Looking back on the season of 2022, it has to be said that the East Coast keelboats had the edge on the Cork Harbour fleet in terms of national overall success in the majors, what with taking the best place in the Round Ireland Race and winning the ICRA “Boat of the Year” award - both achieved by the Evans brothers’ J/99 Snapshot – while also having a third share of the “Boat of the Week” trophy in Cork Week in the form of Ross McDonald’s successful helming of Atara to be tops in the big fleet 1720 Class.

But Cork sailors can draw hope of future success from other outstanding achievements, and over Christmas we had news from New Zealand of a Cork cruiser-racer coming to Dublin Bay and wiping the floor against a crack fleet, despite all her competitors being bigger boats.

Admittedly, it all happened 186 years ago. But success at this level endures forever, provided the engraved trophy somehow survives. Silverware is for keeps, but the maintaining of paper records from a busy regatta can sometimes become haphazard - particularly on a wet and windy day - while club minute books are only legally obliged to record the deliberations of the General Committee, but not those of the Sailing Committee.

LEAKING ROOFS AND THE PRICE OF POTATOES

This means that sailing historians, far from being able to access precise information on the winners of the annual regatta and how they won from formal club records, instead find themselves ploughing through distracting discussions about how best to stop the clubhouse roof from leaking, the adverse way the price of potatoes is affecting the finances of the dining room, and how to cope with the latest episode of difficult in-house behaviour by the club’s inevitable Awkward Squad, of whom the undisputed national all-time champion was the Royal Cork’s 19th Century member John Newman Beamish, who would have a row with himself when no-one else was available

When completed in 1854, what is now the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh was the new purpose-designed clubhouse of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, where the committee occasionally found they’d to resolve intense disagreements among a very characterful membership.  

But as for sailing, there are times when you’d think this had nothing to do with the club at all. And if you turn to the contemporary newspapers or periodicals, should an account of the event appear, you’ll find that it only goes big if any celebs of the day are involved, while the reporter will inevitably also focus on the largest boats involved.

So when Royal Cork Yacht Club member Nicholas Parker (1795-1863) of Bellevue at Passage West above Monkstown on Cork Harbour took his little 10-ton cutter Gem to Dublin Bay in 1837 and won a regatta of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, it scarcely registered at all on the publicity barometer. In fact, though Parker and Gem apparently were hotshot performers for more than twenty years, the Royal Cork’s monumental history – published 2005 - only mentions Gem twice.

Once was in 1835, when she won a rough weather race boat-for-boat out round the Daunt Rock lightship and back when other larger craft were more fancied, with her owner merely being named as “Parker”. And then on 10th September 1857, she was one of 21 yachts taking part in a Royal Cork YC exercise in Admiral Sailing under the leadership of Captain Henry O’Bryen.

THE PIONEERING “OCEAN RACE”

Three years later, O’Bryen was to achieve sailing immortality through being the winning skipper in 1860’s pioneering Dublin Bay to Cork Harbour “ocean race” – the winner of its re-staging last year was the Murphy family’s Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo from Crosshaven. But back in Cork Harbour in 1857, the little Gem was last in the list of boats in his Admirals Sailing fleet – presumably through being the smallest – and her owner’s name wasn’t mentioned at all.

It would be pleasant to think that the Royal Cork’s introduction in 1845 of a 21-gun salute for members’ yachts returning from conspicuous success elsewhere had been partly inspired by Gem’s outstanding success in Dublin Bay in 1837. But in an age when might was right, the sheer smallness of Gem probably meant that her remarkable win in Dublin Bay in 1837 scarcely registered around Cork Harbour at all.

“Ideal for displaying Aunty Keitha’s bouquet of plastic flowers….” – the priceless trophy from 1837 had been re-purposed when discovered by relatives during a house clearance in Auckland

Thus we’ve a fairly clear indication that Nicholas Skottow Parker (Heaven alone knows where the exotic middle name came from) was indulging himself in that Irish speciality of the caring professions, the Nursing Of A Grievance. For the cup he won from the Royal Irish Yacht Club has been inscribed in a particular way which suggests he commissioned the inscription himself, just to make it clear to posterity that his little Gem had beaten the tar out of some hot bigger craft on a boat-for-boat basis. And on Dublin Bay, too.

