Displaying items by tag: Cork Week
Big breeze and big seas created some mind-boggling action at Cork Week on Day Three writes Louay Habib. Torrential rain in the early morning, gave way to some sublime sunshine giving the competitors some classic Irish sailing. 15-18 Knots of breeze from the south with wind over tide, created swell with waves reaching three metres at times.
“I have been to every Cork Week bar one since 1988. Today was my favourite course, the Harbour Course. The big boats will be there on Friday. Where else can you see boats like that racing inside a natural harbour?”
Flor O'Driscoll, winner of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009
Action from a breezy day three. Photo: Tim Wright
IRC Super Zero
The carbon-fibre flyers were racing on the tactical windward leeward course with the stunning backdrop of rocks near Roberts Cove. These boats light up in big conditions and the TP52s were an awesome sight surfing through the waves.
Gray and Laidlaw’s Solent based Farr 52, Bob and Austin Fragomen’s American TP52, Interlodge won a race each today putting pressure on Johnny Vincent, TP52, Pace who is still top of the class but Bob is now just two points behind them. Paprec Recyclage and Interlodge are tied for third place just behind the front two runners.
Many of the crew on Gray and Laidlaw’s Farr 52, Bob have sailed on the boat since she was first built in 2000. John Brinkers is one and was pleased with their performance today.
“That was tough going, especially the sea state, we got nailed a bit in the first race when the breeze died down for a stage of the race. The TP52s had made their time on us and in the fading breeze we couldn’t catch them up but we sailed well in the second race. Bob got a great start and managed to hang onto the TP52s upwind and rounded pretty much with them. The big call of the day came on the second lap. We spotted a shift and took a different side of the course to the other boats, we got right back at them to take our first win and put us right in the mix.”
IRC Zero
David Dwyer’s Mills 39, Marinerscove.ie had another solid day, posting a first and a third, pouring pressure on the class leader. Bernard Lambilliotte’s Swan 45, Nemo of Cowes is still leading but the margin has shrunk to just four points ahead of Marinerscove.ie. Kieran Twomey’s Corby 38, Gloves Off with Irish Olympic sailor, Mark Mansfield at the helm, is third on tie-break with French Ker 39, Inis Mor owned by Bernard Gouy.
IRC One
It was all smiles on Robert Davies, Corby 36, Roxy 6. Two races and two bullets sneaked them into first place on the leader board by virtue of more first places than Conor Phelan’s Ker 37, Jump Juice. These two are both locked on nine points with Richard Fildes’s Corby 37, Impetuous, still very much in the hunt, on eleven points.
J/109 European Championship
Greg Burgess’ Blue Jay had a perfect day on the Olympic Course and now have a commanding lead in their quest to win the European crown. There were two bullets today for the Welsh team of young Cardiff Bay J 80 sailors led by Burgess. Brian Moreton’s Jukebox is having a consistent set of results and was rewarded by claiming second place overnight. Robert O’Leary’s Jeroboam did not have the best of days and drops down to third.
IRC Two
Donal O'Leary’s X 35, D-TOX had a sensational day on the water, winning both of today’s races and propelling them above Paul O’Higgins’ Corby 33, Rockabill V and Sailing Logic’s Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma. The IRC Two Class was on the Olympic Course today with the fleet screaming down the reach in flat water and excellent breeze. The class looks set to go to the wire, with the top three boats only separated by a single point, after discard.
IRC Three
This morning, John Moorehead & Chris Ferres J 35, Bengal Magic had won every race but they were not as flash today on the Slalom Course. This allowed title contenders to close the gap; Ross McDonald’s X 332, Equinox reveled in the heavy weather in the second race, taking their first win at Cork Week. Dermot Cronin’s J 35, Mumbo is in third.
IRC Four
Paul Kirwan’s immaculate Sigma 38, Errislannan got back on track today, posting two wins by a handsome margin on the Slalom Course. Errislannan leads the class by four points. Paul & Deirdre Tingle’s First 31.7 Alpaca is second with Conor Ronan Corby 26, Ruthless in third. Tomorrow the class head for the Olympic Course, if the forecast heavy weather continues, expect the Sigma 38s to feature, especially Errislannan.
