Over 170 young sailors are set to compete in Ireland’s largest youth regatta, which starts today, April 4th at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour.

The 2024 Irish Sailing Youth National Championships, which will be hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club and sponsored by Waterman Kelly Consulting Engineers, is a four-day event that runs until April 7th.

The young sailors will compete for their chance to be noticed by Irish Sailing’s Youth Squad and Academy coaches, who are on the lookout for promising talent. The performance pathway programme offers an opportunity for hardworking sailors to enhance and develop their skills, allowing them to progress from junior and youth squads into senior development and the national team.

The Irish Sailing Youth National Championships is a unique event, bringing together different youth classes to compete, gain valuable experience on the water, and learn more about the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway Programme directly from the coaches. The host club is known for producing excellent youth sailors, including Irish Youth Sailor of the Year Ben O’Shaughnessy, and is home to current 49er campaigners Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan.

The six classes competing in the championships have been identified as the best to facilitate progression through the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway: Optimist, Topper, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, 420s and 29ers Photo: Bob Bateman

Speaking about the event, Sean Evans, Irish Sailing Development Manager, said, “The Youth Nationals is a key event for those starting off their sailing career. It’s an opportunity for sailors from across the nation to test what they have been developing and perfecting within their clubs against the best competition. Regardless of where you are in your development, it’s a journey, and Irish Sailing’s youth and junior coaches will be out on the water and on the land to watch every start, tack, and gybe.”

The Irish Sailing Youth National Championships is the largest youth sailing event held in Ireland, and it provides a platform for young sailors to showcase their skills and compete against the best in the country. It promises to be an exciting and action-packed event, with the future stars of Irish sailing on full display.

With just a fortnight to the first gun, confirmed entries for this year’s Waterman Kelly-sponsored Irish Sailing Youth National Championships in Cork Harbour have reached 165 sailors across the six competing dinghy classes.

While the April event is open to all, competitors are expected to be competent in sailing in a sustained fresh breeze and have experience competing in regional or national events for their chosen dinghy class within the last nine months.

The Irish Sailing Youth National Championships 2024 may form part of the selection trials for the 2024 World Sailing Youth Worlds, national squads, and IODAI team selection and are an indicator, among other events, for the Irish Sailing Academy.

As previous articles have highlighted, the Royal Cork Yacht Club will be hosting this year's event, and many members have been helping plan the activity for many months to ensure a successful and enjoyable event for travelling families.

The event will no doubt be an important warm up for August's European ILCA 6 Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club in Northern Ireland which has already attracted sailors from 26 countries.

The early bird entry for the Youth Sailing Nationals closed at midnight on Friday, 15 March, but entry to the event remains open here.

Three back-to-back races for the forty-nine boat J/70 fleet saw Anthony O'Leary's skippered 'Antix' succumb to a black flag penalty in race four of the Bacardi Cup in Miami, Florida on Friday.

Crewed by Ben Field, Harry Durcan and son Nicholas O'Leary, the foursome is the second Irish boat competing on Biscayne Bay, with another son, Peter O'Leary, sailing with Stephen Milne competing in the Star keelboat class.

The usual shifty breeze was around 8-10 knots with plenty of race track nuances.

The OCS penalty has not helped the overall standings with Royal Cork's Antix lying 32nd overall.

Laura Grondin’s ‘Dark Energy’ team stormed to the top of the leaderboard, from 13th at the start of the day, with scores of 2,1,5.

Brian Keane’s ‘Savasana’ also advance through to second overall, up from 7th, just one point adrift of Grondin. Margaret McKillen’s ‘Magatron’ remains in third overall.

The hot favourites on ‘Brutus III’ have failed to connect the dots in this series, although Charles Thompson’s team managed to win in the final race, giving some salvation to their otherwise challenging scorecard.

