At the 301st AGM last Thursday evening, Kieran O’Connell was elected the 43rd Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club. In his acceptance speech, O'Connell thanked Past Admiral Colin Morehead for the manner in which he executed his role over the past two years and steered the club through the Tricentenary celebrations and ongoing pandemic.

O’Connell, who now enters his ninth year on the Royal Cork Executive Committee, has been part of the Royal Cork all his life, having started sailing in mirrors and in recent years competing in keelboat and National 18 events throughout the country. On being appointed, he addressed members and reflected on the strength of the club at present with membership at a ten year high and finances particularly healthy. He spoke briefly about plans for further development of club facilities, including exploration of lifting, servicing and storage facilities for boats ashore.

Royal Cork Admiral, Kieran O'Connell Photo: Bob Bateman

The incoming Admiral also outlined his wish to complete the five-year plan for the club which will be key to retaining existing members and introducing new members to the oldest club in the world.

Following the success of the youth pathway model, O’Connell highlighted plans to adapt the model to cater to adult sailing, with the clubs growing fleet of now 20 keelboats and dinghies being key to introducing newcomers to the sport in a cost efficient manner.

Following a bumper year of events in the club, including multiple national and regional championships, the highlights of 2022 without doubt will be Volvo Cork Week in July and the 505 World Championships in August.

In his closing remarks, he set out the fact that nothing could be achieved without the support and dedication of its staff and its incredible committees and volunteers.

Vice Admiral, Annamarie Fegan Photo: Bob Bateman

O’Connell has formed an experienced and enthusiastic committee. Making history, Annamarie Fegan was elected Vice Admiral of the Crosshaven club, the first female Vice Admiral in the club’s 302 year existence. Fegan is best recognised in sailing circles as co-owner of ‘Nieulargo’ with husband Denis Murphy and daughters Molly and Mia, winners of the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle, the Fastnet 450 and one of the favourites for the Round Ireland Race in 2022. Annamarie will also co-chair Volvo Cork Week 2022 with Ross Deasy.

Rear Admiral Keelboats, Paul Tingle Photo: Bob Bateman

Paul Tingle was elected Rear Admiral Keelboats and brings with him a wealth of experience having first started sailing in Mirrors and Enterprises and now sailing the family’s new X-4 ‘Alpaca’. Sailing talk is unavoidable in the Tingle household with the family having undertaken Olympic campaigns, Fastnet Races, Dun Laoghaire to Dingle’s and much more in recent years.

Rear Admiral Dinghies, Maurice Collins Photo: Bob Bateman

Maurice Collins was elected Rear Admiral Dinghies, a considerable undertaking given the success and growth in the Youth Pathway in the Royal Cork. Having served as class captain in the Topper fleet for a number of years and with four sons competing throughout the classes in the club, Maurice is excellently positioned to ensure there is something for all youth sailors, from international competition to that first tack or gybe.

Denis Byrne, Chairman of RCYC Marina & Facilities committee Photo: Bob Bateman

Denis Byrne was elected Chairman of the Marina & Facilities committee. From the incoming Admiral’s acceptance speech, it’s clear Denis and his committee will have some exciting projects on the cards in the years ahead. Denis has been close to unstoppable in his Trapper TP250 ‘Cracker’ in Cork Harbour IRC racing in recent years.

Remaining on the committee for another term are Mike Rider as Rear Admiral Cruising, Pat Harte as Treasurer and Alex Barry as Chair of Membership, Communication and Events.

Alex Barry,Chair Membership, Communications and Events Photo: Bob Bateman

Classic yacht owners in France have been encouraged to join Volvo Cork Week 2022 with the introduction of a dedicated class at next summer’s regatta.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Admiral Colin Morehead made the announcement at the 2021 Paris Boat Show last week along with President Pascal Stefani, Yves Lambert and Yves Gaignet of the Atlantic Yacht Club.

The two clubs have entered into a collaboration — Goto Cork 2022 — aimed at attracting classic yacht owners in France to participate in Cork Week when it returns in July 2022 after a pandemic-enforced absence in 2020.