IRC Five
Vincent O’Shea’s YANKS $ FFRANCS is a light fast, Corby 25 and today’s lumpy conditions were not ideal but the team started and sailed the boat with precision and determination. Taking second place in the only race of the day, to keep a stranglehold on the Class. Denis Coleman’s sistership, Thunderbird did not fair as well, coming seventh in the only race of the day for the class and remains in second place but lost precious ground on the class leader. John Allen’s X 302, Antix still lies in third place.
IRC Six
This class is looking like turning into a two-horse race between skippers who know the marvelous stretch of water as well as anyone. James O'Brien, Kenefick & Kenefick’s Quarter Tonner, Tiger and Flor O’Driscoll’s J 24, Hard on Port. The Kenefick family live right on the Cork River, opposite the Royal Cork Yacht Club and Flor O’Driscoll was born in Cork and has sailed here all his life. Tiger has a straight run of five bullets but Hard on Port has been giving Tiger a good fight. Tomorrow, Flor’s team on the J 24 will need to beat Tiger on the multi-manoevre slalom course, if they are to have any chance of winning the class. O’Driscoll will be a happy man, win or lose, as he explains;
“I have been to every Cork Week bar one since 1988. Today was my favourite course, the Harbour Course. The big boats will be there on Friday. Where else can you see boats like that racing inside a natural harbour?”
Mixed Sportsboat and SB3 Class
Michael Wilson’s 1720, YKnot didn’t win either of today’s two races but two second places cemented their position at the top of the class. Bryan Hassett’s 1720, Darkside and sistership, Denis Murphy’s Aquatack, both scored victories today but slipped up in the accompanying races to fall behind YKnot. Tomorrow sees them tackle the tricky Slalom Course.
Ben Duncan & Brian Moran’s SB3 Sharkbite had a shocker today; being called over the start line on the Harbour Course picking up an 11th place. They are still leading, by virtue of discarding the race but are now far more vulnerable than this morning. Trevor D'Arcy’s SB3 Bullet lies in wait, just four points behind Sharkbait. The SB3 Class is back in the balance. Ronan Downing SB3, Profile Park, also fell foul at the start but still lies in third place.
White Sail One & Two
Philip Dilworth’s Grand Soleil 40, Orca enjoyed some fast reaching on the Trapezoid Course to win both of today’s races by a huge margin and is red hot favorite to win White Sail One. Kevin Lane’s Dufour 40, Aisha leads the chasing pack. Charles Broadhead, Jerry Collins and Ian Stuart Sigma 38, Persistance moves up to third.
White Sail Two is looking to have a clear favourite, Jerome McCarthy, Clarke & McMullin’ s Half Tonner, Harmony took a brace of wins today. The Rob Humphreys yacht was built in 1980 by RJ Priors and Sons and won a huge number of races at the height of IOR racing. Billy Duane’s Sunlight 30, Expression had another great day on the water. The 30 footer was dwarfed by the sea swell and excellent seamanship resulted in two second place finishes. Tom McNeice’s Sigma 33, Minx III failed to come to the starting area but still remains third.
Tomorrow, the forecast will be for some mighty big weather in and around the shores of Cork Harbour. However the weather this week has been very unpredictable and highly volatile, so who knows! Tomorrow is the penultimate day of Cork Week 2010, if the big boats do go out, it will be on the most exposed part of the racing area.
This evening the sun is out and setting over the tented village around the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Competitors will be looking forward to a concert on the main stage featuring Rock ‘n’ Roll band, FRED. Last night, The Marvels turned the dance floor into a sea of jumping party people, Cork Week will surely be rocking again tonight.
