it made for a grand harbour spectacle on a late October day.

Five 1720 sportsboats competed on a separate course on day four of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Mary Malone

Conor Phelan's string of wins in the Quarter-Tonner Anchor Challenge in  IRC Two Spinnaker division was broken today by Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star who, despite counting two 'DNCs' for the first two races of the league, now moves to second overall ahead of Stephen Lysaght's Elan 333 Reavra Too in third. Michael McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally, who was second, drops to fourth.

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble (KZ3494) rounds a mark on day four of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Mary Malone

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble, won in IRC One Spinnaker Division and remains the overall leader of a nine-boat fleet. Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo is second, with Brian Jones' J122 Jelly Baby replacing Finbarr O'Regan's J109 in third place.

Results in all classes below

There was plenty of action on the water for the third Sunday of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 as a number of different RCYC fleets took advantage of the great autumn breeze and fine weather in Cork Harbour.

Fleets sailed in both the inner and outer harbour. On the Curlane Bank, a good fleet of Optimists dinghies were in action for the "Cobbler League", and a small but growing fleet of 420 dinghies were training.

Nearby, 1720 Race Officer Barry Rose started a league for the sportsboats with five competing. 

Race Officer Barry Rose (above) sets the Cork Harbour course for the 1720 sportsboats (below) Photo: Bob Bateman

The weather forecast for the day was for a north-easterly breeze going to the east at the bottom of the tide, so Keelboat Race Officer Richard Leonard brought the fleets to the outer harbour and set courses for the different classes using the harbour marks as windward marks and laid a buoy for a leeward mark. This clever plan enabled a more tightly controlled finish time. 

A second race got underway quickly, and as the easterly had set in, a weather mark was set, and the competitors finished on a new line in the harbour stationed off grassy.

Anchor Challenge, Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner in action on day three of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

Anchor Challenge, Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner, who has won all the races so far, suffered a setback when she retired from the first race this morning in IRC Two Spinnaker division. Phelan bounced back in race two, however, with another win and continues to lead the eight-boat IRC Two Spinnaker Division. The vintage yacht beat Michael McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally, who lies second overall, while Stephen Lysaght's Elan 333 Reavra Too from Kinsale is third. 

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble (blue spinnaker) on day three of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble, won both races in IRC One Spinnaker Division and continues to be the overall leader of a nine-boat fleet. Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo is second, with Finbarr O'Regan's J109 moving up into third place.

Results in all classes below

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 (Day 3) Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman and Mary Malone

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Mel Collins, Aidan MacSweeny and Harry Pritchard sailing GoldDigger beat the SB20 national champions for overall honours at Lough Derg Yacht Club Freshwater Keelboat One Design Regatta on Sunday. 

The Crosshaven trio lifted the trophy after finishing on the same four nett points as 2023 Irish champions Michael O'Connor, Davy Taylor, and Owen Laverty from the Royal St George, who discarded an expensive disqualification from the fourth race.

Four races were sailed on Saturday with one discard, but racing was abandoned on Sunday by Race Officer John Leech due to a lack of wind at Dromineer. 

Greystones Sailing Club trio Marty O'Leary, Rachel O'Leary and Conor Galligan finished third.

Ten SB20s competed.

Vintage racing yachts hold the overall lead in Cork Harbour after a single light air race was held on the second Sunday of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023.

Favourable 'summer' weather continues to bless the League even if winds were never over five knots for today's single race, ultimately shortened for all classes by Race Officer Richard Leonard. 

Anchor Challenge, Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner, who won the first two races last weekend, added another race win in the eight-boat IRC Two Spinnaker Division. The vintage yacht beat Michael McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally, which lies second overall while Stephen Lysaght's Elan 333 Reavra Too from Kinsale is third. 

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble, who was lying third after the opening races in IRC One Spinnaker Division, is now the overall leader of a nine-boat fleet. Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo is second, with the J122 JellyBaby (Jones Family) in third place.

Results in all classes below

Anchor Challenge, Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner, won the first two races of the Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 in the 17-boat IRC Spinnaker division on Sunday.

The vintage yacht beat Michael McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally, which secured second overall with a four and a two, while David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble, is lying third.

Despite the previous week's bad weather, favourable 'summer' weather prevailed on October 1st for an auspicious start to the 2023 league off Cork Harbour.

Two wins from two is a good start to the Royal Cork Yacht Club Autumn League 2023 for Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner, Anchor Challenge Photo: Bob Bateman

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble (closest to camera) and Michael McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally go downwind off Roches Point in the first day of racing of Royal Cork Yacht Club Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

Race Officers, Anthony and Sally O'Leary, managed the race course well to make the best of the variable light winds and an ebb tide that meant the first race was shortened to one round with a mark laid off the Dutchman Rocks off Fennells Bay.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Autumn League Race Officers, Anthony and Sally O'Leary Photo: Bob Bateman

The compact size of the 2023 fleet still has some notable visitors, including the J109, Tighey Boy skippered by Tony O'Brien from Schull in West Cork and Dunmore East regular, David Marchant in his Sigma 33, Flyover.

The courses for the first race of Royal Cork Yacht Club Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

A startline of the first races of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 off Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

The second race saw the weather mark positioned more to the east, with about 10 knots of wind.

The only setback for the 33-boat fleet was waiting for lower-rated whitesail boats to finish to get the second race underway for the spinnaker fleet.

