Royal Cork Yacht Club's famous vintage Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble has a firm grip of Class Two after the first day of racing at Kinsale Yacht Club's 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup.

James and David Dwyer took two wins in the Farr design to already be three points clear of the host club's Elan 333 Reavra Too, skippered by Stephen Lysaght. 

Light westerly winds up to ten knots opened the regatta, with Class Two sailing two round the cans races. 

John Gordon from Mayo Sailing Club in the X-332 X-Rated is lying third in the eight boat fleet.

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries across all divisions and runs from 21st to 24th June and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Results below

Scotland's J122E El Gran Senor has taken the lead of Kinsale Yacht Club's 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup after the first race of the 17-boat Coastal IRC division.

The Clyde Cruising Club entry, which finished fourth overall in 2022's Cork Week Class One, is back on Munster waters but has switched to coastal class racing this time. 

Coastal class competitors got a course to Black Tom in Courtmacsherry Bay in the first race of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman 

Light westerly winds opened the regatta, with the coastal class starting at 11.30 am and sailing to and from Black Tom in Courtmacsherry Bay, a three-hour race. 

Nigel Biggs and Dave Cullen of Howth Yacht Club are lying second in the First 50, Checkmate XX.

The brand new J112E ValenTina skippered by Johnny Treanor of the National Yacht Club, make her Irish debut at the Sovereign's Cup 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

Third is the brand new J112E ValenTina of Johnny Treanor of the National Yacht Club, which marks her Irish debut at the Sovereign's Cup.  As regular Afloat readers know, the just-launched ValenTina won her class at last week's Key Yachting J-Cup on the Solent. 

Lying fourth is Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44, Samatom, with the regatta sponsor Hugh Kelly of  Simply Blue Group lying fifth in the J122, JellyBaby.

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries across all divisions and runs from 21st to 24th June and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

See results below

Kinsale Yacht Club's popular biennial Sovereign's Cup series is up and running today (Wednesday, June 21st), on target with 90 entries, and the rock stars of the re-born 1720 Sportsbat Class coming up with a fleet of 25 super-hot boats drawn from all the main sailing centres to set the pace.

Sponsored by the Simply Blue Group, the Sovereigns Series trades very successfully on the fact that while Cork Harbour is undoubtedly the senior venue in the Greater Cork area, Kinsale has all the attractions
which can be utilised by being a very appealing alternative. Arguably, it's similar to the relationship of Howth to Dun Laoghaire up in Dublin.

That feeling is borne out by the fact that Kinsale and Howth seem to share a special relationship to such an extent that at 2021's Sovereign's, the Howth J/99 Snapshot (Mike & Richie Evans) was the overall winner, and right up against her was clubmate Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom.

After Dun Laoghaire to Dingle competition earlier this month, Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom from Howth is ready for the Sovereign's Cup Regatta in Kinsale from Thursday Photo: Afloat

Both Snapshot and Samatom are back this year, with the latter finding it extra interesting with the fresh presence of the Carrickfergus J/133 Spirit of Jacana (Alan, Bruce & James Douglas), and also in the listings is Pete Smyth's successful Sunfast 3600 Searcher.

Pete Smyth's successful Sunfast 3600 Searcher from the National Yacht Club competes in this year's Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale Photo: Afloat

CLASSIC PRESENCE

A distinguished classics presence adds that extra something, with the O'Keeffe family of Schull's 1902-vintage multi-award winning gaff cutter Lady Min up against another newly-restored boat, the Sisks family's all-varnish 8 Metre Cruiser-Racer Marian Maid, bult in Dalkey in 1954.

Pictured here at the Crosshaven Trad Sailfest, the Sisks family's all-varnish 8 Metre Cruiser-Racer Marian Maid competes in the White Sails 2 division of the Sovereign's Cup 2023 at Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman

1720s RAMPANT

The brilliantly re-born 1994-vintage Cork 1720 Sportsboats are so versatile, rewarding and re-vitalising to sail that they should be available on doctor's prescription. The ultra-hot fleet of 25 boats
includes such seasoned veterans as 1970 (yes folks, that's 53 years ago) Helmsman's Champion Robert Dix of Howth, and multiple champion helm (since the year dot) Anthony O'Leary of Crosshaven.