Provisional Results – Top 3 after Race 6

1. Laura Grondin / Taylor Canfield / Luke Muller / Malcolm Lamphere (USA 819) - 34 pts
2. Brian Keane / Thomas Barrows / Ron Weed / Conner Harding (USA 49) - 35 pts
3. Margaret McKillen / Orrin Star / Brian Kamilar / Dave Schreiner (USA 1523) – 45 pts

Waterman Kelly Consulting Engineers has pledged its support for the upcoming Irish Youth Sailing Nationals, which is scheduled to be held at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in April.

The Cork Harbour competition is expected to draw around 200 sailors aged between the low to high teens from all over Ireland, who will compete in one of six dinghy classes.

Eric Waterman, Managing Director of Waterman Kelly Consulting Engineers, praised the event, stating, "We are delighted to be part of this event where the best of the best in Irish youth sailing will compete against each other over four days. Sustainability is very much to the fore at the event, and this is an area that Waterman Kelly places significant focus on when dealing with our clients."

The event is set to take place from April 4th to April 7th, and early bird entries will close on March 15th.

Those interested in participating can find more information on the Waterman Kelly Consulting Engineers website or by contacting [email protected] and entering the Irish Sailing Youth Nationals 2024 via the Entry Form on the Royal Cork Yacht Club website.

Event organiser for the Royal Cork, Tim McCarthy, expressed his delight at having a well-established business like Waterman Kelly Consulting Engineers supporting the event. "It is an opportunity to work with a company that shares many of the same values and helps profile all that is best about our sport in a positive manner," he said.

The Irish Sailing Youth National Championships are held in different locations around Ireland every April and are designed to showcase and develop youth sailing. It is billed as the 'premier event' for Irish youth sailors across a range of junior dinghy classes and attracts sailors aged in their early to late teens. While the event is open to all, it is expected that all competitors entering will be competent in sailing in a sustained fresh breeze and will have experienced competing in regional or National events for their chosen dinghy class within the last nine months.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club is gearing up to host the 10th anniversary of the popular PY1000 dinghy race on Saturday, April 20th, 2024. The event, which has become a highlight of the club's calendar, is sponsored once again by Crosshaven House, a partnership that began in 2023.

The race will see Toppers and the RS Teras leading the charge out of the starting gates, heading for a turning mark at Coolmore House. The rest of the fleet will follow in hot pursuit.

This year's race will follow the same format as last year's, with boats starting in order of slowest to fastest. The first boat to cross the finishing line will be declared the winner, with placings on the water determining the final position. This format has proved popular with sailors and spectators alike, emulating the famous 'Bloody Mary' event held each year in London.

The PY1000 dinghy race is set to take place on high tide, and if weather conditions permit, the plan is to race in the river in front of Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

The winner of the 2023 event, Chris Bateman, was presented with the newly commissioned Crosshaven House PY1000 trophy and a prize of €700 by Stacey O'Sullivan of Crosshaven House.

This year's prize fund of €1,000 will be split among the top three finishers, with the winner receiving €700, second place receiving €200, and third place receiving €100. There will also be additional prizes for the youngest sailor, first female helm, and the oldest combined crew age.

The race is set to take place on high tide, and if weather conditions permit, the plan is to race in the river, providing a thrilling spectacle for spectators. So, dust off your boat, and get ready for an exciting day of sailing.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Crosshaven, Co. Cork is all set to host the Youth Sailing Nationals from 4th to the 7th of April.

The event promises great sailing at Easter in Cork Harbour, and entry to the event is now open. Sailors in ILCA 6 & 4, 29er, 420, Topper, and Optimist can participate in the event under Principal Race Officer Anthony O'Leary.

This year, 210 sailors are expected to attend the event, and sailors are encouraged to enter early as places are limited. The event forms part of the selection trials for the 2024 World Sailing Youth Worlds, IODAI Team selection, and National Squads.

Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain will be defending their 29er Youths title, while female European champions Alana Twomey and Lucia Cullen hope to top the podium.

U17 World Champion Sienna Wright will be in action in the ILCA6s in Cork Harbour in April 

In the ILCAs, Sienna Wright, who recently won the U17 ILCA worlds and was second overall in the ILCA 6 Youth worlds in Argentina, is expected to participate.

