“A great Rankin day,” said Tommy Dwyer describing the annual Ballinacurra Race from Cove Sailing Club to the former port in East Cork. “It is the first time the Rankins have done so well in the race. We ghosted along for about two hours, and four Rankins were in the top five.”

Sailing Rankin R29 Tommy Dwyer, crewed by his grandnephew Harry Coole, won the Ballinacurra Cup, a cherished Cork Harbour Trophy dating back to 1947 when the Naval Service presented it to Cove Sailing Club. It is competed for by dinghies from harbour clubs.

Tommy, from Monkstown, is better known as one of the leading National 18 sailors in Cork Harbour, sailing out of the RCYC. He has also owned Rankin R29 for thirty years. 

Rankin dinghies made their mark at when the renowned Cobh boats formed the winning trio making it a ‘Rankin Day.’

Rankin R30, sailed by David and Richard Marshall Photo Bob Bateman

The race course is from Cobh to the eastern end of the harbour at East Ferry, then up the Owenacurra River to Ballinacurra village, once an active port. The mecca there is Creenan’s Pub, hallowed location of the family which operated the last schooner to trade out of Cork Harbour, the famous Brooklands.

Twelve boats raced for the Ballinacurra Cup in a mixed fleet, including another older-style Cobh dinghy design, a T-Class. There were National 18s, a Topaz, a Solo and several Lasers.

Finishing second was Rankin R30, sailed by David and Richard Marshall. Rankin R14, sailed by Dan and Lola O’Regan, was third. Owen O’Connell sailing the T-Class Cliodna was fourth, crewed by Eamon Twomey. Another Rankin, R12, sailed by Maurice and Frances Kidney, was fifth. Conditions were light.

Wednesday night league at Cove Sailing Club

Rankins are also dominating the top of the Wednesday night league at Cove Sailing Club. Four of them are in the top six at present of the May/June event, in which there are 19 entries. Kieran Dorgan leads the league in his Laser. He won the Monkstown Bay SC Winter League in February. Second is the Rankin R30 sailed by David and Richard Marshall, third is George Radley’s Topper, and then there are three Rankins in 4th (R61 Owen O’Connell); 5th (R2 Johnny Horgan) and 6th (R12 Maurice and Frances Kidney).

The revival of the Rankin fleet over the past few years has been a notable achievement by enthusiasts for the boat at Cove SC. Older, unused boats were located, refurbished and owners found to use them, emphasising family involvement.

Rankin R39 – Cooleen

The latest boat to join the fleet is Rankin R39 – Cooleen - which the Johanssen father and son crew, Eric and Flynn is sailing.

The second of the May/June series of Cove Sailing Club's midweek races was sailed on Wednesday, 17th May, in Cork Harbour.

A fine fleet of 19 boats took to the water, with Fevas, Rankins, and Lasers/ILCAs competing.

In his Laser, Kieran Dorgan took line honours and was a clear winner on corrected time in his first league outing.

ILCA 7 sailor Kieran Dorgan competing in the Cove Sailing Club Midweek League in Cork Harbour Photo: Afloat

Richard Marshall, sailing his Rankin, R30, continued his form, finishing second, having won the inaugural race.

In all, four Rankins finished in the top six on corrected time.

George Radley, in his Topper, Spice, finished third.

Eric and Flynn Johanssen in their newly restored Rankin, R39 – Cooleen Photo: Bob Bateman

The Johanssen father and son team (Eric and Flynn) continue testing their newly acquired Rankin, R39 – Cooleen, recently restored by the Rankin class.

They are taking a very active part in the sailing at CSC.

With two races sailed, Rankins are in the top four places

• Richard Marshall’s R30 on 3 points
• John Horgan’s Freedom, TR2 on 7 points
• Owen O Connell’s Helga R61, on 8 points
• Maurice Kidney’s R12 on 9 points

Cove Sailing Club midweek racing Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

Rankins are dominating Wednesday night dinghy sailing at Cove SC in Cork Harbour. Fiona O’Connell’s R21 leads, with David and Richard Marshall’s R30 second and Maurice and Francis Kidney third in R12. Eight boats are entered.

There are also eight entries in the Sunday Optimist League for young sailors of the club. After the first race Theo Carney leads from Eoin Jones, with Ruadhan Jackson second.

