A big celebration evening took place at Kinsale Yacht Club on Thursday night last to mark Kinsale’s win at the recent Bank of Ireland National Enterprise Town Awards writes Brian Goggin of KYC.

Kinsale took home the National title for the most Enterprising Town in Ireland. This is a fantastic achievement for the progressive, forward-thinking town that seems to keep on pushing boundaries and never stops developing.

Of course, Kinsale Yacht Club is a proud share in the town’s success and the yacht club, with its stunning location on the waterfront, was selected as the location to celebrate the towns win.

Mike Walsh, the current Commodore of Kinsale Yacht Club, together with former mirror ace Ciaran Fitzgerald and Dragon sailor David Good is also involved in Kinsale Chamber of Tourism and Business and were heavily involved in the bid for the award along with many other businesses and voluntary organisations in the town

Mike welcomed the gathering to the yacht club before passing proceedings onto Minister Jim Daly who said: “Kinsale Town is a natural leader when it comes to fostering Enterprise. Geography and History have both been very kind to Kinsale, but it is the homegrown, cross-community, can-do approach that has resulted in Kinsale rightly being recognised as a leading Enterprise town in Ireland”.

Eilis Mannion, Head of Bank of Ireland for County Cork officially presented the award to Kinsale. Commenting on Kinsale's win she said, "We saw what happens when a team comes together and collaborates right across the whole community". The win is indicative of the hard work and dedication of many businesses and enterprises but also of the community spirit which is at the heart of everything in Kinsale.

The yacht club look forward to further working with the town with big events like the Squib Nationals and Dragon Gold Cup on the horizon for 2020

Even by Australia’s sometimes weird boat-naming standards, calling your pride-and-joy Secret Men’s Business is a bit off the wall. Yet there is such a boat – in fact there are two, the second one being a TP52. But the first, usually known as SMB 1, is a Murray 42, built in 1996 but completely re-conditioned for 2019-2020. And during the current busy offshore season in Australia, on the bow is Stephanie Lyons, who started her sailing in Kinsale.

Her home was in Kildare, but childhood summers in Kinsale provided the sailing bug, while a taste for offshore experience was whetted by voyages on the brigantine Asgard II with Captain Colm Newport. Aboard Ireland’s sail training ship, she became not only a Watch Leader several times, but was “Watch Leader of the Year” in 2002.

A superb restoration. The re-vamped Murray 42 Secret Men’s Business 1 in showroom condition - despite being a 1996 boat - as she heads into the current Australian offshore season

Raring to go – Christmas 2019 in Sydney sees Steph ready with Secret Men’s Business 1 for the annual race to Hobart

After school in Dublin, she did commerce and German in University College Cork, and qualified as an accountant, working in Dublin and doing some sailing until in 2010 she re-located to Australia, where she has become established with fund organisation EISS Super as Chief Risk Officer.

She’d resumed sailing, notably with that renowned Sydney Harbour institution, the Balmain Sailing Club, and was soon involved with the hyper-competitive Sydney 38 Class (another Murray Burns & Dovell design), sailing mostly with Larki Missiris on Wild One, which was going so well that in 2017 and 2018, Wild One took the Rolex CYCA Trophy.

Sydney 38 Wild One going sweetlyWhen Wild One wins a prize, it is bow-woman Steph Lyons who is nominated to take the honours
But the Missiris crew – like many other Sydney 38 teams – prefer the class’s intensive semi-inshore annual season-long series to the time-consuming offshore campaigns which have the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race as their peak. So for an opportunity in 2016’s race to Hobart, Steph transferred to the First 47.7 Chancellor, and in the current season, she has fitted in time for offshore commitment at the sharp end of Secret Men’s Business 1.

In the hatchet job which is the way the RSHR results pan out in the end-of-race Derwent Driftathon, SMB 1 was plumb in the middle of a cohort which fell on the wrong side of the results. But they managed a respectable result nevertheless, with more boats astern than ahead. And the Australian offshore season 2019-2020 continues for a while yet, with further campaigns for Steph both with SMB 1 and back with the Sydney 38s, this time on the bow in Thirlmere.

Busy day at the office….Steph Lyons as a corporate guest aboard the famous Wild Oats XI
She certainly packs a lot into her sailing, as recent experiences have included sailing on the famous Supermaxi Wld Oats XI through a corporate event. But meanwhile, she and fellow women members of the Balmain club have been putting together a campaign team to take part in the Tricentenary Volvo Cork Week in July, sailing the chartered First 36.7 Altair.

