Where other people and places see problems, down Crosshaven way they see opportunities and solutions. Thus although the sailing world generally may be getting increasingly agitated about the fact that fibreglass boats seem to last forever and eventually present a serious disposal problem, around Cork Harbour, they're increasingly showing that the fast fibreglass boats of forty and more years ago are still fast, and with some shrewd selections and skilful re-spray work, bingo! - you've got an interesting racing proposition at a fraction of the cost of a new boat.

People have been quietly doing this for some years now, but it's during the past week with the re-appearance of the very classic refurbished Bruce Farr 727 Farrocious of 1977 vintage that the trend has come centre stage to show that Crosser is the coolest place for classics. Farrocious had been resting ashore for some years down Kinsale way, but a carefully-calculated re-spray brought her into the equation when the hyper-light mast of the Half Tonner Miss Whiplash fell asunder, and it seems that an instant purchase of Farrocious was the solution for the continuing season of the Whiplash equipe.

A skilled re-spray can work wonders. The newly-gleaming Farrocious makes her debut in Cork Harbour last week, a classic Bruce Farr design of 1977. Photo: Robert Bateman

Or at least that's the story as far as we can make sense out of it in a Bank Holiday weekend, with all minds increasingly directed towards Calves Week at Schull, and Cork Harbour being the place where the basic mantra has always been: "Whatever you say, say nothing".

Yet the camera does not lie, and Bob Bateman's pic from last Thursday evening's racing at RCYC indisputably shows three of the revivals together in the form of Richard Leonard's Bolero Class Bandit, Farrocious in her new gleaming glory, and the Young family's restored Albin Express North Star.

Add to that the most way-out of them all, Kieran Collins' mini Transpac sled, the Olson 30 Coracle IV which originated in Santa Cruz in California, and we begin to have a serious lineup of interesting boats that have lasted well and keep on winning.

Kieran Collins' Olson 30 Coracle IV – a mini TransPac sled - is possibly the only boat of her type in Europe, yet she won her class at the Sovereigns Cup in Kinsale in June. Photo: Robert Bateman

Coracle IV – the kinship with the 73ft Pyewacket which Roy Disney brought to Cork some years ago is very evident. Photo: Robert Bateman

It may take a while to get Farrocious up to speed, but the potential is there. She was originally brought to Ireland in 1977 by the late Jim Poole of the National YC in Dun Laoghaire, and current Dublin Bay luminaries such as Don O'Dowd and Brian Mathews can remember her getting into the groove in ISORA racing. On a tearing run, Don recalls, she'd do a horizon job on the entire fleet, and as Mad Jim drove her crazily on over the 15-knots plus and steady mark, she starts very positively to hum – it took a while to learn to live with this.

Bruce Farr classic – the Farr 727 plans from 1977.

Looking at her plans, it's obvious there's nothing to stop her being a flyer downwind in big breeze, but it may take a bit of doing to keep her competitive going upwind in a light breeze with a lumpy sea. Nevertheless, she's a worthy addition to the Crosshaven Classics, and it will be particularly interesting to see how she shapes up to the Albin Express North Star.

In the late 1970s, Swedish designer Peter Norlin reckoned he could produce a competitive improvement on the already all-conquering J/24 from America, and the Albin Express was the result. But by the time the production line was up and running, the J/24 had acquired cult status. Nevertheless, there were those who believed that the Albin Express did have enough little improvements to add up to a better all-around package. But though there were many of them in Scandinavia, in Ireland, the Albin Express was and is about as rare as hen's teeth. Yet the attractive Express does have her devoted aficionados, and Fiona Young with the stylishly-presented North Star is one of them, and she has just won the July League at RCYC under every handicap system in a confident style that reflects the boat's excellent handling characteristics. But with Farrocious now being added to a fascinating little fleet, future results will be of interest.

Meanwhile, those trying to make a living by selling new boats have very mixed feelings about this developing trend. Indeed, it has been suggested that every classic in this rather special group should be made exclusively eligible for a new award - the Landfill Trophy.

Steady as she goes…the Albin Express North Star runs straight and true towards overall success in the RCYC July League. Photo: Robert Bateman

Round the world sailor Damian Foxall has expressed support for Ireland’s attempt to host the prestigious America’s Cup yacht race in Cork harbour.

The Kerry-born professional sailor who has competed in six Volvo ocean races and won one, says any America’s Cup bid would have to be pursued with “eyes wide open” due to the high cost involved.

"The America's Cup is the pinnacle of match racing, and the boats are out of this world in terms of technology," Foxall said.

"To have in Cork would be such a great venue - if we can host Volvo Ocean Races as we did in Galway, and sail in the Olympics and have Tom Dolan competing in La Solitaire du Figaro, then why not have the America's Cup here in Ireland," he added.