The Optimist fleet is also expected to be very strong, with more than just a title on the line, as these championships will finalise selection for the IODAI national team for 2024. Sailors are urged to refer to www.iodai.com for information about the IODAI selection policy and Optimist entry. 

With great sailing and tough competition, the Youth Nationals promises to be an exciting event. Don't delay, get your entry in now!

This week’s election of Annamarie Fegan as Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the first woman sailor to fill the top posting in this extraordinary organisation’s 304-year history, is remarkable in that it doesn’t seem to have been seen within the sailing community in Ireland as something particularly remarkable at all.

Admittedly it has been well-signalled years in advance, thanks to the Royal Cork’s steady officer-promotion process. And if anything, that quietly reliable process is the club’s most remarkable feature. The Royal Cork’s continuing throughput of very able and multi-talented voluntary officers at all levels, and in every area of interest and activity in the complex functioning of this globally significant club, is a wonder to behold.

For although the RCYC may be global in outlook with an understandably large overseas membership keen to be part of this unique organisation, the fully-active home membership available to keep the wheels turning by renewing the active officer throughput is numerically quite small, even in comparison with some other Irish clubs.

Like every RCYC Admiral in modern times, Annamarie Fegan has worked her way steadily up through the voluntary ranks that fill the busy officer roles and run both the main committee and the essential sub-committees. Her own involvement afloat began with the demanding sport of coastal rowing from Crosshaven, and a key part of her policy as Admiral is encouraging newcomers into sailing Photo: Robert Bateman

Yet the new Admiral has already well proven herself in key positions in the administrative hierarchy, both during and before the times of her immediate predecessors Colin Morehead and Kieran O’Connell, who were in the two-year office when the club was weathering and then emerging from the lockdown of much of its activities during the covid pandemic.

ROYAL CORK’S COURAGEOUS RESPONSE TO PANDEMIC

That this should have been at its most intense during the RCYC’s keenly-anticipated Tricentenary Year of 2020 would have severely tested the mettle of any organisation. But as we recently observed, in the context of another leading Irish female sailor overcoming a very challenging situation that threatened to deprive her of a world title in the final race of a very tough series, if courage is grace under pressure, then the Royal Cork rose above its problems with a grace that was the very real expression of group courage. The spirit of the ancient club in those ultra-challenging times was an inspiration for everyone.

Running the Royal Cork YC’s contemporary marina/clubhouse complex is a business in itself, and in the challenging lockdown period, the Club responded in a graceful and courageous way to the almost total cancellation of its long-planned Tricentenary. Photo: Robert Bateman

And then, as the levels of permissible sailing expanded post-pandemic, with offshore racing one area in which a relatively high level of activity could be resumed, it was Annamarie Fegan and her husband Denis Murphy and their two keen-sailing daughters Molly and Mia with the family’s much-loved Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo who led the charge, their successes including the 2021 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race overall win.

The surest indicator that Cork Harbour was slowly returning to normal life. Nieulargo racing in the first post-pandemic Thursday evening race from Crosshaven, and with a woman helm too. Photo: Robert Bateman

TRADITIONALLY SALUTED VICTORY FOLLOWED BY BEST FASTNET RACE START

This was an inspiration to all sailing, such that then-Admiral Colin Morehead revived an old Royal Cork tradition of the 1800s by providing Nieulargo with a socially-distance-compliant three gun salute when the boat returned in glory to Crosshaven. But it emerged that that the Nieulargo crew were only starting in leading the post-pandemic sailing revival, for when the Fastnet Race got going in August, screen-viewers worldwide following the live stream had a brief but very real glimpse of Nieulargo getting the best start of the entire fleet.

The challenge of a Fastnet Race start into a sou’wester at Cowes is to arrive spot on at the inner end of the line, close under the RYS battery, with all rights to be on port tack only in a very narrow window. In the 2021 Fastnet, Nieulargo was officially recorded on the live stream as doing this beautifully to have the best start of the entire fleet

By that time, the fact that Nieulargo always had at least three women in the crew, including long stints with one of them helming, had long since ceased to be a matter of comment in the sailing community. But then, female sailors have long had a special position in Irish sailing. Or more accurately, they have a position that would be regarded as special elsewhere, but is the norm here to such an extent that the elevation of Admiral Fegan in Crosshaven has arguably more to do with her exceptional sailing, administrative and can-do abilities, coupled with her infectious enthusiasm, than anything else.