The word is that there’ll be just one man in the Altair team. They had to find somebody to make the coffee……..

With the Kinsale Yacht Club commodore baton being passed from David O’Sullivan to Michael Walsh in December last year, the new commodore is rallying his troops for a busy year ahead, writes the club’s Brian Goggin.

One busy committee member will surely be Matthias Hellstern, who moves into the vice commodore position with responsibility for sailing.

And there is certainly plenty of sailing this season in Kinsale despite it not being a Sovereign’s Cup year.

The hardy sailors will test the waters next month for the custom rigging Frostbites, with the cruisers getting dusted down and going racing in March for the Frank Godsell League.

April brings the highly competitive Cruiser Spring Series and will also see the Dragons launch, somewhat earlier than normal, with a training weekend planned with international sailor and coach Martin Payne.

May sees the Barry Ryan Keelboat Regatta for Dragons and Squibs, numerous club trophy races and the competitive national events will truly kick off with the Optimist Munsters.

The Toppers and Triangle Race visit in June, a month which will also see one of the biggest events in Kinsale this summer with the Squib (British) Nationals. Eyes will firmly be on local Squibbers Colm Dunne and Ian Travers to see if they can maintain their 2019 form and cause an upset against the other top English and Irish teams.

July sees the juniors take over with sailing courses and it also looks to be an incredibly intensive year for some of Kinsale’s brightest talent

July sees the juniors take over with sailing courses and it also looks to be an incredibly intensive year both nationally and internationally for some of Kinsale’s brightest talent so be sure to watch out for names such as Michéal O’Sullivan, Dorothy Matthews and Francesca Lewis.

July also means Cork Week and the Kinsale cruisers and Dragons will make the short trip over to our friends in the Royal Cork to help celebrate their 300-year anniversary.

August will see many cruisers head west for Calves Week, numerous club trophies and of course Kinsale Regatta. The Dragons will also get getting ready for the Gold Cup with a warmup event on the last weekend of August.

Of course, Kinsale is well respected for its sailability class and the club can look back proudly at the incredibly successful and enjoyable inclusion games run last year.

Under the watchful eye of Donal Hickey, this class continues to go from strength to strength and Kinsale will send upwards of 30 sailors to the President’s Cup and Hansa Nationals in Carrigfergus in August, as well as a busy local schedule of events and weekend sailing. Donal is also busily fundraising for additional boats due to the demand of more sailors looking to join the fun.

The ‘big one’ lands in September with the Dragon Gold Cup and over 70 boats are expected to join the strong South Coast contingent

The ‘big one’ lands in September with the Dragon Gold Cup and over 70 boats are expected to join the strong South Coast contingent.

This event was awarded to Kinsale on the back of the successful 2012 event and already event director Tony Kingston reports that entries have been received from Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, UK and Belgium, with lots more expected over the coming months.

The home club expect to have eight Kinsale boats competing and should certainly be represented at the sharp end of the fleet with Cameron Good and crew on Little Fella among the ones to watch.

September is also the month for the always popular at-home regatta, while October to December will see local leagues and club trophies return. The season wraps up on St Stephen’s Day with the popular Gunsmoke Bell, sponsored by the evergreen Sammy Cohen, a man who can be credited with showing many of Kinsale’s finest sailors the ropes and the joys of yacht racing

Of course, Kinsale is a club that is dependent on its volunteers and Dave Cullinane, sailing secretary and winner of the club person of the year, will be totally reliant on volunteers to run all of the events — something for which Kinsale is tremendously grateful and proud of its members and sponsors.

Kinsale Yacht Club has elected Mike Walsh as Commodore. Walsh, a former director of KYC's biennial Sovereign's Cup takes over the helm from outgoing flag officer Dave Sullivan. 

In a big year on the water for Kinsale, the West Cork club will stage the Squib National Championships in June and the Dragon Gold Cup in September. Read Afloat's preview here

KYC's new Vice Commodore is Matthias Hellstern.  The Rear Commodore (House) is Susan Horgan. Rear Commodore (Marina) is Anthony Scannell and Rear Commodore (Membership) is Maeve Cotter.

Six sailing cruisers raced for the Gunsmoke Bell on St.Stephen’s Day at Kinsale Yacht Club in the annual event sponsored by Sam Cohen.

The winner was Stephen Lysaght’s Reavra Too, with Michael Carroll’s Chancer second and Sam Cohen himself sailing Gunsmoke II into third place.

