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Cove Sailing Club Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary

8th February 2019
Rankin Dinghies in Cork Harbour Rankin Dinghies in Cork Harbour Credit: Mary Kidney

Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour this year celebrates its 100th year anniversary and plans are in place to celebrate its history and further lay new roots to carry it on and grow for another 100 years writes Commodore Kieran Dorgan.

From the early days of the William Fife designed “Cork Harbour One Designs” Cove Sailing Club has a strong affiliation with boat building and the town itself. Today this is ever present with the large
number of “Rankin” dinghy boats that sail up and down the harbour front linking the clubs past and its future.  

Rankin sailing Rankin dinghy sailing off Cobh Photo: Mary Kidney

2018 was a defining year as the club worked diligently to build on its history and set about securing a solid foundation to continue and provide a platform for the people of Cobh and the surrounding areas
to enjoy sailing and all the fun and excitement it offers.

"2018 was a defining year as the club worked diligently to build on its history"

A detailed plan of all the events marking this historic year will be published in the coming weeks and we invite all past and present members to help share their memories, stories and pictures with the
Club.

The club is committed and focused in its pursuit to provide a marina facility that will be all-encompassing for the many varied sporting organizations to enjoy through Cobh, East Cork and
Harbour area; continuing the hard work and dedication of previous committees to deliver this most sought after piece of community infrastructure.  

cobh Blackrock yacht race2The Cobh to Blackrock yacht race Photo: Bob Bateman

The committee is working hard to produce our 100-year anniversary booklet and feel this will be a very special collaboration on the club's history.

The 2019 Sailing season promises to be a bumper year on the water with the return of the family-friendly, Social, Friday night racing in July and August for the cruiser classes providing a stepping
stone for new and novice members to try sailing and racing. Along with the highly successful “Cork Harbour Combined  Clubs League” with our neighbouring clubs, 2019 will be a busy summer for all.

We will endeavour to provide a safe fun space for our junior members to learn and develop their sailing skills through weekly summer racing and professionally accredited sailing courses.

The club is really looking forward to hosting some of the harbour’s most special races including the fabulous “Brooklands  Cup” and “Ballinacurra Cup” for dinghies made famous by the visiting boats
from around the harbour including the highly competitive but very social National 18 Class.

Our annual “Cove at Home” invites cruiser and  dinghy classes from all over the harbour to race in front of our iconic home town under the watchful eye of St. Colman’s Cathedral which also celebrates its
100 year anniversary of consecration in 1919.

The “Cobh Peoples Regatta” in August will be a celebration of sail with boats vying to win the Harbour’s most valuable silverware. The regatta will also host a very unique race for the “Rankin
Trophy”; this is an annual gathering of these very special boats and embodies the spirit of “Cove Sailing Club”.

The culmination of the 100-year celebration is the Legendary “Cobh to Blackrock” race and plans are afoot to have 100 boats compete in this annual harbour classic.

Our full range of membership for the 2019 season is now open.

Further information about membership and the 100-year celebrations will be provided on our club website www.covesailingclub.ie  over the coming weeks. 

Published in Cork Harbour
Kieran Dorgan

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Kieran Dorgan

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Kieran Dorgan is Commodore of Cove Sailing Club

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Cork Harbour Information

It’s one of the largest natural harbours in the world – and those living near Cork Harbour insist that it’s also one of the most interesting.

This was the last port of call for the most famous liner in history, the Titanic, but it has been transformed into a centre for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry.

The harbour has been a working port and a strategic defensive hub for centuries, and it has been one of Ireland's major employment hubs since the early 1900s. Traditional heavy industries have waned since the late 20th century, with the likes of the closure of Irish Steel in Haulbowline and shipbuilding at Verolme. It still has major and strategic significance in energy generation, shipping and refining.

Giraffe wander along its shores, from which tens of thousands of men and women left Ireland, most of them never to return. The harbour is home to the oldest yacht club in the world, and to the Irish Navy. 

