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Displaying items by tag: Monkstown Bay Sailing Club

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club in Cork Harbour will resume the running of the October League on Saturday with two races for Class 1 and 2 dinghies.

The club says seven races are planned for the October League, with one discard to be applied if four or more races are sailed.

The results of last Saturday’s ‘Dash for Cash’ race, MBSC says, will be counted as the first race of the October series.

The first Gun on Saturday will be at 13:57 with a countdown of 3, 2, 1 guns.

The annual general meeting of the club will be held at the clubhouse on Sunday, November 19, at 4 p.m.

Ewen Barry and Charles Dwyer, racing a 505 dinghy, emerged as the winners of the single race 'Dash for Cash' event at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club on Saturday.

The pursuit race, open to all clubs, produced a super day on the water in Cork Harbour for the 34 competing dinghies. 

The race was sailed using a triangle course; a beat to a windward mark off Raffeen Creek, a run across the river to Cooleen mark off Black Point and then a reach to a mark off Carrigaloe.

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's Alan and Luke Fehily and John Moynihan were Race Officers onboard the MBSC Committee Boat.

It was a lovely Autumn day for the "Dash for cash" event and the 34 dinghies had a light flukey SW breeze for racingIt was a lovely Autumn day for the "Dash for cash" event and the 34 dinghies had a light flukey SW breeze for racing Photo: Mary Malone

Results were based on the PY (Portsmouth Yardstick) handicap system for dinghies ranging between PY 697 and PY 1387.

The lowest on the Portsmouth Yardstick rule started first, and these consisted of Cork Harbour's own vintage Rankin dinghy fleet.

The front runners emerged in three designs: Tommy Dwyer sailing singlehanded in a Rankin, a 505 and an ultra National 18 dinghy. 

Tommy Dwyer sailing singlehanded in a RankinTommy Dwyer sailing his Rankin singlehanded in the MBSC 'Dash for Cash' Race Photo: Mary Malone

The wind off  Blackpoint was light, and the spinnakerless Rankin lost out to the 505 and the 18.

Close finish to the MBSC 'Dash for Cash' Race- The 505 to leeward just ahead of the National 18 (405) Photo: Mary MaloneClose finish to the MBSC 'Dash for Cash' Race- The 505 to leeward just ahead of the National 18 (405) Photo: Mary Malone

It proved to be a nail-biting finish on handicap, with none of the top boats professing to know who had won when they came ashore! 

See the vid clip of the finish at Monkstown Bay below by Mary Malone

Barry and Dwyer took the €300 prize for first place, €100 for second went to the National 18 pair Ronan Kenneally and Robbie O'Sullivan.

There were also additional prizes awarded on the day.

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club Dash for Cash ResultsMonkstown Bay Sailing Club 'Dash for Cash' Results

 Monkstown Bay Sailing Club 'Dash for Cash' Photo Gallery by Mary Malone

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club will stage a different type of event this Saturday in Cork Harbour – the T Bourke ‘Dash for Cash’.

This is a pursuit race open to all clubs, based on the PY (Portsmouth Yardstick) system, for dinghies ranging between PY 697 and PY 1387.

The pre-race briefing is scheduled for 12.30 p.m. on the Sand Quay at Monkstown. The First Gun will be 1400.

There is a €300 prize for first place, €100 for second and €100 for the first boat helmed by an 18-year-old or under. Additional prizes will be awarded on the day.

Entry fee is €10 per boat. Entry is only through the club’s website: www.mbsc.ie

The RS Feva Southern Championships, scheduled for this weekend at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club, has unfortunately been cancelled due to the bleak forecast throughout the weekend.

Saturday's wind in Cork Harbour is expected to increase throughout the day, and Sunday's conditions are predicted to be even worse.

The event organiser, Ewen Barry, expressed his regret over the cancellation and extended his appreciation to the parents and children who had entered, including six boats that had planned to travel from Dublin.

With 23 entries, the event was shaping up to be a great one. Barry assured that all entry fees will be refunded and the organisers are now looking to reschedule the event as a one-day affair during October.

In what turned out to be an eventful day in Cork Harbour waters, Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's 'At Home' on Sunday saw a near record-breaking 75 boats take part.

The dinghy sailing participants had a great day on the water, enjoying the warm weather and the competition. The event was run on the water by John Crotty as the Race Officer, whom Dave Horgan and Pat Hallissey assisted. 