Kinsale Yacht Club’s October Whitesail series concluded with three yachts in a tie for the top places in the ECHO fleet writes Tom MacSweeney

Valfreya (Leonard/Riome), Justus (Dan Buckley) and Godot (John Godkin) all finished on 11 points. After one discard was allowed over the five-race series, when the tie-breaker was brought into play, the Sigma 33 Valfreya, got first place with the J/109 Justus second and the Dufour 44/Godot third.

There was also a tie in the IRC fleet but here John Godkin’s Godot was the clear winner on 6 points overall. The tie was between Dan Buckley’s Justus and the Carroll Brother’s Elan, Chancer, both finishing on 8 points. It favoured Justus which got second place with Elan third.

J109 Justus Photo: Bob Bateman

Ireland was outclassed as British boats took the podium places at the International 2.4mR one-person keelboat Irish Open Championships at Kinsale Yacht Club today.

Megan Pascoe, a past World and European champion in the class, dominated the four-race event with four straight wins and was followed by Katherine Hedley with four seconds. Brian Harding was third.  The top Irish sailor was John Patrick in sixth place overall.

Five UK visitors travelled to Kinsale for the championships.

With Saturday's racing washed out as Afloat reported here, the pressure was on to complete all racing today in the ten-boat fleet.

It is the first time the event was held on the south coast with last year's championships held on Carlingford Lough. 

Sunday dawned with a flat calm but racing soon got underway with London 2012 Olympic Race Officer Jack Roy in charge.

Races were each of 40 minutes duration in the 10-knot winds from the northwest.

At the first start, the wind took a big shift moving from NW more into the north and so Roy abandoned that start to allow the course be moved.

Results are here.

The boat is primarily used for racing and the class holds highly competitive national events in many countries. In some countries, it features mainly as a class for sailors with a disability.

The 2.4mR is ideal for adapted sailing since the sailor does not move in the boat, and everything is adjustable from right in front of the sailor. Both hand-steering and foot-steering are possible.

Scroll down for photo gallery by Bob Bateman

Top Irish sailor John Patrick against the backdrop of Charles Fort

Adam Billany

Katherine HadleySunlight and shadows

Adam Billany

Katherine Hadley

Adam Billany

Georgina Griffin

Patrick Hassett

Winner Megan Pascoe

Brian Harding and Adam Billamy

Gina Griffin

A group of GBR visitors with Donal Hickey

Sailability Leader in Kinsale Donal HickeyThe Race team Jack and Rosemary Roy, Commodore David O’Sullivan and Mel McIlwaite

There is a sentence that is banned in every lifeboat station. That sentence is ‘It sure has been quiet round here.’ Because, as sure as eggs ‘is eggs, the Gods will start a passenger liner sinking at the mouth of your harbour writes Dave O'Sullivan.

Our sport is littered with, fingers crossed, piseogs. And in this light, many sailors treat RNLI fundraisers as a kind of cosmic insurance. The more I pay, the less chance I will get to meet these people in their full professional capacity. Or, God forbid, if I do need them then I will get special attention.

So Kinsale Yacht Club came out in force last night to have a great race, a great party and pay an instalment on the cosmic insurance.

Susan Draper (sponsor) with Dave O’Sullivan (KYC Commodore) and Julie Silverberg (Freya) Photo: Elma O’Sullivan

Twenty yachts turned up on the start line to join race officers Ruth Ennis and Donal Hayes. It is always difficult to set a course that will satisfy both an Xp50 and a squib but the winds were kind and the seas were flat and the race officers set a testing course that got the fleet home before dark. Freya led from the start and the main nip and tuck battles happened mid-fleet. Y Dream, Artful Dodger and Siboney were all biting at each other. No Notions, Runaway Bus and Shillelagh had another battle royale in the middle and, in the end, it was always going to be difficult to guess how the handicaps would impact.

Continuing the good karma of the evening the results were well deserved and popular. Freya was unbeatable, followed by John Stallard’s Siboney and Patrick Beckett’s Miss Charlie.

The main ‘finances’ of the evening followed, and a tough crowd was well managed by an ‘on form’ Commodore for the annual auction. He entertained, barracked and cajoled an increasingly willing audience to part with the maximum amount of cash. There were great bargains to be had although there will be some sore heads this morning wondering why they have a discount voucher for ballroom dancing in their blazer pocket. The club Treasurer was particularly generous and will cut quite a dash in his new Fascinator Hat.

