Fog may have shrouded the reappearance of the classic 33-metre superyacht Mariette off Kinsale Harbour County Cork yesterday, but there was no mistaking the silhouette of the two-masted gaff schooner.

Designed and built by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff in 1915, Mariette arrived in Kinsale after a one-day voyage from Falmouth on the English South Coast.

Mariette was built as "Project 698" by Nathanael Herreshoff, at his Bristol, Rhode Island yard, for prominent yachtsman Harold S. Vanderbilt.

She was part of a series of seven large schooners built between 1903 and 1905 by the Herreshoff shipyard. Mariette and her sister-ship, Vagrant, are the last of this series still in service.

Yesterday's arrival into Kinsale was not a maiden voyage to West Cork as Bob Bateman's photos below document; Mariette sailed in 17 years ago, cutting quite a dash at the Fastnet Rock in the summer of 2006.

(Above and below) Designed and built by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff in 1915, Mariette is pictured off the Fastnet Rock in 2006 Photos: Bob Bateman

Located just a few miles from Kinsale town on the banks of the River Bandon, River House is back on the market with a €950,000 price tag, as the Irish Examiner reports.

The four-bed bungalow hasn’t been getting enough use as a holiday home for its current Dublin-based owner — but it could be your perfect getaway or even a new primary home for a more easy pace of life.

Breathtaking views over the river from this waterfront property are a given through the generous floor-to-ceiling windows in the master bedroom and living area.

Access to Kinsale is by road or by water, as the property comes with its own slipway, pier and mooring.

The locality has has its fair share of famous residents, too, with the Georgian-era Ballywilliam House up the road once owned by Tori Amos.

The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

Two-and-a-half million euro could snag you a stunning home right on the waterside in the Summercove area of Kinsale.

The Anchorage dates from the Victorian era when it was home to a British navy admiral. In more recent times, Hollywood star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and film director Patrick O'Connor called it their address.

Today it’s a luxury three-bed, three-storey waterfront property with a blend of traditional and modern styling that maximises its space to the fullest — not to mention magnificent views over the West Cork harbour from its many windows.

Viewing is by appointment with agents Engel & Voelkers, who have more on this property HERE.

The course for 2023's 54th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro will be contested over three stages over the period August 27 to September 13 and will call to Kinsale in late August.

As Afloat reported earlier, the route was unveiled today at the Hôtel du Département de Loire-Atlantique in Nantes with the news that Ireland will have at least on entry in the race thanks to County Meath sailor, Tom Dolan.

This time, the perennial pinnacle solo race of the French Elite Offshore Racing Championship covers a monumental 1,850 nautical miles over three successive, demanding stages.

It starts from the Channel port of Caen (Calvados) and finishes three weeks later on the Loire Atlantic coast at Piriac-sur-Mer (Loire-Atlantique). It takes the solo racers to stopovers in Kinsale (Ireland) and the Bay of Morlaix (Finistère). More than 30 solo skippers are expected to compete on what remains the ultimate annual solo racing multi-stage offshore race.

La Solitaire du Figaro course 2023

The course passes through the English Channel, Celtic Sea, the Irish Sea, Iroise Sea and out and back across the Bay of Biscay. So La Solitaire du Figaro 2023 promises to be as demanding as it ever has been, each stage this time requiring the skippers to spend up to four nights at sea.

“We have kept true to the DNA of the race with varied types of course. After a start in the English Channel from the city of Caen, the Figarists the stages will combine an almost equal mix of inshore coastal and open, offshore racing. " says Yann Chateau who is the race director of La Solitaire of Figaro.

The race moves to a stopover outside of France for the first time since the global helath crisis. And the intermediate time bonuses for the podium positions at the sprint markers now get 5 minutes subtracted from their elapsed time for the first to pass the mark, the second gets three minutes and the third one minute.

Ireland's Tom Dolan competing off Kinsale in 2019 - the County Meath Irish solo sailor harbours a strong ambition for a top result when the race returns to Kinsale at the end of the first leg of the 2023 Figaro Race this August Photo: Bob Bateman

Kinsale, Ireland hosts a race stopover for the 21st time in history

After leaving the City of Caen, which hosts the Grand Départ of the race for the third time after 2004 and 2007 there is a very technical opening to a first course mark at the Saint-Marcouf Islands which are left to starboard followed by a passage across the Channel to the Isle of Wight passing the Nab Tower, east of the Isle of Wight and the Needles Fairway, the west of the island, where the first intermediate sprint marker is.

"Bypassing the Isle of Wight, either down the Solent to the north of the island or offshore outside depending on the current and the strategy of each, could well open the game here," says Yann Chateau.