The detail on the 1837 RIYC Regatta Cup suggests that winning owner-skipper Nicholas Parker of Cork personally commissioned the inscription

That would have made it a very big deal indeed in Bellevue in Passage West, where Nicholas would have become a household name in his own household. And we still know about it, for miraculously the cup - complete with its very telling inscription - has survived. But it’s far from Passage West now, and far from Ireland too. It’s in Rangiora, a suburb of Canterbury in New Zealand’s South Island. 

THE WANDERINGS OF GEM’S CUP

Although many Irish families emigrated to New Zealand in the latter half of the 19th Century and subsequently, with the more affluent taking various goods and chattels with them including any handy family silver, most will have gone fairly direct. But the wandering of Gem’s Cup has been remarkable, and it has been traced by Wayne Boreham of Rangiroa, a descendant of Nicholas Parker and the current custodian of this very tangible piece of family and sailing history.

Nicholas Parker’s daughter Anne Dorcas Stevelly Parker married a John Waring, and the Parker silverware, jewellery, plates and cutlery apparently passed down Anne’s line to find their final home in Ireland in the Waring family’s Pottlerath House in Kilmanagh, Co Kilkenny. The collection passed to John and Anne’s sons William and Thomas, and Thomas emigrated from Kilmanagh to Auckland, New Zealand, but finally settled permanently in Fiji with his family, with the cup, goods and chattels going to the Pacific islands with them.

In Fiji, one Henry Harding Waring eventually emerged as the caretaker of the Cup, and it went with him when he made a new home in Auckland with a family of three daughters. In due course the Cup passed to the youngest daughter Keitha (now there’s a classic Kiwi feminization of a male name for you) who seems to have lived alone at the end, for when she died her nephew Wayne Boreham had to travel up from Canterbury and join with two of Keitha’s nieces in the melancholy but fascinating business of clearing her house, which proved to be a treasure trove of family history with many documents and heirlooms.

PRIZE SILVERWARE BELOW THE PLASTIC FLOWERS

However, such tasks can become overpowering, and when the cousins found themselves faced with a pile of apparent rubbish in the lounge with a bunch of plastic flowers sticking out of the top, one of the nieces simply grabbed the lot and heaved it into the bin. But it made an interesting “clunk” when landing, and a quick investigation revealed that the plastic flowers had been on display in the Royal Irish Yacht Club silver cup of 1837.

Wayne Boreham politely refrains from any comments about eccentric Aunty Keitha using the historic family silver to display plastic flowers to best effect. But as soon as possible back in Canterbury, he got the cup cleaned up, and set about looking up old newspaper and periodical records online to see was any information available about that regatta, while also contacting the Royal Irish YC. And then records of The Pilot, a maritime weekly of that era, came up with some information in its edition of Friday June 23rd 1837.

The report in The Pilot for the first day of the RIYC regatta of 1837 concentrated on the big class……..

…..but on the second day the reporter had to make do with Gem’s win in the small class, and threw in a hint of organisational criticism for good measure

In those more leisurely times for those who had the ways and means to enjoy it, the two-day RIYC regatta was staged mid-week on Tuesday June 19th and Wednesday June 20th 1837. Founded in 1831, the Royal Irish YC in its initial form was a fading force by then, but it was to be revived with fresh vigour by Daniel O’Connell the Liberator and various sailing friends on 4th July 1846, with the date of American Independence day being very deliberately chosen.

But back in 1837, it was on its last legs, and though the three big class boats racing on the Tuesday got detailed coverage, the second day when Gem shone received only the barest mention, as the impending death of King William IV dominated events, and meant that only the small class raced in a regatta in which the club appeared to lack sailing administrators.

However, the bare bones report in The Pilot showed the order in which they had finished with Gem triumphantly ahead. But in the somewhat chaotic atmosphere, it is highly likely that Nicholas Parker was simply presented with the cup inscribed only with the name of the regatta, and given perfunctory best wishes for a safe voyage back to Passage West

So after it had been sailed back to Cork Harbour securely stowed in Gem’s safest locker, he had complete freedom to get a Cork silversmith to inscribe the cup exactly as he wished. Has anyone ever - before or since - seen a winner’s silver cup inscribed with such loving details of every boat beaten, starting with the fact that the ten tonner from Cork had beaten a 17 ton cutter from Dublin Bay back into second place by all of 23 minutes?