When the accountants finished their bean counting this morning it was revealed that the event raised more than €8,000! A number of people put in huge work but this amount exceeded the most optimistic estimates.

The event is known as the Spalpeen Trophy and is run in memory of Billy Draper, a long-time member and friend of Kinsale Yacht Club. Billy would have approved of last night, a night to be proud.

Results here

Over 250 people with physical, sensory, intellectual and learning disabilities took part each day in a “splashingly” good weekend at the third annual Watersports Inclusion Games in Kinsale writes Treasa Cox

This year’s participants tried out more sports than ever before, with an expanded range including sailing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, rowing, surfing, water skiing and powerboating all on offer. The Games took place at Kinsale Yacht Club in Co Cork on 24th-25th August.

The Watersports Inclusion Games are an award-winning event organised by Irish Sailing with partners from across the watersports sector, that enable people of all abilities from the physical, sensory, intellectual and learning spectrums to take to the water to participate in a wide range of water activities.

First-time participant Callum O’Mahony from Douglas, Cork, came to the Games with Enable Ireland. He went on a powerboat ride and said “it was great – we went so fast. I definitely want to come back again next time”.

One parent commented: “our daughter has autism. Today we watched her attempt kayaking, paddle boarding, and even skipper a yacht. The atmosphere was beyond inclusive, it restored our faith in humanity”.

Participants ranged in age from pre-teens to seniors and came from across the country. Some are repeat attendees, and some were first timers. The activities were tailored to each participant’s level and ability – so no two experiences were the same.

There were wheelchairs on Stand-Up Paddle Boards, visually impaired participants waterskiing in Kinsale Harbour, thrilling fast-boat rides, and all sorts of sailing.
Organiser Johanne Murphy said: “Irish Sailing promotes sailing as a ‘sport for all, a sport for life’. We believe in inclusion and the elimination of barriers to accessing sport, so that sailing and other watersports can be more readily available to the one in seven (13.5%*) of people in Ireland who have a disability.” (*2016 Census)

The organisers of the Games wanted to let people of all abilities know that there are multiple watersports available to them, and to encourage more people from all backgrounds to get involved and out on the water regardless of ability. They aim to highlight that any barriers faced by people with disabilities can be eliminated.

There are social, health and wellness benefits associated with sailing and all watersports. These include improved muscle strength and endurance, improved cardiovascular fitness and increased agility, enhanced spatial awareness, greater mental wellness through the balancing of serotonin levels and the lowering of stress levels, improved concentration and the forging of positive relationships.

Harry Hermon, CEO of Irish Sailing, added: “This is the third year of the Watersports Inclusion Games and they’re successful because of the many different strands that come together behind a single purpose, to get everyone afloat enjoying and benefitting from watersports. There are at least 11 different organisations involved in the Games – and at least 200 volunteers. Together we want to raise the profile of the Games so that everyone around the country becomes aware that sailing and other watersports are accessible to them, no matter what their circumstances”.

A pursuit race can be a fun thing. Instead of all boats starting together, the goal is for all boats to finish together. So, the slow boats head off first and the fastest last writes Dave O'Sullivan, Commodore of Kinsale Yacht Club.

The 40 footers chase the Class 2s, who chase the Dragons who chase the Squibs and, with the witchcraft of mathematics, all boats reach the line at the same time.

A lot of Race Office fingers are crossed.

Bang on the start of the race and the wind changes 180 degrees and we now have a Leeward/Windward course instead of the intended. A potential disaster but the wind steadied and a near-perfect race ensued. A lot of sighs of relief. 

The 1720, number 1601

But, of course, we will remember none of this. We will remember a glorious day of silver seas, blue skies and white puffy clouds. We will remember a beautiful beat to the Bulman Buoy and long spinnaker runs up and down the harbour. We will remember that Bobby Nash & Co. in 1601 had a faultless performance and were the undisputed victors on the day.

Godot - John Godkin & Co

TBD - Matthews Jacob Good

We will remember the generous (seriously generous) sponsorship of the Bulman bar that involves tying up after the race to trays of gourmet seafood and ice buckets full of Heineken. That really is an ‘only in Kinsale’ moment.

And the Race Officers (Mike Walsh & Donal Hayes) will remember their joy when they realised the happenstance of winning boat (1601) reaching the finish line one minute after 4 o’clock.

Results -

1st 1601 - Bobby Nash & Co
2nd TBD - Matthews Jacob Good
3rd Godot - John Godkin & Co