Volvo Cork Week 2024 entries have been steadily climbing with a huge variety of boats and sailors from Ireland and all over the world expected to be competing at the Royal Cork’s famous regatta from 15-19 July.

The championship fleet boasts a fine array of race boats, including high performance carbon-fibre flyers to Quarter-Tonners.

Racing in sportsboats at Volvo Cork Week will be the 1720 class for the European Championship, the phenomenal Cape 31 class and, new this year, the RS21 keelboat class with boats available for charter.

For those new to racing, or for cruising boats that don’t want to bring a massive crew, the non-spinnaker/White Sail class offers an ideal programme to enjoy. For a unique experience, the Beaufort Cup provides offshore and inshore racing as an inter-services regatta within Volvo Cork Week.

The championship fleets are always a big feature of Volvo Cork Week, with a several well-known names and boats already entered for 2024. Quarter-Tonners already entered include Anchor Challenge, Panic and Diamond. Half-Tonners already entered include 2 Farr, with reigning ICRA Boat Of The Year Swuzzlebubble planning to enter soon.

Visiting boats such as Raptor, Flyover, Meridian, Allig8r and Valentina will have to get the better of local boats such as Ellida, Magnet and North Star if they are to lift the trophies.

There has been particular interest from the Welsh fleet, some of whom will also compete in the Kingstown to Queenstown race as part of the ISORA series. Entries include Impetuous, Faenol and Mojito — the former El Gran Senor. Several entries from Portishead have been received, including ScrumpyJ, Assassin and Ctrl-J.

The level of interest in non-spinnaker/White Sail classes is high, with many skippers keen to experience racing at Volvo Cork Week for the first time. Visiting boats will include Dreamcatcher, Apache, Hansemer and Calero. They will battle local boats including Sweet Dreams, Indulgence, Loch Greine, Morning After and Rosmarina for the silverware.

The RS21 keelboat class is set to make a splash at Volvo Cork Week 2024

Sportsboats

Notable entries for the 1720 European Championship include local boats Zing, Dark Side and Mini Apple, as well as visitors Mo and After Midnight.

The Cape 31 class previously attended Volvo Cork Week as a relatively new keelboat but is now firmly established as the most exciting one-design class in these waters. Volvo Cork Week is now part of the global Cape 31 2024 events circuit. The strong Irish fleet are expecting international competition from all over the world.

The RS21s will be keen to make a mark, as this is the first time the keelboat class will be part of the event. A unique element of this fleet is the availability of charter boats in ready to race condition for the week. These boats will be supplied by the class and managed at the event by Kenny Rumball of the INSS, making this a very attractive package for those that can’t bring their own boats to Cork. Contact [email protected] for more details.

Beaufort Cup

The Notice of Race for the Beaufort Cup has recently been published on the Volvo Cork Week website. The Beaufort Cup is a unique inter-services regatta, hosted by the Irish Defence Forces in conjunction with the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

A number of veteran teams from the USA have expressed interest in joining the competition, along with uniformed service teams from across Ireland and the UK. Any boat owner interested in chartering a suitable boat to one of the teams is encouraged to make contact by sending an email to [email protected].

Accommodation update

Additional local accommodation has been secured and more details are available on the Volvo Cork Week website. Competitors bringing campervans will be accommodated at the Crosshaven Rugby Club, which is provides appropriate facilities and is located around 1km from the Royal Cork Yacht Club. A regular bus service runs from Carrigaline and Cork City which stops directly outside the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Social update

Daily entertainment will be provided at the Royal Cork Yacht Club for all competitors after racing, along with various promotional events and sponsor activities. The Ladies Gala Lunch, which will be hosted in aid of the RNLI, is planned for Wednesday 17 July.

For more information including race documents, marina Facilities, accommodation and the superb social programme, visit www.corkweek.ie.

The early bird entry for the Waterman Kelly Irish Sailing Youth Nationals 2024 is closing later this week at midnight on Friday 15 March.

This year’s event will be hosted by the the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven from Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 April.

The Youth Nationals is the premier event for Irish youth sailors in the Optimist, Topper, 420, 29er, ILCA 4 and ILCA 6 classes, and attracts sailors aged in their early to late teens.

While the event is open to all, it is expected that all competitors entering will be competent in sailing in a sustained fresh breeze and will have experienced competing in regional or national events for their chosen dinghy class within the last nine months.

The Irish Sailing Youth National Championships 2024 may form part of the selection trials for the 2024 World Sailing Youth Worlds, national squads, IODAI team selection and are an indicator, among other events, for the Irish Sailing Academy.

