Grab your antlers, lace up those hooves – help save lives at sea by getting on your running shoes for the RNLI's Reindeer Run at Fota House and Gardens in Cork Harbour.

The RNLI is calling on the people of Cork to do their bit and join the RNLI's 5K Reindeer Run at Fota House and Gardens at 11 am on Sunday, 5 December to help raise vital funds to support volunteer crews in their mission to save every one.

RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews across Ireland launched 945 times last year, coming to the aid of 1,147 people, 13 of whom were lives saved. That was an average of three people aided each day - rescues which were only possible because of the donations made to the charity by supporters.

It is hoped hundreds of people will don a pair of antlers or festive attire and join mascot Rookie the Reindeer to raise funds for the charity. All those participating will receive a medal. Runners, who must register (see below), and buy tickets for the event in advance, are encouraged to raise sponsorship which will go towards saving lives on the water.

Every time an RNLI crew launches, they are determined to save everyone. But they can't do it without people like you. Raising money through the Reindeer Run is a fun and festive way to get active and be a lifesaver, because you'll be raising the vital funds that power the crew. It helps the RNLI recruit and train volunteers and could fund the kit they need to protect themselves. It helps ensure a lifeboat is ready when the call comes, and it helps deliver water safety advice far and wide.

Eolan Walsh, Ballycotton RNLI Coxswain says: 'The Reindeer Run is more important than ever this year. We always have to be ready in case the pagers go at Christmas, but it's a big boost to know the Reindeer runners have been giving their support at this busy time of year to help ensure we can launch.

'It can be hard on our family and friends if we disappear halfway through Christmas dinner, but the sea and the dangers it can bring never takes a holiday, so nor can we. Fundraising events are our own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to fund our rescues and kit that helps keep the crews safe when they risk their lives for others.'

To register for the Reindeer Run at Fota House and Gardens or to set up your own virtual one, please visit rnli.org/reindeerireland

Malahide and Wexford Harbour duo of Jack McDowell and Henry Thompson continued their overall lead of the 420 class at the Investwise Youth Sailing National Championships at Cork Harbour.

Counting four race wins on the opening day of the championships, the pair ended the ten races five points clear of Eoghan Duffy and Conor Paul of Lough Ree. Lying third is Malahide's Imogen Hauer and Hugo Micka.

420: Sailed: 10, Discards: 1, To count: 9, Entries: 9

Racing is scheduled for Sunday, but a forecast for strong winds looks set to cut the championships short.

Update Sunday 09.24: Due to current wind conditions and forecast, the race committee has decided to cancel sailing for the day. Prizegiving at 10 am in the marquee

420 Day Three Youth Nationals Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman 

Royal Cork's Jonathan O'Shaughnessy and Michael Crosbie, who put in a strong showing at the Laser Europa Cup in Hyeres, France, are the favourites for youth honours this Thursday in Cork Harbour.

O'Shaughnessy finished just outside the important top ten in 11th and Crosbie 21st in a tense edition of the Under-18 test.

More than 260 sailors participated in the French regatta, and full results are here.

Radial racing in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

It's a result that confirms O'Shaughnessy, who took the Radial National title in August, and Crosbie, who was the winner of the Kinsale Laser end of Season Regatta in October, as favourites for the Investwise Youth Sailing Nationals at Royal Cork later this week. 

Rocco Wright (Howth YC) Photo: Bob Bateman

It'll be a new look Radial fleet in Cork with some new names into the fleet, including Rocco Wright (Howth YC), who dominated the 4.7 National Championships back in August.

Michael Crosbie Photo: Bob Bateman

New names into 4.7s

As well as some high profile departures from the ILCA4 (Laser 4.7s), there's also some new entries into the class.

Sienna Wright (Howth YC) and Hannah Dadley-Young (Ballyholme YC) are now racing 4.7s along with Daniel Palmer (Ballyholme YC), who's moved in from the Topper class, along with Mauro G Regueral Noguerol (RCYC).