Round the world sailor Damian Foxall - advises of high costs involved in staging an America's Cup in Ireland

“It is not too far fetched for Ireland to host an event like this, given that Galway hosted two Volvo ocean races - and fair dues to anyone trying to bring it here,” Foxall said.

“It would be wonderful for Ireland to host it, but the stakes are a lot higher, the risk is a lot higher and I’m not sure if the benefit is a lot higher,” Foxall said.

As Afloat has reported, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has confirmed that a team has been working on Ireland’s bid since January of this year.

The world’s biggest and oldest sailing event is ranked third only to the Olympics and a Football World Cup in sporting value for a host country.

The current cup holders Team New Zealand, have not yet decided if the 37th such event in 2024 will take place again in Auckland, Coveney said.

Spectator boats watch the 36th match racing in Auckland in March Photo: Studio Borlenghi

It was recently reported that Team New Zealand began discussions abroad on alternative venues after turning down a bid from their home nation’s government worth NZ$99 million, or some €58.3 million.

Ireland has been among several venues explored for the New Zealanders by global sports investment group Origin Sports, headed by Cork-based Stewart Hosford.

Coveney confirmed that Belfast and Dublin had also been assessed initially, but Cork won out in terms of infrastructure and international links – and the fact the city is built on one of the world’s finest natural harbours.

The former Cork dockyard, a 44-acre site in Cobh, could provide a race village, and owners Doyle Shipping Group have been very supportive, Coveney said.

“We have made the case that we can replicate a home here in Cork harbour for Team New Zealand which has many similarities to Auckland,” he said.

Racing at the America's Cup in Auckland - New Zealand’s business ministry estimated the America's Cup would be worth between 355 million euros to 592 million euros to the economy between 2018 and 2021 Photo: Studio Borlenghi

Coveney declined to comment on a figure for hosting the event, but said that Ernst and Young were liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on a detailed cost-benefit analysis.

“How we fund it, whether it is through a combination of urban renewal and other funds, has to be worked out, but it won’t happen if we don’t show the economic benefit”, he said.

In 2017, New Zealand’s business ministry estimated the America's Cup would be worth between 355 million euros to 592 million euros to the economy between 2018 and 2021 and hosting the event would create between 4700 and 8300 jobs.

However, New Zealand recorded heavy losses on hosting the event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A spokesman for New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment confirmed to Afloat that a total of NZ$348.4 million (205 million euro) was spent by State authorities on America’s Cup-related capital and operating expenditure over four years.

The current cup holders Team New Zealand, have not yet decided if the 37th such event in 2024 will take place again in Auckland

“ A cost-benefit analysis identified that, when considering financial returns only, New Zealand got 48 cents back for every dollar put in," the spokesman said.

" The overall economic return of hosting the America’s Cup was lower than forecast due to the lower-than-expected number of Challengers, the impacts of Covid-19 and costs being higher than forecast,” the spokesman said.

Coveney has said that a successful bid to host the America’s Cup yacht race would establish Ireland as a “leader of the blue economy within the EU” and would also be a significant expression of the Government’s “Global Ireland” initiative”.

“Some 2.5 million people came to see it when it was last in Europe, and we have taken a lot of learning from the Valencia experience,” Coveney said.

Tea merchant Sir Thomas Lipton, the Aga Khan and media and business tycoons Ted Turner and Alan Bond are among those associated with supporting the sailing event.

The match racing between a “defender” and a “challenger” was first won by a syndicate from the New York Yacht Club in a race against Britain around the Isle of Wight in 1851.

The US successfully defended the trophy 24 times until 1983 when Australia secured it, and it was last hosted in Europe by the Spanish port of Valencia.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has confirmed that a team has been working on Ireland’s bid for the America’s Cup since January of this year.

The world’s biggest and oldest sailing event is ranked third only to the Olympics and a Football World Cup in sporting value for a host country.

Global viewership for the race in New Zealand this year was 940 million.

The current holders of the America’s Cup, Team New Zealand, have been exploring alternative venues after reportedly turning down a bid from their home nation’s government worth NZ$99 million, or some €58.3 million.

Ireland is on a shortlist, with Cork harbour as venue, and a final decision will be made in mid-September, Coveney said.

Coveney confirmed that Belfast and Dublin had also been assessed initially, but Cork won out in terms of infrastructure and international links – and the fact the city is built on one of the world’s finest natural harbours.

Galway was not considered due to lack of sufficient infrastructure and international connectivity, he said.

“Galway did host two Volvo Ocean Races and a lot of New Zealand sailors regard it as one of the most successful sporting events of all time,” Coveney said.

“There were some financial issues after the second Volvo ocean race, but that is a separate issue,” he said.

