Kinsale Yacht Club has announced entry is open for its staging of the Dragon Gold Cup, sponsored by Astra Construction Services Ltd, from September 6 to 13, 2024.

This year's event will attract over 60 teams from more than 20 countries worldwide.

The Dragon Gold Cup, which was first presented in 1937 by the Clyde Yacht Clubs Association, brings together competitors from around the world to compete in a friendly spirit. The event is renowned for its world-class racing programme, camaraderie, and hospitality.

This will be the third time that Kinsale Yacht Club has hosted the prestigious event, having previously done so in 1977 and 2012. The club is known for its exceptional hospitality and will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that this year's event is a resounding success.

The organising committee, chaired by Maeve Cotter, has already begun preparations for the event, which will include registration and equipment inspection from September 5 to 7. On September 7, a warm-up race will allow competitors to familiarise themselves with Kinsale's outstanding open water race area.

Championship racing will be held from September 8 to 13, and the event will be one of the most challenging inshore keelboat regattas in the world. The Race Committee may adjust the programme if races are lost, but just one race per day is scheduled, and the races are run over a very large windward/leeward course with leg lengths of two miles or more.

In addition to the overall Gold Cup prizes, there will also be prizes for the top Corinthian, all amateur, crews. Competitors wishing to enter the Corinthian competition must submit their full crew lists with confirmation of the World Sailing ID and valid G1 categorisation for each crew member by September 7, 2024.

Online Entry is now open with a special Early Bird entry fee of €850 for those who enter by June 30, 2024. From July 1, the entry fee will be €950, and entry will close on August 26, 2024.

The entry fee includes craning in and out, trailer parking, berthing, and tickets to the Gold Cup Gala Dinner and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for all members of the crew.

Kinsale Yacht Club is again hosting the annual Craftinsure Irish International 420 Dinghy Spring Training, marking the start of a new sailing season for the fleet.

The event started on Monday, 12th February and will conclude with the 420 Munster Championships scheduled for Friday and Saturday, 16th and 17th February. 

With 20 boats in attendance, the sailors are ready to focus on practical training and improvement. Coaching is led by Graham Grant, supported by Cara McDowell, Daniel Thompson, Aly O'Sullivan, and Jack McDowell. The training promises four days of intensive coaching for the fleet. The coaching team boasts a wealth of experience, ensuring that the participants receive guidance rooted in the nuances of this high-performance two-person dinghy.

Throughout the week, sailors will focus on refining their rigging and boat-handling skills while setting goals for the upcoming season. The coaching plan is geared towards tangible improvement, ensuring a solid foundation for competitive sailing. 

Après sailing activities include the annual sailor and parent dinner, followed by nautically themed activities, which will be a great way to bring the 420 sailing community together.

Organised by the Irish 420 Association, the Kinsale training is an open invitation to all 420 sailors, regardless of their level of experience

The 420 Munster Championships, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, 16th and 17th February, have already seen 18 boats enter and promise to be a very competitive affair. Spectators can watch from Charles and James forts, offering a scenic view of the racing action.

Organised by the Irish 420 Association, the Kinsale training is an open invitation to all 420 sailors, regardless of their level of experience. The class looks forward to welcoming sailors, coaches, and parents to this practical and focused event. Everyone is looking forward to fair weather and a successful week of training and sailing for all participants.

After six races sailed at Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series, Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan sailing Outlaw are overall Squib keelboat division leaders on seven points, four points clear of Harvey Tucker and Harvey Matthews in Fagan.

Springtime weather greeted the competitors for the third race day, with the wind from the same westerly direction as last week but moderate in strength to run a full programme of three races.

KYC Club mates Colm Dunne and Daniel McCloskey are third in Allegro on eight in the ten-boat fleet.

Ten Squibs are contesting Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series Photo: Bob Bateman

The Squib class has recently confirmed its 2024 calendar with the provisional May date for the Southern Championships at Baltimore in West Cork now moved to 8th/9th June.

The 2025 ICRA National Championships will be held at Kinsale Yacht Club it has been confirmed. 

Newly elected ICRA commodore Denis Byrne announced at Saturday's AGM that after examining several submissions, the cruiser-racer national championships would return to the biennial Sovereign's Cup in June 2025.

