It would be stretching it a bit, and then some, to say that the J/109 has taken more than twenty years to become an overnight national success in Ireland. Nevertheless the versatile Rod Johnstone design – which first appeared in 2001 and was almost immediately pioneered in Ireland by the Tyrrell shipping family of Arklow with Acquelina – seemed to be a boat that was admired by many of us as ideal for busy cruiser-racing Irish style, yet few immediately committed.
But now they're the stars of Volvo Cork Week, with Simon Coveney sailing Finbar O'Regan of Kinsale's J/109 Artful Dodjer to total success in the Beaufort Cup. So James Tyrrell and his family were well ahead of their time. For it was many years after the debut of the J/109 Aquelina before the boat began to achieve enough critical mass to provide first class semi-One-Design cruiser-racing status in Dublin Bay, while also regularly reaching the podium elsewhere.
Local boy makes good. Simon Coveney and his crew in shared jubilation after winning the Fastnet Race stage of the Beaufort Cup series, in which they went on to be overall winner Photo: James Tomlinson
A spring in her step – the neatly set up Artful Dodjer closes in on Roche's Point as she nears her win in the Fastnet Race stage of the Beaufort Cup. Photo: James Tomlinson
Indeed, some might suggest that Irish sailors only climbed aboard the J/109 in significant numbers as production ceased in 2012, because our cruiser-racer owner-skippers could then shop around for some internationally-available second-hand J/109 bargains. Their fashion-obsessed original owners had started to look at what J/Boats and other builders were providing as an ultra-new cruiser-racer in the same general size-bracket, while other long-time J/109 sailors were planning to move up in size.
ONE DESIGN CONCEPT IS PART OF SAILING IN IRELAND'S DNA
But – apart from some notable exceptions – Irish cruiser-racer sailors tend to see things in a different way. "If it ain't broke, then don't try and fix it" they reckon. Indeed, they reason that, while others may hasten blindly after novelty, if you can get a good one-design class going in your sailing area, then it's a pearl beyond price. Cherish it, and keep it going regardless of the attractions of other newer craft. And since then, the J/109's versatility and seriously competitive style has proved to be enduring.
QUICK AND CONVENIENT PERFORMANCE TUNING OPTIONS
This is particularly so for Dublin Bay owners, where the busy J/109 OD class (in the best 137-year-old One-Design traditions of the Bay) provides a handy and very sporting means of getting a boat into top tune. This in turn quickly provides optimum performance, not otherwise immediately gauged when pitched against other marques and newer designs in the rough-and-tumble of offshore racing and open regattas.
It wasn't all sunshine and blue seas – John Maybury's Joker 2 leaps seaward during a grey interval. Photo: James Tomlinson
That's more like it – Lance Allen's J/122 Javelin from Arklow finds the sun. Photo: Robert Bateman
Certainly in the just-concluded "never mind the weather" maritime festivities and cut-throat competition of Volvo Cork Week 2024 at Crosshaven, the J/109 has succeeded in a way that few could have expected after more than two decades of the design being available. And it has done so with such a style that it reinforces its semi-cult status.
J/109 HAS "MANY MOMENTS"
In fact, just when some casual observers might think the J/109 must finally and surely be slipping from its exalted state, 2024 is already suggesting otherwise. J/109s have been having a moment many times over this season in Ireland, and it has already proved a vintage year for the class.
It started in 2024 with the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race in June, when Simon Knowles' J/109 Indian (HYC) won the Corinthian Division. And though the J/109 Storm (Pat Kelly, Rush SC) didn't again win the biennial Bangor Regatta on Belfast Lough overall, she won IRC 2 for the third time in a row.
Then in the Royal Irish YC Regatta's two races in Dublin Bay on the final Saturday of June, Tim Goodbody's J/109 White Mischief swept the board in IRC2, while sisterships Outrajeous (John & Suzy Murphy HYC) and Barry Cunningham's Chimaera (RIYC) were second and third.
Does starboard mean starboard in Cork? J/122 Mojito from Pwllheli mixing it with Cape 31 Antix from Crosshaven. Photo: Robert Bateman
FOCUS SWINGS TO CORK
Attention turned to Cork as July drew on, and with a further re-staging of the Dublin Bay to Cork Race of 1860 (handily known as the K2Q) there were J boats, and others of various sizes, at the top of the leaderboard at different times. But the Shanahan's family's J/109 Ruth (a former winner in 2015 of the Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Race) emerged back into the limelight to take the overall win at the finish.
NO STOPPING J/109s
Enough already, you might reasonably say. But there's no stopping those J/109s. As Volvo Cork Week got under way, Barry Cunningham's Chimaera (formerly a Scottish Series Overall Champion in the ownership of Andrew Craig RIYC) was consistently showing on top.
