If you wondered how Harold Cudmore went to Saint-Tropez with the Royal Cork YC’s in-house Cork Harbour OD Jap last Autumn and duly came home with the glitziest classics prize, then the first two days of Volvo Cork Week 2022 have been providing an eloquent answer.

The Boy Harold and Jap have hit form again and notched two clear victories, while for good measure they’ve been coming home both times ahead on the water of a goodly selection of relative newbies from the likes of Dick Carter in his prime in the late 1960s.

Harold Cudmore helming Jap, the vintage Cork Harbour One Design Photo Rick Tomlinson

Of interest is the fact that Jap was not noted as a star in the class’s early days pre-World War I. But since then, she has been the only CHOD to get the complete Fairlie Restorations treatment from Duncan Walker and his team in order to optimize her for classics racing with Clayton Love Jnr, mainly on the Mediterranean circuit.

CHOD Jap (on left) racing in the Classics Division of Cork Week Photo: Rick Tomlinson

This has resulted in a boat which classics sailmaker and racing ace Andy Cassells has described as one of the most pleasant and rewarding yachts you could hope to helm. And even dead downwind, when the more modern craft are involved in the highly verbal hassle of setting mighty masthead spinnakers, Jap is already well on her way to the lee mark despite her relatively stumpy mast, having quietly swung out a mainsail which is the size of one very large barn door.

There is no stopping Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner BLT from the Royal Yacht Squadron, who kept their perfect scoreline on day two of Cork Week with an emphatic win in Race Three of the series to lead the class by four points.

Dorgan, Marshall & Losty’s Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club was runner-up in today’s race to move up to second for the regatta.

Fiona Young’s North Star from the Royal Cork YC scored a podium race finish today, moving up to fourth for the series.

Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase was fourth today and is now third for the series, but only on countback.

BLT on her mooring in Crosshaven reveals the Jacques Fauroux-designed Bullit hull. The boat is a previous winner of the 1980 Quarter Ton Cup in New Zealand. In all just seven Bullits were built, three of which won consecutive Quarter Ton Cups in 1978, 1980 and 1981, and they have become increasingly sought-after. Photo: Bob Bateman

J/109 designs continue to dominate the 16-strong IRC Two Class on Day Two of Cork Week.

John Maybury’s J/109 Joker 2 from the Royal Irish YC won today’s race by under a minute on time correction from Finbarr O'Regan’s J/109 Artful Dodjer from the Kinsale YC.

Barry Cunningham’s Royal Irish YC team racing Chimaera was third.

After three races, Joker 2 has a three-point lead.

Pat Kelly’s J/109 Storm is second but only on countback from Chimaera.

Recent Bangor Town Regatta winner J109 Storm (Pat Kelly) is lying second in Cork Week IRC 2 Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Louise Makin & Chris Jones’ J/111 Journeymaker II from the Royal Southern YC in the UK won both of today’s light air races to lead Cork Week IRC One by four points.

Team Knight Build racing J/112 Happy Daize from the RORC have retained second place after three races.

J/112 Happy Daize Photo Rick Tomlinson

Nick Burn’s Royal Hong Kong YC had a great day on Mills 39 Zero II to snatch third, just one point ahead of Andrew McIrvine’s Ker 39 La Reponse and Jonathan Anderson’s J/122 El Gran Senor.

Andrew McIrvine’s Ker 39 La Reponse Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Classic racing is back at Volvo Cork Week and Royal Cork Yacht Club's Harold Cudmore was on the helm of the Cork Harbour One Design Jap for a victory on the first day.

1968 French entry Bilou-Belle Tina from the Atlantic Yacht Club is second with Dafydd Hughes Bendigedig in third place in the eight-boat fleet.

Simon O'Keeffe's 1902 restored Gaff Cutter Lady Min is racing in Cork Week's Classic division Photo Rick Tomlinson

Last October, Jap skippered by Harold Cudmore and with a crew that counted former club Admiral Colin Morehead among its number won Le Voile Saint Tropez Classic Regatta in the South of France.

Jap, built in Carrigaloe in 1897 and fully restored and sailing again as part of RCYC's 300th celebrations, took an unassailable lead in her class at the important classic regatta.

Cork Week Classics after one race sailed

1st Jap Cork Harbour One Design CHODMF CHODMF C4 Royal Cork YC
2nd Bilou-Belle Tina 1968 JJ Ollu FRA 4335 Atlantic YC
3rd Bendigedig S&S 34 Dafydd Hughes GBR 8383L Aberaeron

Peter Dunlop's former ISORA champion J109 Mojito leads Volvo Cork Week's 21-boat IRC coastal class after the first race of the series. 

Second is Paul & Deirdre Tingle's X-yacht Alpaca.

Round Ireland race rivalries from June are renewed for third and fourth places with the Howth Yacht Club Grand Soleil 40 Samatom of Robert Rendell leading Michael O'Donnell's J121 Darkwood. 

