Saturday, January 15th, was day two of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club’s Laser Winter League in Cork Harbour.

A windless morning was in store for the competitors. The bay was calm and clear, and the air had a cold bite. Nonetheless, the ever-popular league had attracted a fleet of sixteen sailors who swarmed the sand quay in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The club hut was surrounded by hustling volunteers who prepared the equipment for the intense racing that was to unfold at Ten O'Clock. With the windward/leeward course set, crash boats launched and sailors dressed, racing could begin.

The first few lasers drifted their way out on a glassy bay. The view of white dinghies on a calm bay was lovely yet unpromising. Alas, the optimism of Race Officer Alan Fehily and his team could not be quenched, and the starting gun went on time.

MBSC Committee Boat and Race Officer Alan Fehily

The pin was crowded and it was a battlefield of lasers fighting their way off the start line for race one. The breeze picked up at a slow pace and the competitors sailed their boats with finesse around the course.

Taking an early lead was MBSC’s Ronan Kenneally who took on the shifty conditions at a rapid pace. Only a metre behind was Richie Harrington. The two pushed each other around the course for the duration of the race. Taking first place was Kenneally, closely followed by Harrington across the finish line.

Slightly more breeze filled the course for race two and an increased tidal flow made race tactics difficult. Battling it out for line honours were MBSC sailors Richie Harrington, Chris Bateman and Rob Howe. With an exciting tacking battle towards the finish line, Harrington took first place. Following in second was Bateman. Rob Howe finished in third, nearly overtaking first and second place boats while they battled it out.

Race three was the most difficult of them all. Tidelines and tricky wind conditions gave the competitors a traditional South Westerly Monkstown bay racecourse.

Excelling on all fronts was MBSC’S Paul O’Sullivan, who took an early lead. Untouchable for the duration of the race, he extended away from the fleet, finishing with a big lead. Ronan Kenneally followed in second place with the consistent Rob Howe finishing in third place.

Once again, the sailors were ashore before twelve noon. After putting the boats away, they converged in the Bosun to warm up chilly hands. It was another great morning’s racing on Monkstown Bay thanks to the fine race organisers and competitive sailors.

Local Laser sailor Chris Bateman emerged as the winner of today's three races of the Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's Yard of Ale Trophy in Cork Harbour. 

The 14-boat fleet braved strong gales for today's series, the first dinghy racing of the new year.

Second overall was Ronan Kenneally with third place going to Sunday's Well Sailing Club's Paul O'Sullivan. 

Monkstown Bay Sailing Frostbites Results 2022

On December 26th, Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's (MBSC) annual Christmas event was held on the tranquil waters of Cork Harbour.

On the early Sunday morning, sailors in competitive spirit showed up on time to make the early start of ten o'clock.

The bay gleamed in the winter sunshine as people began to arrive at the Sand Quay. Although the sunrise was a pretty sight, it revealed the harbour to be as still as a pond.

Alex Barry and Fred Cudmore were second in a pink RS400 Photo: Bob Bateman

Disregarding the light breeze, twelve boats lined up on the start line. Those boats were made up of a mixed fleet; Three 5o5's, an RS400, and the rest of the pack were made up of standard rigged Lasers.

Slight puffs of breeze began to show on the water just in time as the gun went off. This light wind theme continued for all three races.

Tight racing on the bay (Laser to windward is George Kingston, Laser in between Chris Bateman, blue 505 is Anthony Coole and Chris Granby) Photo: Bob Bateman

A very competitive fleet battled it out for their positions. John Downey and Sandy Rimmington's 5o5 dominated throughout the races, showing a turn of speed that put many Laser sailors in their place.

Laser sailor George Kingston (AUS210150) comes off the start line

The results were set after gently steering their boats around the courses all morning. Winning the Magner Cup was John/Sandy in their 5o5. The RS400 sailed by Alex Barry/Fred Cudmore followed up in second. In third place was Harry Pritchard sailing his Laser.