COVID restrictions also delayed celebration of the Royal Cork’s reciprocal agreement signed with the Yacht Club de France in March 2020.

While in Paris, Admiral Morehead took the opportunity to exchange burgees with Yacht Club de France President Philippe Heral at its clubhouse in the city.

Earlier today, Afloat.ie noted the inclusion of a Cape 31 fleet in next summer’s regatta comprising boats from both the UK and a burgeoning Irish fleet.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club has confirmed that two Irish Cape 31s which are currently in build, one from Cork and one from Dublin, have now entered Volvo Cork Week 2022.

The entry form and advance notice of regatta are live on the RCYC website.

It’s expected that the Irish fleet will have grown to four of five boats by next July when the Cork Week regatta returns for a delayed Cork300 celebration after its pandemic-enforced absence in 2020.

And it’s also hoped that they will be bolstered by visiing Cape 31s from the UK for five days of championship racing in the waters surrounding Cork Harbour.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie back in August, plans are afoot to build a sportsboat fleet here from the South African racer-inspired design by Wicklow-based Mark Mills.

Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star leads the IRC White Sails Division of Royal Cork Yacht Club's O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2021 after five races sailed in Cork Harbour.

The Myrtleville helmswoman has a two-point margin after today's race in an ideal northwest sailing breeze at the bottom of a December spring tide.

One time leader, Diamond (Colman Garvey / Kieran Kelleher), is second on nine points from Richard Leonard's Bolero Bandit on 13 points.

Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star Photo: Bob Bateman

After a running start from Cage out the harbour to No. 3 buoy the course set by Race Officer Clem McElligott took the fleet on a beat back to Cage and then a harbour course to the finish.

Front runner - The Tingle family's new X-4 Alpaca Photo: Bob Bateman

The Tingle family's new X-4 Alpaca led on the water but in their wake were some real boat to boat battles real between Anthony O'Leary's modified 1720 and Nick Walsh's new 1720 entry Breaking Bad. Likewise, there was a good tussle between the overall leader North Star and the quarter tonner Diamond.

Results are here

Day Five O'Leary Insurances Winter League Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

After four races sailed, Fiona Young's North Star Albin Express has taken the lead in Royal Cork's O’Leary Insurance Winter League.

The Young crew on four points now have a four-point lead over league debutantes Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher sailing their new Quarter Tonner Diamond who had held the lead on IRC for the first three races. 

One point further back is Richard Leonard's Bolero, Bandit.

Scroll down for photo galleries by Afloat's Bob Bateman of the first three races.

As Afloat reported previously, the league is being held ‘all-in’ and under ‘White Sails’ only for the first time.

Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher new Quarter Tonner Diamond

© Afloat.ie

Results are here

2021 O'Leary Winter League Photo Gallery Race 3

2021 O'Leary Winter League Photo Gallery Race 2

2021 O'Leary Winter League Photo Gallery Race 1

The Royal Cork Yacht Club has announced that this year’s O’Leary Insurances Winter League will be run as an all-in White Sail league.

The club says it initiated the trial event for 2021 to encourage as many keelboats as possible out for the Cork Harbour league, where all boats will be racing against each other for the Archie O’Leary Trophy.

Clem & Wendy McElligott will be back in the OOD boat for the league which kicks off this Sunday 7 November. First Gun will be 12.25pm with one all-in race per day.

The Notice of Race, with links to the entry form and race declaration, is available from the RCYC website HERE.

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.

Anthony O'Leary's Royal Cork Yacht Club team lie fourth overall after day one of the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup at Newport Rhode Island. A second Irish team from Howth Yacht Club in County Dublin are in 17th place after three races sailed.

There are strong starts to a regatta and then there's the day on the water put in by Royal Thames Yacht Club to open up the racing in the 2021 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup.

The British team, which won the event in 2015 and has sailed in all but one of the seven editions, finished second in the first race, repeated that feat in the second and then tacked on an emphatic win in the day's final contest. The RTYC team will fly the golden spinnaker on Day 2 of the event, and carry a 7-point lead over the host New York Yacht Club, which sits second, a point ahead of 2017 champion Southern Yacht Club.

