Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Royal Cork's O'Leary Crew Move up to Fifth at New York Invitational Cup

12th September 2019
Royal Cork Yacht Club's Anthony O'Leary duels downwind with  Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's Guido Belgiorno-Nettis in day two of the New York Invitational Cup Royal Cork Yacht Club's Anthony O'Leary duels downwind with Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's Guido Belgiorno-Nettis in day two of the New York Invitational Cup Credit: Daniel Forster

Anthony O'Leary's Ireland team from Royal Cork Yacht Club are up to fifth after a good showing in the second day of the New York Invitational in the new Mark Mills-designed IC 37s.

O'Leary's crew for the Big Apple event are: Cliodhna Connolly, Emma Geary, Sophie Browne, Clive O Shea, Robert O Leary, Nicholas O Leary, Ben Field and Timmy Murphy

It may be a different year, a different boat, but so far it is still the same outstanding performance for San Diego Yacht Club. Through four races in the Cup, the premier Corinthian one-design keelboat championship, the West Coast team has shown the blazing boatspeed, precision teamwork and tactical acumen that qualified them for this prestigious international championship a year ago. With a first, third and first today, San Diego skipper Tyler Sinks has staked his crew to a 17-point lead after just four races. There's a lot of sailing left in this event—up to eight more races over three days—but the early marker by the San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) has put the rest of the fleet on notice: either find a way to keep Bow No. 7 in the rearview mirror, or start fighting for second place.

RCYC 2

Since the event was first run in 2009, it has attracted top amateur sailors from 43 of the world’s most prestigious yacht clubs from 21 countries. After five editions in the Swan 42 class, the 2019 event will be sailed in the IC37, designed by Mark Mills and built by Westerly Marine in Santa Ana, Calif., and FIBRE Mechanics in the United Kingdom. The strict one-design nature of this new, purpose-built class combined with the fact that all 20 boats are owned and maintained by the New York Yacht Club, will ensure a level playing field never before seen in amateur big-boat sailing. The regatta will run through September 14. 

"We just tried to sail our own boat, keep the boat moving fast," said Sinks of today's sterling performance by the San Diego Yacht Club team. "The team did a great job at minimising mistakes, and our tactician Jake LaDow kept us heading the right direction. The team was sailing really well. It was one of those days we felt the conditions played in our favour; windy, but also very shifty. We just connected the dots and ended up having a really good day."

Thanks to 10 days of practice and racing in the IC37 by Melges over the summer, the San Diego Yacht Club came into the regatta confident in their boat handling and boatspeed, and with a good feel for the local conditions.

"I think when you have speed, you really don’t need to push it," said Sinks. "We feel comfortable starting anywhere on the line so if we have to win a side, we feel good about that. But, in general, we’re just trying to get off the line with speed and have the ability to do what we want."

Three solid, if unremarkable starts today, gave LaDow the ability to play the variable breeze, which he did to perfection.

"It was extremely head out of the boat," says LaDow, who showed wisdom beyond his 26 years during today's sailing. "My head was on a swivel. Also doing runners, I was balancing how much I had to be tuned into the speed versus looking at puff and shift. There were an infinite amount of decisions to be made today with puff and shift on the racecourse, and the current. I was just constantly evaluating other boats, where they’re going fast, where the breeze is and all that."

In the last race, San Diego didn't take over the lead until the final moments of the race.

"That was all Nick Martin, who was trimming the kite and the jib for us all day," said Sinks. "We had a good shift that allowed us to sail up to the top group, and I think we had a couple of better jibes than the other teams. That was really the difference in the end. We were barely able to get across Southern, who was right behind us and got caught up with the other boats, and we were able to shoot out ahead. It’s not how you start the race, it’s how you finish. I think the only point in the race where we were leading was at the very end of the race. So it worked out for us."

While it's hard to find fault in their performance today, LaDow said that legendary sailor Vince Brun, a SDYC member who is serving as the team's coach, won't let them get too cocky.