The Friday night cruiser league is led, also after the opening race, by Cathy Mullan’s First 260, Angela; with Gary Mills second in the Shipman 28, Tonga and third Déjà Vu, the Sun Odysessy 37, owned by Brian Curtis.

A fine turnout of revived Rankin dinghies raced in a Cork Harbour mist and drizzle to commemorate the class founders in Saturday's Cobh People's Regatta. 

Fiona O'Connell's Rankin R21 was the overall winner of the 29 boat fleet after two races sailed, scoring a 3 and a 1.

Ewan and David O'Keeffe were second in R5.  Third was Richard Marshall in Rankin R30.

The packed regatta schedule included cruiser racing for the Titanic Trophy on Friday night.

It was followed by the Optimist Spit Bank Challenge plus racing for a fast dinghies fleet and lower handicap dinghies too.

Cruiser Racing involving other harbour clubs will be on Sunday, with the first gun at 1330.

A Rankin is a traditional wooden dinghy that was built in Cobh, of which it’s believed there were 80 and of which The Rankin Dinghy Group has traced nearly half.

The name of the Rankin dinghies is revered in Cork Harbour and particularly in the harbourside town of Cobh.

Maurice Kidney and Conor English are driving the restoration of the Rankin dinghies in Cork Harbour. They have discovered that Rankins were bought and sailed in several parts of the country.

Fiona O'Connell's Rankin R21was the winner

 Ewan and David O'Keeffe were second in R5

Third was Richard Marshall in Rankin R30

Rankin Dinghies Race at Cobh People's Regatta Photo Gallery below

There is a hectic weekend ahead in Cork Harbour with four events scheduled.

Cobh People's Regatta, the 1720 National Championships, the SB20 Southerns and the National 18's Lowflo Trophy are to be sailed.

Cobh People's Regatta will be held at Cove Sailing Club with racing for cruisers and dinghies. The packed schedule includes a commemorative event for the revived Rankin dinghy fleet on Saturday, for which the First Gun is at 1245.

Cruisers racing for the Titanic Trophy on Friday night are the first regatta event, with First Gun at 7 p.m. The Rankin dinghies will begin the racing on Saturday with their commemorative event for the Rankin Brothers Cup.

This will be followed by the Optimist Spit Bank Challenge starting at 1300 and followed by the Fast Dinghies fleet racing at 1330 and the Lower Handicap Dinghies at 1400. Cruiser Racing involving other harbour clubs will be on Sunday, with First Gun at 1330.

National 18's are racing for the Lowflo Trophy at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

As Afloat reported previously, the 1720 National Championships, organised by the RCYC and the Sportsboat Class Association, start this Friday afternoon with two races. Four are scheduled for Saturday and three on Sunday.

The SB20s, also to be raced out of the Crosshaven club, have three races planned for Saturday and the same number on Sunday.

Colin Galavan and Richard Hayes from the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire are sailing their SB20 Carpe Diem in the Southern class Championships at Royal Cork

The Rankin dinghy revival has positively impacted Cove Sailing Club and is a source of satisfaction to those who have made great efforts over the past few years to restore this historic fleet in Cork Harbour.

Two of the stalwarts of that revival are battling at the top of the Club's Wednesday Night Dinghy League – Maurice Kidney and Owen O'Connell.

As regular Afloat readers will recall, Kidney and Conor English were the two men who drove that revival and Afloat was invited back to Whitepoint in 2019 was invited back to Whitepoint in 2019, just outside the town, to witness the latest stage in the remarkable progress of what they started as “a dream”. 

The Rankin is a traditional wooden dinghy which was built in Cobh, of which it’s believed there were 80 and of which The Rankin Dinghy Group has traced nearly half. 

Cove Sailing Club's Wednesday Night Dinghy League Photo: CSC/Facebook

The league lead has changed hands several times. After seven races, with one discard allowed, the two are locked together at the top on 12 points, a slight advantage resting with Kidney, who has three first placings, while O'Connell has two.

Owen O'Connell's blue hulled Rankin dinghy

Another Rankin, sailed by Gary Mills, is tied just behind, this time with Jon Keenan's Solo, both on 27 points.

Maurice Kidney at the helm of his Rankin Photo: Bob Bateman

Cove Cruiser League

After seven races in the Friday night cruiser league, whitesail ECHO handicap Gary Mills is the leader in his Shipman 28, Tonga, followed by Nick O'Rourke's First 22, Bright Wings and Brian Curtis sailing Déjà Vu third.