Anthony O'Leary's Royal Cork Yacht Club team (bow number 13) lie fourth overall Photo: Daniel Forster

"Very pleased," said RTYC skipper John Greenland. "You know it’s a tough regatta. To be able to finish a day and know you’ve got a great starting point…We were just thinking, normally we’re coming off the water [on Day 1] thinking, 'How are we going to catch up with that fast boat.' Luckily we’ve had that day, so it’s great."

The Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is a biennial regatta hosted by the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I. Since the event was first run in 2009, it has attracted top amateur sailors from 48 of the world’s most prestigious yacht clubs from 21 countries. After five editions in the Swan 42 class, the 2021 event will be the second sailed in the IC37, designed by Mark Mills. 

It was forecast to be a challenging day on Rhode Island Sound, for both competitors and the race committee, thanks to a breeze that moved around like a pre-schooler confined to his seat for too long. And while the long-term progression was in one direction, there were plenty of holes in the breeze and the random oscillations that drive tacticians crazy.

Greenland chalked up RTYC's success to the all-powerful combination good speed and solid decisions.

"I think trying to keep the boat going, the boat powered up and getting over the waves was really important," he said. "[Ian Dobson] was on tactics and getting us on the right side of the shifts and in pressure. I think it was just as important to be in the pressure as it was to get the shifts right today."

Greenland also noted that having a team that has been here before—27 total times across the team, and seven times himself—was helpful on the opening day, which followed a hectic three days of mandatory practice, meetings and social activities.

"I guess I’ve got more used to the fact it’s a big event with a lot going on, and you’re not going to be overwhelmed by that aspect of the event, but still the same level of nerves going into the first race with 19 great teams all of whom can be on the start line and win this regatta," he said. "[We] go into today knowing the beast of the event a bit better. It’s great to be here. Everyone knows the challenges that have been had by all the teams thing to attend this event and the yacht club to put it on, but it’s fantastic to be here."

Finishing one place behind Royal Thames in each of the first two races was Royal Cork Yacht Club. Like Greenland, Royal Cork skipper Anthony O'Leary has been to all seven Invitational Cups. He and his crew, which includes two of his sons, know well the nuances of the event.

"We had some difficult starts," said Robert O'Leary, Anthony's son. "We managed to get out of the first two well. Really tough on in the last race. Playing the middle, in these boats, on the first beat isn’t really the tactic we go for. But we were forced into it. We were happy to come out with two thirds and, of course, the 11th in the last one will hurt a little bit. But every score counts and you’ve got to fight for every place."

Counting two 16s and a 14 in the first three races, Howth Yacht Club are lying 17th overall Photo: Daniel Forster

While IC37 designer Mark Mills is an Irish resident, and his designs are quite popular in Europe, the IC37 does not yet have a foothold in Ireland. Robert O'Leary said the team came to this event worried that lack of time in the boat would be a handicap.

"We were quite worried the last two years that the American boats, and any of the other teams that had a boat, would catch up a bit, getting the boats up to speed quicker," he said. "But we were quite happy with our boatspeed today and how we’re getting around the race track. So we’re a little less worried today than we were at the start. We know it’s a tough regatta, every place counts, and we’ve just got to keep grinding away."

Royal Cork finished the day with 17 points, good for fourth place in the overall standings. In fifth, just one point further back, is The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, which had, by far, the best day of the four rookie teams.

"My personal secret goal is I was hoping for one top-five finish in this event," said Cochrane, after a 7-5-6 on their first races in the IC37. "To be sitting in fifth overall after the first day…just to be able to play, to be in the same water at this level, and we can look at them and see their set up, we’re just trying to learn as much as we can. But boy, they’re good. They know the boats really well, and it’s just a pleasure to be here and to learn from them."

Cochrane is one of four Olympians on the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club team. That kind of talent is a great way to climb a steep learning curve. He was also quick to credit the efforts of the host club to get each team up to speed.

"I just can’t thank [the New York Yacht Club] enough for organising all the coaching and everything," he said. "If we had come in here and not had access to that, there’s no way we would’ve been able to get around the race course the way we did today. It’s really a testament to how welcoming and open this event is."