An RS21 in full cry. The major significance of the RCYC Volvo Cork Week 2024 is underlined by the fact that this expanding class sees racing in Cork Harbour’s top regatta as an essential part of its international development

And 2024 is going to be an extra-busy sailing busy year for the Royal Cork YC, bringing the highlight of the Biennial Volvo Cork Week from 15th to 19th July, with the Youth Nationals before that on April 4th to 7th. Cork Week is being fed entries by two passage races, one from Falmouth, and the other a re-enacting of the pioneering Dublin Bay to Cork Harbour Race of 1860, the “Kingstown to Queenstown”. And all of this is in addition to a busy home programme which has been a big part of life around Cork Harbour for centuries.

LONG TRADITION OF GENDER EQUALITY IN SOME OF IRELAND’S SAILING

They’ll be so busy at Cork Week that only the visitors from newer sailing areas with older attitudes will have the time to comment that there’s anything special about the historic hosting club having a female Admiral. For in Ireland, we’ve seen women office holders in many of the leading official positions in other important sailing organisations for half a century and more.

And while this column may sometimes seem to go over the top in enthusiasm for the maritime achievements of Grace O’Malley, the 16th Century “pirate” queen of Connacht, there is no doubt that she was a real force afloat and along the coast of the Atlantic seaboard, with plenty of tangible evidence of her existence and achievement to influence a gender-equal outlook in the Irish maritime mindset.

The new Admiral as just another crew, third from bow on Nieulargo’s weather rail. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

In more modern times, the world’s oldest One-Design class, the 1887-founded Dublin Bay Water Wags, has always seemed to set the pace in the best way possible, by sailing along as though gender differences were not of significant importance, and certainly not in the matter of who did what in the sailing of the boats. This has been such that as long ago as 1894, Yachting World magazine ran a feature about the female Wag sailors’ achievements to which we referred here

This may have been the situation because it’s possible that being a premises-free organisation provides greater natural freedom, whereas having a club operating through its own bricks-and-mortar clubhouse tends to emphasise gender differences in the rules and regulations.

EQUAL BUT DIFFERENT

Nowadays, no reasonable person claims that the sexes are anything other than equal. But only an unreasonable person would claim that they’re the same, and thus their basic shoreside needs are slightly different, thereby reinforcing any still extant dinosaur notion that one gender is necessarily superior to another.

But without a clubhouse, the simple lack of a need to define separate areas made gender equality the normal state of affairs, and today senior non-clubhouse organisations like Dublin Bay Sailing Club (founded 1884), the Water Wags (1887) and the Irish Cruising Club (1929) continue go about their activities with what may seem like a notably modern outlook on the interacting sailing roles of women and men, and their shared entitlement to play a full part in every aspect of the organisation’s functioning, both afloat and ashore.

The Water Wags of Dublin Bay may seem incredibly ancient to those seeing them for the first time, yet they have always been effectively gender-blind, and here they are shaping up for a typical Wedneday evening start in Dun Laoghaire Harbour with Mandy Chambers’ new-built No 50 nearest camera

Nevertheless there’s the inescapable fact that the average female sailor lacks the sheer physical strength of the average male sailor. But please note that we’re talking averages here. There is of course a large area of overlap, where a super-fit and highly motivated female sailor like Steph Lyons (originally of Kinsale YC) was far and away the first choice for bowman (her own choice of job description) on the successful Cookson 12 Calibre in the recent Sydney-Hobart Race.

