#kinsalesailing  – Wild conditions for the penultimate day's racing have will bring Kinsale Yacht Club's Frostbite Series to a fitting climax next Saturday.

Yestrerday, for the ASM sponsored series, the wind was steady South South West and varied in strength from 14 to 25 knots. The Race Committee reported that competitors were extremely eager on the start line resulting in several individual recalls.

Colm Dunne & Rob Gill (KYC) are runaway leaders in the Squib fleet in Allegro with a current total of a perfect 9 points for 9 races after discards are applied. The next closest Squib is Lazurus with Colm Daly & Marcus Hutchinson (KYC) on a total of 21 points. Finny and Colm O'Regan (KYC) are in third place with 24 points in Fagin. These 3 boats have broken away from the rest of the fleet with a gap of 19 points between the 3rd and 4th boats. The real battle at this stage is for 4th place with Breakaway (Julie Silfverberg & Liz Bond KYC) on 43 points, Espresso ( Ruth Ennis & Victor Fusco KYC) on 44 points and Pulpo ( Tom Roche & Bobby Nash KYC) also on 44 points.

A similar trend has emerged in the Full Laser fleet with KYC Sean Murphy taking a resounding lead on 12 points followed by Inniscarra James Long on 26 points. Ian Travers (KYC) is in third place with 29 points, Monkstown's Paul O'Sullivan is in 4th with 32 points which is some 30 points ahead of the 5th boat.
The Laser Radials competitors stayed at home today and only two 4.7's came to the race area. Despite not racing today, Billy Duane (RCYC) still holds first position on 10 points. Ben Hunt (KYC) is in second position on 17 points followed by Jamie Tingle (RCYC) on 41 points.
The series ends next Saturday with the final 3 races, there will be a prize giving in the Club House afterwards.

#kinsale – After a cancellation last Sunday the ASM Frostbite series came back with a vengeance today. Conditions were described as exhilarating, varying and challenging with race officers reporting winds of between 3 and 25 knots at different stages. The windward mark under Moneypoint proved very problematic with little or no wind to round the mark. The gusts proved too hard for many of the 4.7 and Radial Lasers with numerous retirees and no shows. However the Squib fleet and the Full Laser Fleet embraced the challenging conditions to hotly contest race placings.

At the end of the days racing in the Squib fleet, Allegro (Colm Dunne & Rob Gill ) were placed first on 8 points with Lazurus (Colm Daly & Marcus Hutchinson) following closely with 11 points. KYC Commodore Finbarr O'Regan and his son Colm were lying third in their squib Fagin on 18 points.

In the Full Laser fleet Sean Murphy (KYC) leads on 11 points, James Long ( Inniscarra) lies second on 15 points followed by Ian Travers (KYC) on 19 points. There was only 2 competitors in the 4.7 Laser fleet with Billy Duane (RCYC) claiming all the bullets and Ben Hunt (KYC) taking second place. Racing continues next Sunday 9th.

#kinsale – Kinsale Yacht Club bestowed Honorary Membership to Rear Admiral Mark Mellett DSM at a Reception at the Yacht Club today.

Rear Admiral Mellett DSM is the first member of the Naval Service to have been promoted to the Naval Rank of Rear Admiral in the history of the Irish Naval Service. Kinsale Yacht Club has a close association with the Naval Service and the Navy uses Kinsale Harbour regularly.

Rear Admiral Mark Mellett and Mrs Liz Mellett were welcomed to Kinsale Yacht Club by Finbarr O'Regan Commodore, KYC and Tom Roche, Vice Commodore KYC.

"It is a great privilege to congratulate Rear Admiral Mark Mellett DSM on his recent appointment to Deputy Chief of Staff and promotion to Rear Admiral and to bestow Honorary Membership of Kinsale Yacht Club on him today. The Naval Service is a great supporter of Kinsale Yacht Club and particularly disabled sailing in the Club over many years," said Finbarr O'Regan, Commodore KYC.

Also in attendance at the Reception were Commodore Tully. Commander Willie Roberts was represented by Lt Cdr Brian Matthews, Naval Service Yacht Squadron.

