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Royal Cork Yacht Club Celebrates O'Leary Insurance Winter League Prizewinners

12th December 2021
Pictured at the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork and winners of the Best Dressed boat award were the Prince of Tides crew (front row) Nigel Young, Henry Jefferies, John Molloy, Frank Caul (Back Row) Marcus Calvert, Lynn Dixon, Terri O'Keefe, Brian the Bear Healy, Bearnad Butler.
Pictured at the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork and winners of the Best Dressed boat award were the Prince of Tides crew (front row) Nigel Young, Henry Jefferies, John Molloy, Frank Caul (Back Row) Marcus Calvert, Lynn Dixon, Terri O'Keefe, Brian the Bear Healy, Bearnad Butler.

Strong winds in Cork Harbour meant the O'Leary Insurance Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club concluded on Sunday without further racing for the 32-boat mixed cruiser fleet.

Fiona Young's consistent performance at the top of the IRC fleet in North Star was rewarded with the perpetual Archie O'Leary Trophy.

Fiona Young  with the Archie O'Leary Trophy pictured with (L to R) Andrew Kings, Eilie Anceiros, Jack Young,  Nigel Young and sponsor Anthony O'Leary of O'Leary InsurancesFiona Young with the Archie O'Leary Trophy pictured with (L to R) Andrew Kings, Eilie Anceiros, Jack Young, Nigel Young and sponsor Anthony O'Leary of O'Leary Insurances Photo: Bob Bateman

On seven points, the restored Albin Express had a two-point winning margin over early series leaders Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher in the Quarter Tonner Diamond.

Colman Garvey, skipper of Diamond, second in IRCColman Garvey, skipper of Diamond, second in IRC Photo: Bob Bateman

Third was Richard Leonard in his Bolero, Bandit on 13 points. 

At the prizegiving, Young gave thanks to the league organisers and said she was proud to be part of a vibrant cruiser scene in Crosshaven.

Nigel Young bought the Albin Express as a Christmas present for his wife last year and the family spent months restoring the boatNigel Young (right) bought the Albin Express as a Christmas present for his wife last year and the family spent months restoring the boat Photo: Bob Bateman

The helmswoman also thanked her family, who, she said, had spent many happy hours restoring the classic during the early days of Covid in 2020.

Richard Leonard, skipper of Bandit was third Echo and IRCRichard Leonard, skipper of Bandit was third Echo and IRC Photo: Bob Bateman

Rear Admiral Keelboats Daragh Connelly acknowledged people were not keen on the experimental use of the White Sail only rule for this year's league but explained it was a bid to get new boats out on the water. "I saw people who came out that might not have come out, so from that point of view it was a useful experiment to get 32 boats competing," he told the fleet. 

Sean Hanley skipper of LuasSean Hanley skipper of Luas was the runner up in the Echo division Photo: Bob Bateman

Echo winners: The Under 25 Club J24 Team Sarah Kiely, Aoife O'Driscoll, Frances Corkery and Chris BatemanEcho winners: The Under 25 Club J24 Team Sarah Kiely, Aoife O'Driscoll, Frances Corkery and Chris Bateman Photo: Bob Bateman

Winter League Race Officers Clem and Wendy McElligottWinter League Race Officers Clem and Wendy McElligott Photo: Bob Bateman

Full results here 

© Afloat 2021 

Published in Royal Cork YC
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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