Provisional Results (subject to protest)
Super 0: 1 Pace (Johnny Vincent); 2 Bob (Gray, Laidlaw); 3 Paprec Recyclage (Ph Finance, Stephane Neve);
IRC 0: 1 Nemo Of Cowes (Richard Cotter); 2 Marinerscove.Ie (David Dwyer); 3 Gloves Off (Kieran Twomey);
IRC 1: 1 Roxy 6 (Robert Davies); 2 Jump Juice (Conor Denise Phelan); 3 Impetuous (Richard Fildes);
I RC 2: 1 D-Tox (Donal O'Leary); 2 Rockabill V (Paul O'Higgins); 3 Visit Malta Puma (Sailing Logic Limited);
IRC 3: 1 Bengal Magic (John Moorehead Chris Ferres); 2 Equinox (Ross McDonald); 3 Mumbo (Dermot Cronin);
IRC 4: 1 Errislannan (Patrick Kirwan); 2 Alpaca (Paul Deirdre Tingle); 3 Ruthless (Conor Ronan);
IRC 5: 1 Yanks $ Ffrancs (Vincent O'Shea); 2 Thunderbird (Denis Coleman); 3 Antix (John Allen);
IRC 6: 1 Tiger (James O'Brien, Kenefick Kenefick); 2 Hard On Port (Flor O'Driscoll); 3 Sea Hawk (Clem McElligott);
J109 1 Bluejay (Greg Burgess); 2 Jeroboam (Rob O'Leary); 3 Juke Box (Brian Moreton);
1720/Mixed Sports Boats: 1 Yknot (Michael Wilson); 2 Dark Side (Bryan Hassett); 3 Aquatack (Denis Murphy);
SB3 : 1 Sharkbait (Ben Duncan Brian Moran); 2 Bullet (Trevor D'Arcy); 3 Profile Park (Ronan Downing);
White Sail 1: 1 Orna (Philip Dilworth); 2 Aisha (Kevin Lane); 3 Persistance (Charles Broadhead, Jerry Collins & Ian Stuart);
White Sail 2 1 Harmony (Jerome McCarthy, Clarke & McMullin); 2 Expression (Billy Duane); 3 Minx III (Tom McNeice);
Day Two: Cork Week Offers Light Winds, Mist and Dolphins
A fickle breeze fluctuating between six and eight knots swept in an early morning mist at Crosshaven this morning for the second day of Cork week regatta. Curious dolphins were a regular sight on the race course popping up next to racing yachts, adding to the ghostly sailing atmosphere.
The breeze was from the southeast but barely rose above ten knots. Starts are always important but especially in light wind. Getting into clear air and not stalling the boat was paramount today writes Louay Habib. Photos by Bob Bateman.
Picking up pace. Johnny Vincent's entry is in a commanding position after winning both races today. More Pace photos on the gallery here. Photo: Bob Bateman
IRC Super Zero
Johnny Vincent's Pace continues to impress, winning both of today's races by a comfortable margin. Tactician Jeremy Robinson has won the Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Sydney Hobart and is a former 505 World Champion.
"After a couple of minor errors early on, we sailed well today. It was a good team effort and we got off the line really well which is always important. I do enjoy coming to Cork Week. It has a very different atmosphere to some of the regattas that I compete in and there has always been a lot of laughs in Crosshaven." Commented Robinson, after racing.
Pace is out in front after four races, Gray, Laidlaw's Farr 52, Bob, jumps up to second after a great day out. Stephane Neve's French TP52, Paprec Recyclage, drops to third spot.
King maker: Nemo of Cowes is leading IRC Zero class. More Nemo of Cowes photos on the gallery here. Photo: Bob Bateman
IRC Zero
Bernard Lambilliotte's Swan 45, Nemo of Cowes continued their impressive form, stretching out their lead in a class containing some red hot boats, bound for next month's Rolex Commodores' Cup.
"We are delighted with our results, so far." Commented main sheet trimmer Sam Richmond. "Getting into clear air has been pretty much vital. The boats behind us on the water have been mixing it up, slowing each other down a bit. We have a great crew on board but so have the other boats and we are taking nothing for granted."
Nemo of Cowes are now nine points clear at the top. Dave Dwyer's Marinerscove.ie had a much better day and is now second with Bernard Gouy's Ker 39, Inis Mor, helmed by the yacht's designer Jason Ker, moving up to third.
Local Hero: Conor Phelan's Jump Juice leads IRC One by a small margin after Day two. More Jump photos on the gallery here. Photo: Bob Bateman
IRC One
The second race of the day provided the closest finish in any class on Day Two of Cork Week. The top four boats finished within 30 seconds of each other, after corrected time. This morning four boats were tied at the top; Conor Phelan's Ker 37, Jump Juice is now just a point in front of Richard Fildes' Corby 37, Impetuous with Robert Davies Corby 36, Roxy 6 lying third.
