#calvesweek – As indicated yesterday (Tues), the Cork Dry Gin Calves Week Organising Committee decided to run the showpiece race of the week a day earlier than had been planned, and yesterday the six racing fleets set sail out through Roaringwater Bay to the Fastnet Lighthouse writes Claire Bateman. After a slight delay to the start to ensure the full fleet had assembled.
With a fair forecast, and a steady 15 knot northwesterly, Race Officer Neil Prendiville ensured a full day's racing for all. He sent the smaller boats in Whitesail 2, who were started first, and Class 4 around the Amelia and on a fast close reach out directly to the Fastnet Rock and back. Whitesail 1, and Class 3 included a windward leg through the Calf Islands and around a laid mark south of Long Island, before the turn towards the Rock. Classes 0/1 and 2 had to complete a further downward/windward leg from the Fastnet Rock around Clear Island, and a blustery run north through the Gascanane Sound and northwest around West Calf Island for the Class 2 fleet and Goat Island for the largest Class 0/1 boats before a spinnaker run to the finish.
Royal Cork's Colman Garvey in True Penance won IRC Class 0/1 ahead of WHSC's Rob McConnell in Fools Gold and yesterday's winner, Kinsale's Conor Doyle, in Freya. In ECHO, three different boats took the spoils, with Peter Boylan's Sweden 45 , Annabella RIYC, ahead of Tom Roche's Meridian from Kinsale and local sailor Gabby Hogan's Grand Soleil 43, Growler. In Class 2 IRC, The McEneff/Madden/Hobbs Dexterity from Foynes YC won the day ahead of local rival Big Deal Derek Dillon, also fromFoynes YC and John O'Regan's The Main 4 from Kinsale. In ECHO Royal Cork's Ernie Dillon on Silke Breeze scored one up on his brother's result in IRC, ahead of The Main 4 and Raphael Crowley's Huntress from Tralee Bay.
The different racing conditions suited different boats in both Class 3 and 4. Dungarvan's Dan O'Donovan on Seconds Count was ahead on corrected time of both Gary Fort's J24, Jaguar from Tralee Bay and Jimmy Nyhan of Royal Cork on Outrigger. Bombora had a great win in ECHO Class 3 with Kinsale's Padraig O Donovan on Chameleon having a great regatta to date with a second placing in ECHO ahead of Frank O'Hara's, SHSC First 300, Chinook.
Michael Murphy's Shelly D won Class 4 IRC and was placed third in ECHO behind two local rivals, Schull's Kevin Murray on Dovita of Colla and Oonagh Buckley on Tete a Tete (SHSC).
In the fleet of larger whitesail boats, John Downing in Samba (RCYC) received his second first place in IRC ahead of the Roche/O'Leary/Andrews Act 2 and Bob Rendell's Samaton. ECHO honours went to Royal Cork's Conor Phelan in Endeavour ahead of Ken Burke from Howth Yacht Club on Savarna and Don McCarthy on VSOP (SHSC). In Whitesail 2, Tom McCarthy on Ashanta again took IRC honours, with local boat Dreamcatcher Frank Murphy, SHSC ahead of Michael Hearn on Summerfly and Cork boat, Tuna Brendan Buckley, RCYC.
Light winds are forecast for the remainder of the regatta, but as ever who can really tell and West Cork can be full of surprises.
