Tonight is a big night for the Royal Cork at Crosshaven, where the Rear Admiral for Keelboats is looking forward to firing the starting gun again this evening.
It's not for racing, but for keelboat training, as a prelude to getting back to the racing mode.
More boats are being launched daily in Cork Harbour as the pent-up demand for a return to competition is being released.
"We are glad to be getting back on the water. It will be exciting to blow the start gun for training on Thursday night and even better to sound the racing start in June," says Daragh Connolly, Keelboats Rear Admiral, at the RCYC as preparations are finalised for getting yachts into racing mode again.
Daragh Connolly, Keelboats Rear Admiral at Royal Cork Yacht Club
Racing itself won't resume until after June 7, so the training sessions will be used to get racers prepared and up to speed for events like the Sovereigns Cup and the resumption of evening cruiser racing next month.
"The situation is improving, but we are clearly not out of the woods yet," club Admiral Colin Morehead has told members, announcing that facilities are gradually re-opening.
As well as the plan for keelboats, other adult sailors, including National 18s and Lasers, are being told by their Class Captains about restarting racing.
Youth sailors are already back on the water and training in pods of 15.
Daragh Connolly is my guest on this week's Afloat Podcast (below), where he outlined the plans for a return to racing and how club members were welcoming it.