IRC Two
Paul O'Higgins' Corby 33, Rockabill V scored two wins today on the Slalom Course, rocketing them to the top of the class and pushing Sailing Logic's Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma, into second place. Barry Cunningham's Corby 33, Contango lies in third.
IRC Three
John Moorehead and Chris Ferres' J 35, Bengal Magic scored their third consecutive win of the regatta during today's Harbour race. John and Chris have been coming to Cork Week for the last ten years.
"It is a great fun regatta and a lot less stuffy then some," commented John Moorehead enjoying a pint in the Heineken Bar. " The crew on Bengal Magic come from Bangor, Wales and Kerry in Ireland and we are all good friends enjoying a fine place to come and sail. The Harbour course had very light winds today, so we planned to get clear of the opposition, we got a good start especially as two boats near us decided to have a bit of a match which left the way clear for us.
Ringabella Bay was a decisive part of the race. A lot of boats parked up there but we had plenty of room and the leading boats got away from the rest and extend our lead."
Co-owner of Bengal Magic; Chris Ferres explains why they love coming to Cork Week. "Back home in Bangor we don't get fleets as big or as competitive as we do here. So we come to Cork Week to enjoy excellent racing but we enjoy the occasion just as much ashore, it is great that everybody is together, enjoying a few drinks after sailing."
In IRC Three, Bengal Magic are the overnight leaders with Ross McDonald's X 332, Equinox second and Dermot Cronin's J 35, Mumbo in third. These three boats are pulling away from the rest of the 22 strong fleet.
IRC Four
Paul and Deirdre Tingle's First 31.7, Alpaca won today's Harbour Race to claim top place. In a race lasting nearly four hours, Alpaca beat Conor Ronan's Corby 26, Ruthless by just seven seconds on corrected time. Paul Kirwan's Sigma 38, Errislannan was sixth in Race 3 but is leading the Sigma 38 fleet who are competing for their European Championships.
Kirwan is from Dun Laoghaire and has owned Errislannan since 1996 but the boat is over 20 years old. " There is a lot of elbow grease that goes into keeping her in top condition." Explained Paul Kirwan. " This is the only event that we get to race against other Sigma 38s. Cork Week is a very special occasion for us.
Today's race was always going to be a tall order for us to win. We give other boats a lot of time and in light airs with many legs, it is difficult to get far enough in front.
However we got a good start, we weighed up the options and decided to go for a spinnaker start at the pin end. The crew have been together for some time and I had every confidence that we could fly the spinnaker. We got away well and sailed a good race, perhaps we will fair better on the slalom course, where crew work becomes much more important."
IRC Five
Vincent O'Shea's Corby 25, YANKS $ FFRANCS looks unstoppable in the class with a perfect score line they have opened up a gap of seven points from Denis Coleman's Corby 25, Thunderbird. John Allen's X 302, Antix is third. Cork Week Chairman, Peter Deasy co-owner of Jeanneau Sunfast 32, Bad Company, had another consistent day, to move up to fourth place just ahead of a pack of boats.
IRC Six
Royal Cork Yacht Club Quarter Tonner, Tiger, owned by James O'Brien, Kenefick & Kenefick, scored yet another two bullets today making it four in a row, to stamp their authority on the class. Flor O'Driscoll's J 24, Hard on Port are still in second place and Clem McElligott's Sigma 33, Sea Hawk had a very good day on the water, scoring two podium finishes, to move up to third.
J 109 European Championship
Greg Burgess' Blue Jay is now the leader after posting a second and a first on the Slalom Course today. Robert O'Leary's Jeroboam drops to second and Brian Moreton's Juke Box had an excellent day claiming third overall. The racing in the fleet is incredibly close but the top three have opened up an eight point gap, in the eighteen strong class. However in a no-discard series, nothing is likely to be decided until the last race.
Mixed Sportsboat Fleet and SB3s
Michael Wilson's 1720, YKnot continued to shine with a bullet and a second to produce a narrow lead at the top. Bryan Hassett's 1720, Dark Side has dropped to third place and has been over taken by Denis Murphy's Aquatack who scored their first win at Cork Week, in the last race of the day.