Steph Lyons may be in her favourite crewing position on the bow here in Sydney Harbour’s sheltered waters, but she has now logged four successful if sometimes very rough Sydney-Hobart races in this demanding role

CAHALAN’S HOBART COURSE A WORK OF ART

In that same super-tough race, Offaly-born Adrienne Cahalan was navigator/tactician on the overall winning RP 66 Alive. The course she plotted, through a rapidly-changing wind and weather situation in her 31st race to Hobart, was such a masterpiece of creative interpretation and appropriate action that they really should find some way of turning it into some form of inter-active art, and enter it for the next Turner Prize.

Navigational superstar. Adriennne Cahalan’s 31st Sydney-Hobart aboard the RP66 Alive brought her yet another overall win

Thus we find that nowadays the truly able women sailors have proven themselves the equal or better than the men, particularly when it comes to post-success communication. Even the youngest Irish international female sailing star seems to have the natural empathy that enables her to handle the media rather better than many of the most senior male sailing stars. Yet it remains an inescapable fact that Ireland’s supposedly supreme sailing contest, the Championship of Champions, has only once been won by a woman in its 77 years, and that was Howth’s Laura Dillon way back in 1996.

BONDING WITH SPECIFIC BOAT TYPES

But it might be that an ability to maintain a high level of helming performance through differing boat types is a situation where real gender differences do arise. Laura has always been exceptionally competent in steering successfully with whatever boat she might find herself in, with her current range including the tiller-steered J/99 Snapshot and the vintage wheel-steered S&S 41 classic Winsome.

The ultra-versatile helm Laura Dillon is still the only female sailor to have won Ireland’s Championship of Champions

Yet many sailors – both women and men – are much affected by the fact that sailing is a vehicle sport, and they’re at their best in the particular floating vehicle with which they feel a special bond. Thus, in a world in which nearly 150 different boat classes are officially recognised as being of sufficient international significance to merit their own World Championship, it’s confusing for outsiders.

For it means we have a bewildering number of World Champions in sailing, a situation made even more complex in that we’re fully aware that where those champions do step into another type of boat, they might never repeat their previous greatness. The apparent situation where this seems to affect women sailors more than men may be something we may have to accept, without making a song and dance about it.

The reality is that in the big picture of sailing in Ireland , we have been moving towards general gender equality – or even gender blindness – for very many years, albeit sometimes with glacial speed, but towards it nevertheless. Certainly there are times when you might think there’s some truth to the recent conclusion of a United Nations Committee that it will take another 286 years to close the gender gap in discriminatory laws, particularly as some countries now seem to be very deliberately going full astern.

IRELAND’S INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SAILORS ON TOP OF THE PACE

Be that as it may, another “more optimistic” time of 132 years is small consolation, but there’s real encouragement in Ireland’s sailing scene in which in terms of international results, women are out-pacing men. Of course they’re doing much of it in racing in women-only events, but civilised people should be able to cherish people’s differences, while placing a high value on their underlying equality.

Unprecedented. The crowd of well-wishing sailors from all over Ireland who thronged the National YC when Annalise Murphy brought home her Olympic Silver Medal in 2016. Photo: NYC

And the top women sailors seem to be able to enjoy their success in a less self-conscious way. It was natural that everyone should join in the spontaneous jubilation when Annalise Murphy won the Silver Medal in the 2016 Olympics, but the recent parade of sailing success for Ireland led by Eve McMahon, Serena Wright and others has shown an inspiring maturity in communicating the joy of achievement by our young female sailors which few of the males can match.

OLD-TIME LONDON BOAT SHOW REVEALED THE REAL GENDER DIVISION IN DECISION-MAKING

But perhaps the final world on where the genders stand in the sailing world comes from a recollection from the long-gone and much-lamented Earls Court Boat Show in the heart of London in the first part of January every year. It was a setting and a timing which made it both a real breakout from the post-Christmas torpor, and a lively and guaranteed international exchange for some of the most noted movers and shakers in world sailing and its supporting industries.

Earls Court Boat Show in the heart of London was staged annually in January from 1957 until 2007. At its most successful, it became the world of boats and sailing’s leading international information exchange and networking location, and at its heart was the legendary Guinness Stand

Another part of Earls Court was that you could comfortably rely on many of the ordinary punters turning up dressed as though they were about to go sailing. So I once asked a noted London-based cruising man - who was normally dressed - why so many of his compatriots arrived into the old concrete hangar in mid-winter dressed for sailing.