As an Irish port, Cork Harbour won out in terms of its infrastructure and international links says Minister Coveney Photo: Bob Bateman

“We had New Zealanders asking us about Galway, but essentially it was down to infrastructure and international aviation links,” he said.

Global sports investment group Origin Sports, headed by Cork-based Stewart Hosford, recently led a fact-finding visit to Cork for Team New Zealand’s assessment team.

The former Cork dockyard, a 44-acre site in Cobh, could provide a race village, and owners Doyle Shipping Group have been very supportive, Coveney said.

Team New Zealand is the holder of the America's Cup Photo: Studio Borlenghi

“We have made the case that we can replicate a home here in Cork harbour for Team New Zealand which has many similarities to Auckland,” he said.

Coveney declined to comment on a figure for hosting the event but said that Ernst and Young were liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on a detailed cost-benefit analysis.

“How we fund it, whether it is through a combination of urban renewal and other funds, has to be worked out, but it won’t happen if we don’t show the economic benefit”, he said.

In 2017, New Zealand’s business ministry estimated the America's Cup would be worth between 355 million euros to 592 million euros to the economy between 2018 and 2021 and hosting the event would create between 4700 and 8300 jobs.

The 2021 America's Cup was the most watched

However, New Zealand recorded heavy losses on hosting the event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Coveney has said that a successful bid to host the America’s Cup yacht race would establish Ireland as a “leader of the blue economy within the EU” and would also be a significant expression of the Government’s “Global Ireland” initiative”.

Race Day 3 and spectator boats watch the action in Auckland Harbour during the 36th America's Cup in March 2021

Auckland's Dockside Race Village with Rock The Dock with Rod Stewart in full swing in March

“Some 2.5 million people came to see it when it was last in Europe, and we have taken a lot of learning from the Valencia experience,” Coveney said.

He said a successful bid would “fast-track Project Ireland 2040 investment in Cork, in particular Cork harbour’s ambition in becoming Ireland’s offshore renewable energy hub by supporting €5bn capital deployment in wind projects, creating 10,000 jobs over the next decade.”

Dr Val Cummins of Simply Blue Energy said that hosting an event like the America’s Cup would focus attention on Ireland’s island potential and its blue economy.

Professor sailor Maurice “Prof” O’Connell said that Ireland was in a very strong position to win the bid if it moves from New Zealand, and the proposed race hub at Cobh would be “tailor-made” for 60 to 70 superyachts.

“This is not just a weekend of sport, but a two year plus boost, with six or eight sailing teams basing themselves in the host country from 2022, along with designers, engineers, sports scientists, managers and so on,” O’Connell said.

Port of Galway harbourmaster Capt Brian Sheridan – who first proposed publicly that Ireland should consider holding the America’s Cup - said that Galway had much expertise to offer, having hosted two Volvo ocean races.

“These new foiling boats we have seen in America’s Cup races don’t have keels, so don’t require depth of water – and Galway Bay is a natural amphitheatre for spectators,” Sheridan said.

After eight races sailed and with two discards applied, Oisin Pierse is the leader of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Optimist dinghy July Main fleet Series. 

With for race wins on his scorecard, Pierse has a six-point margin over Isha Duggan on 16 points. In thid place is Dougie Venner.

Provisional results are here

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Optimist Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

Cobh had a Tall Ship visitor this week and the sight of her in Cork Harbour last night evoked memories of times past when brigantines such as Tres Hombres were common place in the harbour in the 1800s.

The visiting Tres Hombres is reviving this tradition and pointing the way towards a more sustainable future. She has no engine and travels the world's oceans exclusively under sail power, bringing non-perishable commercial cargos between ports.

As Cork Beo reports this is her second visit - and her second time picking up a delivery of several tonnes of Irish-brewed craft beers for delivery to Les Sables-d'Olonne on the northern Atlantic coast of France.

The ship is part of the Fair Transport Shipping and Trading Line which uses sail power - both classic and modern - to transport cargoes in a carbon-neutral, sustainable fashion.

Bob Bateman captured the ship on its departure from Cork last night for Afloat

The revived Rankin fleet dominates Cove Sailing Club's Wednesday night dinghy league in Cork Harbour, taking the top three positions of 22-boats entered. Owen O’Connell has pushed Maurice Kidney out of first and leads on 10 points after six races sailed, a point ahead of Kidney. Gary Mills has brought his Rankin into third position, on 22 points.

Changing his Rankin for a cruiser, Mills leads the Friday Night white sail league in the Shipman 28, Tonga; from Nick O’Rourke’s First 32, Bright Wings; with Brian Curtis in the Sun Odyssey 37, Déjà Vu, third.