Competition has been ramped up in the 1720 class, ahead of the European Championships that sails as part of the 2023 Sovereign's Cup Photo: Bob Bateman

On first glance at the lineup, you'd think that at least ten are in the national elite, but a further consideration suggests that 15 of the 1720 helms are among Ireland's very best.

And in Kinsale, the varied apres sailing will be appropriate to this gold standard sailing.

Simply Blue 2023 Sovereign's Cup Entry List 

Simply Blue 2023 Sovereign's Cup Race Schedule 

With over 80 entries already registered, the Simply Blue Group-sponsored Sovereign’s Cup has less than 20 places left at Kinsale to reach its official cap.

The biennial regatta takes place 21st to 24th June in Kinsale Yacht Club and this year, the regatta incorporates the 1720 European Championships.

Race Officer Peter Crowley will run racing in the waters between the Old Head of Kinsale and the Sovereign Islands for the Spinnaker, 1720 & White Sail Fleets.

A Coastal Fleet will have longer courses which will take them west to Black Tom and east to the Cork Buoy.

Sixty per cent of the entries have already been received for June's Simply Blue Group Sovereign’s Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club on the south coast of Ireland.

The 15th edition of the biennial regatta will run from 21st to 24th June 2023 and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

A strong fleet is expected, with entries of up to 105 boats from the US, UK and Ireland arriving at the West Cork port.

International entries include Ron O'Hanley's Cookson 50 Privateer from New York, as Afloat reported in January, and there is a strong domestic take up for the KYC event. Entries from as far afield as Carrickfergus Sailing Club on Belfast Lough to Tralee Bay in County Kerry have been received.

This year, a new prize has been launched for the first Lady Helm. The special award has been created by Rosemary Roy and will be presented for the first time in June.

Tomas O'Brien of KYC was Master of Ceremonies at the official launch of the 2023 Simply Blue Group Sovereign’s Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

Simply Blue Group, headquartered in Cork, is a leading developer focused on pioneering blue economy projects such as floating offshore wind, e-Fuels, wave energy and low-impact aquaculture which, they say, are all in harmony with the oceans.

Cllr Marie O'Sullivan, Mayor of the Kinsale/Bandon District, Cork County Council with Hugh Kelly Group MD, Simply Blue Group and Sara MacKeown, Group Communications Director at the official launch of the 2023 Simply Blue Group Sovereign’s Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

With a strong presence in Kinsale, Simply Blue Group’s Emerald Floating Wind Project, situated in the Celtic Sea off the south coast of Kinsale, will utilise cutting-edge technology to construct a wind farm which, upon completion, will have a total installed capacity of up to 1.3 GW, the equivalent to powering 1 million Irish homes.

Hugh Kelly, Co-Founder and Group Managing Director of Simply Blue Group, who will compete in the event onboard the J122 Jelly Baby, said: “We are delighted to support the Kinsale Yacht Club’s Sovereign’s Cup this year. Driven by a vision to work with the oceans and is headquartered in Cork, we’re very proud to be supporting this great biennial event in Kinsale. With racing taking place in both the inner and outer harbours, an exciting four days are expected for the local community and tourists alike.” See Mary Malone's vid below.

He continued: “Like the competitive sailors at this event, Simply Blue Group aims to harness the wind's power through the development of our offshore floating wind projects and to make a valuable contribution to meeting Europe’s green electricity demand.”

Tom Roche (left), who presented the Meridian Trophy for the Sovereign's Cup with Hugh Kelly and Anthony Scannell, Vice Commodore KYC, at the official launch of the 2023 Simply Blue Group Sovereign’s Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Anthony W. Scannell, Vice Commodore Kinsale Yacht Club, Regatta Director, said: “We are delighted to have Simply Blue Group as the title sponsor for the regatta, which is returning to full strength post-Covid. Simply Blue Group and Kinsale Yacht Club share a common interest in efficiently harnessing wind energy.