They were joined by David Ross and Bobby Nash, Rear Commodores, KYC, John Stallard Sailing Secretary and Ex Commodore, Dave O'Sullivan, Treasurer KYC, Commandant Ian Travers, member KYC and Phil Devitt, Kinsale Harbour Master. Former KYC Commodores in attendance included Conor Doyle, Alice Kingston, Julie Silfverberg and Hans Hellstern.

Biography Rere Admiral Mark Mellett DSM

Admiral Mellett (DSM) is from Mayo and joined the Navy in 1976. His first Command was the LÉ ORLA in 1992 and he subsequently commanded the LÉ CIARA in 1997 and the Irish Naval Flagship LÉ EITHNE in 2005.
Admiral Mellett has held a broad range of appointments in Naval Headquarters and more recently prior to his appointment as Flag Officer in 2010 he was Officer Commanding Naval Operations Command. Admiral Mellett was also Commandant of the Naval College and Associate Head of the National Maritime College of Ireland.
Operational Experience & Awards
Besides citations for service in Afghanistan (2004) and Lebanon (1989), as Captain of LÉ ORLA (1994) he was honoured by becoming the Navy's second officer recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) in recognition of the role of his ship in the detention of the drug smuggling yacht 'Brime'.
Transformation
Admiral Mellett is a founding member and champion of The Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster (IMERC). IMERC is an institutional cluster encompassing University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology. IMERC aims inter alia to enhance Defence Forces capability while facilitating innovation, transformation and job creation.
Education
Admiral Mellett has a PhD (2009) in Oceans Governance from the National University of Ireland, Galway and M Com (2004) in Government and Public Policy from University College Cork. He is a distinguished graduate of the US Naval War College Newport RI (1999) where he was the top graduate of the thirty two attending countries. He was also the top graduate in both the Irish Command and Staff College (1998) and the Royal Naval College Greenwich (1989).

#kyc – The annual Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite League began today (Sunday 19th Jan). The league was once again sponsored by ASM Marine. Competitors were blessed with glorious sunshine and with winds of between 5 and 10 Knots , conditions were described as ideal for the first day.

The Race officials were headed by Bruce Matthews as Officer of the Day ably assisted by June Matthews, Siobhan Hopcraft-Keane, Liam O'Riordan, Mathilde Campbell and Sponsor Seamus McLaverty. Support on the water was provided by the Cruiser, White Sail and Dragon fleets.

There were 20 entrants in total in the Laser Fleet, with 6 in the 4.7's, 4 in the Radials and 10 in Full Rig Lasers. Kinsale Yacht Club was delighted to welcome competitors from neighbouring clubs: Inniscarra, Monkstown and The Royal Cork.
After the completion of 3 races Billy Duane RCYC leads the 4.7's, Sorcha Ni Shuilleabhain KYC leads the Radials and Sean Murphy KYC takes the lead in the Laser Full Rig fleet.

The Squib Class had 14 entrants all of whom came from the rapidly expanding Kinsale Yacht Club Squib Fleet. This class has gone from strength to strength in the last couple of years with Kinsale boats dominating the Squib Class nationally.
There was drama today in the Squib's second race when Sonata helmed by Ger Sheeran was struck by another Squib and the resultant impact on the shrouds resulted in Sonata being dismasted. Fortunately there were no injuries and both parties seemed to be in good spirits afterwards.
At the end of the days racing Allegro with Colm Dunne and Rob Gill from KYC took the lead with 2 wins in the first and second races. However Lazarus with Colm Daly and Marcus Hutchinson took the bullet in the third race giving them a second overall.

KYC Frostbites League 2014

Laser 4.7 – 6 Entrants
Laser Full Rig – 10 Entrants
Laser Radial – 4 Entrants
Squibs – 14 Entrants
Total = 34 Boats

Racing Continues next Sunday

#marina – Kinsale Yacht Club (KYC) marina, recently announced as the starting point of the new tourism initiative, "The Wild Atlantic Way", has been awarded Five Gold anchor accreditation by the International Yacht Harbour Association (YHA).

The Atlantic way is set to be Ireland's first long-distance touring route, stretching along the Atlantic coast from West Cork to Donegal. Kinsale Yacht Club is delighted that this announcement coincided with their achieving the much coveted 5 Anchors award for their recently upgraded marina.

Thus KYC is now poised to play an important role for all of those intending to cruise the Wild Atlantic Way.

