Johnny Durcan was the winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club's prestigious Pyewacket Trophy for his results in the Laser Radial class. It's a campaign boost to the Cork youth sailor's winter race preparations as he heads off to New Zealand on December 7th for the World Sailing Youth World Championships where a place on the podium would equal club–mate Seafra Guilfoyle's silver medal of 2014.

Durcan started his season with a third at the Youth nationals and received a place on the ISA academy and from there went on to Hyeres to finish ninth at the biggest Laser Radial Europa Cup of the year. Following that he finished fourth at the Holland Europa cup and then third at the Belgium Europa Cup. At home, the Royal Cork ace won the Leinsters a week before finishing seventh at the  KBC–sponsored Radial Youth World Championships at the Royal St.George on Dublin Bay. From there he travelled to Weymouth and became the British youth champion the following week. The last event of the summer was the national championships in Galway which he also won to earn himself a place at the Youth worlds in NZ next month. To cap off a season of highs he also won the Junior All Irelands in late September in Schull.

Durcan is heading off to New Zealand on December 7th. He has been training every weekend for the past three months. After New Zealand Durcan moves to compete in the Australian Radial Nationals.

In October 2001, the late Roy Disney, widely known American sailing enthusiast who had a home in West Cork, had strong ties with the Royal Cork Yacht Club, and participated in many Ford Cork Week Regattas, presented the club with the Pyewacket Perpetual Cup at a dinner in the club hosted by the then Admiral, Anthony O'Leary. The Pyewacket Trophy is presented each year to the youth sailor, who in the opinion of the Adjudicating Committee, has achieved the best results overall in his or her class.

Johnny's twin brother Harry was a nominee with Harry Whitaker was a nominee for the Pyewacket trophy following their success at the 29er British Nationals in August.

The twin's father Tom, is co–owner of the 1720 T–Bone, the winner of the 2016 Sports Boat Cup and last month's 1720 Class winner of RCYC's CH Marine Autumn Series. 

Read also: Irish Youth Sailing Success Comes Centre Stage

A unique north–south Olympic campaign was launched last night at Royal Cork Yacht Club when double Olympian Ryan Seaton of Belfast Lough announced new crew Seafra Guilfoyle of Cork Harbour as his partner for Tokyo 2020.

As Afloat.ie reported previously, the new pairing will face stiff competition not least from Seaton's former crew Matt McGovern who is among up to four campaigns aiming for Tokyo selection in the mens skiff class.

The Belast–Cork duo say they are looking to build on Rio's top ten finish, Ireland's top Olympic 49er result so far.

In a further boost for Irish skiff class hopes, a boat that is not yet raced here domestically, there are also three other fledgling campaigns readying for Tokyo and beyond too.

Oisin O’Driscoll from Schull and Mark Hassett from Baltimore, Sean and Tadgh Donnelly from Dun Laoghaire, and Robert Dickson from Howth with Sean Waddilove from Skerries have all been involved in training camps at home and in Spain bringing Irish interest in the 16–footer to an all–time high.

Read also: Irish 49ers Are Ahead of the Curve

Royal Cork dinghy sailor Seafra Guilfoyle (20) will team up with Belfast double Olympian Ryan Seaton for a Tokyo 2020 Olympic 49er campaign.

The move brings the curtain down on an eight year campaign by Seaton who split from crew Matt McGovern after Rio. Seaton had been trialling a number of crew replacements since Rio, as earlier reported by Afloat.ie. 

McGovern, also from Belfast, is in talks to find a new sailing partner as he intends to continue for Tokyo too.  

According to Royal Cork Yacht Club, Seaton and Guilfoyle will make a formal announcement of the campaign in Crosshaven this Friday. The duo will be looking to build on the Rio top ten finish.

Guilfoyle, an ISAF youth silver medalist in the Laser Radial from 2014, withdrew from the 2016 Mens Laser trial with a back injury.

As Afloat.ie reported in Ireland may field as many as four Olympic 49er campaigns for Tokyo. Read our 49er profile here.

The wind was very light from a west southwest direction for the second race of Royal Cork's O’Leary Insurances Winter League that took place yesterday in Cork Harbour writes Bob Bateman.

The flooding tide was strong and this did not help a race with many calm spots on the course. Following a short postponement RO’s Clem and Wendy Mc Elligott set course seventy from Adrielle anchored off Corkbeg.

A beat to cage a run to thirteen passing seven to port on the way,a reach to nine and back to finish at Adrielle now located at cage. From a vantage point at Camden Fort Meagher it was interesting to listen to the spectators commenting on the various routes being followed as the fleet endeavored to reach the windward mark ! Racing continues next Sunday.

Dinghy and keelboat sailor Nicholas O'Leary introduces Cork Dinghy Fest to be staged in Cork Harbour in 2017

I’m delighted that the Royal Cork Yacht Club has given the green light to host the Cork Dinghy Festival 2017 on June 30th through to July 2nd.