Places are limited and so all competitors are encouraged to enter early. All relevant details including Notice of Race, accommodation and lunch orders can be found on the Royal Cork website.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club have welcomed the appointment of club member Stephen O’Shaughnessy as racing manager at Irish Sailing.

The Cork city native has extensive sailing experience, from the Mirror dinghies of his youth to the the ILCA7 team racing in the Firefly, not to mention keelboat racing both inshore in Dublin Bay and offshore.

Today he’s a fixture of the National 18 dinghy fleet in Cork Harbour and still regularly sails keelboats.

In his new role, O’Shaughnessy will support all aspects of competitive racing across Ireland — local, national and international.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club is bringing back mixed dinghy racing on Wednesdays this September.

Following the return of the mixed dinghy fleet earlier this year, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, the club is now looking to expand further beyond the 29ers, 420s and National 18s to welcome any mixed dinghy boat — raced by competent helms and crews — to join the PY racing format for the new September league coordinated by Andy Jenkins.

Royal Cork’s Read Admiral for dinghies, Maurice Collins tells Afloat.ie that the initiative is part of his overall strategy to reinvigorate double-handed sailing at the club.

Racers of double-handed boats such as Topaz, Mirror, RS200, Magno, RS400 and Fireball are actively encouraged to join — and single-handers are more than welcome too.

For more details see the RCYC website HERE.

After the high winds of Saturday’s opening day of the Royal Cork Yacht Club 'At Home' in Crosshaven, the second day made for a welcome change, with a flat sea and less wind.

Between cruisers and dinghies, the RCYC had 80 boats racing over the weekend in their annual ‘At Home’ regatta in Cork Harbour.

Saturday’s high winds and choppy waters made a testing day for cruisers and dinghies. Cruisers raced between the outer and inner harbours, registering up to 22 knots of wind gusts.

In the two races on Saturday, some boats reefed mainsails to manage the conditions. Others flew spinnakers, with a few challenging incidents.

In the cruiser classes, IRC Spin Division was won by Fiona Young’s ‘North Star.’

The IRC Spinnaker Division of Royal Cork Yacht Club's 'At Home Regatta' was won by Fiona Young’s Albin Express ‘North Star' Photo: Bob Bateman

Michael McCann’s ‘Don’t Dilly Dally’ second. David Dwyer’s ‘Swuzzlebubble’ third.

Michael McCann’s Etchells 22 ‘Don’t Dilly Dally’ competing in the IRC Spinnaker Division of Royal Cork Yacht Club's 'At Home Regatta' Photo: Bob Bateman

Ria Lyden’s ‘Ellida’ won ECHO Spin with North Star second and ‘T Bone’ (Tom Durcan/Clive O’Shea) third.

Ria Lyden’s X332 ‘Ellida’ won the ECHO Spinnaker Division of Royal Cork Yacht Club's 'At Home Regatta' Photo: Bob Bateman

Whitesail Division 1 IRC winner was Ian Hickey’s ‘Cavatina.’ Kieran O’Brien’s ‘Magnet’ second. ‘BigMc’ (McGrath Family) third. ‘Cavatina’ also won the ECHO handicap, with Mike Ryder’s ‘Freya’ second and ‘BigMc’ third.

Kieran O’Brien’s ‘Magnet’ was second in Whitesail Division 1 IRC of Royal Cork Yacht Club's 'At Home Regatta' Photo: Bob Bateman

Whitesail Division 2 winner in both IRC and ECHO was the MacSweeney Family’s ‘Scribbler’. Second in the ECHO handicap was Rob Foster’s ‘Clodagh’ and third was Eugene O’Loughlin’s ‘Kerensa’.

In the dinghy fleets, the Laser ‘passage race’ from Blackrock to Crosshaven on Saturday was a tough challenge for the single-handers. The ILCA 6 winner was Joe O’Sullivan, with Robert Jeffreys second and Eve McCarthy third. Laser 4 fleet winner was Craig O’Neill, with Liam Duggan second and Tommy Hiras third. The ILCA 7 winner was Richard McGlade. Liam Duggan won ILCA 4 in Sunday's racing, with Craig O’Neill second and Eve McCarthy third.

Fast sailing in a 29er dinghy during Royal Cork Yacht Club's 'At Home Regatta' Photo: Bob Bateman

Fevas raced from Monkstown to Crosshaven on Sunday, won by Cathal and Ruadhan Jackson, second Harry Coole and Chris Granby, and third Aifric Barry and Florence Dennehy.