"Over the last three years KYC invested a lot of resources and time into the marina ensuring that we are providing a top quality service to the visitor. Our efforts have now been rewarded, KYC rear–commodore told Afloat.ie

The 5 Anchors Award is an international standard for marinas that offer excellent facilities and a very high level of service to members and visitors. It also incorporates the ICOMIA clean marina standard which is fitting for the commencement point of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Kinsale has evolved from a Medieval fishing port and is today central to the "Cruising Hub of Ireland". Visiting yachts use it as an ideal location to start and finish their cruises along the beautiful South West coast of Ireland. The natural harbour is renowned for its beautiful scenery and is situated approximately 12 miles south west of Cork harbour entrance. Kinsale is 120 nautical miles from Wales, 240 nautical miles from northwest France and 500 nautical miles from the Galician coast of northern Spain.

The Kinsale Yacht Club marina offers the single largest berthage to visiting yachts in Ireland.

There is150 meters of dedicated marina space. It also caters for deep draft vessels proving popular with Superyachts.

In 2013 Kinsale Yacht Club completed major renovations to its Club House. It now offers state of the art, wheelchair accessible facilities; including a laundry room, Inhouse dining and an extended balcony, enabling visitors to relax and enjoy the breathtaking vista
of Kinsale Harbour.

The Marina is located in the heart of the town of Kinsale close to cafes, shops, a wide choice of restaurants and pubs. Kinsale is regarded as Ireland's Gourmet capital and is an essential stop on the tourist trail. The town is situated 20 minutes from Cork International airport and boasts excellent tourism and marine facilities. It is world renowned for the welcome it extends to its maritime visitors.

#sailorofthemonth – The summer of 2013 has been the season in which world sailing has come to Ireland. In addition to two World Championships, events such as the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta and the Sovereigns Cup at Kinsale have brought sailing visitors to our shores. Then too, being a Rolex Fastnet Race year, 2013 saw a fleet of record-breaking size rounding our most famous rock, an event in which a dozen Irish boats took part.

The events which were staged from Irish ports involved an enormous amount of voluntary effort from our own communities, large and small. And skilled effort at that. Well-meaning willing helpers can be a mixed blessing. But when experienced administrators build up their chosen team of specialists as the allotted time of each major event approaches, the effective administrative machinery - virtually guaranteed when Ireland is hosting a big event - slips smoothly into place.

After such a summer of so much success in event management, there are many volunteers whose efforts deserve to be highlighted. So in making John Twomey of Kinsale the Afloat.ie "Sailor of the Month" for August, we hope that other organisers will realise that we are applauding their efforts too.

But amongst the elite of organisers, John is the crème de la crème.

An active participant himself to Olympic level, his election last November as President of the International Association For Disabled Sailing was a well-earned indication of the high regard in which he is held in global sailing. And in bringing the Worlds to his home port and ensuring that it was a success which was popular with the general public too, John Twomey played a unique role, deserving of national recognition and celebration.

#ifds – Today the wind was up and the sun was shining and from early on there was certainly no sign of competitors and officials relaxing with coffee around the Kinsale Yacht Club writes Claire Bateman. Every one had gone to sea fully ready for action and determined to get the most out of the day. They were not to be disappointed.

The weather forecasters had got it spot on and a nice south westerly wind of about ten knots filled in and the Race Officers were anxious to get up and running.

Your intrepid photographer and scribe had been slightly delayed getting to Kinsale this am and as a result were in fact last leaving the marina . However, we managed to arrive bang on time and went first to the Sonar fleet who were in sequence. Here all praise must be given to the Race Officers and mark laying boats for all the fleets and they should certainly sleep well tonight. The slickness and timing of the entire operation had to be seen to be believed. In fact the two Race Officers were starting their races exactly on their scheduled times.

It was good to see Irish IFDS President, John Twomey getting off to an excellent start and rounding the first windward mark in third place. The Sonar Class have now completed six races and it is the French team of Bruno Lourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary who are current leaders on seven points after one discard. They are followed by NED 1 helmed by Udo Hessels and crewed by Mischa Rossen and Marc el van de Veen on eighteen points. In third place is AUS 1 helmed by Colin Harrison, crewed by Jonathon Harris and Russell Boaden on twenty points. The top Irish score in the class is IFDS President John Twomey crewed by Ian Costelloe and Anthony Hegarty on thirty points. .

