Spinnakers were flown from start to finish of the Cobh to Blackrock annual race up the River Lee on Saturday afternoon.

It was a great Cork Harbour spectacle as the fleet carried the colourful sails up through Lough Mahon, the Class 1 and 2 boats vying for position as the breeze varied.

Throughout the race, from the start off the seafront at Cobh to the finish off Blackrock Castle, racing was very close.

Dinghies sailed in the Cobh to Blackrock Race for the first time in several years. Monkstown Bay Sailing Club organised the dinghy racing for the overall race organisers, Cove Sailing Club.

Royal Cork's Nieulargo, the ICRA boat of the year, competed in the White Sails Division Photo: Bob Bateman

Cruisers raced two Spinnaker Classes, in whitesail and a traditional boat class.

Spinnakers/Kites 1 was won by George Radley's Imp; 2nd Jelly Baby, Jones Family; 3rd Alpaca, Paul and Deirdre Tingle. All from RCYC.

Spinnakers/Kites 2 was won by Illegal, K.Dorgan, Cove SC; 2nd Scribbler, Cormac MacSweeney RCYC; 3, Bad Company, Desmond/Ivers/Keane, RCYC.

Only one boat sailed in ECHO/Kites Netta J, Des Corbett, Cove SC.

The Cork Harbour One Designs Elsie raced in the Traditional boat class Photo: Bob Bateman

The Whitesails Class 1 was won by Prince of Tides, Frank Caul; 2, Magnet/KOB/F.Carroll; 3, Aramis/Pat Vaughan. All RCYC.

The Whitesails 2 winner was Barossa, Maurice Kidney of Cove SC; 2nd Loch Greine, Tom O'Mahony/RCYC; 3rd, Re Eile, D&A Ahern, Cove SC

The Rally Fleet Prize was awarded by the Race Committee to the 1720/MBSC, Crotty/Dineen.

There were two dinghy fleets. Class 1 winner was Ronan Kenneally's National 18 from the RCYC; 2nd, Ewen Barry/505/RCYC; 3rd, Simon Butler, Laser, MBSC. 

Tim and Isobel O'Connor sailed the smallest boat in the fleet, a 10 foot 10 inch Mirror dinghy Photo: Bob Bateman

The smallest boat in the fleet, the Mirror sailed by Tim and Isobel O'Connor from Monkstown Bay SC won Class Two; 2nd was Fiona O'Connell's Rankin, The Green Machine, Cove SC and 3rd, Cliodhan, T Class boat, Owen O'Connell, Cove SC.

Download results below

Bob Bateman's 2022 Cobh to Blackrock Race Photo Gallery

Cove Sailing Club has announced details of the 2022 Cobh to Blackrock Race taking place on Saturday 10 September.

The race will encompass a variety of classes and bands to ensure tight racing in Cork Harbour for the highly coveted trophies, featuring kites, White Sails and return of dinghy racing with the support of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club.

In addition, this year’s race supports the RNLI, with the modest entry fee of €15 per boat going in its entirety to the charity that saves lives at sea.

The club is encouraging all boats to take part. “this is not a formal race incorporating handicaps, and the winner of the rally will be decided by the race committee on the day,” the club says. “So please come along and support the fantastic work done by the RNLI.”

For more — including the entry list, Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions — see the Cove Sailing Club website HERE.

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.