“Because their wives tell them to”, was his immediate reply.

All of which is now a very long way from the smooth changing of the watch down Crosshaven way last Monday night. Congratulations, Admiral Fegan. No better person. The sailors of Crosshaven are lucky. And they know it.

Annamarie Fegan, the new Admiral of the Royal Cork, may mark a change of some significance, but she is in the much stronger Crosshaven tradition of providing years of voluntary service to the club in other posts while steadily rising in the officer hierarchy.

Listen to a podcast with Annamarie Fegan here

“It only took 304 years…”

The words of Royal Cork Yacht Club’s first female admiral, Annamarie Fegan, on her election to the post this week.

As Afloat reports here, Fegan, who already broke new ground in the world’s oldest yacht club when she was elected first female vice-admiral several years ago, was involved in coastal rowing before she took up sailing.

Annamarie Fegan (seated centre) on her election as Royal Cork Yacht Club’s first female admiral Photo: Bob Bateman

The Murphy family yacht Nieulargo during the Rolex Fastnet Race start off Cowes in 2021 Photo: Rick Tomlinson

She credits her daughters Molly and Mia for much of her success on water. Her family crew - the Murphys on Nieulargo – won the Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Race in 2021 and were the best-placed Irish entry in last year’s 50th Fastnet Race.

“It’s amazing to sail with family, but it can be very difficult – the good normally outweighs the bad in spades,” Fegan told Wavelengths.

She has paid tribute to many great volunteers in RCYC over the years, and says she looks forward to working with her new executive.

One of her main goals is to get more people from every walk of life into sailing. You can listen to her interview below.

History was made at the world’s oldest yacht club last night when Annamarie Fegan became the first female admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Fegan, who was a coastal rower before she took up sailing later in life, had already set a first several years ago when she became vice-admiral.

The club’s new executive, elected at last night’s annual general meeting, also returned three female committee members for the first time.

Royal Cork's first lady admiral elected (Front Row) Pat Harte, Treasurer; Annamarie Fegan, Admiral; Denis Byrne, Vice Admiral; and Gavin Deane, General Manager. (Back Row) Yvonne Durcan Rear Admiral Dinghies, Ray Clancy Chair of Marina and Facilities Committee, Patrick D'Arcy, Rear Admiral Cruising, Robert Foster Rear Admiral Keelboats and Mary Creedon Chair Membership, Communications and Events Committee Photo: Bob Bateman

Fegan has been congratulated by Minister for Enterprise and sailor Simon Coveney and by her fellow members led by the outgoing admiral, Kieran O’Connell.

The RCYC dates back to 1720, and an afternoon and card tea party was held in 1938 when a new category of “lady” member was permitted, with Mrs J Bagwell of Queenstown, as Cobh was then known, being the first associate female member, without full voting rights.

Fegan had already set a first several years ago when she became vice-admiral.

She is the former owner of a catering business, re-trained as a psychotherapist and recently completed a masters in the psychotherapy of relationship mentoring.

Fegan is also a highly accomplished sailor, and her family crew, involving her husband Denis and daughters Mia and Molly Murphy, was declared the best-placed Irish entry in last year’s 50th Fastnet Race.

She credits her two daughters for the skills that also saw the Murphy family coming first in the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race in 2021 in their Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo.

Annamarie Fegan's Grand Soleil 40 yacht Nieulargo, which she sails with her husband Denis and daughters Mia and Molly Murphy Photo: Bob Bateman

She says one of her main ambitions is to make “sailing less elitist and more inclusive”, with far more “pathways” towards becoming involved.

She explains that part of the club’s efforts to break down the social and financial barriers include encouraging every sixth-class primary school pupil in Crosshaven to complete a one-week sailing course, while there are “Try Sailing” courses for people of all ages”.