In the SKUD Class The battle is between Alexandra Rickham and crew Niki Birrell from the UK , the Italian team led by Marco Gualandrias and John Mcroberts of Canada in first, second and third places respectively. The British team are now counting four first places with the Italians counting a first and three seconds and Canada counting two seconds and two thirds.

Meanwhile in the 2.4mR class Heiko Kroger of Germany had two wins today and results are showing him in second place with Bijilard Guus NED in first place However, the other NED competitor Barend Kol is third place on equal points with Heiko Kroger while in the latter two races today Helena Lucas of Britain, Gold Medalist London 2012 was getting into her stride with a second and a first and it would be a foolish person that would write her off at this stage.

So, it is all to play for tomorrow and will make for a very interesting and nail biting day indeed.

#ifds – Another fairly windless day in Kinsale yesterday morning with just a light breeze greeting the competitors in the Cork County Council IFDS Championships writes Claire Bateman. However, it was all extremely enjoyable with a lovely convivial atmosphere and most people enjoying their morning coffee while the postponement flag was flying. Suddenly the harsh sound of a hooter alerted all present to the fact the flag had been lowered and one could not believe the speed with which the clubhouse, marina and surrounds that had been packed were suddenly empty and silent.

Competitors needing assistance to get to their boats were speedily surrounded by their helpers and within what seemed like a matter of minutes the fleets were all heading to sea. Also disappearing with the speed of light were the committee boats, the support RIBS, jury RIBS, etc. and the event was on or, was it? To be or not to be, that was the question.

The first attempt at a start was on the Sonar course east of Kinsale. Race Officer Peter Crowley tried a start with a north westerly wind blowing but unfortunately the wind died half the way up the beat and that race had to be abandoned. After a short delay the wind that had been off the land had filled in from the sea with a nice 8/10knot south westerly breeze enabling a start for all three classes and they finished the day with three good races.

The Sonar fleet included Kinsale's own John Twomey, a veteran paralympian, and his crew Anthony Hegarty and Ian Costelloe, and Paul McCarthy and his crew Brian O'Mahony and Paul Ryan. The Sonar fleet also included Amy Kelehan, who previously raced in the SKUD fleet, and her crew Jacqui Browne and Austin O'Carroll.

The start line for the 2.4M s was quite something with all forty two of the lean mean machines like miniature 12 metres making their charge for the line. 

On the 2.4mR and SKUD 18 class courses, two races were completed when the wind eventually filled in. In the nine boat SKUD 18 fleet it was a second and a first for Italian Marco Gualandris who is now the leader overnight followed by the London 2012 bronze medalist Alexanda Rickham UK and John McRoberts from RVYC in Canada.

For full results see here.

#sovscup –Scroll down the page for images from today's day two, the halfway stage, of the Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club shot by Afloat's Bob Bateman.  

The Sovereign's Cup was established in 1995 and this year marks the 10th staging of this popular south coast cruiser regatta. The biennial event attracted  93 boats from all over Ireland and the UK to compete for the prestigious Sovereign's Cup for best all round score in IRC and The Portcullis Trophy for best progressive handicap.

#sovscup – RCYC's O'Leary clan continued to carve their way to the top of the 1720 European Championships table with six of the scheduled races completed. Nicholas, onboard T-Bone enjoyed a second and two bullets in today's racing held as part of the Covestone Asset Management Sovereign's Cup. T-Bone now enjoys a six point lead overall over Spiced Beef, with brothers Peter and Robert O'Leary onboard, which found today's shifty wind in Bullen Bay less to its taste. Baltimore-based Ben Cooke on Smile and Wave continues to keep the top two honest in third, just a further point adrift, while Anthony O'Leary, lies waiting in fourth should his sons slip up in the remaining races.