(Above and below) Despite the light winds there was a good swell at the mouth of Cork Harbour for the first races of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

(Above and below) Despite the light winds there was a good swell at the mouth of Cork Harbour for the first races of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

Alan Mulcahy from Kinsale Yacht Club leads the 16-boat IRC White Sail division with two wins in the Albin Express Apache, while Kieran O'Brien's MG335 Magnet is in second place, and Aidan Heffernan's Dufour 36, Indulgence, is in third place.

Alan Mulcahy from Kinsale Yacht Club leads the 16-boat IRC White Sail division with two wins in the Albin Express Apache in the first races of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

Kieran O'Brien's MG335 Magnet is in second place in the IRC White Sail division of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

Aidan Heffernan's Dufour 36, Indulgence, is in third place in the IRC White Sail division of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

Results in all divisions below 

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

The 1720 Sportsboat Class in Ireland has a certain something, which means that when its annual championship comes around, it often attracts stars from other classes for this peak of sportsboat sport. And though the 2023 1720 Nats at Dunmore East with Waterford Harbour SC in September may not have attracted the significantly large numbers seen at some other venues in recent years, there was some very hot talent battling it out on the Waterford Estuary and the nearby Atlantic.

This time round, David Kenefick of Royal Cork came through the lineup of multi-class superstars to take the title ahead of a Who’s Who of 1720 talent, and he gets a clear place in September’s Roll of Honour with it.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Rear Admiral of Keelboats Paul Tingle led the celebrations at the 2023 Summer League winners' prizegiving in Cork Harbour on Thursday evening (September 28th).

There was a great turnout for the Crosshaven event that featured double Olympian Peter O'Leary, who won the Admiral Doyle Plate sailing his Star keelboat 'Archie' in the May Spinnaker IRC League.

O'Leary was presented with his perpetual trophy by the club's Vice Admiral Annamarie Fegan, who was on hand to congratulate all the RCYC prizewinners at the world's oldest yacht club.

As regular Afloat readers will know, O'Leary finished sixth overall this month at the Star Worlds in Italy, sailing with Belfast Lough's Stephen Milne.

In June and July's IRC spinnaker leagues, Michael McCann's Etchells 22 one-design keelboat 'Don't Dilly Dally' was the overall winner.

For a full list of the prizewinners and photos from the event, see the below listing.

Royal Cork Yacht Club League Winners List (Summer 2023) Prizegiving Photos by Bob Bateman

Royal Cork Yacht Club Vice Admiral Annamarie Fegan presents Peter O'Leary sailing 'Archie' with the Admiral Doyle Plate for his performance in the May Spinnaker IRC League Photo: Bob Bateman

Padraig Byrne, skipper of the 1720 Zing was the winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club's May League Echo division Photo: Bob Bateman

Celine McGrath's 'Big Mac' was the winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club IRC Echo and Friday night League in May Photo: Bob Bateman

Michael McCann Sailing the Etchells 22 'Don't Dilly Dally' was the winner of June and July's Royal Cork Yacht Club's IRC spinnaker leagues Photo: Bob Bateman

Andy McJenkins sailing 'Morning After' was the winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club's June IRC White Sail League Photo: Bob Bateman

Frank Desmond sailing 'Bad Company' was the winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club's July league in IRC and ECHO spinnaker division Photo: Bob Bateman

Liam O'Keefe's 'Orion' was the winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club's July Friday night White Sail League Photo: Bob Bateman

Florentina Carroll sailing Magnet was the winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club's July, August and September White Sail League (IRC) Photo: Bob Bateman

Ria Lyden sailing 'Ellida' was the winner of the Royal Cork Yacht Club's August and September League in the Spinnaker Echo division Photo: Bob Bateman

The MacSweeney Family sailing the Sigma 33 "Scribbler" were winners of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Friday Night Whitesail League Photo: Bob Bateman

Pat Vaughan and his wife were winners of the Royal Cork Yacht Club's July, August and September leagues in the White Sail Echo division Photo: Bob Bateman

Royal Cork Yacht Club League Winners List Summer 23

As part of this summer's Royal Cork Yacht Club RCYC 'At Home' regatta, the ILCA/Laser fleet took on the Blackrock to Crosshaven passage race in Cork Harbour.

The ILCAs launched at Cork Boat Club and headed downriver with a falling tide and following wind to cover the more than ten-mile course in under ninety minutes.

ILCA/Laser sailors prepare for the Blackrock to Crosshaven passage race in Cork Harbour at Cork Harbour Boat Club

The ILCA/Laser Blackrock to Crosshaven passage race fleet head downriver with a falling tide and following wind

The fleet had 18-20 knots directly behind them all the way across Lough Mahon, which caused several boats to flip, but the next leg through Passage was significantly more friendly.

The ILCA/Laser Blackrock to Crosshaven passage race fleet had 18-20 knots of wind for the race

The ILCA 4s were allowed to go inside Spike Island, while the ILCA 6s and 7s had to go the long way round as part of the handicap.

Passing the Naval base at Haulbowline at Cobh

The leading ILCA 4, Craig O'Neill, was more than halfway across Curlane Bank when the leading ILCA 6s of Robert Jeffreys and Joe O'Sullivan got around Spike.

The final beat to the club against the tide and the usual trickiness at the Coveney Pier finally sorted out a winner, with Joe O'Sullivan making it to the RCYC marina in one hour, and thirty-six minutes which, given the favourable tide and wind conditions, may be setting a very difficult time to beat in future years.