Ben Duncan and Brian Moran's Sharkbait took another chunk out of the SB3 fleet today on the Trapezoid Course. They now have four straight wins and a seven point lead. Trevor D'Arcy's SB3, Bullet lies second and Ronan Downing's Profile Park retains third place overnight.
White Sail One and Two
Philip Dilworth's Grand Soleil 40, Orna is still top of the leader board in White Sail One but Kevin Lane's Dufour 40, Aisha proved they are not invincible, taking the gun on the last race of the day by 44 seconds on corrected time. Dan O'Neill's IMX 38, XerXes are still in third place.
White Sail Two
McCarthy, Clarke & McMullin's Half Tonner, Harmony should be in a good mood tonight, scoring two bullets propelling them five points clear of the field. Billy Duane's Sunlight 30, Expression managed two second places which lifts them up to second in the series. Tom McNeice's Sigma 33, Minx III were joint leaders this morning but now drop to third.
South Africa Enters Commodores Cup Fray
There are only a few weeks to the close of entries at this year’s Rolex Commodores’ Cup and Ireland's team is building up speed at Cork week this morning, using the home event as a warm up for August. Whilst most teams have finalized their boats and crews, others are still engaged in discussions to determine their line-ups. For all teams, both settled and prospective, certain things are set in stone. Most importantly there must be three boats, one in each of the stipulated rating bands, and, all teams must be on the starting grid for the first race on Sunday, 15 August. At present, organisers’, the Royal Ocean Racing Club are expecting 11 teams representing France, Ireland, Hong Kong, South Africa and the United Kingdom to contest the international trophy. The shaping field looks to be as competitive as ever. The sea battles that have been fought in recent weeks off the coasts of France and Ireland, and, of course, on the event venue waters of the Solent suggest that a no quarter given epic is in the making. Neutrals, with an eye for the outsider, are likely to follow the progress of the South African team over the course of the Rolex Commodores’ Cup. 2010 marks the first time a team from the world’s second largest continent has participated. As with Hong Kong’s presence in 2008, for this to happen a number of stars have had to be in alignment. According to Mike Bartholomew, skipper of the team’s Class 2 yacht, the King 40 Tokoloshe, “it was Eddie Warden Owen from the RORC who actually suggested to Rick Nankin and myself that we should consider putting a South African team together.
The whole thing really just grew from there. We approached two others we knew well, Phil Gutschi and Rick Garratt, to see if they could join the party. Both were enthusiastic from the word go.” Gutschi owns the Landmark 43, Windpower, to be skippered by Nankin in Class 1, and Garratt has chartered the J-109, Zelda, to be skippered by Dave Hudson in Class 3.
The second catalyst, in Bartholomew’s opinion, has been having a South African owned yacht (Tokoloshe) eligible for the Rolex Commodores’ Cup sailing in the Solent for the past two years, “previously it would have been too much of an ask to put a team together and, in any event, there were not any really competitive boats in South Africa.” Bartholomew is being modest about Tokoloshe’s sailing. She has not just been competing, but has proved a force to be reckoned with in recent months, going head to head with some success against other Rolex Commodores’ Cup contenders on the Solent circuit. The vast majority of the crews will be South African, easily meeting the strict eligibility criteria for the event, “most of the individuals are from Cape Town.
Even Phil, who is from Port Elizabeth, keeps his boat there. The main exceptions are the navigators, Andrew Cape on Windpower and Rick Oswald on Zelda, and, of course, some of the regulars on Tokoloshe.” Experience is essential for a good result at the Rolex Commodores’ Cup. Not necessarily just time on the waters of the venue, but in competing over a tight, but demanding series. Bartholomew is unconcerned by this aspect, “there is a fair amount of experience in the crews most of whom have had international exposure. Phil has campaigned a number of boats over the years. His skipper Rick Nankin is probably by far the most experienced South African in the mix. But Rick Garratt still remembers the good times of the 1995 Admirals Cup. He will have aboard Mark Sadler, the skipper of Shosholoza the South African entry in the previous Americas Cup.” All three boats will be in UK waters by Cowes Week and will use that regatta as a final serious warm-up. One final element in the list of irresistible forces was the involvement of the Race Ahead project. David Hudson and his brother Roger have been part of the sailing scene for almost all their lives, and, both are very successful sailors in their own right. In 2008 they created 'Race Ahead', a project aimed at giving South Africa's young sailing talent a structured route into the international sailing world.