He continues, " The fleet will double back across the Channel a second time towards Bréhat where a new tactical choice needs to be made at Guernsey depending on the current and the weather forecas before making the long tack to get the Fastnet then heading back east along the Irish coast to get to the beautiful haven of Kinsale, a great classic stop which will host La Solitaire du Figaro for the 21st time”.

Concentration and maximum focus will be required until the finish, the topography of the Irish coastline and the different headlands points can create local wind effects and in 2019, last time there, the top three into Kinsale were separated by just 3mins and 47 seconds, Yoann Richomme winning the stage by 1 min 13 seconds ahead of a debuting rookie named Tom Laperche.

Roscoff - Baie de Morlaix in 2021 Photo: Alexis Courcoux

An unprecedented second stage between Kinsale and the Bay of Morlaix via the Isle of Man

La Solitaire du Figaro will then head for Brittany, the scenic Bay of Morlaix, which will welcome the Figarists for the 6th time in its history, with one single waypoint at the Isle of Man and an intermediate sprint at Chicken Rock.

“La Solitaire du Figaro has planned to go north to the Isle of Man before but it has never happened yet, usually because of the weather. But our recent experience of the 3rd leg of the 2022 race underlined again that the Figaro BENETEAU 3s are very seaworthy and can withstand strong weather conditions. This course is therefore feasible in September." says Yann Chateau. "It is a stage that can be considered as coastal knowing that the Irish Sea is not very wide. There are sandbars, lots of fishing boats and points to pass.”

The other difficulty of this stage includes the current at the passages of Land's End, the south-west tip of England. And of course fatigue really accumulates for the sailors as they arrive back towards the Breton coast on a leg on which there is really no let up and very little time to rest. 

A finish in Piriac-sur-Mer, in Loire-Atlantique

The major partner of the event, the Department of Loire-Atlantique sees the finish of La Solitaire du Figaro into a new host city: Piriac-sur-Mer. The finale stage, will once again arrive in the Pays de la Loire region and is a more open, offshore sailing stage.

The first course mark at the Chaussée de Sein will open up the field of play from the start in the Iroise Sea where choices need to be made, among other things, between the Chenal du Four and the Passage de Fromveur, before crossing the Bay of Biscay to a buoy off Gijón, Spain which will also act as a gate for the third intermediate sprint.

“This stage can be quite tricky knowing that at that time, there can be high pressure ridges in the Bay of Biscay with only little mouse holes of wind to use ,” says Yann Chateau. "It's a stage on which the fleet should be more spread out than on the previous one and the potential gaps greater. The finish into Piriac-sur-Mer will offer a technical 'sting in the tail' with the Four plateau, the prohibited areas and the potential windshadows and puffs of the islands."

The course is very much specified to the strengths of the Figaro BENETEAU 3 as well as the expectations of sailors and stopover cities. All in all there should be a great, engaging race on the water until the final finish line as well as a very popular celebration on land.

IN BRIEF

Stage #1 Caen – Kinsale : 610 nautical miles
Departure August 27 (expected arrival August 30)

Stage #2 Kinsale – Baie de Morlaix : 630 nautical miles
Departure September 3 (expected arrival September 6)

Stage #3 Baie de Morlaix – Piriac-sur-Mer : 620 nautical miles
Departure September 10 (expected arrival September 13)

Outlaw, sailed by Ian Travers and Keith O’Riordan, is nearing overall victory in the Squib Class of the Frostbite Series at Kinsale Yacht Club.

They sailed to one first and two second places in Sunday’s three races. Outlaw is closely pursued by Colm Dunne and Fiona Ward in Allegro, which won two of those races but dropped to fourth at the finish of the third on Sunday.

Outlaw has 18 points overall going into the final day of the series this Sunday. Allegro is on 23.5. That should make for an interesting battle between these two crews for the final placings. Third is Fifty Shades (Matthias Hellstern and Colm Daly) on 36.5 points and unlikely to affect the top two placings.

Kinsale Yacht Club is mourning the loss of former Commodore Pat Pyne, who died on February 22nd.

Pyne was Commodore from 1995-1998 when the West Cork club's flagship event, the Sovereigns Cup, was launched in 1995.

A keen sailor, Pyne competed in KYC Class 2 on his boat Demi-Sec for many years.

Pyne took particular interest in fostering Junior sailing, ensuring the young sailors were heard and looked after within the club. 

"Pat and his wife Maureen, who passed away only recently, will be greatly missed by us all at Kinsale Yacht Club. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends", KYC Commodore Matthia Hellstern told Afloat.

Three different winners in three races on the fourth day of the Frostbite series at Kinsale Yacht Club on Sunday showed close competition at the top of the Squib fleet, where Ian Travers and Keith O’Riordan continue to lead in Outlaw.