Cork Week coastal class after one race sailed

1 Mojito Peter Dunlop GBR 9047R PSC 
2 Alpaca Paul & Deirdre Tingle IRL 36502 Royal Cork YC 
3 Darkwood Michael O'Donnell 

Results below

Bruce Huber's JND39 Xanaboo from the Royal Yacht Squadron is competing in the IRC Coastal class Photo: Rick Tomlinson

 12/7/22 - This article was modifed to reflect an update in the official results from Cork Week organisers

Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner BLT from the Royal Yacht Squadron dominated IRC Three of Volvo Cork Week Regatta today, scoring three straight bullets.

Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase (that won overall in the UK at the weekend) scored three podium race results to end the day in second place in the 22 boat class.

Dorgan, Marshall & Losty’s Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club finished Day One in third.

“We haven’t sailed Cork Week since we did it on Farr 52 Bob 12 years ago,” commented BLT’s helm Sam Laidlaw. “We have come back because it’s such a great place and with 300 years of history, everybody should be here. Today was a bit light for us, we would prefer more wind, but we will see.”

Class 3 IRC Class after three sailed

1st BLT Fauroux Quarter Ton Sam Laidlaw FRA 8051 Royal Yacht Squadron
2nd HeadCase J24 Marcus Ryan 4247 HYC/MSC/LRYC/BYC
3rd Illegal Quater Ton Farr Dorgan/Marshall/Losty IRL1751

Results here

16 teams in Cork Week IRC Two raced on a laid course in Ringabella Bay, three J/109s swapped the lead during the three races on Day One.

Barry Cunningham’s Royal Irish YC team racing Chimaera won a hotly contested first race by just nine seconds.

Pat Kelly’s Storm with a team from Howth YC/Rush SC rose to the challenge winning Race Two.

John Maybury’s Joker 2 from the Royal Irish won Race Three by just 17 seconds. Joker 2’s consistent results (3,2,1) were rewarded with first in class after three races. Chimaera is second and Storm in third.

IRC Two after three races sailed

1st Joker 2 J109 John Maybury IRL1206 RIYC
2nd  Chimaera J109 Barry Cunningham IRL 2160 Royal Irish Yacht Club
3rd  IRC Storm J109 Pat Kelly IRL 1141 Howth YC/Rush SC

Results here

Louise Makin & Chris Jones’ J/111 Journeymaker 11 from the Royal Southern YC won today’s first Volvo Cork Week race in IRC One by just under a minute from Team Knight Build racing J/112 Happy Daize from the RORC.

Jonathan Anderson’s J/122 El Gran Senor from the Clyde Cruising Club made it a full J Boats podium finishing third in the 16-boat fleet.

This is Journeymaker’s first-ever Cork Week, and the 2021 J/111 UK National Champion, loved racing on the Cork Harbour Course today.

“I would say it was a very good first day in unfamiliar waters,” commented Journeymaker’s navigator, Louise Makin. “We made some really good decisions; the crew work was excellent and the atmosphere on the boat was terrific. The harbour is a fabulous place to race, and we have been blessed with great weather. We have a top Irish sailor on board; Laura Dillon and we worked really well together today.”

Cork Week Top Three IRC One after one race: 

1st JourneyMaker 11 J111 Louise Makin GBR 7751R Royal Southern YC 1.094 1.0 1.0 1.0
2nd Happy Daize J112E Knight Build Ltd GBR 748R RORC 1.051 2.0 2.0 2.0
3rd El Gran Senor J 122 E Jonathan Anderson GBR 4822R CCC 1.090 3.0

Results here

Current 1720 European champions Robbie English, Aoife & Ross McDonald from Royal Cork YC / Howth YC lead after the firsthree races sailed at Volvo Cork Week.

Despite the balmy air temperature, RCYC's own sportsboat class’s return was marked by dense fog on the windward-leeward course about a mile outside Cork Harbour.

The mist soon cleared, revealing 44 1720s going at it, guns and blazes.

44 1720s are racing at Volvo Cork Week Photo: Rick Tomlinson

There were three highly contested windward-leeward races between Roches Point and Ringabella Bay. An outstanding performance from Rope Dock Atara gives the team from Royal Cork and Howth a whopping 11-point lead after three races. Padraig Byrne & Donny Wilson’s Zing from the Royal Cork is second and Tom, Neil & Paul Hegarty’s efolioaccounts from Baltimore won the first race but finished in third at the end of Day one.

Ross McDonald, Robbie & Aoife English, and Killian Collins racing 1720 Rope Dock Atara. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

“We are delighted with a 2-1-1 today, “commented Rope Dock Atara’s helm Ross McDonald. “Our aim was to keep the race results in single digits, as I believe this will be a high-scoring regatta, so to get off to a flyer is fantastic. We got one good start, one okay, and also one that we had to get out of jail. In this fleet, especially in light air, it is all about getting the fresh air and the wheels on.”

efolioaccounts.com Tom, Neil and Paul Hegarty from Baltimore SC lies third overall Photo: Rick Tomlonson

1720 Top three after three races 

1st Rope Dock Atara Robbie English, Aoife & Ross McDonald Royal Cork YC / Howth YC
2nd 1720 ZING Padraig Byrne & Donny Wilson 1792 Royal Cork YC
3rd 1720 efolioaccounts.com Tom, Neil and Paul Hegarty 1724 Baltimore SC

Results here