The project has allowed young South Africans to compete in the highly competitive Laser SB3 circuit in the UK and Ireland. The effort has not been without reward: a top 10 overall finish at Cowes Week; followed by a class win at Cork Week and a second overall at the inaugural Laser SB3 World Championship in Dublin. For Garrett to have access to this pool of talent was a major motivating factor in his participation. Just like Hong Kong, the South African team is not just coming along for the ride. Bartholomew is succinct on this point, “we will try to win.” The 2010 Rolex Commodores' Cup will be held off Cowes, Isle of Wight, from 15 to 21 August. Nationality At least 50%... of the crew of each boat on board in any race shall comprise individuals who are Nationals of the country of the relevant team or individuals who have had since 1 August 2009 had their principal residence in that country or individuals who were born in that country. Further information about the Rolex Commodores' Cup may be found at: www.rorc.org
Cork Week's Class Zero is Brimming with Talent
Cork week's Class Zero reads like a who’s who of high performance racer-cruisers who start the biennial regatta in the morning. Dave Dwyer’s Mills 39, Marinerscove.ie is the in form boat, having been crowned us overall winner at last month’s RORC IRC National Championship, world class tactician, Andy Beadsworth is the lynchpin of the team. Anthony O’Leary’s Ker 39, Antix is brimming with talent and some of Ireland’s best Corinthian sailors on board. French sister ship, Inis Mor owned by Bernard Gouy is a proven competitor, a near winner of June's Round Ireland race and a frequent visitor to Cork Week. Mike Williamson’s King 40, White Heat has America’s Cup sailor, Simon Shaw at the back of the boat. All of these Class Zero boats will be competing in next month’s Rolex Commodores’ Cup. Richard Matthews’ Humphreys 42, Oystercatcher XXVI is the reigning class champion for Cork Week and will be tough to beat. Designer Tom Humphreys is on board, as is local legend Eddie English. Class Zero is looking like developing into a battle royale.
Competitors from all over the world have arrived in Crosshaven for the biggest sailing event in Ireland for 2010. The marina is buzzing with accents from Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Holland, Ireland, Isle of Man, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, United States and Wales.
Tomorrow marks the start of racing for Cork Week and by early evening the regatta village will be a frenzy of activity, as thousands of competitors enjoy the full hospitality of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.
In Class Super Zero, there is the mouth-watering prospect of an international line up of turbo-charged TP52 ripping up the race course. Stephane Neve’s French TP52, Paprec Recyclage has Sebastian Destremau calling tactics, who has sailed with Russell Coutts and Paul Cayard. Austin Fragomen’s American TP52, Interlodge has an all-star cast including, Olympic Star sailor, at Crosshaven resident, Peter O’Leary. Johnny Vincent’s British TP52, Pace has the highly experienced big boat sailor, Jeremy Robinson in the afterguard and Volvo Ocean winner, Guy Salter running the pit.
Cork Week plays host to the J/109 European Championship and there will be 18 one design boats racing in tight formation at the regatta. Andy Budgen is racing on Stalker, the Scot has won the Laser 5000 UK Nationals, 49er UK Nationals and placed second in the 49er Worlds. Ian Nagle & Paul O'Malley’s Jelly Baby, John Maybury’s Joker II and Brian Morton’s Juke Box are amongst the fancied boats to lift the European title but Ken Grant’s Scottish based, Tigh Soluis were second in 2008 and will be a potent threat.
Class One has a huge variety of yachts, ranging from Lloyds of London’s Swan 53, Lutine to Robert Davies’ Corby 36, Mustang Sally. Conor Phelan’s Ker 37, Jump Juice is always hard to beat. Two A 40s go head to head, with Michel Peretie’s Stamina III locking horns with Paul Andersen’s Fujitsu and Sailing Logic’s two Reflex 38s, Jaguar Logic and Visit Malta Puma will be vying for top spot.