THE PERILS OF GLASSWARE

Yet given such a chance, who could resist? More than thirty years ago, we raced our Contessa 35 in the then-big-fleet Scottish Series when she’d been re-furbished and given new sails, and was going good. The prize-giving started on the Tuesday evening at Tarbert almost immediately after the last race, and though there was time for an on-site inscriber to fill in precise details of the overall winner on the main trophy, those of us who had scooped some wins and podium places further down the line were simply given a choice selection of rather lovely Caithness glass inscribed only with the Clyde Cruising Club logo.

Scotland’s Caithness Glass provides an exquisite selection of drinking vessels ready for inscription as you wish, but it won’t survive violent contact with flagstone kitchen floors with the same style as old Irish silverware

There isn’t a country in the world that can match the Scots for the invention of differing shapes and forms of glassware vessels exclusively for the conveyance of alcohol from bottle to consumer. Thus we arrived back in Dublin with all this various and lovely virgin glassware just waiting to be embellished with whatever inscription we could think of that stayed within the limits of what the boat had achieved yet all put in the best possible light, and Blackrock Crystal did a fine job for us.

But in those days we tended to celebrate to excess, and at least one of the syndicate had a stone-flagged kitchen floor which was instant nemesis for a dropped Caithness Glass quaich of even the most elegant design. Within a dozen years, there wasn’t any tangible evidence whatever left of that rather successful pot-hunting expedition to Loch Fyne.

Yet 186 years later, thanks to the enduring qualities of Irish silver, we are now more aware than ever that Nicholas Parker’s little Gem from Passage West on Cork Harbour won a mighty regatta victory on Dublin Bay on June 20th 1837. And we are aware of it despite the trophy having to survive travels from Cork to Kilkenny to New Zealand and on to the Pacific Islands, and then back to New Zealand and through a period of being used to display plastic flowers to best effect.

Silver can take it. Forget glass, forget wood, forget marble – silver is your only man. And if anyone out there knows more of Nicholas Parker of Passage West and his family and his wonder-boat Gem, there are folk in New Zealand who’d like to hear about it.

On Sunday, there was a cold, crisp finish to the all-in O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club. 

A port tack start with an ebb tide coming down the Owenabue river pushed the cruiser-racer fleet ever closer to the start line, a situation that prompted an individual recall in the 22-boat fleet. 

After four races sailed and one discard applied, Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star held a four-point advantage at the top of Royal Cork Yacht Club's O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2022 in IRC.

A port tack start with an ebb tide coming down the Owenabue River pushed the fleet ever closer to the line in the final race of the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

The course brought the fleet to Corkbeg, then no.14 out the harbour to Roches Point and back to a finish.

Race Officer Nin O'Leary prepares to get the fleet away in the final race of the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club; the race was started from "Grassy" line with a transit between the shore and the Cage buoy in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

North Star made no mistake; today's win was the fourth of the series, enough to seal the victory by six points on IRC and take the Archie O'Leary memorial trophy.

In his Albin sister ship, Apache, Kinsale visitor Alan Mulcahy stayed second overall, with Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher in the Dubois Quarter Tonner Diamond, helmed by Roy Darrer in third place. 

A prizegiving was held at the RCYC clubhouse in Crosshaven, with Race Officer Nin O'Leary presenting the prizes.

Jack Young, helm of North Star, was first in Echo and IRC at the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club and was presented with his preize by Nin O'Leary (left) and Paul Tingle, RCYC Rear Admiral Keelboats (right)  Photo: Bob BatemanKinsale's Alan Mulcahy from the Albin Express Apache takes the second prize at the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Helmsman Roy Darrer from the Quarter Tonner Diamond picks up third prize (IRC) in O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Seamus Gilroy from the Dufour 34P, Split Point, second on ECHO handicap in the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Sean Hanley skipper of Luas was third on ECHO handicap in the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Denis Murphy's Grand Soleil 44 Nieulargo (below) was judged the best-dressed boat overall for the Christmas-time race of the O'Leary Insurances Winter League at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Overall results below

After four races sailed and with one discard applied, Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star has a four-point advantage at the top of Royal Cork Yacht Club's O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2022 in IRC with one race left to sail.