Four-course areas will operate in Cork Habour Aghada, Curlane Bank, Cuskinny and Roches Point with an 11-race schedule for the ILCA 6/Laser class.

Racing begins on Thursday, October 28th, and as well as deciding national honours, the event serves as the second part of a qualifications system to determine Ireland's representative at the Youth World Sailing Championships in Oman this December.

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club is based in the inner part of Cork Harbour and is buzzing with the start of its October League and, says Club Commodore, Sandy Rimmington, a revival of the 5O5 fleet and a plan to expand the teaching of sailing through schools.

A 5O5 owner himself, he puts the revival of interest in the fleet to focus on holding the 5O5 World Championships in Cork next year. For the fourth time, they will be held at the RCYC in Crosshaven around the harbour from Monkstown, from August 3-13.

“This has led to the rejuvenation of the 5O5 fleet, which had always been strong in Monkstown,” the MBSC Commodore says.

Alex Barry (right) helming a 505 at RCYC's 'At Home' Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

Support for dinghy racing is strong, with the club having successfully staged the Munster Optimists Championships at the start of the month and being assigned the Southern Feva Championships for April next year and, in the week before the 5O5 Worlds next August, Monkstown will host the Irish Championships for the class.

The Munster Optimists Championships were staged by MBSC Photo: Bob Bateman

The club’s committee is putting together a busy programme for next season.

“We are planning to push dinghy sailing even more next year especially Laser, RS dinghies, the 5O5s and the Oppies, with Laser Frostbites in February when we hope for up to 20 boats taking part, the RS Southerns for Feva/200s/400s in April, Prep for 5O5 Worlds Winter Sprint Series. We are trying to make sailing accessible to all by working with schools that may not get the opportunity to use the water and teach teenagers how to sail. We are currently fundraising to buy more boats for this. The Optimists event was a massive success and will allow us to build interest in sailing and take on more events.”

"The club bought a 1720 which has been used for adult training"

The club bought a 1720 sportsboat which has been used for adult training, and purchased two new rescue boats. “This allows us to increase the numbers we can train.”

Consideration is being given to putting the 1720 into its first competitive event next season, possibly at Cork Week at the RCYC.

The Commodore leads the club’s October Saturday morning dinghy league in Class One, sailing an RS 400, crewed by Alex Barry. In second place is Richard Harrington in a Laser and third Ronan Kenneally, also in a Laser.

Three RS Feva XLs are the leading boats in Class Two. Robyn Barry, crewed by Hazel Barry, are the leaders; 2nd Amy and David Doherty and third Isabelle McCarthy, crewed by Bella Clarke Waterman.

Monkstown Bay club dinghies are based on the Sand Quay in the middle of the village, and it was there I talked to Commodore Sandy Rimmington, my guest on this week’s podcast, which you can listen to here.

Four boats, including a Port of Cork RIB, a kayak and the local RNLI, were involved in Tuesday morning's dolphin rescue in Crosshaven in Cork Harbour that eventually saw two small dolphins escorted safely back to sea.

The dolphins were accompanied out of the shallow water in the Crosshaven Harbour, four or five times, as the tide was going out, making it a race against time to have the mammals out at sea before the water ran out.

RNLI spokesperson Jon Mathers said the dolphins were herded out of the Harbour a number of times before eventually managing to direct the dolphins out past Currabinny.

"The boats formed a line that stopped the dolphins coming back in. Then as the tide was going out, the boats had to turn back, but the two boats drove them out a bit further and the dolphins are safe, for now."

The ECHO has more on this here

The dolphins are encouraged out into deeper water in Cork Harbour

Fourteen-year-old William Walsh of the National Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire won the 35-boat Senior fleet after six races sailed at the Optimist Munster Championships in Cork Harbour.

Walsh won by nine points from Howth Yacht Club's Des Turvey. Third was Royal Cork Yacht Club's Oisin Pierse.

Royal St. George helmswoman Abigail Murphy, aged 12, continued her overnight lead to win from Malahide Yacht Club's Conor Cronin in the 49 boat Junior fleet. Third was Howth Yacht Club's, Sarah Scott.