Sovereign's Cup Director Anthony Scannell at the official launch of the 2023 Simply Blue Group Sovereign’s Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

We would also like to acknowledge the ongoing support for the event by Cork County Council, recognising the commercial value that the regatta brings to the town of Kinsale and the wider area of West Cork.”

The official launch of the 2023 Simply Blue Group Sovereign’s Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Early bird entries for the Sovereign's Cup are available until the end of March. There is a prize of a €250 Voucher for one Early Bird Entry.

Official Launch of 2023 Simply Blue Group Sovereign’s Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

As the official launch of the Simply Blue Group Sovereign’s Cup 2023 draws closer, Regatta Director Anthony Scannell has announced a new prize for the best performing female helm at June's Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club with entries now topping 50 boats.

The regatta, one of the highlights of the 2023 Irish sailing season, runs from June 21st to 24th.

International entries include Ron O'Hanley's Cookson 50 Privateer from New York, as Afloat reported in January, and there is a strong domestic take up for the KYC event. Entries have been received from as far afield as Carrickfergus Sailing Club on Belfast Lough to Tralee Bay in County Kerry.

Sovereign’s Cup 2023 draws closer, Regatta Director Anthony Scannell has announced a new prize for the best-performing female helm in June Photo: Bob Bateman

One of the earliest entries was Kinsale'a own Under 25 crew J24, Kinsailor, which sailed to success in Howth in 2022.

There are three weeks until the end of the Early Bird Entry Fees. Enter online here. KYC will hold an official launch on March 24th.

Kinsale Yacht Club has 30 registered entries to date for its biennial Sovereign's Cup 2023 Regatta. 

One of the latest entries for the Simply Blue sponsored Cup from 21st to 24th June is George Sisk and Tim Kane's Dun Laoghaire-based Wow! 

The Royal Irish Yacht Club XP 37 Extreme will most likely join the coastal division like Ron O'Hanley of the New York YC with his Cookson 50, also one of the early entries for the West Cork event.

George Sisk and Tim Kane's Royal Irish YC Extreme 37 WOW will compete at the 2023 Sovereign's Cup in Kinsale Photo: Afloat

 Entries are coming in at a healthy rate for the 2023 Sovereigns, with the classes including the Europeans for the 1720s, which last year at Volvo Cork Week attracted a crack fleet of 42 boats, with the win going to the Crosshaven/Howth English/McDonald squad on Atara.

There are cruiser-racing enthusiasts in Ireland who dream of living in a world of non-stop activity in 2023, making the most of a dedicated traditional schedule in which they swing into action with the Scottish Series - back on Loch Fyne at the end of May as Nature intended - and then keeping going with a judicious mixture of event campaigning, offshore races and brisk delivery cruises until mid-August. By then, they’ll find themselves in West Cork, recovering from Calves Week, and working out how best to get back to the Irish Sea and the final ISORA races and the ICRA Nats at Howth in the first weekend of September.

WALES SPRINGS FORWARD FOR RC35s

But before Scotland’s time-honoured classic, there are those who now dream of starting even earlier in 2023, as the Welsh IRC Championship is currently listed for Pwllheli from 12th to 14th May, when Cardigan Bay’s fine sailing waters should have their magnificent backdrop of Snowdonia still dusted with snow (what else, after all?), and the action afloat is sharpened by the presence of the highly-focused RC35 Class, who are using the Welsh series as part of their season-long count-up to their Celtic Cup.

Summertime at Pwllheli. This year, its major IRC season begins in mid-May with the Welsh Open Championship

This single-minded approach by the RC35s is something which has to be considered by several major regatta organisers, as the class – for boats in the IRC Rating Range of 1.010-1.040 – is building on its inherent strength to such an extent that it is a self-contained force, like the International 505s were in Ireland many years ago. Thus one of the features of the 2023 programme is a stand-alone RC35 two-day regatta on Belfast Lough, hosted by Royal Ulster YC at Bangor on the weekend of June 24th & 25th.

The RC35s can be good for your civic status. When the class last raced at Bangor (as here), it was still a town. When they return this June, they’ll find that Bangor has become a city, but crews will not be expected to wear ermine robes when racing

THRIVING CATCHMENT AREA

With the class’s current healthy catchment area extending from Dun Laoghaire to the southwest all the way to the Upper Firth of Clyde in the northeast, with sailing centres on both sides of the Irish Sea and the North Channel much involved, the top boats from the Irish side are currently John Minnis’s A35 Final Call II from Bangor, and Pat Kelly’s J/109 Storm from Rush. So Bangor is a reasonably central and accessible venue for those who wonder if meeting endless logistical challenges has to be an inherent part of campaigning a cruiser-racer.

The rush from Rush…… a view of Pat Kelly’s J/109 Storm (Rush SC) which is all-too-familiar to RC35 competitors. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien

The short answer is: “Yes, you do have to be a logistics genius”. But meanwhile, other sailors live in a world of an alternative reality, where having your boat at the other end of the country can become demanding to the point of irritation, as there are inevitably other reasonable and non-negotiable domestic requirements increasingly encroaching on your time.

And anyway, what’s the point of being home-based in an agreeable sailing area with plenty of good local racing challenges, when you insist on expending season-long energy in going to only slightly more glamorous alternative locations simply because some hyper-vocal opinion-formers and commentators in sailing will insist on telling you: “This Is Where It’s At. Ya Gotta Be There.”

Born again….once upon a time, this was Paul O’Higgins’ Corby 33 Rockabill V of the RIYC. Now she has a completely new look and identity as a successful contender in the RC35 class. Photo: RC35 Class

WHEN LONG VOYAGING TO EVENTS WAS A BADGE OF HONOUR

Now admittedly, there was a time - maybe around forty or fifty years ago - when many of the main pillars of the modern sailing programme in and around Ireland were being put in place. In those early days, being prepared to travel long distances to take part in a location-specific major event was regarded as a badge of honour.

And, of course, by the nature of some events, this was unavoidable.

Thus that great pioneer of support for Wicklow’s Round Ireland Race, Dave FitzGerald of Galway Bay SC, knew that in entering his Holman 41 Partizan he was committing himself to sailing round Ireland twice. Equally, in the days when the Scottish Series was leading the pace in the numbers game with entrants running into several hundreds, boats like Partizan and Donal Morrissey’s GK34 Joggernaut from Galway, and Martin Reilly’s First from Sligo, made the long haul up round Donegal to get to Tarbert.

Dave Fitzgerald’s Partizan from Galway comes out of the dawn to finish the first Round Ireland Race at Wicklow in 1980. Participation in this classic meant she sailed round Ireland twice. Photo: Wicklow SC

This was a level of dedication occasionally outdone by a bunch of hard men from Tralee Bay SC in Fenit, who weren’t too sure which way round Ireland was the faster to Loch Fyne from Kerry with their Sigma 33 Black Pepper, but they got there nevertheless.

O’LEARY’S HYPER-ACTIVE CORBY 36 ANTIX

And then in the course of time, Anthony O’Leary of Royal Cork and his largely family crew with the Corby 36 Antix seemed to be winning everything everywhere, accumulating a score-sheet which indicated a level of dedication you’ll seldom see emulated nowadays. For even the current Antix - a Cape 31 with her first American title already logged in the Florida Keys – looks to be setting up for a leisurely American progress northwards with the new summer, bound for various event-offering venues.

Rather different to Loch Fyne in the Spring – Anthony O’Leary racing the latest Antix (red hull) to success with the Cape 31s in the Florida Keys

The possibility of a reaction against a hectic season-long and multi-venues programme may in its way be a small reflection of the increasing questioning of the benefits of globalisation. For sure, there are many aspects of life and business which get universal benefit from globalisation. But when carried to extremes, globalisation can mean that one area’s success inevitably brings another area’s impoverishment. 

LIMITED TIME WINDOWS

There are only so many weekends and free weeks available in the most popular period for major racing events, even if experience indicates that a championship of maximum four days is what the punters want for anything other than a Worlds. So, far from working with a clean sheet, any club or organisation looking to introduce a new event into the schedule is almost inevitably going to find they’re clashing with something important somewhere else.

Thus the two outstanding clashes in 2023 are the RC35s on Belfast Lough with RUYC in that last weekend of June going completely head-to-head with the Sovereign’s Cup in Kinsale, and the WIORA Championship 2023 at the intriguing venue of Kilronan on Inis Mor in the Aran Islands from 5th to 8th July, up against the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023 in Dublin Bay from 6th to 9th July.

America comes to Ireland… one of the most successful contenders in the Sovereign’s Cup in Kinsale in recent years has been Kieran Collin’s Olson 30 Corace IV from Crosshaven, a mini “Transpac sled” of Californian inspiration. Photo: Robert Bateman

With the less-crowded West Coast programme, some East Coast sailors were bewildered by WIORA’s choice of dates, but those in the know say that Kilronan is committed to other events – some with a significant shoreside input – on any alternative weekend, and the little port town can only cope with a certain amount of overnight visitors, as the regular air service and the fast ferries from Rossaveal mean that most incomers are only day visitors.

JACKEENS VERSUS CULCHIES AFLOAT

Yet the Dublin spin on it all continues the Jackeen versus Culchie interface in its usual mildly malicious forms. They know that few if any WIORA boats will be interesting in racing in the VDLR in any case, but they point out that national travelling classes such as the J/24s might be keen to do both, but are now prevented. So they take it a stage further and say that the WIORA folk are keen to keep out East Coast interlopers, as the Westerners subscribe enthusiastically to the idea that if you’re keen to run your own regatta, then there’s little point in doing so unless you make reasonably sure that a local boat wins the main trophy…..

Kironan on Inis Mor in the Aran Islands, venue for the WIORA Championship 2023 from 5th to 8th July. Pontoons will be installed in the outer harbour to host the fleet, which totalled 43 boats in 2017 when last at the same venue

As “local boats” for WIORA means craft drawn from fleets as far north as Killybegs and as far south as Bantry, the scope is already broad in its catchment area. But we wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that some crews in Schull, Kinsale and even Crosshaven are thinking that they might as well turn right as left when they put out to sea in early July to head for a distant regatta, and if they were bound for Kilronan that might put a South Coast cat or two among the West Coast pigeons at Inis Mor.

WE CAN’T APPLY PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS OF INVOLVEMENT TO AN AMATEUR SETTING

Despite that, we take a sanguine view of these “fixture clashes” by pointing out that some amateur sailors are mistaken in trying to take their levels of involvement and time-consuming participation from the examples of headline-dominating resources-dominated super-star events. For the top pros find themselves having to think boats and sailing and personal promotion day and night, and it can be an unhealthy mental environment leading to burnout.

Place of potential pressure: Houston Yacht Club in Texas, where they’ve so much sunshine that boat-owners are prepared pay extra to be berthed under a sun-shading roof. 

We learned of an eloquent instance of this last season when the Irish ILCA squad – with Eve McMahon setting the pace towards another Gold Medal - were doing their stuff in style at the Houston Yacht Club in Texas. For the Houston YC is where John Kolius emerged – yes, that John Kolius, of Volvo Ocean and America’s Cup and sailmaking fame.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE BURNOUT

He makes no secret of the fast that at Houston YC, he was the classic young “clubhuse rat” from a newly-joined family, and mad keen to show he could sail well with any family who were going out when his own family weren’t afloat. And my goodness, could he sail.

He was so good at it that they wanted him here, there and everywhere, winning international races at the very highest level and at such a hectic pace that in time he burnt out, and he knew it. So he sold his sailing business in 2011 and he and his wife have gone private to the point of anonymity with an easygoing sports fishing operation in the Bahamas. 