Brian Jones and Gary Frost in their 5o5 Photo: Bob Bateman

The racing was tight, on time, and the competition was intense. This is typical of Monkstown Bay and its club. Alan Fehily and his team did very well to finish the three races on time. Alan has never failed to get us in on time, and as promised, everyone was ashore by twelve o'clock.

Ronan Kenneally in Laser 192703 Photo: Bob Bateman

While the morning was a great success, it is only the start of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's season. Coming up in two weeks is the beginning of the Laser Winter League, where Laser sailors from Cork and beyond will be treated to the best dinghy racing in Cork Harbour.

5o5 duo Sandy Rimmington (left) and John Downey Photo: Bob Bateman

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's St. Stephen's Day Race 2021 Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

St Stephen’s Day saw the inaugural launch of traditional Currach craft on the Owenabue River at Carrigaline in Cork Harbour.

Members of Naomhoga Corcaigh rowed from Wesley across to the Otter which is atop the plinth in the centre of the town opposite the Gaelic Bar.

It is hoped to make this an annual St Stephen's Day Event and ties in with wider community plans to turn Carrigaline into a beacon for watersports enthusiasts

Government funding is to be sought to drive the project to fruition.

An initial plan drawn up by municipal district council officials, with the help of a blueway expert, was presented to councillors last May which looked at the possible landing and launching sites for the project along the Owenabue river and estuary.

The plan focused on locations such as Carrigaline Community Park, the two bridges close to it, the town's former abattoir site as well as the Drakes Pool/Rabbit Island area.

Naomhoga Corcaigh members in Carrigaline for the inaugural Currach launch Photo: Brendan Nash

Fine Gael councillor Liam O'Connor, who was the first person to suggest the idea of developing facilities in Carrigaline, welcomed the initial report.

He maintained the ideal site to create permanent facilities for the project, such as toilets, changing rooms etc, was in the Drakes Pool/Rabbit Island area. However, he added that additional parking space would have to be created there to facilitate it.

“It's great that the council has expressed an appetite for this. We should look for this (government) funding for a feasibility study to kick-start this project,” Mr O'Connor told the Irish Examiner in May.

Naomhoga Corcaigh's ethos is to provide access to the River Lee and to encourage the sport of traditional Irish rowing with a bit of craic and beagáinín Gaeilge (a little of the Irish language)!​

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club (MBSC) will hold the only race in Cork Harbour over the Christmas period.

This is the annual St.Stephen’s Day event, also a fundraiser for the RNLI.

An early start is planned, with First Gun at 10 a.m., which will require quite a bit of commitment from those planning to sail after Christmas Day celebrations!

“It’s an open event, with a €10 entry fee and all are welcome,” MBSC says.

Kinsale yachtsman Alan Mulcahy's recently arrived First Class 8 'Black Magic' yacht has been lost after a fire on board the boat at the weekend. 

The yacht went up in flames and sank off Ringabella, just outside Cork Harbour on Monday afternoon during a scheduled delivery trip back to Mulcahy's home port of Kinsale Harbour in West Cork.

The dramatic scene was witnessed by nearby boats and people on the shoreline.

The smoke plume clearly visible from the shore. See videos below

The yacht had competed in October's recent AIB Royal Cork Yacht Club Autumn Series and this month's O'Leary Insurances Winter League and was due to be lifted out and stored ashore for the winter at Kinsale Boatyard.

Black Magic on fire following a problem with the outboard engine. Photo: courtesy Cian O'Connor

Mulcahy, the only person onboard the boat at the time of the incident, told Afloat that he was approximately an hour into his trip when he heard a bang and saw the vessel's outboard engine on fire.

Mulcahy, who is a very experienced sailor with over 30 years experience and Yachtmaster certification, put out a mayday call via his VHF radio that was answered by a nearby trawler who relayed the message to the Coastguard.

Mulcahy said he made his way to the bow of the boat as flames engulfed the cockpit area.

