Kinsale Yacht Club's commitment to promoting inclusiveness in sailing has been recognised with nominations for the annual Cork's Sports Partnership awards.

Sailability Kinsale and KYC promoter Donal Hickey have both been nominated as finalists in the 'active community' section of Wednesday's awards.

Sailability Kinsale and KYC promoter Donal Hickey have both been nominated as finalists in the 'active community' section of Wednesday's awards

As regular Afloat readers know, in June the West Cork club welcomed the Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality and Disability, Anne Rabbitte, to launch its new Sailability fleet of access dinghies and a new Whaly Safety boat.

Sailability Ireland is a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation to encourage wider participation and has provided the resources to purchase specially adapted boats.

Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality and Disability, Anne Rabbitte, with Kinsale Yacht Club's Sailability promoter Donal Hickey at the launch of the new fleet in June  Photo: Bob Bateman

Listen to Tom Macsweeney's 2019 podcast here and see photos from June's Sailability launch at KYC by Bob Bateman here

Ten yachts raced in the IRC Fleet 1 on the fifth day of Kinsale Yacht Club’s Victoria Antiques White Sail October-November Series on Sunday.

Gavin Lawlor’s ‘Genesis’ won the race, with Thomas Roche’s ‘Meridian’ second and John Godkin’s ‘Godot’ third. ‘Genesis’ leads the league overall, with David Riome’s ‘Valfreya’ second and ‘Meridian’ third.

Under ECHO, handicap ‘Meridian’ leads with ‘Godot’ second and Gerard & Mathilde Campbell’s ‘Cirrus’ third.

Thomas Roche’s ‘Meridian’ leads Kinsale Yacht Club’s Victoria Antiques White Sail October-November Series under ECHO handicap Photo: Bob Bateman

In Fleet 2 IRC where four boats are racing, Padraig O’Donovan’s ‘Chameleon’ continues to lead, having won again on Sunday. Albert O’Neill’s ‘Sallybelle’ finished second and is second overall. Patrick Sparrow’s ‘An Fanai’ finished third on Sunday. In the overall positions Patrick Beckett’s ‘Miss Charlie’ is in third place.

Under ECHO handicap in Fleet 2 seven boats raced on Sunday and the winner was ‘An Fanai’. Second was ‘Odie’ (Anthony Griffin) and third Raymond Hanley’s ‘Toroloco.’ The leader under this handicap is ‘Odie’ with ‘Toroloco’ second and ‘An Fanai’ third.

Kinsale Yacht Club resumed its October/November White Sails series on Sunday; after two cancellation days, John Stallard’s ‘Siboney’ won both IRC and ECHO handicaps in Fleet 1.

Gerard and Mathilde Campbell’s ‘Cirrus’ was second in IRC, and Michael Carroll’s ‘Chancer’ was third. Under ECHO handicap ‘ Chancer’ was second, and Sam Cohen’s ‘Gunsmoke II’ was third.

After four races, with two to go, David Riome’s ‘Valfreya’ is the IRC leader in the Victoria Antiques-sponsored league, on eight points. This is one ahead of Sunday’s race winner ’Cirrus’, which, in turn, is just one ahead of ‘Siboney’.
In ECHO handicap overall ‘Cirrus’ leads, on 8 points, from Thomas Roche’s ‘Meridian’ on 10 and ‘Gunsmoke’ on 11.

There is close competition in Fleet 1, which has eleven yachts entered.

In Fleet 2 IRC, where four boats are racing, the leader is Padraig O’Donovan’s ‘Chameleon,’ which completed a hat-trick on Sunday, winning a third time in the four races sailed so far, for a total of three points.

‘Miss Charlie’ (Patrick Beckett) is second on five, and ‘Sallybelle’ (Albert O’Neill) is third on seven. Under ECHO, handicap eleven are entered. Two boats are tied on eight points at the top of the fleet – Anthony Griffin’s ‘Odie’ and Raymond Hanley’s ‘Toroloco’. ‘Chameleon’ is next.

