John Cotter’s Miracle won the 12^th race of Cove Sailing Club’s Wednesday Night Dinghy League in Cork Harbour.

David O’Brien was second in his Laser Radial and Rankin R12 was third, sailed by Maurice and Francis Kidney. The Rankin Class still dominates the league however, with the Kidney duo leading overall on 51 points.

Owen O’Connell’s Rankin R61 is second on a total of 96, giving the Kidney duo a distinct advantage in the final stages of evening league racing. In third place is Gary Mills’ Rankin R11 on 105 points.

The club’s Sunday Optimist dinghy League has had up to 19 boats racing. Eoin Jones leads on 9 points. Theo Carney is second on 12 and Alex Mills third on 23

Competing also in the Cruiser Class racing on Friday nights at Cobh, Gary Mills and his crew in their Shipman 28, Tonga, are first overall in the ECHO fleet on a total of 17 points after 11 races.

The league is sponsored by Great Island Motors. Second is Nick O’Rourke’s First 32, Bright Wings, on 25. There is a big gap to the next placed boat, Robbie Allen’s Rana, a Dehler 34, which is on 60 points, so the first two places seem fairly set overall as the evenings close in for racing and there is a clear Autumnal feeling in the sea air.

Cove Sailing Club's foray into Optimist junior sailing in 2021 bore fruit last weekend when the Cork Harbour club hosted its inaugural Optimist dinghy Regatta.

Building on CSC participation at the IODAI Munster Championships earlier this year at Royal Cork and a number of coaching sessions, a 12-boat fleet mustered for the CSC event supported by the Club's Gary Mills.

Theo Carney was the overall winner of the new trophy that was presented by Commodore Niall Hawes.

Cove Sailing Club's inaugural Optimist dinghy Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

In a busy few days for CSC, the event dovetailed with the weekend's Cobh Peoples Regatta.

Sean Hanley's HB 31 Luas were the winners of the Titanic Trophy cruiser race on Friday evening, the opening race of Cobh's Peoples Regatta weekend in Cork Harbour.

In light winds, Hanley's Royal Cork crew won the drifting white sails race that finished off Cove Sailing Club Marina at Whitepoint.

The Cobh's Peoples Regatta weekend also features racing for Cruisers, Optimists and Rankin and mixed dinghies.

Light winds for the CSC Titanic Race Photo: Bob Bateman

Cobh People’s Regatta, with Cove Sailing Club, is on this weekend with events ashore and afloat.

Sailing races begin with the young sailors of the Optimist fleet on Friday morning, starting at 10 a.m. The cruisers will race that evening at 7 p.m. for the Titanic Trophy. Both are open events as is the Dinghy Racing on Saturday, starting at 2.30 p.m.

The famous Rankin dinghies will race for the ‘Rankin Brothers’ Cup on Saturday. “We expect a great fleet with fifteen boats entered and we hope to have a race mark in by the Promenade in Cobh to increase spectator enjoyment,” Maurice Kidney, one of those who led the revival of the fleet, tells me. First gun for this fleet will be at 3 p.m.

On Sunday, there will be cruiser racing, starting at 1.30 p.m., an open event for all clubs.

Ashore there is a wide variety of events planned.

The leader at Cove SC in the GI Motors - event continues to be Gary Mills’ Shipman 28, Tonga, on 10 points after seven races in Cork Harbour.

Nick O’Rourke’s First 32, Bright Wings, has moved up to second on 15 and Jim Buckley’s Hanse 371, Magic Elfin, is now third on 27. Twelve boats have sailed the series.

Maurice and Francis Kidney continue at the top of the Wednesday dinghy league after eight races, in Rankin R12, on a total of 21 points. Owen O’Connell’s R 61 remains second on 36 and Joe Keenan in the SOLO is third on 38.

Two Rankins and a Solo share 34 points each at the forefront of the Wednesday evening dinghy league in Cove Sailing Club.

The leader continues to be Rankin R12 sailed by Maurice and Francis Kidney on 15 points. Rankin R11, Gary Mills; Rankin 61 Owen O’Connell and Joe Keenan’s Solo, are next on 34 each.

Gary Mills’ Tonga has built a big lead in the Friday Cruiser League with just 7 points overall accumulated after a hat-trick of first places in the last three races.

Des Corbett’s Netta J has 26 in second. Nick O’Rourke has moved Bright Winds into third place on 29.

At Cove Sailing Club, racing in the Friday evening GI Motors Cruiser League Gary Mills skippering the Shipman 28, Tonga, has shaken off the tie at the top with the Sadler 25, Netta J (Des Corbett) and so holds the top position with six points.

Netta J has 12 points in second place.

Robbie Allen/Damien Leahy’s Dehler 34, Rana, is third on 20.

In the Wednesday night Dinghy League, Rankins continue to dominate. Maurice and Francis Kidney still hold the lead after six races, on 14 points overall from Owen O’Connell on 17, while Fiona O’Connell has improved her position, moving into third place on 26 points.

The Optimist League is led by Eoin Jones from Theo Carney in second and Ruadhan Jackson third,

Two cruisers are tied at the top of Friday League racing at Cove Sailing Club, both on five points - the Shipman 28, Tonga, owned by Gary Mills and the Sadler 25, Netta J, of Des Corbett.

They are six points clear of Cathy Mullan’s First 260, Angela, on 11 points. Ten boats have raced the Cork Harbour Club’s series so far.

Rankins dominate dinghies

In the Wednesday night Dinghy League, Rankins continue to dominate the top places. Maurice and Francis Kidney are the clear leaders, out in front after five races, with 10 points in Rankin No.12. Second is Owen O’Connell with 14 points and in third place David and Richard Marshall on 21. Thirteen boats have raced in the series so far.

Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour had a break-in on Monday evening (July 4), resulting in considerable damage to its waterside clubhouse. 

Contents of the clubhouse located at Whitepoint were 'smashed', but a defiant membership has posted on the club's Facebook page; "They may have smashed our tv and the contents of our club, but they didn't break our Cove Sailing Club spirit." 

Local reaction has been swift to condemn the vandalism, with Cobh's Aisling O Callaghan posting, "I am totally shocked and dismayed. I am so sorry that this has happened to the club and Cobh".

The clubhouse opened in 2009 with support from a Sports Council grant, Cobh Town Council and Cobh VEC. The facility includes a dinghy park at Whitepoint, Cobh, to provide boats, equipment, changing facilities and coaching primarily aimed at local children who want to learn to sail.

The club, which describes itself as 'a friendly and informal club', recently staged the successful Friday night Great Island Motors June Cruisers League. 

If anyone has any information regarding the break-in, they are asked to contact Cobh Gardai.

Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour had a break-in - CSC Facebook page.

At Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour Gary Mills’ Shipman 28, Tonga, leads the Friday night Great Island Motors June cruisers league, with Cathy Mullan’s First 260, Angela, second and Des Corbett’s Sadler 25, NettaJ, third.