Royal Cork Yacht Club Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble stays top of the Spinnaker 1 - IRC fleet after two more races at Kinsale Yacht Club's Axiom Spring Series.

After a fortnight of cancellations due to big winds and fog, the KYC league finally sailed on Sunday in ideal breezes, completing two races to 'catch up' with the overall league programme.

The light winds were very much to the liking of the David and James Dwyer co-skippered Half Tonner lead, who now leads their Crosshaven clubmates, Paul and Deirdre Tingle in the X4 Alpaca. 

Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble leads IRC 1 Spinnaker division at the Kinsale Yacht Club Axiom Spring Series Photo: Bob Bateman

Finbarr O Regan's Kinsale Yacht Club J109 entry Artful DodJer lies third in Spinnaker 1 IRC on 13 points.

The cruiser race courses in Kinsale Yacht Club's Axiom Spring Series Photo: Bob Bateman

In IRC Two Spinnaker, Kieran Kelleher and Colman Garvey's Dubois Quarter Tonner Diamond also continues her lead after three sailed on six points. KYC's Under 15 J/24 'Kinsailor' crew is in second place on seven. Conor Phelan's RCYC Farr Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge is third on 12 points and whose score includes a 'did not compete' for the first race.

Conor Phelan's RCYC Farr Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge Photo: Bob Bateman

The event is the year's first event to count for SCORA season points.

Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 Photo Gallery of Race Three By Bob Bateman

Kinsale Yacht Club has not been having much luck with its Spring cruiser series where the weather is concerned.

Last Sunday, yachts gathered for the start of the planned third day of the series but, just like on the second scheduled day - Easter Monday - racing had to be cancelled. On the Bank Holiday, that was because of a forecast of very strong winds and, quite correctly, safety dictated the cancellation decision.

On Sunday, it was another weather issue, a particularly difficult one at sea, which stopped racing – dense fog. Two start attempts were made, but the fleet was recalled on both occasions when the Race Officer team deemed it too difficult to proceed as fog persisted.

So far in the Axiom Private Client Series there has been just one day of racing, on the opening Sunday, April 5. The fourth planned day of the series is this Sunday, April 23, when the organisers and sailors will be hoping for better weather.

In order to catch up on the number of races in the series, KinsaleYC has decided that two races will be sailed on Sunday: “We are bringing forward First Gun to 1225. This is as per Amendment 2 to the Sailing Instructions, which has been posted,” the club says.

Kinsale Yacht Club will begin midweek sailing for cruisers on Wednesday, May 3.

One Design keelboats Squibs and Dragons will start their evening sailing on the following evening, Thursday, May 4.

The club’s Keelboat Regatta, sponsored by the Kingston Kinsale Boatyard, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7.

Kinsale Yacht Club, which has an excellent record of promoting ‘Sailability’, has a new rescue boat to assist this aspect of the sport, particularly encouraging disabled sailors.

Its acquisition has been supported by the Cork Sports Partnership and Sport Ireland.

“We are looking for a suitable name for our new boat,” the club has told members.

Kinsale Yacht Club advises members that next Monday 24 April, LCF Marine Services will be on site to add new support piles to the marina access walkway.

Working from a barge, they will be driving new tubular steel piles and also carry out cutting and welding of brackets and new cross beams.

This work will commence at 8am on Monday 24 and will be completed by 6pm on Friday 28 April.

During this time period, there will be no access to the marina via the entrance gate and walkway. In addition, the pontoon sections between the bottom of the gangway and Leg A will not be in place.

All members are requested not to use the marina unless absolutely necessary.

If access is required between the hours of 9am and 5pm, members are requested to call to the clubhouse and speak to Brian Hunt who will arrange for you to be taken from the main slip on the pier head over to the marina, or if necessary directly to Leg A.

Kinsale Yacht Club apologises for the inconvenience which this work may cause for members wishing to access the marina.

A dense sea fog prevented any racing in Sunday afternoon's Axiom Private Clients Spring Series for Cruisers at Kinsale Yacht Club. 

Two attempts were made to start racing for both Class One and Two spinnaker divisions, but there was a general recall on both occasions.

Race Officer Richard Leonard was then going to attempt to split the fleet and start under a U flag but to no avail when the fog persisted.

It means the last racing in the league was now a fortnight ago on April 5th, as last weekend's racing was also cancelled due to strong winds.

As Afloat reported previously, Royal Cork Yacht Club boats topped the leaderboard in both Spinnaker One and Two divisions after the first – and only race so far – on April 2nd. 