"Vince has an eye that most people don’t have, and he can always find something we can improve on," said LaDow. "All the teams are good and getting better, so we've got to keep that learning curve steep for us as well. Vince has been a huge part of that, refining our sail shape, crew work on the boat, everything. It’s been huge having his input."

Behind San Diego is a knot of five teams separated by five points. And just 15 points separates 11th from second, where Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS) sits after finishing the day with a first and a third.

"It was a really good day," said RSYS skipper Guido Belgiorno-Nettis. "We were very happy with the crew work. We’ve only just stepped onto these boats last week, so we’re still learning. [The IC37 by Melges] is a great boat. Compliments to the New York Yacht Club coming up with this design and commissioning it and doing everything they've done and getting it so even. It really is about crew work and that’s a lot of good fun."

Racing for the 2019 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will continue through Saturday, September 14, with a live broadcast of each race via Facebook and YouTube. Racing is scheduled to start at 11 am each day.

1. San Diego Yacht Club, 2, 1, 3, 1; 7 points; 2. Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, 11, 9, 1, 3; 24 points; 3. Japan Sailing Federation, 1, 4, 9, 11; 25 points; 4. Royal Canadian Yacht Club, 7, 3, 12, 5; 27 points;. 5. Royal Cork Yacht Club, 6, 6, 14, 2; 28 points; 6. Yacht Club Italiano, 4, 12, 5, 8; 29 points; 7. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, 3, 7, 13, 9; 32 points; 8. Royal Thames Yacht Club, 5, 5, 6, 19; 35 points; 9. New York Yacht Club, 8, 14, 7, 7; 36 points; 10. Royal Swedish Yacht Club, 9, 2, 8, 18; 37 points; 11. Southern Yacht Club, 14, 19, 2, 4; 39 points; 12. Yacht Club Argentino, 13, 15, 4, 16; 48 points; 13. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, 19, 8, 15, 6; 48 points; 14. Itchenor Sailing Club, 16, 13, 10, 10; 49 points; 15. Royal New Zealand Yacht Club, 12, 11, 11, 17; 51 points; 16. Real Club Náutico de Barcelona, 15, 10, 17, 13; 55 points; 17. Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, 10, 18, 18, 15; 61 points; 18. Royal Yacht Squadron, 17, 16, 19, 12; 64 points; 19. Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, 18, 17, 16, 14; 65 points; 20. Yacht Club de France, 20, 20, 20, 20; 80 points.

Full Results here

Afloat.ie Team

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button

Royal Cork Yacht Club

Royal Cork Yacht Club lays claim to the title of the world's oldest yacht club, founded in 1720. 

It is currently located in Crosshaven, Co. Cork, Ireland and is Cork Harbour’s largest yacht club and the biggest sailing club on the south coast of Ireland.

The club has an international reputation for the staging of sailing events most notable the biennial world famous Cork Week Regatta.

In 2020 RCYC celebrated its tricentenary under its Admiral Colin Morehead.

Royal Cork Yacht Club FAQs

The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in the world, and celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2020. It is one of the World’s leading yacht clubs, and is in the forefront of all branches of sailing activity. It is the organiser of the biennial Cork Week, widely regarded as Europe’s premier sailing event. It has hosted many National, European and World Championships. Its members compete at the highest level in all branches of sailing, and the club has a number of World, Olympic, continental and national sailors among its membership.

The Royal Cork Yacht club is in Crosshaven, Co Cork, a village on lower Cork Harbour some 20km south-east of Cork city centre and on the Owenabue river that flows into Cork Harbour.