In Class Two, Paul O'Higgins’ Corby 33, Rockabill V is a proven winner and is one of three boats in the class from Cowes yacht designer John Corby. No less than four Reflex 38s will be battling it out on the water. Including Sailing West, skippered by Graeme Johnson. Wouter Borghijs’ Belgian A 35, Tontin is also a well-fancied boat.
John Moorehead & Chris Ferres, J 35, Bengal Magic is back to defend the Class Three title. ISA measurer, Martin Darrer’s Projection 35, True Penance is a local boat that should feature, Darrer also races J 80s, on the match racing circuit. Strata 6 from Suffolk, England is entered by the East Anglian Sea School and is one of many schools that will be racing at Cork Week.
Class Four is the battle ground for the Sigma 38 European Championships. Defending champion is National Yacht Club’s Patrick Kirwan, helming Errislannan. There will be stiff competition from UK based boats including; Nigel Goodhew’s Persephone of London and Chris & Vanessa Choules’ With Alacrity. Including the Sigma 38 fleet, Class Four has eighteen entries including First 31.7 Alpaca owned by Royal Cork members, Paul & Deirdre Tingle and Michael Wallace’s X 332, Felix, with past Ireland and British Lion Rugby international, Paul Wallace amongst the crew.
Class 5 has previous Cork Week winner, Brian Cusack’s Half Tonner, Dick Dastardly in the mix. They are likely to be racing in the same water as four Corby 25s; Ronan Lyden’s Aurora, Vincent O'Shea’s Yanks $ ffranks, Fergan Noonan & Robert Chamber’s Impetuous and Denis Coleman’s Thunderbird.
Class Six includes James O'Brien, Kenefick & Kenefick’s Quarter Tonner, Tiger and the highly experienced J 24 exponent Flor O'Driscoll, helming Hard on Port. Tiger beat Hard on Port at the recent ICRA Nationals and it is highly likely that these two will feature at the top of the leader board. This is the most diverse class of boats at Cork Week, with fifteen different yacht designs mixing it up on the water.
For the first time at Cork Week, the sportsboat classes will raced on all of the courses, rather than just windward leeward. New Zealand’s Ben Duncan helming Sharkbait is the boat to beat in the SB3s. In the 1720s, Bryan Hasset’s Darkside counts son David amongst his crew. David Hasset has represented Ireland in the Rolex Commodores’ Cup and was Commercial Director at Green Dragon for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race. Malcolm Thorpe’s King Louie is back racing in the class, after several years of absence.
There are two White sail classes at Cork Week with a total of 43 boats competing without spinnakers. National Yacht Club member, Philip Dilworth, will be racing Grand Soleil 42, Orna. A previous class winner of the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race, 2008 Cork Week winner and class winner at the recent ICRA Nationals. Tom McNeice’s Sigma 33, Minx III is back to defend their class title from 2008. The combined class of White Sail boats is the largest at Cork Week.
Racing starts on Monday 12th July for all classes. Weather forecasts are predicting a light airs start but several low-pressure systems are being monitored as they cross the Atlantic. Later in the week, the 16th edition of Cork Week could well provide a wild ride for over 220 yachts competing at the regatta.
O'Leary Shows Visitors Around Cork Harbour
Irish Olympic Star sailor and Cork harbour local Peter O'Leary was on board the American TP52 Interlodge for a gentle warm up in Cork Harbour this afternoon and Afloat went with him. From the East Coast of the USA, Austin Fragomen is sailing this ultra-modern TP52 designed by Judel Vrojlik. The boat has been optimized for IRC and is one of eight entries d in the regatta's super zero class. Racing starts in the morning. Bob Bateman's photos over the fold:
Cork Week Official Opening - Photos here!
Cork Week Bound Yacht Rescued by Ballycotton Lifeboat
A yacht bound for Cork Week regatta sought assistance from the emergency services tonight when their vessel ran into difficulties eight miles east of Ballycotton Bay in East Cork. The yacht was sailing from Arklow to Cork Harbour to attend next week's Royal Cork regatta at Crosshaven. Ballycotton lifeboat station was contacted and requested to launch. They reached the yacht with four people on board at 17:50 and established a tow. Sea conditions in the area were unpleasant with the wind blowing F6 / F7. The Irish registered yacht was towed to Ballycotton harbour and safely secured alongside the pier wall but it has not been named by the Ballycotton lifeboat.