After six races sailed in the Regatta fleet, the National Yacht Club's Basile Dion (10) won from Royal Cork Yacht Club's Abigail O'Sullivan. Third was Howth Yacht Club's Kate Spain.

The youth sailing championships utilised the new purpose-built public slipway facilities provided by Port of Cork at Paddy's Point in Ringaskiddy. They raced under the burgee of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club.

The Senior and Junior fleet sailed five races on the Harbour's Curlane Bank under race officer Anthony O'Leary.

The Junior fleet raced on the Oyster Bank, conveniently located close to the Paddy's Point slipway on Saturday but did not race on Sunday due to weather.

The full results are here. 

Optimist Munster Championship Day 2 at Paddy's Point Photo Gallery 

National Yacht Club (NYC) junior sailors lead two of three Optimist dinghy divisions in a 119 boat fleet racing for Munster Championship honours at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club in Cork Harbour.

The youth sailing championships are utilising the new purpose-built public slipway facilities provided by Port of Cork at Paddy's Point in Ringaskiddy under the burgee of MBSC.

The Senior and Junior fleet sailed three races on the Harbour's Curlane Bank under race officer Anthony O'Leary.

The Junior fleet raced on the Oyster Bank, conveniently located close to the Paddy's Point slipway.

Fourteen-year-old William Walsh of the NYC leads the 35-boat Senior fleet after three races sailed from Royal St. George Yacht Club's Patrick Foley. Third is Royal Cork Yacht Club's, Joseph O'Leary.

Royal St. George helmswoman Abigail Murphy, aged 12, leads from Malahide Yacht Club's Conor Cronin in the 49 boat Junior fleet. Third is Kinsale's Ãrigo Rama­rez Fernandez.

After six races sailed in the Regatta fleet, the National Yacht Club's Basile Dion (10) leads Royal Cork Yacht Club Abigail O'Sullivan.  Third is Howth Yacht Club's Kate Spain.

Full results are here. 

Optimist Munster Championship at Paddy's Point Photo Gallery 

Kieran Collins Coracle IV of the host club leads the IRC Spinnaker 0/1 Division after the first race of Royal Cork Yacht Club's AIB Autumn League in Cork Harbour.

The Olson 30 made the most of the big seas and strong winds to take the first gun ahead of Brian Jones' J/109 Jelly Baby.

Third in the combined Zero and One eight boat fleet was the Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo (Denis and Annamarie Murphy).

Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star tops an eight boat IRC 2 Spinnaker division. Dave Lane's J24 lies second with Sean Hanley's HB 31 Luas lying third.

Royal Cork's club J/24 Jumbalaya surfs a wave in the first race of the Autumn League

Royal Cork's Autumn League Race One Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

Full results across all divisions are here 

Let's face it, Ireland bidding to host the 37th America's Cup in 2024 – or more accurately, Cork's campaigning to stage it – has all the makings of a handy TV drama. As it has to be a national investment, yet with its focus at a tightly regional level, it bears out the old cliché that all politics is ultimately local, and local in Ireland always has its own special dynamic. Other requirements for consideration for streaming success include:

• Seemingly unimaginable sums of money involved? You got it.
• An ultra-advanced and highly specialized version of a sport developing technically in such as way that, like Formula 1, it is already light years away from the sport as enjoyed by most of its adherents? Check.
• Confusion of national identity in that we may be "providing the use of the hall", but there probably won't be an Irish team involved? Almost certainly true.
• Continuing battle between comfortably settled residents who quite like the harbour as it is, versus brash incomers with plans for CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE in the name of progress? Right on target.
• Larger-than-life characters who could easily be imagined wearing an oversize stetson if they're not doing so already? For sure. Organise those exclusive luxury suites immediately.

All that is of course only one angle. A very valid case can be made with equal or even greater strength for the investment of between €150 and €200 million in the necessary waterfront infrastructure. For let's face it, we may have referred to "unimaginable sums of money" above, but two hundred million snots is only a blip by comparison with the billions of euros the nation had to pour down the pipe from 2009 onwards to keep the banks afloat.