Fortunately, a nearby 20-foot opening fishing boat, the Annabella, skippered by Mick Hoey and crewed by Cian O'Connor, saw the flames and rescued Mulcahy from the burning fibreglass vessel.

Alan Mulcahy's recently arrived First Class 8 'Black Magic' that went on fire and sank off the Cork coast Photo: Bob Bateman

Mulcahy said that the yacht sank shortly afterwards. He was then transferred from the Annabella and taken ashore to Crosshaven by a Port of Cork RIB skipped by Kieran Coniry.

Mulcahy expressed his deep gratitude to all involved in the rescue including the Coastguard, the fishermen on board Annabella, the Port of Cork RIB crew and Gary Heslin of the Crosshaven RNLI and the staff and doctors who then assessed him for smoke and fire inhalation.

It is the second incident to befall racing yachts at Cork Harbour this winter, with a J109 ending up on the rocks in the last race of the Royal Cork league as Afloat reported here. 

• Fisherman Mick Hoey spoke to Joe Duffy on RTE Radio One about how he and crewman Cian saved Yachtsman Alan Mulcahy here

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

ICRA Champion 2021 yacht Kaya is heading to Cork Harbour subject to survey, that's according to unconfirmed reports from Crosshaven.

This month's advertisement for the Greystones Harbour yacht (for sale at €145k through Key Yachting) drew an immediate response from interested south coast parties currently looking to upgrade.

As regular Afloat readers will know, the J/122 that took overall honours in her debut Irish season at the ICRAs at Dun Laoghaire and Calves Week in West Cork first sailed in Irish waters in May during ISORA's training races.

Set up for both inshore and offshore racing, the good news is the ready to race boat looks to be staying in the Irish cruiser-racer fleet and not going abroad so it's entirely feasible she could yet be on the June start line for the 2022 Round Ireland Race and July's Cork Week.

Last week's club talk by Royal Cork Yacht Club helmsman Harold Cudmore on the exploits of the Cork Harbour One Design classic yacht Jap at St. Tropez in October gave details of the 1897-built yacht's recent performances on the continent but also revealed details of 2022 plans to bring a classic boat division to Cork Week Regatta next year.

As regular Afloat readers will recall, the restored Jap skippered by Cudmore and with a crew that counted club Admiral Colin Morehead among its number won Le Voile Saint Tropez Classic Regatta in the South of France.

In a great result for Cork Harbour classic boat enthusiasts, Royal Cork member Terry Birles and his yacht Erin took fifth in their class in St. Tropez too.

Royal Cork member Terry Birles (left) with a half model of his yacht Erin and RCYC Admiral Colin Morehead Photo: Bob Bateman

During the club talk, Birles presented a half model of the classic yacht Erin for display at the Crosshaven clubhouse.

Details of Cork Week's Classic Division are to be announced at the Paris Boat Show on 4th December.

Jap, built in Carrigaloe in 1897 and fully restored and sailing again (pictured here in Cork Harbour) as part of RCYC's 300th celebrations, took an unassailable lead in her class at the important classic regatta in October. Olympic helmsman Cudmore was on the tiller of the oldest and the smallest yacht at the classic yacht Centenary Trophy fleet in St. Tropez. Photo: Mary Malone

Proof of the continuing resurgence of the 1720 sportsboat class was evident in Crosshaven in Cork Harbour at the weekend with the arrival - and naming of - another addition to the Royal Cork fleet.  

Given the number at the "Europeans Championships" in Dunmore East in September, where numbers were just under 30 boats, the 2022 season already looks sure to be a highlight of July's Cork Week Regatta when the club's design will take centre stage. 

It's obvious there's been some TLC that went into this lovely new addition, her silver-grey topsides looking every inch the perfect finish!

1720 'Breaking Bad' - silver grey topsides

As to the identity of the skipper of Breaking Bad, there's no confirmation from Crosshaven yet, but insiders say a Laser National Champion may take the helm.