Twenty-four dinghies are entered for Cove Sailing Club's Wednesday night league, led by Ruadhan Jackson on six points.

Second is Owen O’Connell in his TR3 and third Rankin No.12, Maurice and Frances Kidney.

David Radley won last Wednesday’s Race, with Maurice and Francis Kidney second and Johnny Horgan’s TR2 third.

The Ballinacurra Cup is among the oldest "All-In" dinghy racing handicap trophies. The Irish Naval Service presented it to Cove Sailing Club in 1947.

In past times Ballinacurra, in the North/East corner of Cork Harbour was a major port for the great old sailing ships and legendary for the local seafaring Creenan family and their engineless Brooklands, which was the last of the great Irish schooners.

Cove Sailing Club has published a Notice of Race for the Ballinacurra Cup on Saturday, June 22, with First Gun at 1539. Entry forms and Sailing Instructions are on its website.

Brooklands Pictured in 1945 - From Richard Scott's Book Irish Sea Schooner Twilight

After the sailing ships era, Ballinacurra was for many years an important Cork Harbour commercial port with limestone quays and warehouses and stores on the quayside until it silted up and there was no more dredging to keep it and the approaches clear for shipping.

The Notice of Race for the 2024 Cove Sailing Club's Annual Ballinacurra Cup Dinghy Race

The annual race is a gathering of dinghies, which makes Creenan's Brooklands Bar at Ballinacurra a mecca for sailing talks and discussions after the race.

The Cove Sailing Club Wednesday night dinghy racing series overall league leader is Ruadhán Jackson, with Dan O’Regan’s Rankin 14 second and John Cotter third.

Rankin 14 is leading the Rankin Class with Owen O’Connell’s TR3 second.

MONKSTOWN BAY

MBSC has set its ‘At Home Regatta’ for Saturday, June 29. Evening league racing is scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays throughout June.

After a break since the impact of Covid, the Cork Harbour Combined Cruiser League is to be held again.

It will start on Friday, June 5, and be jointly organised by the Royal Cork YC and Cove SC. It is open to both Whitesail and Spinnaker racing and will run for four Fridays in June.

The event is sponsored by Johanna Murphy and Associates.

"It promises to be a fantastic league with the Harbour Clubs working together to deliver great racing for both clubs," says RCYC Rear Admiral Keelboats, Rob Foster.

The overall league prize-giving will be on Friday, June 28, in Cobh.

Sailing Instructions and the Notice of Race are being published on club websites.

David and Richard Marshall headed the Wednesday night dinghy league series at Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour in their Rankin R30. Second was Owen O’Connell in Rankin R61, and third was Maurice and Frances Kidney in their R12.

Rankins filled the top six positions, a notable achievement for the revived fleet due to the commitment of supporters of this notably famous Cobh dinghy.

In cruisers, as the season ended for evening sailing, the Friday night IRC winner was Shipman 28, Tonga, Gary Mills. Second, Pat Mustard, George Radley Jnr and third, the Sigma 33, Musketeer, Billy Burke.

The Whitesail ECHO handicap winner was Sigma 38, Kernow, Ian Scandrett, second Barossa, the Shipman 28, Maurice Kidney and Gerry Holland, and Déjà vu, Brian Curtis.

Cove Sailing Club has opened online entry for the annual Cobh-Blackrock Race for cruisers and dinghies on Saturday of next week, September 9.

Rankins continues to lead the Wednesday night dinghies league. David and Richard Marshall are on top with 21 points, second Owen O’Connell on 25 and third Maurice and Frances Kidney on 30.

Friday cruiser racing ‘Kites IRC’ leader is ‘Tonga’ (Gary Mills), on 14 points from George Radley Junior’s ‘Pat Mustard’ on 29 and Billy Burke’s ‘Musketeer’ third on 32.

George Radley Junior’s ‘Pat Mustard' Photo: Bob Bateman

First and third are the same in ECHO, with Nicholas O’Rourke’s ‘Bright Wings’ second.

Ian Scandrett’s ‘Kernow’ leads Whitesail on 11 points, Maurice Kidney and Gerry Holland’s ‘Barossa; is second on 18 and ‘Déjà Vu’ (Brian Curtis) third on 27.

Noted Royal Cork Yacht Club dinghy ace Tommy Dwyer swapped his National 18 for a smaller Rankin dinghy last weekend (August 12th) and, together with grandnephew Harry, won the Rankin Brothers Cup Cove Sailing Club regatta in Cork Harbour.

Nine Rankins took the starting gun for a two-race contest in what was described as a 'very competitive fleet'.

Maurice and Frances Kidney were second in R12, and Daniel and Grace O'Connell were third in R61.

Cove Sailing Club regatta also held racing for mixed PY dinghies, and there was a great turnout of Optimist junior sailors, with RCYC and MBSC sailors joining in.

Bob Batemans's Cove Sailing Club Regatta 2023 Photo Gallery 

The highly anticipated Rankin Brothers Regatta Cup, which was set to take place this Saturday at Cove Sailing Club, has been postponed due to the anticipation of high winds. Instead, the dinghy event will now take place on Sunday afternoon in Cork Harbour.

The annual regatta is known as the "big event of the season" for the Rankin Class and draws in sailors from all over Cork Harbour.

Despite the delay, participants and spectators alike are still eagerly looking forward to the exciting competition and camaraderie that the event always brings.

The Rankin Class “big event of the season” is scheduled to be raced this Saturday at Cove Sailing Club – the Rankin Brothers Regatta Cup. First Gun will be at 2.30 pm.

The revival of the traditional, historic Rankin Class at Cobh, a two-person 12-footer dinghy, is an example of what the Class describes as “ordinary sailors with a love of the sport reviving a traditional, beloved local boat.” The Class members located Rankin dinghies in various places, which were unused, refurbished them and found new owners. They put a huge commitment into the Class for “basic and enjoyable sailing with an emphasis on family involvement.”

At present, Rankins are dominating Wednesday night dinghy league racing at Cove SC. Owen O’Connell is leading in Rankin 61 on 28 points from R30 (David and Richard Marshall) on 29 with Rankin 12 (Maurice and Francis Kidney) 3rd on 32. Three other Rankin comprise the top six in a mixed fleet, including Lasers, RS 400s, Fevas and Topaz.

The Class says it wants to encourage more people, including those new to sailing, to consider joining the Rankins and to look at their web page for more details here

Ian Scandrett’s Sigma 38 won Friday evening’s Whitesail cruiser race at Cove Sailing Club. Second was Brian Curtis in his Sun Odyssey and third was the Dehler 34 (Allen/Leahy).

Owen O’Connell’s R61 Rankin now leads the Wednesday Dinghy League.

Overall the Rankins still hold the top three places. R30 (David and Richard Marshall) are second and R12 (Maurice and Frances Kidney) third.