This deep waterway has also become a vital cog in the Irish economy.

‘Afloat.ie's Cork Harbour page’ is not a history page, nor is it a news focus. It’s simply an exploration of this famous waterway, its colour and its characters.

Cork Harbour Festival

Ocean to City – An Rás Mór and Cork Harbour Open Day formerly existed as two popular one-day events located at different points on Cork’s annual maritime calendar. Both event committees recognised the synergy between the two events and began to work together and share resources. In 2015, Cork Harbour Festival was launched. The festival was shaped on the open day principle, with Ocean to City – An Ras Mór as the flagship event.

Now in its sixth year, the festival has grown from strength to strength. Although the physical 2020 festival was cancelled due to Covid-19, the event normally features nine festival days starting on the first week of June. It is packed full of events; all made possible through collaboration with over 50 different event partners in Cork City, as well as 15 towns and villages along Cork Harbour. The programme grows year by year and highlights Ireland’s rich maritime heritage and culture as well as water and shore-based activities, with Ocean to City – An Rás Mór at the heart of the festival.

Taking place at the centre of Ireland’s maritime paradise, and at the gateway to Ireland’s Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way, Cork is perfectly positioned to deliver the largest and most engaging harbour festival in Ireland.

The Cork Harbour Festival Committee includes representatives from Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Port of Cork, UCC MaREI, RCYC, Cobh & Harbour Chamber and Meitheal Mara.

Marinas in Cork Harbour

There are six marinas in Cork Harbour. Three in Crosshaven, one in East Ferry, one in Monkstown Bay and a new facility is opening in 2020 at Cobh. Details below

Port of Cork City Marina

Location – Cork City
Contact – Harbour Masters Dept., Port of Cork Tel: +353 (0)21 4273125 or +353 (0)21 4530466 (out of office hours)

Royal Cork Yacht Club Marina

Location: Crosshaven, Co. Cork
Contact: +353 (0) 21 4831023

Crosshaven Boatyard Marina

Location: Crosshaven, Co. Cork
Contact: +353 (0)21 4831161

Salve Marina Ltd

Location: Crosshaven, Co. Cork
Contact: +353 (0) 21 4831145

Cork Harbour Marina

Location: Monkstown, Co. Cork
Contact: +353 (0)87 3669009

East Ferry Marina

Location: East Ferry, Co. Cork
Contact: +353 (0)21 4813390

New Cove Sailing Club Marina

(to be opened in 2020)

Location: Cobh, Co. Cork
Contact: 087 1178363

Cork Harbour pontoons, slipways and ramps

Cork City Boardwalk Existing pontoon

Port of Cork 100m. pontoon

Cork city – End of Cornmarket St. steps and slip;

Cork city - Proby’s Qy. Existing limited access slip

Quays Bar & Restaurant, Private pontoon and ramp for patrons, suitable for yachts, small craft town and amenities

Cobh harbour [camber] Slip and steps inside quay wall pontoon

Fota (zoo, house, gardens) Derelict pontoon and steps

Haulbowline naval basin; restricted space Naval base; restricted access;

Spike Island pier, steps; slip, pontoon and ramp

Monkstown wooden pier and steps;

Crosshaven town pier, with pontoon & steps

East Ferry Marlogue marina, Slip (Great Island side) visitors’ berths

East Ferry Existing pier and slip; restricted space East Ferry Inn (pub)
(Mainland side)

Blackrock pier and slips

Ballinacurra Quay walls (private)

Aghada pier and slip, pontoon & steps public transport links

Whitegate Slip

Passage West Pontoon

Glenbrook Cross-river ferry

Ringaskiddy Parking with slip and pontoon Ferry terminal; village 1km.

Carrigaloe pier and slip; restricted space; Cross-river ferry;

Fountainstown Slip

White’s Bay beach

Ringabella beach

Glanmire Bridge and tide restrictions

Old Glanmire - Quay