Allegro won the day's first race, sailed by Colm Dunne and Fiona Ward, who is in second place overall on 17.5 points. The second winner was the third overall crew, Matthias Hellstern and Colm Daly, sailing Fifty Shades. The third race was won by Mucky Duck, sailed by the O’Sullivans – Michael and Micheál.

Outlaw had second place in the first race, followed by a third in the second and a fourth in the third. The second discard of the series has been applied, and Travers/O’Riordan are on a nett 13 points overall at the top, followed by Allegro 4.5 points behind and Fifty Shades on 27.5 in third. Mucky Duck is fourth overall on 33. 

Ahead of the 420 Munster Championships starting today (Friday) in Kinsale, the class held the Craftinsure Irish International 420 Spring Training.

Hosted by Kinsale Yacht Club, the training is led by Graeme Grant and supported by Cara McDowell, Michael O Sullivan and (420 youth coaches) Hugo Micka and Henry Thompson.

The class is fortunate to have highly respected sailing coaches. These former 420 sailors have a wealth of experience in the sport ranging from Olympic campaigns, ISAF youth world and multiple World and European championship experiences.

32 young sailors have experienced a variety of challenging sailing conditions and bright sunshine which is a feature of the Irish south coast in February.

420 dinghies are ready to launch at Kinsale for the Craftinsure Irish International 420 Spring Training Week

Throughout the week, the coaches have helped the sailors continue improving their skills with training on rigging, boat handling and tactics. Sessions are designed to suit the skills of each team, and goals are set for the sailors to work in readiness for the next class association training event.

The 420 dinghies got a great mix of conditions at Kinsale for the Craftinsure Irish International 420 Spring Training Week

Apres sailing activities included a coaches presentation and motivational talk with Graeme, Cara and Michael recounting stories from their sailing careers and their journey through the class and how the skills learned in the class have helped them to continue enjoying sailing. The sailors also enjoyed the annual sailor dinner followed by a nautically themed table quiz which was a great way to bring the 420 sailing community together.

Apres sailing at Kinsale Yacht Club for the Irtish 420 class; activities included a coaches presentation and motivational talk with coach Graeme Grant

The 420 Munster Championships, which take place on Friday and Saturday, the 17th and 18th of February, promises to be an exciting event that will showcase the talent of the young sailors.

After three races sailed in the Squib Class at Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series, a father and son duo sailing Mucky Duck lead the 12-boat fleet on seven points.

The O'Sullivan's, Micheal and Michael take a four-point advantage over Colm Dunne and Fiona Ward sailing Allegro lie second on 11 points and share the same points as Matthias Hellstern and Colm Daly in third place.

Colm Dunne and Fiona Ward sailing Allegro lie second in the Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Series Photo: Bob Bateman

The series kicked off on the 29th of January under race officers John and Valerie Stallard and runs for six weeks, with races starting each Sunday at 11.55 hrs, but the opening races were delayed awaiting a light westerly wind.

Matthias Hellstern and Colm Daly are lying third in the Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Series Photo: Bob BatemanJohn Stallard is the Principal Race Officer in the Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Series Photo: Bob Bateman

Squibs, Lasers, Toppers and Mixed Dinghies sail the series.

Results below

Squib Class at the Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Series Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

Kinsale RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew along with the assistance of four coastguard units rescued two stranded dogs on Bank Holiday Monday (2 January).

The dogs had gotten into difficulty at the bottom of a cliff near Nohoval Cove in West Cork and were last seen by their owners the previous day.

Kinsale RNLI’s lifeboat Miss Sally Ann Baggy II, helmed by Jonathan Connor, was launched just before 10am and reached the bottom of the cliff near New Foundland Bay shortly after in difficult sea conditions.

Irish Coast Guard units from Oysterhaven, Kinsale, Summercove and Crosshaven were also tasked.

Due to a southwesterly surge, it proved challenging to veer the lifeboat in, so a decision was made to hold position and send two crew members into the water and swim to the base of the cliff.

With the help of the coastguard units and a specialist tracking device that was on the dogs’ collars, the two dogs were rescued uninjured and reunited with their owners shortly after midday at Oysterhaven Coast Guard station.

Speaking following the callout, Kinsale RNLI helm Jonathan Connor said: “This was a multi-agency response from our volunteers and our colleagues in the coastguard. Unfortunately, one of the three dogs involved died but we were glad to be able to reunite the two others with their owners.

“We would remind dog owners to ensure to look after their own personal safety and don’t get into danger trying to attempt a rescue themselves. We would advise keeping dogs on a lead if close to cliff edges.

“If your dog does go over a cliff and into the water or gets stuck in mud, don't go in after them. Instead move to a place your dog can get to safely and call their name and they may get out by themselves.

“If you're worried about your dog, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”