The club was founded as The Water Club of the Harbour of Cork in 1720, in recognition of the growing popularity of private sailing following the Restoration of King Charles II. The monarch had been known to sail a yacht on the Thames for pleasure, and his interest is said to have inspired Murrough O’Brien, the 6th Lord Inchiquin — who attended his court in the 1660s and whose grandson, William O’Brien, the 9th Lord Inchiquin, founded the club with five friends.Originally based on Haulbowline Island in inner Cork Harbour, the club moved to nearby Cobh (then Cove) in 1806, and took on its current name in 1831. In 1966 the club merged with the Royal Munster Yacht Club and moved to its current premises in Crosshaven.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club today encompasses a wide variety of sailing activities, from young kids in their Optimist dinghies sailing right through the winter months to the not-so-young kids racing National 18s and 1720s during the remaining nine months. There is also enthusiastic sailing in Toppers, Lasers, RS Fevas and other dinghies. The larger keelboats race on various courses set in and around the Cork Harbour area for club competitions. They also take part in events such as the Round Ireland Race, Cowes Week and the Fastnet Race. In many far off waters, right across the globe, overseas club members proudly sail under the Royal Cork burger. The club has a significant number of cruising members, many of whom are content to sail our magnificent south and west coasts. Others head north for the Scottish islands and Scandinavia. Some go south to France, Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean. The more adventurous have crossed the Atlantic, explored little known places in the Pacific and Indian Oceans while others have circumnavigated the globe.

As of November 2020, the Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club is Colin Morehead, with Kieran O’Connell as Vice-Admiral. The club has three Rear-Admirals: Annamarie Fegan for Dinghies, Daragh Connolly for Keelboats and Mark Rider for Cruising.

As of November 2020, the Royal Cork Yacht Club has approximately 1,800 members.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club’s burgee is a red pennant with the heraldic badge of Ireland (a stylised harp topped with a crown) at its centre. The club’s ensign has a navy blue field with the Irish tricolour in its top left corner and the heraldic badge centred on its right half.

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club organises and runs sailing events and courses for members and visitors all throughout the year and has very active keelboat and dinghy racing fleets. The club also hosts many National, European and World Championships, as well as its biennial Cork Week regatta — widely regarded as Europe’s premier sailing event.

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club has an active junior section with sailing in Optimists, Toppers and other dinghies.

Charles Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club regularly runs junior sailing courses covering basic skills, certified by Irish Sailing.

 

The Royal Cork hosts both keelboats and dinghies, with the 1720 Sportsboat — the club’s own design — and National 18 among its most popular. Optimists and Toppers are sailed by juniors, and the club regularly sees action in Lasers, RS Fevas, 29ers and other dinghy classes.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club has a small fleet of 1720 Sportsboats available for ordinary members to charter.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club’s Club House office can provide phone, fax, email, internet and mail holding facilities for a small charge. Club merchandise and postcards may be purchased. Showers and toilet facilities are available 24 hours a day, free of charge. Parking is plentiful and free of charge. Diesel and petrol are available on site. Marina berths are generally available for a fee payable in advance; arrangements must be made before arrival.

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s Club House has all of the usual facilities, including bars and restaurant, which are open during normal licensing hours. The restaurant provides a full range of meals, and sandwiches, snacks etc, are available on request.

Normal working hours during the sailing season at the Royal Cork Yacht Club are 9am to 9pm daily. For enquiries contact the RCYC office on 021 483 1023 or email [email protected]

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club caters for all types of events rom weddings, anniversaries, christenings and birthday celebrations to corporate meetings, breakfast meetings, luncheons, private dinners and more. For enquiries contact the Royal Cork Yacht Club office on 021 483 1023 or email [email protected]

New members are invited to apply for membership of the Royal Cork Yacht Club by completing the Nomination Form (available from www.royalcork.com/membership) and returning it to The Secretary, Royal Cork Yacht Club, Crosshaven Co Cork. Nominations are first approved by the Executive Committee at its next meeting, and following a period on display for the members, and are reviewed again at the following meeting at which any objections are considered.

No; while ordinary members of the Royal Cork Yacht Club are usually boat owners, there is no requirement to own a boat when submitting an application for membership.

The annual feel for ordinary members (aged 30+) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club is €645. Family membership (two full members and all children aged 29 and under) is €975, while individuals youth (ages 19-29) and cadet (18 and under) memberships are €205. Other rates are available for seniors, associates and more. All fees quoted are as of the 2020 annual subscription rates.

Memberships of the Royal Cork Yacht Club are renewed annually, usually within 60 days of the club’s Annual General Meeting.
For enquiries contact the Royal Cork Yacht Club office on 021 483 1023 or email [email protected]

©Afloat 2020