But on the other hand, if the money goes into giving the Rushbrooke shipyard an attractive recreational, marine services and hospitality aspect, it will still have other applications available to it after the America's Cup fandango has moved on.

A sail-training tall ship heads seaward past the Verolme Cork dockyard at Rushbrooke west of Cobh in the yard's final year of operation. Photo: Robert Bateman

Admittedly at mid-week the prospects looked utterly dead. But Thursday night's announcement that Kiwi petro-magnate Mark Dunphy had hurled himself into the boiling pot with an offer to organise the funding to keep the show in Auckland has now brought up to four the number of supposedly interested parties that are considering the hosting in an ongoing drama in which our friends in Cork find themselves being pushed towards being the Preferred Bidder, with the alleged "lifeline" of an extra six weeks being provided to prolong the negotiating agony.

The Irish diaspora is at it again…..New Zealand business magnate Mark Dunphy reckons he can raise the funds to keep the America's Cup racing in Auckland. At one stage in his career, he worked with Michael Fay, another "Kiwi-Irish" business whizz who was much involved in America's Cup campaigning.

Yet up above in Dublin, the powers-that-be (or at least the powers that would like to be, but sometimes you'd wonder) are indicating the need for a six month assessment period, and a marked reluctance to get involved at all in a glitter show for which the political optics are seriously foggy in every constituency in the country except perhaps South Cork, and we can't even be too sure about that.

For the man in the street in Carrigaline might have different views from those on the marinas downriver at Crosshaven. But regardless of their location, each one has a vote when an election comes around. And as those advocating a sail training ship for Ireland ever since Noah decommissioned The Ark have very painfully discovered in trying to persuade local coastal politicians round to their point of view, there are few if any votes in sail training, even in port towns. Thus we only acquired the brigantine Asgard II because there were two decidedly colourful pro-sailing autocrats – Paddy Donegan and Charlie Haughey – in power during the time of her building.

So in the current febrile political mood (is it ever anything else?), most TDs will be looking over their shoulders and wondering how many votes might be found in an America's Cup spectacle in and off Cork Harbour. It won't take the latest product from one of those Cork computer factories to come up with the answer, for the occasional think-pieces on the subject in national newspapers have revealed such a total ignorance of the America's Cup among the Irish general public, and the opinion makers who serve them, that it might do no harm to do a little scene setting.

A-yachting we will go…..it was serial challenger Thomas Lipton who coined the phrase "The Auld Mug" for the America's Cup as he developed its commercial attraction.

First raced for on the Friday of Cowes Week 1851 in a challenge round the Isle of Wight - a race which was something of an afterthought to the two main sailing events of the week - the trophy is a quintessentially Victorian silver ewer worth a relatively modest £100 at the time. The additional race for this new trophy was laid on to provide a fleet contest for the New York schooner America, which had sailed across the Atlantic as a sort of associate item for the Great Exhibition in London that year, but was then found to be ineligible under various club rules for the main races of Cowes Week.

But that one race - unfashionably sailed on the Friday when the cream of English society would already have departed Cowes to be on one of their vast estates for the weekend - was enough for the stylish America to prove her worth, and the silver ewer returned to New York, becoming in time the America's Cup, the world's oldest international sporting trophy.

It didn't take too long for its publicity value to become clear in an era when popular stadium and arena sports were still at an early stage of development, and this was most evident in the attitude of a serial challenger, mega-grocer Thomas Lipton of Glasgow, who proudly displayed his Irish ancestry from Monaghan by using the name Shamrock for his five challengers through the Royal Ulster Yacht Club between 1899 and 1930.

All of his challenges against the Americans with Shamrock I, II, III, IV and V were unsuccessful. But Lipton found that provided he could be a sporting and gallant loser, it generated friendly publicity to boost the growth of his business empire's American offshoot, so he became the very embodiment of geniality, and made millions.