The next race in the series will run next Sunday morning, April 23rd.

Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

With over 80 entries already registered, the Simply Blue Group-sponsored Sovereign’s Cup has less than 20 places left at Kinsale to reach its official cap.

The biennial regatta takes place 21st to 24th June in Kinsale Yacht Club and this year, the regatta incorporates the 1720 European Championships.

Race Officer Peter Crowley will run racing in the waters between the Old Head of Kinsale and the Sovereign Islands for the Spinnaker, 1720 & White Sail Fleets.

A Coastal Fleet will have longer courses which will take them west to Black Tom and east to the Cork Buoy.

Kinsale Yacht Club's second Axiom Private Clients Spring Series race was cancelled on Monday due to strong southerly winds.

As Afloat reported previously, Royal Cork Yacht Club boats topped the leaderboard in both Spinnaker One and Two divisions after the first race on April 2nd. 

The next race in the series will run next Sunday morning, April 16th.

On a day that suggested summer is coming, Royal Cork Yacht Club boats topped the Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 in both Spinnaker One and Two divisions at Kinsale Yacht Club on Sunday. 

Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble (David and James Dwyer) won the first race in the Spinnaker One division.

Light winds prevailed for the first race that saw the J109 Artful DodJer (Finbarr O'Regan of the host club) in second and Stephen Lysaght's  Elan 333 Reavra Too in third.

The McCarthy brother's Swift Trawler Mac Eile is the Kinsale Yacht Club Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 Committee Boat Photo: Bob Bateman

This event is the year's first event to count for SCORA season points.

Kieran Kelleher/Colman Garvey in the Royal Cork Dubois Quarter tonner Diamond were winners of the first race of the Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

In the Spinnaker Two division on IRC, Kieran Kelleher/Colman Garvey were winners in the Royal Cork Dubois Quarter Tonner Diamond.

The RCYC crew beat the  Kinsale Yacht Club Kinsailor under-25 crew. Third was Dunmore East visitor David Marchant from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club.

Overall, there was a good turnout from visiting RCYC boats that included Jelly Baby, Nieulargo, Alpaca, Luas, Sweet Dreams, Magnet and the under 25 j24, Jambalaya. 

Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 Main Fleet Photo Gallery Day One By Bob Bateman

Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2023 White Sails Fleet Photo Gallery Day One By Bob Bateman

Michael Carroll's Chancer was the overall IRC ratings winner of the Frank Godsell March League 2023 for cruiser racers at Kinsale Yacht Club, while Alan Mulcahy was the IRC White Sails winner of the 41st edition of the league.

The Spring League starts this Sunday at Kinsale Yacht Club after the March League ended in a close encounter between the top two boats.

The battle between Reavra Too and Chancer for top place in the season's opening league at Kinsale Yacht finished very closely.

Michael Carroll’s Chancer won the third and final race of the Frank Godsell series in both IRC and ECHO handicaps. That gave him overall victory in ECHO on five points, one ahead of Stephen Lysaght’s Reavra Too on six points. The crucial intervention under this handicap was by Nigel Dann’s Val Kriss, sailing for the first time in the series and taking second place. This pushed Reavra Too down to third finish in the race and second overall. Sam Cohen’s Gunsmoke II finished fourth in Sunday’s race, to claim overall third of the series.

Brian Carroll "Chancer winner both IRC and Echo with Michele Kennelly Frank Godsell Sponsor and Anthony Scannell, Vice Commodore (right) Photo: Bob Bateman

In IRC, Reavra Too and Chancer could not be separated on overall points at the top, both finishing on five. However, winning Sunday’s race gave Chancer the better countback of two wins and a third place against one win and two second places for Reavra Too. Gunsmoke II was third overall.

In Whitesails, no spinnakers, Alan Mulcahy’s Apache took first place overall in both IRC and ECHO handicaps. He won the last race in IRC, making a hat-trick of successes in the three races. However, in ECHO he was pushed into second place on Sunday by John O’Connor’s Fast Buck, which achieved its second win in the series under this handicap system. That left Apache the overall ECHO winner on 5. Fast Buck moved up to second place overall on 7 and Miss Charlie was third on 9.
Apache was also IRC Whitesails overall winner through that hat trick of three points for the series. Patrick Beckett’s Miss Charlie was second on eight and Fast Buck third overall on nine points.

The Spring league will start on Sunday at the club and run for five weeks. Racing is scheduled under both handicaps with placings also counting for the South Coast Offshore Racing Association’s annual league. There is Spinnaker and White Sail racing in the Axiom Private Clients series.