22 boats are racing in an all-in format under white sails only in the last racing of the Crosshven season.

Kinsale visitor Alan Mulcahy, in his Albin sister ship, Apache, stays in second place overall on seven points, with Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher in the Dubois Quarter Tonner Diamond in third place on nine.

With the Monkstown Bay 1720 ahead on the water, overall leader Fiona Young's smaller Albin Express (right) is well up on the much bigger MG335, Magnet in today's fourth race of Royal Cork Yacht Club's O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Today's penultimate race of the Cork Harbour series was sailed in a biting northeast breeze that cancelled racing on the east coast at Dun Laoghaire. One, two and three in race four reflect the position in the overall scoreboard. 

The course sailed set by Race Officer Anthony O'Leary was to Corkbeg in the harbour to no.14, East Ferry 2 and straight back to finish at The Cage Line. The leading boat, Jelly Baby took just over an hour to sail the course. 

There were great celebrations at Crosshaven for the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites prizegiving not only for the winners of the three-race series but also because of confirmation of Royal Cork's staging of the Topper World Championships in 2023.

Class captains Tom Mapplebeck and Eddie Kingston of the Topper and ILCA classes, respectively, presented the prizes in the company of RCYC Rear Admiral dinghies Maurice Collins and a big turnout of Cork Harbour youth sailors.

This is the first year for some years that RCYC has had a full rig in its Frostbite Series as some of the Topper and 4.7 Laser sailors graduate to the bigger rig.

The Topper World Championships will be sailed from Crosshaven from 24th-28th July, the prizegiving heard.

Claire Crosbie is presented with flowers by Rear Admiral Dinghies Maurice Collins for assisting with Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbite Race Officer duties with her husband Tom Photo: Bob Bateman

After three races sailed and no discard, Craig Jnr O Neill won the 25-boat Topper division on four points. Shane Collins was second on five points. Third was Isha Duggan with 10 points.

Fionn Lynch receives the prize on behalf of sister Niamh, third in the silver fleet of the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites from Topper class Captain Tom Mapplebeck and Rear Admiral Dinghies Maurice Collins Photo: Bob Bateman

Michael Egan  - 2nd silver Toppers at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Isla Duggan - 1st Silver and 1st girl Toppers at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Abbie Shorten - 3rd Gold and 1st girl Gold Toppers at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Shane Collins - 2nd Gold Toppers at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Craig O'Neill Jnr - Topper winner with Cian Jones at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman 

ILCA4 win for Duggan

RCYC's Liam Duggan won the 15-boat entry in the ILCA 4 division on four points from Eve McCarthy on seven. Eolann Miles took third on 11.

Ethel Bateman - 4rd ILCA4 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites from ILCA Class Captain Eddie Kingston and Rear Admiral Dinghies Maurice Collins Photo: Bob Bateman

Eve McCarthy - 1st girl and 2nd ILCA4 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Liam Duggan was the ILCA 4 winner at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

MacSweeney wins in ILCA 6

Oisin MacSweeney was the winner of the 13-boat ILCA 6 division with Daniel Mallon second and Joe O'Sullivan in third  at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Max Tolan 3rd ILCA6 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

 Ana Scarlett 1st lady and 2nd ILCA 6 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Oisin Mac Sweeney  - Winner of the ILCA 6 division at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

O'Shaughnessy victory in ILCA 7

Jonathan O'Shaughnessy, on four points, won the eight-boat ILCA 7 contest. Wexford Harbour's James Murphy was second and Chris Bateman third.

Chris Bateman -  3rd ILCA7 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

Jonathan O'Shaughnessy -  Winner ILCA 7 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites 2022 Photo: Bob Bateman

The well-campaigned J/122 Jelly Baby (Brian and Mary Jones) was awarded Royal Cork Yacht Club's 'Yacht of the Year (Spinnaker)' for her performances in 2022 that most recently included an overall win in the club's Autumn League.

On a night of celebrations at Crosshaven, Admiral Kieran O'Connell presented the prizes that brought the curtain down on a successful sailing season that saw RCYC stage Cork Week in July and complete its tricentenary celebrations. 