Meanwhile, as Afloat reported earlier, Cove Sailing Club will run the annual Ballinacurra Race, in conjunction with the National 18 Class, this Saturday. First Gun 3 p.m. in the Spit Bank area. The race is for Class 1 and 2 dinghies and Rankins.

Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour is holding the Ballinacurra Race this Saturday (24th July) in conjunction with the National 18 dinghy class. 

The last race there was in 2019 but prior to that the 'Ballinacurra Cruising Club' would traditionally have an annual pilgrimage from Royal Cork in Crosshaven to 'Jacko's Bar'.

In part, the in-harbour cruise commemorated the fact that the Midleton pier was the final disembarkation point for the last commercial sailing ship in Cork Harbour.

The harbour channel for Ballinacurra is located near East Ferry but, say, harbour experts, it is slowly getting silted up and now limited to about five feet of draught.

Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour is holding the Ballinacurra Race to Midleton this Sat (24th July) in conjunction with the National 18 dinghy class. Photo: Bob Bateman

The channel to Ballinacurra is reportedly marked by plastic milk bottles and other similar buoyage.

Most boats venturing up that way go towards the top of the tide. But, say, locals, "you have to get out of it pretty sharpish or you can get caught".

The Cove Sailing Club race is an open event and Commodore Niall Hawes is keen to spread the news of the weekend fixture. 

The start time is 3 pm near to the harbour's Spit Bank.

There are three classes; class 1, Class Two (dinghies) plus local Rankin dinghies.

The prizegiving will be held outside Jacko's.

More here

Although there was a small enough turnout, the Irish Examiner sponsored Round Spike Island Race was sailed in beautiful sunshine in Cork Harbour.

Eight keelboats and six dinghies competed for the annual Royal Cork Yacht Club hosted event.

Scroll down for photo gallery below

The cruisers went off first being given a course to No. 3 buoy at the mouth of the harbour and then round Spike and a finish in the river at Currabinny Pier near the Royal Cork clubhouse at Crosshaven.

The dinghies had a reach mark laid off Spike and then onwards to round the island.

Alex Barry, at the helm of the winning National 18 dinghy Photo: Bob Bateman

Alex Barry, at the helm of a National 18, won the dinghy prize against a mixed fleet including an Oppie, a Topper, a Wayfarer and three visiting 505s.

The Young Family's North Star was the Cruiser winner of the Round Spike Island Race Photo: Bob Bateman

The Young Family's North Star won the keelboat prize.

Bob Bateman's RCYC Round Spike Island Photo Gallery

Maurice Kidney's Rankin continues to lead the Wednesday Night Dinghy League at Cove SC in Cork Harbour on 7 points from Owen O'Connell.

The latter continues second in another Rankin on 9, with Joe Keenan making up the top trio in his Solo on 15 points.

There are 16 boats in the fleet.

On Thursday 15th July, Cobh and Harbour Chamber and the Port of Cork will jointly host an online cruise tourism workshop. The workshop is aimed at local tourist attractions and providers and is a great opportunity to hear about the global cruise industry as destinations and Ports emerge from the pandemic, and the planned return of cruises to Cork in 2022.

The workshop will host several key speakers including Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer Port of Cork, Niamh McCarthy MD of Excursions Ireland, Captain Michael McCarthy Chair of Cruise Europe, Jackie Coakley Cobh Tourism and Seamus Heaney Pure Cork/Visit Cork.

A Cruiser liner passes Crosshaven while exiting Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

This workshop is a must for anyone in the tourism business that wants to get a synopsis of the cruise industry and how it will operate once it returns in 2022. It is also an opportunity for local businesses to explore ways of developing new shore excursions that can be sold to potential cruise passengers coming to Cobh and Cork.

President of Cobh & Harbour Chamber, Johanna Murphy said: ‘This cruise tourism workshop is such an exciting opportunity for local businesses and tourism attractions to hear first-hand from industry experts on the how we can all play our part in the resumption of cruise. Since the pandemic, Cobh has not had any visiting cruise ships and we are very eager to encourage their return as their economic contribution is valuable to the town of Cobh.’

The 75,000 tonne Norwegian Spirit is a Leo-class cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Photo: Bob Bateman

While cruise bookings are strong for 2022, the Port of Cork is cautiously optimistic that a resumption can happen once all necessary return protocols are in place.

Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer said: ‘Cruise tourism took a massive hit during the pandemic both locally and globally. We are nonetheless optimistic that cruise will return to Cork in 2022. We must now focus on developing a return to cruise protocol that will satisfy the Dept of Transport, Port Health, Cruise Lines, Shore Excursion providers local business and communities. This really is a combined effort from all parties to ensure the safe return and this cruise workshop is the first step in working together.’

The Royal Princess alongside in Cobh in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

Cruise Liners in Cork Harbour Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman