Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour this year celebrates its 100th year anniversary and plans are in place to celebrate its history and further lay new roots to carry it on and grow for another 100 years writes Commodore Kieran Dorgan.
From the early days of the William Fife designed “Cork Harbour One Designs” Cove Sailing Club has a strong affiliation with boat building and the town itself. Today this is ever present with the large
number of “Rankin” dinghy boats that sail up and down the harbour front linking the clubs past and its future.
Rankin dinghy sailing off Cobh Photo: Mary Kidney
2018 was a defining year as the club worked diligently to build on its history and set about securing a solid foundation to continue and provide a platform for the people of Cobh and the surrounding areas
to enjoy sailing and all the fun and excitement it offers.
"2018 was a defining year as the club worked diligently to build on its history"
A detailed plan of all the events marking this historic year will be published in the coming weeks and we invite all past and present members to help share their memories, stories and pictures with the
Club.
The club is committed and focused in its pursuit to provide a marina facility that will be all-encompassing for the many varied sporting organizations to enjoy through Cobh, East Cork and
Harbour area; continuing the hard work and dedication of previous committees to deliver this most sought after piece of community infrastructure.
The Cobh to Blackrock yacht race Photo: Bob Bateman
The committee is working hard to produce our 100-year anniversary booklet and feel this will be a very special collaboration on the club's history.
The 2019 Sailing season promises to be a bumper year on the water with the return of the family-friendly, Social, Friday night racing in July and August for the cruiser classes providing a stepping
stone for new and novice members to try sailing and racing. Along with the highly successful “Cork Harbour Combined Clubs League” with our neighbouring clubs, 2019 will be a busy summer for all.
We will endeavour to provide a safe fun space for our junior members to learn and develop their sailing skills through weekly summer racing and professionally accredited sailing courses.
The club is really looking forward to hosting some of the harbour’s most special races including the fabulous “Brooklands Cup” and “Ballinacurra Cup” for dinghies made famous by the visiting boats
from around the harbour including the highly competitive but very social National 18 Class.
Our annual “Cove at Home” invites cruiser and dinghy classes from all over the harbour to race in front of our iconic home town under the watchful eye of St. Colman’s Cathedral which also celebrates its
100 year anniversary of consecration in 1919.
The “Cobh Peoples Regatta” in August will be a celebration of sail with boats vying to win the Harbour’s most valuable silverware. The regatta will also host a very unique race for the “Rankin
Trophy”; this is an annual gathering of these very special boats and embodies the spirit of “Cove Sailing Club”.
The culmination of the 100-year celebration is the Legendary “Cobh to Blackrock” race and plans are afoot to have 100 boats compete in this annual harbour classic.
Our full range of membership for the 2019 season is now open.
Further information about membership and the 100-year celebrations will be provided on our club website www.covesailingclub.ie over the coming weeks.