Steady nerves. Class winner Chimaera (Barry Cunningham, RIYC) cuts the mustard at Volvo Cork Week Photo: James Tomlinson
But meanwhile down in West Cork on the very oceanic waters of the Fastnet Rock, another J/109 – Artful Dodjer - was doing very well in the Beaufort Cup Race for services crews, racing out and back around the Fastnet Rock, and returning with a real flavour of ocean sailing into the history-laden shelter of Cork Harbour.
SOME J109 SKILLS
Artful Dodjer (please note the wandering "J" as required of J-Boat owners) is a result of work by Brian Mathews and recently-retired government minister Simon Coveney TD, the local Deputy for South Cork, to put the package together for a competitive boat and team for the Beaufort Cup series within Cork Week for crews from all services – Defence, lifeboats, ambulances, the lot.
Green and silver. The Mills-designed Cape 31 Shotgunn in a very Irish setting. Photo: Robert Bateman
As it was Simon Coveney himself who first thought of the idea of the Beaufort Cup when he was Minister for Defence back in February 2016, he has scored a double in winning it on his return to active sailing. But in fairness, eight years ago the raw idea was immediately handed over to Commandant Barry Byrne for implementation.
As the top sailing man in the Defence Forces, Barry Byrne knew which buttons to press and which doors to open. It ran as smooth as silk when introduced in July 2016, with the winner being the Irish Defence Forces racing John Maybury's J/109 Joker 2, whose skipper was Commandant Barry Byrne. Is that neat, or what?
A great idea goes public. At the launching of the Beaufort Cup for Inter-Services Sailing on July 15th 2016 at Volvo Cork Week were (left to right) Royal Cork YC CEO Gavin Deane, Commandant Barry Byrne, Simon Coveney TD, and Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. Barry Byrne and Simon Coveney have since won the trophy themselves. Photo: Robert Bateman
CROSS-COUNTRY CONNECTIONS
Brian Mathews may or may not be related - however distantly - to the great privateer, smuggler and very fast sailor James Mathews of the early 1800s, who was from Rush in Fingal, where his headstone can still be found in Kenure Graveyard. And as the Kelly Clan of the J/109 Storm live just up the road, maybe in the fullness of time there'll be a memorial to the J/109 there as well. But judging by the continuing overall success of the class in 2024, it will be a long time before such a thing has to be contemplated.
Meanwhile, the varied fleet in Volvo Cork Week was worthy of a study in its own right, and you get some idea of the range in this drone footage of the fleet shortly after the start of the Harbour Race in the initial leg to seaward, with Frank Whelan's Elliott 57 Opal like a prowling shark over at the far end under Roche's Point, while the foreground towards the vid end includes Anthony O'Leary's red Mark Mills-designed Cape 31 Antix giving a master-class in keeping a clear wind.
MARK MILLS PRESENCE
Designer Mark Mills of Wicklow is usually involved with larger boats than most of those taking part in Volvo Cork Week. But that said, in addition to the Cape 31s he has one of his oldest designs, Keith Miller's Mills 36 Prime Suspect from Kilmore Quay, making the scene in the Services Division for Rosslare Lifeboat where Keith is cox'n. And the banner for Hong Kong has been stylishly carried by Nick Burns (RHKYC) racing the superb Mills King 40 Blitz to total success in IRC Zero.
Explosive effect. The Mills-designed King 40 Blitz from Hong Kong (Nick Burns) has found the journey to Cork well worthwhile Photo: James Tomlinson
Another highlight has been the battle of the classic Half Tonners between the Farr-designed near-sisters Swuzzlebubble (James Dwyer, Royal Cork) and 2 Farr of the Boardman, Kelly & O'Leary team (Rush & Baltimore) with it going right down to the last race with 2 Farr edging it.
Having been found in Australia, the restored Swuzzlebubble near-sister 2 Farr took the overall Classic Half Tonner win in the final race for another title for Rush SC Photo: James Tomlinson
CORK WEEK BUSINESS
A high-profile event like Volvo Cork Week will feature sailing's modern mix of true Corinthians, semi professionals, and true professionals who make their living out of sailing, though it has to be said that for some reason, having a sailing journalist on board is not thought to convey any significant performance benefit.
We have to live with that. Meanwhile, the people sailing and talking professional shop down Crosshaven way this past week have included The Prof on ValenTina, Mono on Joker 2, Stefano Cherino (top Melges/49er sailor) on Chimaera, Shane Hughes on Prince of Tides, Barry Hayes with Robert Dix on the 1720, Seafra Guilfoyle on the 1720 Atara with Ross McDonald, and Nigel and the Young family on North Star.
North Star speaks to it every way. She's an Albin Express, a design which was commissioned from Swedish designer Peter Norlin in 1978 to be Europe's answer to the J/24 which had appeared the year before. It's a kind of back-handed compliment to the ancestor of all the J boats, yet the Albin Express commission has had the happy result of producing a sweet little boat of happy disposition which has been winning every which way through Cork Week - it seems the Young family have the mixing of business with pleasure just right.
Successful mixing of business with pleasure – the Young family's successful Albin Express North Star is blessed by Cobh Cathedral. Photo: Robert Bateman