Racing on the Curlane Bank, the Toppers winner was Lucy Moynan, second Kate Dean and third Ruby Foley. Optimists Class winner was Hugh O’Neill, second Charlie McKibben and third Ayda Bruen.

The crew of the National 18 Ball 'n' Chain is hit by a gust going downwind during Royal Cork Yacht Club's 'At Home Regatta' Photo: Bob Bateman

National 18s Class was won by Charles Dwyer and crew sailing ‘Nacho Boat’. Second ‘ Aquadisiacs,’ Colin Chapman and crew. Third ‘Peaky Blinders,’ Ronan Walsh and crew.

Bob Bateman's RCYC 'At Home 2023' Photo Gallery (Day One)

Breezy conditions which had a strong northwesterly at times tested the fleets in action in the first day of this weekend’s Royal Cork Yacht Club ‘At Home’ regatta on Saturday (26 August).

Our own Bob Bateman reports that the proposed format change that would have seen some fleets racing from Blackrock did not happen, with ILCAs and Toppers spotted returning to the club.

The National 18 class had a sprint series which consisted of three races on the Curlane Bank, where they were joined by mixed dinghies, two 29ers, a few 420s and an RS 200.

Clear leader on the day was Nacho Boat, helmed by Charles Dwyer, with three bullets. Second and third on the leaderboard respectively are Aquadisiacs (helmed by Colin Chapman) and Peaky Blinders (Ronan Walsh), both on 10 nett points.

Bob Bateman's RCYC 'At Home' 2023 Photo Gallery 

Due to the poor weather on the South Coast at present, the Royal Cork Yacht Club has cancelled this evening’s (Thursday 6 July) opening race in the Thursday night July League for cruisers.

Royal Cork Yacht Club members Christian Zugel and wife Sonia Rohan took line honours in Cowes on Saturday (1 July) in this year’s Round the Island Race.

RCYC’s former Olympian Tom McWilliam also featured among the crew of their Volvo 70, Tschüss 2, which was the first monohull to finish in Saturday’s race — and was awarded the Gold Roman Bowl for first place under IRC.

The performance only adds to the pedigree of the boat, which won the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race as Wizard and the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 as Groupama.

The weather conditions could not have been better for Tschüss 2 — a strong breeze throughout the day and from the west enabling a spinnaker run from just before the Needles right the way to Bembridge.

Tschüss 2’s crew celebrate their line honours and award of the Gold Roman Bowl on arrival in Cowes | Credit: Royal Cork Yacht Club/Facebook

Tschüss 2 completed the course in four hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds with the mini maxi Notorious crossing the line in second place finishing in four hours, 19 minutes and four seconds.

Christian Zugel, owner and skipper of Tschüss 2 said: “We are delighted with our race performance today and securing line honours is fantastic — what better way to start a new programme on our new boat! Great sailing, great competition and a fantastic welcome from the Island Sailing Club.”

Tschüss 2 had been training for more than a week on the Solent and a practice race around the Isle of Wight but they did it clockwise — like the original America’s Cup route in 1851.

The tactician onboard, Neal McDonald said: “I’ve competed in the race a number of times and can say it was perfect conditions for Tschüss 2 today. It’s such an iconic race in a wonderful setting.”

The Winter League for cruisers at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork Harbour will be for White Sails.

There will be six races, starting on Sunday, November 6 and concluding on Sunday, December 11, according to the Notice of Race issued by the club.

“All-in White Sail, results under IRC and ECHO, with the overall trophy awarded under IRC. One race scheduled each day, weather dependent,” the Notice says. “Daily prizes for 1st and 2nd only. Series prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

The League will be sponsored by O’Leary Insurances and is an open event, to include visiting boats.

Entry forms must be completed and are available on the RCYC website

The Royal Cork Yacht Club will host an evening of fine dining on Saturday 19 November with all proceeds going to support the club’s Paris 2024 Olympic 49er campaigners Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan.

Enjoy a six-course meal prepared by renowned chefs including Victor Franca, head chef at Nua Asador; Nascimento Nunes, head chef at Paladar Restaurant and recently The Barn Restaurant; Shauan Murphy, pastry chef at the Michelin-star The Oak Room at Adare Manor; and Leticia Miranda, chef at the Michelin-star Mae Restaurant.

Dinner is at 8pm on the night with a drinks reception from 7pm. The dress code is smart. Places at €300 per person can be booked on the Royal Cork YC website HERE.