Up to 100 boats are expected to compete at the June championships, encompassing IRC boats in divisions Zero to Four, with White Sail fleet racing also included.

The ICRAs were most recently previously incorporated at the Sovereign's Cup in 2019 and 2015.

The 2025 edition of Kinsale Yacht Club's Sovereign's Cup and ICRA National Championships will be held from June 25-28, 2025.

The Irish event occurs a month before the resurrected Admiral's Cup takes place in Cowes, where Ireland is one of 11 countries that has registered an interest.

After three races sailed at Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series, Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan sailing Outlaw are overall Squib keelboat division leaders on five points, two points clear of Harvey Tucker and Harvey Matthews in Fagan. KYC Club mates Colm Dunne and Daniel McCloskey are third in Allegro on eight in the ten-boat fleet.

Racing was cancelled on the first day of the league (28th January), but three heavy air races were sailed on Sunday (Feb 4th) under Race Officer John Stallard, with racing continuing for another four Sundays.

Westerly winds blew over 20 knots with slacker winds on the sheltered western shore of Kinsale Harbour for the Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Series Photo: Mary Malone

With strong westerlies blowing over 20 knots, only four mixed dinghies turned out.

Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Series Photo Gallery - February 4th 2024

Kinsale Yacht Club intends to “re-establish and grow” its Cruising Fleet this season.

The County Cork club will “reinvigorate the cruising section of the club,” according to Vice Commodore Anthony O’Neill.

Niall McCann will undertake co-ordination of the Cruiser Fleet.

A club meeting has been scheduled for Friday, March 1, to develop a cruising schedule for the season.

Vice Commodore O’Neil has told club members:

“This year, we intend to re-establish and grow the Cruising Fleet within the Club. Niall McCann has kindly offered to co-ordinate this Fleet and organise suitable cruise in company events. During February more information will be discussed at the Berth holders meeting and will be posted online. Following that, a meeting will be held which may be attended by those who are interested in taking part. The meeting will also be open to non KYC members in order that they can be informed of what is planned and that they could then decide if membership of KYC is something they would consider.”

The March meeting will be the first step to reinvigorate the cruising section of the club. This year we will establish a Spring and Autumn programme of cruises - in-company. The meeting also helps in understanding members' needs.”

The objectives listed for the Cruiser group are:

1. Arrange a number of local cruises-in-company, this will provide a safe space for some boat owners to push their boundaries.
2. Encourage owners to get more use out of their boats, both power and sail.
3. Encourage a shared cruising knowledge base within the club.

The Notice of Race is now available for Kinsale Yacht Club’s Inishtearaght Race, once again generously sponsored by Matthews of Cork.

Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt on Cinnamon Girl won the race on IRC in 2022 and they have confirmed that they will be taking part again this year in the second edition.

The race starts on Friday 24 May and is approximately 240 nautical miles long, running along the coast of West Cork and Kerry to round Inishtearaght in the Blasket Islands and return to Kinsale.

One highlight of the race is the spectacular and varied scenery along the course.

In 2022 the fastest boat was Chris and Patanne Power Smith’s Aurelia with an elapsed time of one day, nine hours and 57 minutes.

The race has been timed to run about a month before the Round Ireland, so is perfectly suited as a shakedown race for any boats competing in that event.

SIs and the entry form will be available in due course from the KYC website.

Kinsale Yacht Club will start their Winter Frostbite Series of dinghy and Squibs racing on Sunday, January 28.

It will run for six weeks for Squibs, Lasers, 420s, Toppers, and Mixed Dinghies, concluding on March 3.

Racing will be on laid courses within or just south of Kinsale Harbour, with a First Gun at 11:55 daily. There is an entry fee of €40 for single-handed and €60 for all others.

Registration is online or 10 a.m. in the clubhouse on the first day. Entry forms, SIs and all details online at kyc.ie

David O'Sullivan, a former Commodore of Kinsale Yacht Club, has been awarded Honorary Membership of the club following last Thursday's AGM.