That said, another aspect of Lipton was revealed in 1908, when he had his own private racing yacht, the 23 Metre known just as plain Shamrock, and built for racing in British regattas during a hiatus in America's Cup challenges. It's said that if this private Shamrock performed conspicuously badly in a race, the persona of the genial Glasgow grocer was quickly replaced – albeit briefly – by one very grumpy owner.

America's Cup contenders come to Dublin Bay in 1901? This is a mystery photo, origins unknown. According to a note with it, this is Lipton's Fife-designed Shamrock I – his challenger of 1899 – on left, being used as training-horse for his Watson-designed Shamrock II (challenger in 1901) at a regatta in Dublin Bay. Informed comments welcome……

But when the America's Cup campaigning was resumed in 1914 with the advanced-design Shamrock IV, but then postponed to 1920 because of World War I delaying yet another ultimately unsuccessful campaign, the sporting loser persona reasserted its profitable self, though Lipton was also heard sadly wondering if he would ever win "The Auld Mug".

For many, it has been The Auld Mug ever since. But in the present kerfuffle over whether or not Ireland should continue to go hammer and tongs in pursuit of an opportunity to host the modern America's Cup racing spectacle in Cork in 2024, it's difficult to resist thinking that in some ways we have been making Auld Mugs of ourselves over the whole business for the last six months or so.

Personally, I don't remotely agree with the assertion that this is the third biggest sporting event on the planet, but it's a pretty big deal nevertheless. And as a country with a longer sailing history than most – including direct connections with eight America's Cup challenges out of the 36 made it surely behoved us to be interested as the contest was floated as a business proposition on the more-or-less open market by a New Zealand entity.

But the America's Cup in the 21st Century has become one very potentially explosive combination involving - so we're told - at least €200 million in initial Government investment in infrastructure in the greater Cork Harbour area, though it might be all for an anticipated return of maybe €500 million if the promised four teams (and preferably more) turn up and the world then watches.

In doing so we'd be trying to follow an impressive New Zealand organisational performance which transformed parts of the Auckland waterfront. But then the Auckland area is one of the greatest sailing locations in the world, and while Cork Harbour is impressive by European standards, it doesn't offer the multiple sailing options which can be found in Auckland.

It took the staging of the America's Cup at Auckland to make the world fully aware the unrivalled range of sailing options available at The City of Sails

Then too, as a new city, Auckland presents an impressive high rise front to the sea – or at least it's impressive if high rise and acres of glass is your thing. But Cork is just so very much older than Auckland, and its main 19th-century harbour waterfront at Cobh is so deeply ingrained in the national consciousness – and indeed, in the global consciousness thanks to its links with the Titanic– that any attempt to update it would be regarded as sacrilege, while a modern waterfront mini-city of glass towers just around the corner at the proposed America's Cup centre in the former Verolme Cork dockyard might be a very challenging proposition to get past local opinion.

However, the modern America's Cup series is a much more complex affair than the straightforward match racing which Lipton's crews would have experienced. By the time the best series of all took place in 1987 off Perth in Western Australia, with Dennis Conner in his prime taking the trophy back from the Australians in truly magnificent sport in 12 Metres as glimpsed below (***k your foils, THIS is yacht racing) 

the "associated events" aspect was developing, and if Cork do secure it, just one staging of the series might be as much as a two-year largely Cork-based project for the teams involved.

History lives – Cobh's characterful waterfront.

With a time-span like that, there'll be all sorts of junior and open-to-the-public happenings, and doubtless that beloved phrase "Fun For All The Family" will get one of its many airings. But with this new involvement of Mark Dunphy (Irish of course, will the diaspora ever leave us alone?) the paranoid might well think that the Irish are just the auld mugs being used to up the ante in a higher-stakes game.

We shall see. And were it any sport other than our beloved sailing, it would be hugely entertaining. But either way, when it's a game of big business, national and international politics, huge sums of money, and utterly ruthless "sporting" competition, not everyone can hope to be a winner in whatever capacity they may be involved. So all those putting their heads above the parapet would do well to remember the cynics' version of the great sportswriter Grantland Rice's originally idealistic bit of verse:

For when the one Great Scorer comes,
To write against your name;
He writes not that you won or lost.
But how you spread the blame.