Sixty-one years after the first Rankin came off a mould in Cobh, a new one has been built from the same mould.

"From the roots of this revered dinghy class in Cork Harbour, a new boat has been built," the Class announced.

This is part of the rebuild and restoration project through which Rankin enthusiasts have rekindled interest in the class.

The roots of the Rankins are to be found in the mid-1950s when Eddie Twomey and Eric Rankin produced the line drawings of the Rankin prototype. The first two prototype boats were built in July 1956 in Eric's workshop on Lynch's Quay, Cobh.

They were an integral part of the RCYC when it was based in Cobh. The boats proved extremely popular. Their light construction made them easy to handle and "effortless to row, motor or sail, so they were an ideal family boat for Cork Harbour conditions," the Rankin enthusiasts say. When the RCYC club moved to Crosshaven, "they became a choice mode of river transport, for commuting ashore long before the days of RIBs and the club marina was built," according to one of the leaders of the revival, Conor English in Crosshaven.

Like other dinghy classes over the years, collective sightings of Rankins sailing in Cork Harbour became a rare sight, but in 2014 a group of like-minded enthusiasts from Crosshaven, Cobh and Monkstown came together to see what could be done to revive interest in the Rankins.

Conor and Maurice Kidney in Cobh drove the revival strongly and garnered strong support. "They are a great boat and the support we've got since we started has been tremendous."

Plank 14 (the Whiskey plank) is fitted to the new Rankin dinghy Photo: Rankin Class Association

The result has been a big revival, which we've been following on Afloat and which has led to racing in Cove SC events, participation in the Traditional Sails events in the harbour and the Rankin ''World'' Championships as part of Cork Dinghy Fest in which 21 raced.

Altogether the revival has identified over 40 Rankins.

The new Rankin is a further step, built by Owen O'Connell in the workshop of his brother, Bud and with Dave O'Keeffe, the trio have been working on this 'lockdown' project for the past few months.

On this week's Podcast, Owen O'Connell tells me about the building of the new Rankin and that it is intended to have it on the water in May.

A tremendous welcome was extended to the Rankin Dinghy Class by Royal Cork Yacht Club last weekend at its DinghyFest Regatta.

The largest fleet of Rankins ever gathered for the event. 21 boats assembled in the dinghy park, with 20 taking part in the racing.

This turned out to be the biggest participation from any dinghy fleet entered in the event.

A contrast in styles as Rankins sail with other dinghy classes at DinghyFest Photo: Bob Bateman

A sincere thank you to the boat owners who made this such a successful weekend.

A special mention must go to those who for various reasons could not sail their boats and handed them over to other sailors. Tom Dwyer, Ruari Allen, David Doyle, Dominic Losty, the Scott family and Damien Aherne showed this generosity which boosted the numbers and gave others the experience of sailing these lovely boats.

Rankin owners and participants

The two days sailing were a joy with beautiful weather and racing conditions.

Saturday racing comprised of three races, sailed on the Curlane bank, at the back of Spike.

The fleet seemed to enjoy the competitive aspect of the racing regardless of their experience or boat condition.

After Saturday's results had been tabulated Conor and Robbie English were in Pole position with Ewan O Keeffe, The Cliodhna, The Helga and a number of others in hot pursuit.

Dave O’Keefe with son Ewan Photo: Bob Bateman

Sunday's racing involved two races sailed in a beautiful breeze, once it filled in from the west.

A race on the Curlane bank was followed by our last race of the weekend. This comprised of a race around a few cans, with an upriver finish off the Marina at RCYC.

Owen O’Connell and Mike O’Callaghan sailing Helga sailing one of the earlier cold moulded RankinsHelga sailing one of the earlier cold moulded Rankins Photo: Bob Bateman

This was a great bit of racing with Rankins going nip and tuck into a flukey headwind to finish at the clubhouse.

Overall results more or less followed Saturday's form so a huge congratulations to the English brothers who are the official 2019 Rankin World Champions. Their father Joe, who himself had a great love of the Rankin boat, would be very proud.

Ewan O Keeffe, crewed by his dad Dave was a good second with Maurice Kidney, crewed by Stephen Barry given third based on a countback with Daniel O'
Connell sailing the Cliodhna.

Discussing the finer points of Rankin Build Quality are John Doyle and Owen O’Connell Photo: Bob Bateman

To add to the fun and commitment of the English family, April English, crewing for Mark Bushe on Tom Dwyer's Rankin, both sailed and swam during the
race series. Well done April.