Kinsale Yacht Club's Sovereign's Cup passed the halfway point with a mid-event prizegiving at the newly renovated Kinsale Yacht Club.
In the Quarter Ton Cup, the competition continues apace amongst the 8-boat fleet. Rob Laidlaw in Aquila appears at this stage to marginally have the upper hand over Rob Gray's all-black Cote, scoring two bullets and a second to Gray's two seconds and a first. There's not much in it though, with the final race today being decided by a mere seven seconds. William McNeill's Illegal Immigrant lies in third overall after three third place finishes, and likewise Tony Hayward's Black Fun was remarkably consistent notching up three fourths today, to lie in fourth place overall. However, the smart money at this stage would be on Laidlaw or Gray to lift the trophy.
In White Sail Class 1, KYC's Dave O'Sullivan in Cimarron VI and Christine Willis in Rodmar of Aberaeron are tied on points at the top of the table, with the O'Mahony clan on Loch Greine just a further point behind. However, with Emir Herr winning today's race, and the overall scores reasonably close, it is all to play for yet in this fleet. In IRC, Rodmar of Aberaeron leads by a single point from Colm Bermingham's Bite the Bullet with Stephen Lysaght's Reavra just a further point back. In White Sail Class 2, KYC's Ger Grant in Loa Zour won today's race to lead overall from clubmates Caroline Forde and Gill Good on Guinness Kann and Richard Hanley on Saoirse.
In Class 2, the Waterford-based Statham team on Slack Alice now enjoy a five point lead in Class 2 IRC. In a tightly bunched fleet, this could be described as "commanding", as the second and third placed boats, the evergreen Cavatina and Bad Company are tied on points. However the two RCYC boats have only two points to spare over former Sovereign's Cup winner Dux. In Class 2 Echo, Henry Hogg's Lisador is currently comfortably ahead of Typhoon and Bad Company, but once again nine boats could be considered contenders for overall honours when one considers that Typhoon was the only one of the top five boats in Echo to score better than a third in today's racing.

Nicholas O'Leary's T bone crew lead the 1720 Euros in Kinsale. Photo: Bob Bateman. Scroll down for more photos

Class 3 were also on the Windward Leeward course with Class 2 today, and enjoyed the 15 knot+ south-westerly breeze and the pleasant sunshine. KYC member, John Twomey continued to dominate in his Blazer 23 Shillelagh, with a further two bullets today to go with the two from yesterday. Twomey's results are underscored by the fact that he has the lowest handicapped boat in the fleet, but consistently maintains a significant on-the-water lead in each race. Jaws Seachange Now and Bandit lie in second and third place respectively. In Class 3 Echo, Twomey's dominance continues, with Jaws Seachange now in second overall, but Bill McConnell's Monkey Business climbing to third overall after two second placed finishes today.
The Class 0 and 1 fleet enjoyed a very long day at sea today on the round-the-cans course which gave all boats a chance to stretch themselves in the glorious conditions. In the first race of the morning, Andy William's stunning Ker 40 Keronimo was across the line early, and had to dip back before resuming the race, scything her way through the fleet before surfing into an on-the-water lead downwind while clocking in excess of 20 knots! The "Z" flag had to be unfurled by PRO Jack Roy for the second race after a general recall. Keronimo leads overall in Class 0 IRC, but is tied on points with Kieran Twomey's Gloves Off, which continued her good form today. Murray Finlay's XP38i Roxstar lies a little adrift in third overall. Richard Fildes'campaign on his Corby 37 Impetuous suffered a serious setback today after they were Z-flagged in the second race of the day apparently dropping her out of contention until the discard comes into play. In Class 0 Echo, Gloves Off and Keronimo lie first and second respectively, with Tony Ackland's Dark Angel in third overall.

Dublin Bay Joker 2 leads Class one. Photo: Bob Bateman. Scroll down for more photos

In Class 1 IRC, John Maybury's Joker 2, has established herself as the boat to beat, not having been outside the top three to date, and scoring a bullet in today's second race. Local KYC boat David Scott's EOS lies in second place overall after squeaking a win from Joker 2 by two seconds in the first race today. The A35 Fool's Gold of Rob McConnell lies in third overall but, with just eight points separating second and sixth places and amid reports of very competitive racing - where minute margins are making significant differences - no one is calling this class yet. J109s and A35s occupy the top seven positions in Class 1 ECHO. Joker 2 also tops the table here with the RIYC boat 10 points clear of Tony Fox's Gringo and John Kelly's Jump the Gun rounding out the top three a further 8.5 points behind.

More images in the gallery below and in a separate Sovereign's Cup photography posting here