A magnificent silver-gilt bowl presented by King William IV to the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) is back in England thanks to a maritime antique dealer.

The bowl's history is an appropriate reminder of the depth of the sailing history of Cork Harbour with the 2021 rediscovery of the trophy coming as it does in Royal Cork Yacht Club's tricentenary year. 

Charles Wallrock of Wick Antiques in Lymington, Hants, who is a keen yachtsman, believes it is the missing trophy from the squadron's annual race in 1835; the King's Cup.

That year the winner was Irishman John Barry-Smith in his 90-ton yacht Columbine.

An account from the time stated how 'his gracious majesty's beautiful cup will for the first time find its way to the sister isle, and grace the sideboard of the hospitable and liberal proprietor of Cove Island in Cork Harbour'.

The bowl includes the royal coat of arms and has the inscription 'The Gift of His Most Gracious Majesty William the Fourth to the Royal Yacht Squadron, 1835'.

The annual race was the precursor of the world-famous Cowes Week held on the Isle of Wight and the bowl will now be offered at the Chelsea Antiques Fair with a price tag of £78,000.

The Royal Yacht Squadron was founded in 1815 – two weeks before the Battle of Waterloo – and it remains the most prestigious and exclusive yacht club in the world.

It is based at Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight and members have included some of the most famous and privileged people in the world.

The Queen remains patron and the late Prince Philip was an Admiral and active participant.

William IV, the so-called 'Sailor King', a friend of Admiral Lord Nelson, was a member and from 1830 until his death seven years later presented a trophy.

How and when the 1935 trophy ended up in America remains uncertain, but there is huge excitement that it has returned home and is up for sale.

The King's Cup - has an Irish winner

Charles Wallrock, a member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, said: "This is a superb and outstanding silver-gilt bowl presented by the king to the Royal Yacht Squadron.

"For me, it does not get any better and I am very proud to have brought it back home. It is an important part of our nautical heritage.

"Although his younger brother had been a member, King William IV can be considered the squadron's first Admiral because it was he who changed its name from the Royal Yacht Club to the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1833.

"He had served in the Royal Navy in his youth and 1827 he was appointed as Lord High Admiral, three years before he inherited the throne and presented the first of his cups.

"Research strongly suggests this is the bowl won in 1835 by John Smith-Barry of Fota House, a stunning regency mansion situated on an island in Cork Harbour.

"We know he was a keen sailor and a member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

"The mansion was sold by the family to University College, Cork, in 1975 and has since been restored and is open to the public.

"How and when the trophy ended up in the US is unclear but when I saw it for sale I realised its importance.

"Yachts of the RYS fly the Royal Ensign and it has always had a close relationship with the Royal Navy.

"Its first Commodore, Lord Yarborough, assured King Willian IV that 'it will ever be our most earnest wish and desire to promote, in every way in our power, naval science and architecture'.

"The squadron is also responsible for the America's Cup after inviting the New York Yacht Club to a race in 1851.

"The bowl has two handles in the form of a ship's prow, one with a crowned lion and the other with a unicorn wearing a chain of office.

"It was made by the top silversmith William Bateman II and is of supreme quality.

"There are many collectors and institutions who would love to add this to collections."

An account from just before the race in August 1835 said: "His Majesty has presented the RYS with his customary splendid Silver Gilt Bowl, value 100gs, manufactured by Messrs. Rundell, Bridge and Co., with great taste, which will be contested for on his

Majesty's Birthday, the 21st inst., and is expected to be a very interesting race, from the well-known qualities of the Yachts that have entered."

The bowl, as well as having the maker's mark of William Bateman, includes the inscription 'Rundell Bridge et Co, Aurifices Regis Londoni.'

The Chelsea Antiques Fair – now owned by the online antique selling portal 2Covet – will be held at the magnificent Chelsea Old Town Hall, from September 21 to 26.