Some of the crew of J122 Jelly Baby with RCYC's silver salver bonbon dish for the Yacht of the Year Award Photo: Bob Bateman

Chris Bateman was named the keelboat racing sailor of the year for his participation at three world championships in one season in Ireland, plus his role on board the restored Cork Harbour One Design Jap when she won her division at the St. Tropez Classic Yacht Festival in May. 

Chris Bateman was named the keelboat racing sailor of the year and is presented with RCYC's Rectangular glass vase by Admiral Kieran O'Connell (right) Photo: Bob Bateman

Saki Curtin was named club volunteer of the year for his continuous work in RCYC's junior sailing academy and for his input in liking you sailors with keelboats and won the Morehead Tricentenary Trophy. 

Saki Curtin is presented with RCYC's Tricentenary Trophy by Admiral Kieran O'Connell Photo: Bob Bateman

Paul and Deirdre Tingle's X4 Alpaca (below) was the winner of both the Offshore Series and the 19-race Superleague in IRC. 

Paul and Deirdre Tingle's X4 Alpaca (above) was the winner of both the Offshore Series and the 19-race Superleague in IRC and the couple were presented with the Phelan's Pharmacy Spike and Paddy and Peg Walsh Perpetual Trophy Photo: Bob Bateman

Paul and Deirdre Tingle's X4 Alpaca (above) was the winner of both the Offshore Series and the 19-race Superleague in IRC and the couple were presented with the Phelan's Pharmacy Spike and Paddy and Peg Walsh Perpetual Trophy Photo: Bob Bateman

The Superleague ECHO award of the HMS Northampton Salver went to Frank Desmond, Ivers and Keane in the Jeanneau, Bad Company.

Frank Desmond (below), Ivers and Keane in the Jeanneau, Bad Company (above) Photos: Bob Bateman

Frank Desmond (below), Ivers and Keane in the Jeanneau, Bad Company (above) Photos: Bob Bateman

The Superleague Friday night Whitesail series, over 17 races, was won by Tom MacSweeney and his family on the Sigma 33 Scribbler II.

The RCYC Superleague Friday night Whitesail Series, over 17 races, was won by Tom MacSweeney and his family (below) on the Sigma 33 Scribbler II (above) Photos: Bob Bateman

The MG335 Magnet, sailed by Kieran O'Brien and Fiorentina Carroll, won both IRC and ECHO divisions in the White Sails Superleague, thereby lifting the Royal Cork Yacht Club's Club 'Yacht of the Year (White Sails)' for 2022.

The MG335 Magnet (above), sailed by Kieran O'Brien and Fiorentina Carroll and crew, (pictured below) were awarded RCYC White Sail Yacht of the Year Photos: Bob Bateman

The Royal Cork cruising log of the year went to Jim and Kate Corbet, who sailed 1,200 miles from Cork Harbour to Dochas in Spain, France and Italy in their Dufour 36. Jim and Kate's log covers their Meditteranren odyssey over two months. 

Jim and Kate Corbet are presented with the Royal Thames Yacht Club Cup for tier 1,200 mile Cruise by RCYC Rear Admiral Cruising Mike Rider and Admiral Kieran O'Connell Photo: Bob Bateman

Jonathan O'Shaughnessy leads Chris Bateman in Royal Cork's ILCA 7 Frostbite Series in Cork Harbour.

After six races sailed, O'Shaughnessy has built up a four-point winning margin.

Wexford harbour's James Murphy holds third overall.

The Lasers and RCYC Topper fleets sailed on the Curlane Bank on Sunday under Race Officer Tom Crosbie.

Nine ILCA 7s are competing with ILCA 6s also in the mix. 

This is the first year for some years that RCYC has had a full rig in its Frostbite Series as some of the Topper and 4.7 Laser sailors graduate to the bigger rig.

Results below.

Next Sunday will be the last of this series, with a prizegiving at Crosshaven after racing.

RCYC ILCA 7 Photo Gallery

Small boats reign after the third race of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Winter League, sailed in bright and patchy conditions in Cork Harbour.

The appeal of the 25-foot range was clear to see as Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star chalked up a second race win.

Light and bright condition for the all-in fleet in race three of the RCYC O'Leary Insurance Winter League Photo: Bob Bateman

Young continues to top the IRC rankings in the 'all-in' fleet on five points, eight clear of Alan Mulcahy's Albin sister ship, Apache, in second place overall and pictured in Mary Malone's video below.