It has been by the grace of God that I’ve grown up on the waters of the second largest natural harbour in the world which has been my playground for the last 25 years of sailing.

The huge expanse of water allows for such an event to happen with over 200 entries attending in its first edition. Of course, we need more than just great waters and the volunteers last time came up trumps making use of the array of facilities provided by the Royal Cork and surrounding harbour clubs. Monkstown Bay SC looked after the Optimist Fun Fleet which saw 20 kids between 5-8 years of age experiencing a major event for the first time, it brought back great memories seeing my old Opti “El Nino” being sailed in 2015.

The sole purpose of the event from my perspective is to get the variety of fleets together in one location, enjoying their competitive class racing ran by expert race officers and thereafter to socialise with friends of old onshore who they’d rarely see from one year to the next whilst competing within their own circuits. The four race courses of last year was a big undertaking but I was comfortable in the team of race officers, mark layers and safety teams afloat that it would be under control. As I am competitive sailor and personality, there will be changes from last time of course, it’s only natural to learn from previous lessons and thrive for better a performance next time round, on and off the water.

We have been in contact with various fleets for the next edition and all I can say is it’s going to be exciting to see foiling vessels flying across Cork Harbour. Until classes have drawn up their own calendar of events and finalised AGM notes we cannot announce our various classes just yet. Watch this space.

Nicholas O'Leary, Cork Dinghy Fest 2017

Racing for a new trophy in memory of former Royal Cork Yacht Club Admiral Archie O'Leary got underway today at the O'Leary Insurance's Winter League in Cork Harbour.

Photo gallery below by Bob Bateman.

The CH Marine Royal Cork Yacht Club Autumn league came to a light air climax on Sunday.

Racing both inside and outside the harbour, it was a relaxing way to finish the series!

You can view the last day's action here and see the prizewinners photographed with sponsor Nick Bendon of CH Marine by Bob Bateman in the gallery below.

A light south–easterly breeze, a holiday atmosphere in Royal Cork Yacht Club and a stillness in the air greeted competitors for the final days racing in the CH Marine Autumn Series writes Bob Bateman.

The trees on the way to Crosshaven mellowed with golden and brown colours following a month that has been mild for the most part and it is true some sailors would have liked a little more breeze but the good weather allowing sailing will certainly help to shorten the winter. Cork harbour was busy today, the CH Marine league was active both in the inner and outer harbour. The Optimists were on the Curlane Bank as were the Toppers.

The Lasers on a four day training stint and angling boats could be found anchored anywhere and large trawlers were outward bound heading for the fishing grounds. Into this mix came the tall ship “Roald Amundsen” from Cologne to it’s twinned sister city of Cork. Jack Palmer (17), an enthusiastic sailor from Cobh was one of those on board..

The Class three and four Cruisers and White Sail got in two races with David O’Brien as PRO and course for race one was to number three back to eight out again to three back to five and finish. Meanwhile classes one, two and 1720 were sailing windward leeward courses just east of Roche’s Point.

This year Royal Cork Yacht Club will present the 'Archie O Leary' perpetual trophy for the best boat of the series in class under IRC in its Winter League starting next month.

The new trophy commemorates the late Admiral Archie O'Leary who died in May. Afloat.ie's triubute is here. 

The O’Leary Insurance Group winter League is an open to all Keelboats.

All races will be run from a boat start in the vicinity of RCYC's grassy walk line. 

Schedule of races in the O’Leary Insurance winter league for Classes 1, 2, 3, 1720’s & WS: 

• Sunday the 06th of November F.G. 12.25
• Sunday the 13th of November F.G. 12.25 
• Sunday the 20th of November F.G. 12.25 
• Sunday the 27th of November F.G. 12.25 
• Sunday the 04th of November F.G. 12.25
• Sunday the 11th of December F.G. 12.25

See NoR as a download below

It will be a packed June for cruiser-racer fans on the south coast next year with two of the biggest sailing events of the season taking place within a fortnight.

Plans are well advanced for the 2017 ICRA Cruiser National Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club from the Friday 9th to Sunday 11th June 2017 June according to RCYC's ICRA event chairman Paul Tingle. TheCrosshaven club is working closely with Kinsale Yacht Club to facilitate sailors who plan on doing the ICRAs and KYC's Sovereigns Cup just ten days later.

Tingle reports that there will be free marina berthing in Crosshaven and Kinsale for those boats planning to compete in both.

Trailer storage is on offer at Royal Cork for the two weeks. A boat transfer operation facility is also on offer between Crosshaven and Kinsale for selected boats.

Discounted entry fee vouchers have been given out to the class winners at Howth YC Autumn Series last weekend. Similar vouchers are to be provided at the upcoming DBSC Turkey Shoot event in Dun Laoghaire. The first races of the 2017 Nationals are planned for Friday afternoon (FG. 14.00hrs) and a seven race programme is planned.

As well as the IRC and ECHO fleet national titles, the event will also host the Corinthian Cup and a new ICRA Coastal Cup. The event Notice of Race will be issued later in the year.