April English keeps a watchful eye out sailing in the Harbour race with Mark Bushe Photo: Bob Bateman

Outside of the official prize-giving, a number of presentations were made within the group.

Sienna Mills got an award for being the youngest participant.

Sienna Mills, the youngest Rankin competitor Photo: Bob Bateman

Elaine Moynihan and Fiona O'Connell sailing KevDec got best placed female crew and the Scott family got an award for the most travelled boat.

James and Fionn Burke were the deserving winner of the 2019 Rankin Spirit award for their unfailing enthusiasm and commitment to Class activities
since it's formation in 2014.

James and Fionn Burke winners of “The Rankin Spirit Award” with Conor English and Maurice Kidney

This award has had past winners in Jonny Wigham, Bud O Connell and Owen O'Connell. They are in distinguished company. Well done to James and Fionn.

All in all a very successful completion of the official class activities for 2019. 

With thanks to Maurice Kidney

Ardmore is a lovely village on the Waterford coastline, not far from Youghal. It’s a seaside resort and was once a busy fishing village, though that period has largely passed.

The meaning of its name in Irish is ‘Great Height’ and it is believed to be the oldest Christian coastal settlement in Ireland. According to legend, Saint Declan lived around there in the period 350–450 AD and ‘Christianised the area before Saint Patrick arrived in Ireland.

"It may not have the official stamp of ‘World Sailing’ but this ‘world cup’ has something unique – a successful revival of traditional sailing dinghies"

Now it is linked with Cork Harbour in another ‘Great Height’ and the revival of a unique ‘world cup’ of sailing, once held in Ardmore, now to be held out of Crosshaven.

It may not have the official stamp of ‘World Sailing’ but this ‘world cup’ has something unique – a successful revival of traditional sailing dinghies.

Fishermen in Ardmore had asked Eric Rankin in Cobh to build salmon boats for them and that underlined a connection between the area and the man who built the famous Rankin dinghies of Cork Harbour, whose renewal we have been following in Afloat.

Ardmore had its own fleet of Rankins, which were sailed and crewed by notable sailors from Cork when they raced together with local sailors at holiday time in the Waterford coastal village. They even held their own ‘world championships’.

That connection has brought to the Rankins now revived in Cork Harbour the ‘world cup’ from Ardmore, which will be raced for by the Rankin fleet which will be reaching its own ‘Great Height’ next week, September 14 and 15 during the DinghyFest in the harbour. Twenty Rankins are expected, which would be the biggest number to take to the water together since the revival that was orchestrated by Maurice Kidney from Cobh and Conor English in Crosshaven.

They will race out of the Royal Cork at Crosshaven and it should be some sight.

• To get a flavour of this ‘world cup’ for the recovered trophy, listen now to the Podcast where Maurice Kidney describes the Ardmore connection and the well-known names involved in the Rankins who are expected to sail. The first of the Rankins ever built will be racing, as he describes the contenders for the ‘world Rankin title’.

In recent podcasts I’ve reported on the Cork Harbour T Boats, a Class now extinct apart from the restored original boat, which I highlighted last week here; the successful revival of the Rankins; the restoration underway of the gaff-cutter Lady Min and followed the marvellous restoration of the Ilen, the last Irish trading ketch, now in Greenland's waters.

That was carried out at Liam Hegarty’s boatyard in Oldcourt, Skibbereen, on the River Ilen. It’s not far from there to Baltimore, where that port, a major sailing location these days, was a major builder of fishing boats and Skinner’s yard well-known.

Free State C1 at Hegarty's Boatyard in Oldcourt Photo: Tom MacSweeney

Back at Liam Hegarty’s yard, I came across a boat which had been built at Skinner’s and whose connections are historic to the founding of the Irish Republic.

Built in the style of a sailing boat, it became the first-ever boat to be registered as a fishing boat in County Cork, with a name that is outstanding – FREE STATE C1. So named because administrators of the emergent Irish State in 1922 apparently would not register it in Irish! So the family made their point with the unique name.

This is a story that has to be heard in the telling and was told to me by Eoin Ryan, himself a seafarer, whose family owns the boat that was “a super business venture in her time,” as he put it and also the first fishing boat, with sailing boat lines, built with an engine in place.

Listen to the podcast below