O'Sullivan has been an integral part of the club for over 25 years, having served as a Flag Officer of the club in the 1990s, a regatta director for Sovereigns Cup, an active race officer, and most recently, the founder of the club's U25 sailing programme, KINSAILOR. Listen to an Afloat interview with O’Sullivan here.

O'Sullivan's contributions to the club were acknowledged with a round of applause as he received Honorary membership. Speaking about the award, O'Sullivan said, "I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition from the club, and I am proud to have been a part of such a wonderful community for so many years."

New Commodore

New Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Tony Scannell Photo: Bob Bateman

In addition to O'Sullivan's award, Thursday's AGM saw outgoing Commodore Matthias Hellstern hand over the baton to the club's Vice Commodore, Tony Scannell. Scannell, who has many years of experience on the Management Committee, including the organisation of the biennial Sovereign's Cup, will be leading the club with his new team, including new Vice Commodore Anthony O'Neill. The team will be busy in the upcoming season, with the highlight event being the Dragon Gold Cup in September 2024.

The success of the Under 25 team sailing the club J24 ’Kinsailor’ is one of the many successes highlighted in the annual Class reports at Kinsale Yacht Club which, like many clubs, had to deal with the occasional ravages the weather patterns made on sailing programmes during the 2023 season.

The success of the club’s Sailability Programme which won the Cork Sports Partnership Active Community Award is another achievement noted as are the achievements of Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt sailing Cinnamon Girl successfully in several events and Conor Doyle’s participation in the Middle Sea Race, as well as Tony and Alice Kingston’s 2,000-mile trip from Lanzarote to Barbados on Shindig. 2023 Sydney Hobart Race, with Cian and Sam will be sailing in the Sydney Hobart Christmas Race

CRUISER RACING and WHITESAILS

Good, successful season for club boats and members racing in various events, including the Fastnet. A successful Sovereigns Cup and club racing events and another busy year in Whitesail with good numbers in the fleet. The club wold like to expand its Race Officers numbers. Expressions of interest from anyone who would like to get involved in race management are welcome.

Racing at Kinsale Yacht Club's Spring League Photo: Bob Bateman

TOPPERS 

A year of outstanding sailing, despite occasional disruptions from the weather. The hunt for boats continued and resulted in new sailors joining the fleet. We are always happy to see new faces and see sailors move from one club fleet to another as they develop in their sailing careers. This year we welcomed some Optimist sailors who had grown out of their boats and joined us in the Toppers, as well as others who are new to the sport.

Likewise, some topper sailors have moved into other boats, including 420, where they will harvest their skills and progress further. The season kicks off again at the end of January, with the Frostbites.

SQUIBS 

The weather affected the September series with only one race possible. But good interest in the fleet and looking forward to a new venue for class racing in Baltimore next year. 

Kinsale Yacht Commodore Matthias Hellstern welcomed Maeve Cotter as Regatta Director for the Dragon Gold Cup in 2024

DRAGONS

Whilst the fleet were poor for club racing this season, that didn’t seem to impact the performance at a national level. Whilst the boats are now all put to bed for the Winter, Maeve Cotter and her organising team are busily preparing for the Gold Cup next September. Already confirming their intention to race are crews from some 20 nations.

SAILABILITY 

Despite the unseasonably weather experienced this year there were 21 days on the water this season during the season. Our fleet increased also when we received delivery of the new Whally Boat kindly sponsored by Cork Sports Partnership.This Boat has become very popular with people due to its ease of access It is great to have such a modern fleet for our members enjoyment. We have increased membership again with several enquiries already for 2024.

420 dinghies are launched at the Kinsale Harbour slipway for the class Munster Championships hosted by Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

420s

The fleet continues to grow in popularity at KYC with 10+ sailors training and racing on a regular basis across 4 boats. Two club boats have been leased throughout the year, with a waiting list in place for thespring 2024 term. Sailors who have leased for 1 term are seeking to purchase their own boats. Looking forward to more boats in 2024.

OPTIMISTS

The Christmas regatta signals the end of the season. 2023 was an eventful year for the KYC Optimist fleet. Sailors move on to other Classes, as is the norm and there continues to be new interest for the season ahead. KYC sailors are joining the IODAI development squads for 2024