The event witnessed some close competition, with Brendan Dwyer emerging victorious in Class One and Tim and Philip O'Connor taking home the top prize in Class Two.

Ruby Duggan was crowned the winner of The Feva Club Championships, which ran simultaneously. Meanwhile, Rian O'Neill secured the top spot in the Oppie class.

The deferred Monkstown Bay Sailing Club 'At Home', incorporating the Feva Club Championships, will be sailed on Sunday in Cork Harbour.

This is a 'dinghies-only' event as the Harbour cruisers are racing on Saturday in the annual Cobh-Blackrock Race.

The schedule of racing for the At Home is:

  • Oppies & Fevas FG 12:30
  • Class 1 & 2 FG 13:55

There will be no club racing on Saturday. The results from the At Home races will count towards the September League.

Prizegiving will take place in the Clubhouse after racing.

It is tight at the top of Class 1 and 2 in the August League at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club as evening racing moves towards seasonal closure in Cork Harbour.

Emmett O’Sullivan in RS Aero 7 leads Class 1 on 15 points, with Judy Moynihan and Therese Loesberg second in a Laser II on 16 and David O’Connell, who has had considerable success in winning two leagues already this season, is third in his Laser 7 on 17.

The tight competition is also at the top of Class 2, led by Ellen Bruen’s RS Fexa XL with 4 points from Tom and Tim O’Connor’s Mirror on 4.5, Isabelle and Myles McCarthy, RS Feva XL are third with 8.

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club in Cork Harbour has re-set its annual 'At Home' for Sunday. September 10. Bad weather forced cancellation in July.

The At Home will incorporate the Optimist and Feva Club Championships.

It will be a dinghy-only event as the Cobh-Blackrock annual race takes place the day before, which is a major event for all cruiser classes in the harbour clubs.

MBSC says it will post further details about its 'At Home' closer to September.

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club’s July League Class 1 in Cork Harbour ended with veteran Laser and National 18 sailor, David O’Connell, taking a second monthly league win in succession.

After winning two of the nine races in his ILCA Laser 7, he finished on 10 points, adding to his victory in the June League. Emmet O’Sullivan, sailing an RS Aero 7, was second for the July League, on 17 points. Brian Jones and Gary Frost were third in their 505, finishing on 20 points.

RS Feva XLs took the top three places in Class 2. Harry Coole was the league winner on eight points, Daisy and Ruby Duggan second on 13, and Jack Horgan/NoahJoyce third with 34 points.

Strong winds in Cork Harbour forced the cancellation of Monkstown Bay Sailing Club’s annual ‘At Home Regatta’ on Saturday. The weekly Class 2 Friday racing had been cancelled the previous evening. Class 1 went ahead and was won by Emmet O’Sullivan, sailing an RS Aero 7. Second was David O’Connell in his Laser 7 and third was Brian Jones and Gary Frost in their 505. After two races that put O’Sullivan and O’Connell on top, sharing 10 points, with placing advantage of first at present going to O’Sullivan on the basis of having one first place. The 505 is third on 17 points overall.

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Ferry & Car Ferry News The ferry industry on the Irish Sea, is just like any other sector of the shipping industry, in that it is made up of a myriad of ship operators, owners, managers, charterers all contributing to providing a network of routes carried out by a variety of ships designed for different albeit similar purposes.

All this ferry activity involves conventional ferry tonnage, 'ro-pax', where the vessel's primary design is to carry more freight capacity rather than passengers. This is in some cases though, is in complete variance to the fast ferry craft where they carry many more passengers and charging a premium.

In reporting the ferry scene, we examine the constantly changing trends of this sector, as rival ferry operators are competing in an intensive environment, battling out for market share following the fallout of the economic crisis. All this has consequences some immediately felt, while at times, the effects can be drawn out over time, leading to the expense of others, through reduced competition or takeover or even face complete removal from the marketplace, as witnessed in recent years.

Arising from these challenging times, there are of course winners and losers, as exemplified in the trend to run high-speed ferry craft only during the peak-season summer months and on shorter distance routes. In addition, where fastcraft had once dominated the ferry scene, during the heady days from the mid-90's onwards, they have been replaced by recent newcomers in the form of the 'fast ferry' and with increased levels of luxury, yet seeming to form as a cost-effective alternative.

Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!