Lying third, one point back on 15, is the Dubois Quarter Tonner, Diamond co-skippered by Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher.

The well-sailed Dubois Quarter Tonner, Diamond at Number 8 buoy during race three of the RCYC O'Leary Insurance Winter League Photo: Bob Bateman

The 21-boat fleet had the usual start at the Grassy line; the course was over to Corkbeg, a beat back across the harbour to No.8 and then to No.9 and then to no.20 off Cobh back to no.13 out again to Corkbeg and a finish at Grassy.

The wind was mainly westerly, with a lot of gusty conditions as the breeze came off the land in the harbour.

At the start, the wind died away to six or seven knots catching out some of the boats that had timed a run to the start line in advance, and they arrived late at the line.

The best starts were taken by Magnet (Kieran O'Brien's MG335) and the consistently good starter, North Star, along with the Monkstown Bay Sailing Club 1720.

The wind increased to 20 knots as the fleet made its way to Cobh.

Racing continues next Sunday. Results are below.

Race Three RCYC Winter League Photo Gallery Below by Bob Bateman and Mary Malone

After the cancellation of their planned opening day, Laser and Topper dinghy sailors got their Frostbite series underway at the RCYC on Sunday, with three races in the same conditions experienced by the cruiser racers. Sixty dinghy sailors have entered in four classes – three Laser sections and one of Toppers.

In ILCA 7, the largest Laser dinghies, Jonathan O’Shaughnessy, leads overall by four points after winning two of the three races. James Murphy is second on eleven, and Chris Bateman third on twelve. He won the first race but retired in the second. In the third, he placed second.

Oisin MacSweeney won all three races in ILCA 6 and leads the fleet overall with three points from Daniel Mallon on eight and Joe O’Sullivan in third on nine.

ILCA 4 fleet leader is Liam Duggan on four points, having won two of Sunday’s three races. The other race winner, Eve McCarthy, is second on seven. Third is Eolann Miles on eleven points.

The Topper fleet is led by Craig Jnr O’Neill, who won two of the opening day’s three races on four points. Second is Shane Collins on five points, the other race winner. Third is Isha Duggan on ten points.

Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star was the winner of the second race of the Royal Cork Yacht Club's Winter League, sailed in damp conditions in Cork Harbour.

Young now tops the IRC rankings in the 'all-in' fleet on five points, five clear of Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher's Quarter Tonner, Diamond in second place overall. 

Lying third on equal points with the vintage Dubois design is the Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo (Annamarie and Denis Murphy).

The 21-boat fleet waited for one and half hours before racing began with a start at Grassy on a leg out of the Harbour to E2.

As the video below shows, the diminutive Albin Express (grey hull) got a front-row start.

There were plaudits for Race Officer Anthony O'Leary for managing to get a second race completed in the flukey conditions as crewman from Alpaca John McWeeeny relates in this video below.

The fleet returned to the harbour to buoy 14 near Whitegate; the race was then shortened at the number 6 buoy.  

Racing continues next Sunday

The Jones family's J122 JellyBaby, which won Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League overall last weekend, continued her winning streak with a win on Sunday in the opening race of the club's O'Leary Insurance Winter League. 

There were squally conditions of 25 to 30 knots from the southwest on the Cork Harbour course for the first race.

The race started in sunshine, but 30 seconds later, a heavy rain shower engulfed the fleet.

In a day for big boats, Jones's clubmates Annamarie and Denis Murphy in the Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo were second. Paul and Deirdre Tingle's X4 Alpaca took third place.

The Jones family's J122 JellyBaby was the winner of the first race of RCYC's O'Leary Insurance White Sails League in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

21 boats are competing in the league, which, for a second year running, is being competed for on an 'all-in fleet' basis and sailed under white sails only.

A view of the yacht racing from Weavers Point in Cork Harbour in the first race of the Royal Cork Yacht Club's O'Leary Insurance Winter League  Photo: Bob Bateman

The 'all-in' start line was at The Cage mark, and the fleet reached across the channel to Corkbeg (in the vid below) and was followed by a one-tack beat back to number 8 buoy, then a run in the harbour and a hard beat back to the Cage.