ICRA “BOAT OF THE YEAR” IS OUR SALVATION

So those who would seek a non-clashing yet continuous season-long programme at a permanent championship pace should maybe be careful of what they wish for. There are times when Less is More. And in Ireland, we now have a rather good solution. Over the years, the formula for selecting the ICRA “Boat of the Year” has been refined until it has produced a set of requirements that can provide a meaningful result within a civilized level of sporting activity afloat.

The J/99 Snapshot (Mike & Richie Evans, Howth YC) is the current ICRA “Boat of the Year”. The continuing refinement of the Boat of the Year formula has gone some way to relieving pressure on any fixtures clash in a typical sailing season

At its best, it facilitates Corinthian-type sailing, even if semi-professionals are sometimes involved. It’s not perfect, but it really is working quite well. And those of us who fail to see the sport in “sports fishing” reckon that any approach which keeps people happily sailing is something to be welcomed.

The latest entry to register for the Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup 2023 at Kinsale from 21st to 24th June is a prime example of one of the most enduringly-successful designs in modern offshore racing. In fact, the Cookson 50 dates back to the previous millennium, when innovative boat-builder Mick Cookson of New Zealand took what has proven to be a timelessly competitive Bruce Farr 50ft hull design in 1996, and fitted it with his own take on a canting keel to create a marque - the Cookson 50 - which has been winning offshore majors ever since.

Ireland got involved with the Cookson 50 early in the new century, when Ger O'Rourke of Limerick commissioned Chieftain from new, and won his class and placed fourth overall (despite it being big boat-favoured event) in the 2005 Sydney-Hobart Race. Then he won the 2007 Fastnet Race overall, the first Irish boat to do so since the Dubois 40 Admirals Cupper Irish Independent in 1987. And then, as Adrian Lee's Lee Overlay Partners (RStGYC), the former Chieftain won the inaugural RORC Caribbean 600 Race in 2009. 

But by this time, other teams were notching Cookson 50 success, and since 2006 Ron O'Hanley of the New York YC has been one of the most consistent and enthusiastic with Privateer. Now, 17 years later, he's still with the same boat, but with a well-filled trophy cabinet which includes first in the 2013 Caribbean 600 and a very close second overall in the 2017 Fastnet, plus many others prizes, for if there's a big race on and Privateer is in the entry list, then we can be fairly sure she'll figure on the podium in some position - overall or by class - at the finish.

Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom (HYC), defending champion in the Coastal Divsion in the Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup from 21st to 24 June at Kinsale. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

Thus the fact that Privateer has now stepped up to the plate for the Coastal Division in June's Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup 2023 is going to add greatly to the interest for this class, which in 2021 was won by Rebert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom from Howth. Entries are coming in at a healthy rate for the 2023 Sovereigns, with the classes including the Europeans for the 1720s, which last year at Volvo Cork Week attracts a crack fleet of 42 boats, with the win going to the Crosshaven/Howth English/McDonald squad on Atara.

There's an entry discount until January 31st, when there'll be a draw for a case of wine among all the Early Birds. Enter here

Meanwhile, as Privateer is presumably headed for the Fastnet Race 2023 in July after competing at Kinsale in June, might she find the time to take in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race on June 7th?

The sponsors of the Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale are to hold a public consultation meeting about their Emerald Floating Offshore Wind Project in the town next Thursday.

This is proposed for a location 35 km south of the Old Head of Kinsale, with the "potential to power over 1 million homes," according to the Simply Blue Group.

It will be of significant interest to the people of Kinsale and the South Coast.

Construction is not expected until the end of the decade, possibly around 2030. The public information event will take place at the Temperance Hall, Emmet Street, Kinsale, on Thursday next, January 19, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The company has issued an “all welcome” public invitation.

The Emerald Project is currently at ‘scoping’ stage, which is Stage 2 of an Environmental Impact Assessment.

“The EIA report provides an outline of the proposed approach and offers an opportunity for public feedback,” Simply Blue Group says.