Kinsale Yacht Club held their Laying Up Supper for the 2023 season in the clubhouse on Friday night (3 November).

Commodore Matthias Hellstern welcomed Irish Sailing president John Twomey and Julian Renault, Cork County Council senior harbour master, before the awards from the season were announced by Tony Scannell, the club’s Vice Commodore.

Club Person of the Year was awarded to Patrick Beckett, club treasurer and company secretary, for his enormous contribution to Kinsale Yacht Club on a daily basis.

Other prize-winners on the night were James and Harvey Matthew (Squib Class Boat of the Year); Cameron Good, Simon Furney and Henry Kingston (Dragon Class BOTY); Freya Conor Doyle and crew (International BOTY); Apache’s Alan Mulcahy and crew (White Sails) who were also winners in the Royal Cork’s Autumn League; Valfreya David Riome and crew (White Sails); Saoirse Richard Hanley and crew (Cruiser Spinnaker Class); and Swift’s Paul Cotter and crew (Cruiser Spinnaker Class).

Kinsale Yacht Club's Dick Hegarty Trophy race was postponed again on Bank Holiday Monday, having deferred racing from Sunday due to weather. 

The First Gun for the memorial race was scheduled at 13.55, but lack of wind prevented racing.

The Victoria’s Antiques White Sails Autumn/Winter Series incorporates the Hegarty Trophy for White Sails Echo & IRC Class 1 and 2.

Kinsale Yacht Club sails its Dick Hegarty Trophy race on Bank Holiday Monday, having deferred racing from Sunday due to weather. 

The First Gun for the memorial race is 13.55.

The Victoria’s Antiques White Sails Autumn/Winter Series incorporates the Hegarty Trophy for White Sails Echo & IRC Class 1 and 2.

Racing at the top of Kinsale YC’s Whitesail October-November series in IRC One Fleet is close. David Riome’s Sigma 33 won the third race on Sunday and leads the fleet.

Only a point separates the top three from each other. Thomas Roche’s Meridian is second and Gavin Lawlor’s Genesis third. Eight yachts are racing.

Four are racing in IRC Two where Padraig O’Donovan’s Chameleon and Patrick Beckett’s Miss Charlie are both on five points at the top. Albert O’Neill’s Sallybelle is next on eight.

After two races of Kinsale Yacht Club's White Sail October-November Series, Gavin Lawlor’s Genesis leads the IRC 1 Fleet, with Meridian (Thomas Roche) second and John Godkin’s Godot. third.

In ECHO handicap Cirrus (Gerard and Mathilde Campbell) leads with Godot second and Meridian third. IRC 2 Fleet leader is Chameleon (Padraig O’Donovan), with Miss Charlie (Patrick Beckett second and Sallybelle (Albert O’Neill) third. In ECHO Sallybell leads from Chameleon with Corrib 2 (Mark and Sonia Leonard) third.

Kinsale Yacht Club’s opening day for the Victoria Antiques White Sails League October/November last Sunday had seven yachts in IRC Fleet 1 which was won by Gavin Lawlor’s Genesis with John Godkin’s Godot second and David Rime’s Valfreya third.

On ECHO handicap, the results were: 1 – Godot; 2- Meridian (Thomas Roche); 3 – Cirrus (Gerard and Mathilde Campbell).

IRC 2 Fleet had four boats racing, won by Padraig O’Donovan’s Chameleon, with Patrick Beckett’s Miss Charlie Second and Albert O’Neill’s Sallybelle third. ECHO: 1 – Chameleon; 2 – Sallybelle; 3 – Toroloco (Raymond Hanley).

The annual Draper family ‘Spalpeen Race’ will be sailed at Kinsale Yacht Club this Friday.

This is an All-In ECHO Trophy Race for cruiser-racers, with the first gun at 1825 and a time limit to finish by 2030.

The race Is run in memory of Billy Draper, a long-time member and friend of the Kinsale Yacht Club.

It will be followed by the annual RNLI auction in the clubhouse.