Whether he and his Royal Vancouver team feel the same way tomorrow, when the breeze is expected to be in the mid-teens, remains to be seen. They'd do well to consider this bit of advice from Greenland, who's seen all sides of this event: "You start each day as if it’s the first day of the regatta."

It worked today. There's no reason it can't work tomorrow.

2021 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup Day 1 Results

1. Royal Thames Yacht Club 10 GBR 2 2 1 2 2 1 5
2. New York Yacht Club 19 USA 4 1 7 4 1 7 12
3. Southern Yacht Club 3 USA 1 10 2 1 10 2 13
4. Royal Cork Yacht Club 13 IRL 3 3 11 3 3 11 17
5. Royal Vancouver Yacht Club 15 CAN 7 5 6 7 5 6 18
6. San Diego Yacht Club 17 USA 12 4 5 12 4 5 21
7. Eastern Yacht Club 16 USA 12 6 4 12 6 4 22
8. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 14 ITA 7 12 3 7 12 3 22
9. American Yacht Club 8 USA 9 11 8 9 11 8 28
10. The San Francisco Yacht Club 2 USA 17 7 9 17 7 9 33
11. Royal Swedish Yacht Club 6 SWE 10 8 18 10 8 18 36
12. Nylandska Jaktklubben 12 FIN 6 18 13 6 18 13 37
13. Royal Canadian Yacht Club 5 CAN 13 9 16 13 9 16 38
14. Yacht Club Italiano 18 ITA 10 17 12 10 17 12 39
15. Noroton Yacht Club 7 USA 15 14 10 15 14 10 39
16. Yacht Club Argentino 9 ARG 14 13 17 14 13 17 44
17. Howth Yacht Club 4 IRL 16 16 14 16 16 14 46
18. Itchenor Sailing Club 11 GBR 19 15 15 19 15 15 49
19. Royal Bermuda Yacht Club 20 BER 18 19 19 18 19 19 56

In his latest video update, Royal Cork Yacht Club Admiral Colin Morehead hails the return of keelboat and junior racing at Crosshaven, not to mention the well-earned victory of Nieulargo in the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race.

This weekend the club is hosting the postponed 29er Nationals among a busy calendar of events that includes the Tricentenary At Home Regatta at the end of August.

Colin confirms that the parade of sail will go ahead on the morning of Saturday 28 August — with attendees including Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney — and he made a special request to club members: “If you have a boat, if it floats, get it in the water and make sure that it’s there.”

Also upcoming is the Cork300 cruise in company along the Wild Atlantic Way from new Saturday 10 July, which still space available for cruisers to join. Find out more on the RCYC website HERE.

And the Royal Cork will join with other Cork Harbour clubs to help the Naval Service celebrate its 75th anniversary in September. More details to come.

In the meantime, outdoor dining is in full swing at the clubhouse and Colin appeals to all to come down to the club and make the most of any fine weather.

Tonight is a big night for the Royal Cork at Crosshaven, where the Rear Admiral for Keelboats is looking forward to firing the starting gun again this evening.

It's not for racing, but for keelboat training, as a prelude to getting back to the racing mode.

More boats are being launched daily in Cork Harbour as the pent-up demand for a return to competition is being released.

"We are glad to be getting back on the water. It will be exciting to blow the start gun for training on Thursday night and even better to sound the racing start in June," says Daragh Connolly, Keelboats Rear Admiral, at the RCYC as preparations are finalised for getting yachts into racing mode again.

Daragh Connolly, Keelboats Rear Admiral at Royal Cork Yacht Club

Racing itself won't resume until after June 7, so the training sessions will be used to get racers prepared and up to speed for events like the Sovereigns Cup and the resumption of evening cruiser racing next month.

"The situation is improving, but we are clearly not out of the woods yet," club Admiral Colin Morehead has told members, announcing that facilities are gradually re-opening.

As well as the plan for keelboats, other adult sailors, including National 18s and Lasers, are being told by their Class Captains about restarting racing.

Youth sailors are already back on the water and training in pods of 15.

Daragh Connolly is my guest on this week's Afloat Podcast (below), where he outlined the plans for a return to racing and how club members were welcoming it.