Lady admiral Annamarie Fegan is congratulated on taking office by members and outgoing admiral Kieran O'Connell (right) at the 303rd Royal Cork Yacht Club agm Photo: Bob Bateman

Sailing is “ great for mental health, getting out in the fresh air, and it opens up fantastic opportunities”, she says.

“ My children (both in their early 20s) have travelled the world working on boats. Nothing beats the feeling of being on the water - it clears my head. We are lucky here in Cork to have such great facilities,” she says.

“As the club's first female admiral, I stand on the shoulders of outstanding female members who worked tirelessly for the club but were not given this opportunity,” Fegan says.

“ I am confident that we have amazing girls rising up through the ranks who will be well-suited to take on this post in the future. I’m very excited about working with the new leadership team as the volunteers are the backbone of the club.”

Fegan takes over the prestigious post in a year that the club is hosting two prestigious events - the Youth Sailing Nationals in April and the Volvo Cork Week from July 15th to 19th.

The RCYC has expressed its gratitude to outgoing admiral Kieran O Connell for his dedicated service.

Commenting, RCYC general manager Gavin Deane said “we are indebted to Kieran for his great leadership and direction over the last number of years”.

“His vision and dedication has been instrumental in the great development and growth of the club. We look forward to the innovative and inclusive direction that Annamarie will undoubtedly bring to the role,” Deane said.

RCYC offers a range of courses and training opportunities for people of all ages from Junior “try sailing”, cadets, Optimist, keelboats, Topper and Laser fleets, adult beginner and advanced sailing courses and the recently revived mixed dinghy fleet which feeds into the junior academy.

Listen to a podcast with RCYC's first lady admiral here

In anticipation of the 303rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC) scheduled for tonight (Monday, January 22nd), the club's rich historical tapestry took centre stage this week. Dr. Alicia St Leger, Past Admiral Colin Morehead, and Dr. T. Paul McCarthy presented a supplement to 'A History of the Royal Cork Yacht Club' (2005) to Admiral Kieran O’Connell.

The brainchild of Dermot Burns, who served as Club Archivist from 1991 to 2019, the supplement delves into the early history of the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Burns, deeply involved in exploring the club's history, was the inspiration behind the 2005 book. He continued his research post-publication, focusing particularly on its early period. In 2019, he expressed his intention to publish his findings coinciding with the club's tricentenary. Unfortunately, the onset of the Covid pandemic and other factors led to delays, and in late 2021, before his death a few months later, Burns entrusted the completion of the project to then Admiral Colin Morehead.
Collaborating with Dr. Alicia St Leger, author of 'A History of the Royal Cork Yacht Club,' and Dr. T. Paul McCarthy, Morehead ensured that Burns' extensive research is now available for future generations.

During the occasion, Admiral Kieran O’Connell expressed gratitude, saying, "On behalf of the Flag Officers and Members of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, I want to express my sincere appreciation for all the efforts and endeavors which have gone into the preparation of this supplement by its author Dr Alicia St Leger and fellow members Colin Morehead and Dr T. Paul McCarthy."

L to R - Colin Morehead, Past Admiral, Alicia St. Ledger, Author of 'A History of the Royal Cork Yacht Club' & Dr. T. Paul McCarthy, Past Archivist

Dr. Alicia St Leger, shedding light on the supplement, mentioned, "The earliest known reference for the club is 1720, and this is the start date of the supplement. As is clear by the text, the sequence of dates has gaps." She emphasized the limited source material for this historical period, but highlighted the club's holdings and the scrutiny of various sources, including newspapers, artworks, maps, charts, and contemporary written accounts up to and including 1833.

St Leger pointed out that the documented history reveals how the club experienced times of great activity and expansion, as well as challenging periods, particularly during wars. "The sequence also shows how changing times necessitated periodic renewal and updating of the club’s organisation, something that was essential to ensure its long-term survival and growth," she added.

Dr. T. Paul McCarthy concluded by stating, "It is likely that further information will be found in the future that will shed light on the development of the club in this period, and it is hoped that this document will assist future researchers in this regard." The supplement serves as a crucial addition to the preservation and understanding of the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s storied past as it continues to navigate its way into the future.