On the evening of August 13th, the Coast Guard received a distress call from Roberts Cove, reporting a person in an inflatable dinghy waving for help. The Crosshaven RNLI volunteer crew in Cork Harbour, consisting of Warren Forbes, Gary Heslin, Caoimhe Foster, and Claire Morgan, swiftly responded to the call, braving a challenging Northwesterly force five and a half metre swell as they raced towards the Cove located approximately 3 miles Southwest of Roches Point.

Upon arrival, the crew found a man in an inflatable dinghy who had been fishing and could not retrieve his anchor due to a shoulder injury.

Following a successful rescue operation, the individual was safely transferred into the care of the Crosshaven Coast Guard within Roberts Cove.

Helm, Warren Forbes, emphasised the dangers of using inappropriate watercraft at sea, urging the public to prioritise safety and adhere to proper equipment and clothing.

"These inflatable supermarket dinghies have no place at sea. They are dangerous and should only be used in swimming pools", Forbes said.

The RNLI shore crew and Launch Authority Hugh Mockler played vital roles in ensuring the successful outcome of the rescue operation.

In last weekend's Sailing on Saturday (July 13th) we tried to interweave the story of offshore racing development with the long history of racing offshore along the 160 miles from Dublin Bay to Cork. It's an event which has been far from annual, or even biennial. But its intermittent stagings go all the way back to 1860, making it arguably the first recognisably modern offshore race.

Yet in doing so we failed to mention a significant staging of the race in August 1946, perhaps because it was hidden in plain sight. It was regularly observable somewhere on a wall in a framed photo, and is recounted at length in W M Nixon's To Sail The Crested Sea, which was published in 1979 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Irish Cruising Club.

MALACHY HYNES REMEMBERED

Fortunately Peter Ryan spotted the omission, and this glorious image of 1946 popped up on our screen here, living history from days almost beyond recall. It's an Irish Press photo of the era when newspapers had a tidy sideline in selling full-plate prints of their published photos, and we'd guess it is by Malachy Hynes, a polymath whose paying job was as a photographer to the long-gone Irish Press Group, with one of his particular enthusiasms being sailing images.

They're now of great historical value, but alas, it's feared all his negatives are long since lost. So if you have an inherited Irish Press sailing photo on the wall in the downstairs loo, then cherish it (the photo, that is).

Back in 1979, you could run acres of demanding-to-digest print without sub-titles, so here (with health warning for readers of short attention spans) is the story of the 1946 Dublin Bay to Cork Harbour Race as scanned in three parts from To Sail The Crested Sea. The book title was taken from a free-form re-interpretation and translation by James Clarence Mangan of an exultation from St Columba in 693AD, which most likely emerged when the saintly sailor has a fair wind, a safe offing from the coast, and a spot of sunshine:

"What joy to sail the crested sea,
And watch the waves
Beat white upon the Irish shore"

THE STORY FROM 1946

THE SCENE OF 1946

So why has all that apparently been forgotten? This special race when a crowd of sorts really did turn up to watch the start? Well, 1946 was a sort of post-war bounce time. There were very few new boats, such that offshore racing pioneer John Illingworth (who - as revealed above – had sold his pre-war mount Maid of Malham to Bridget Livingstone) was only able to get construction of his new all-conquering Myth of Malham underway with Hugh McLean on the Clyde by buying an ancient Int. 8 Metre, and telling officialdom the old boat was being repaired and restored and would be re-named Myth of Malham when the job was done.

In Ireland Skinner's of Baltimore had a couple of 16-ton ketches to John Kearney's design in build as a speculative venture for James Faulkner of Belfast Lough, but generally things were slow, and in Ireland in particular they got even slower, even if – as we shall see in Sailing on Saturday on July 27th – there was a burst of Olympic energy in 1948.

But in 1946, well-stored newer boats from the 1930s were soon made ready to go. And the story of the Dutch boat Groen Loew, built in wartime secrecy under a railway arch, is something which somebody will perhaps investigate further.

THE TWICE-BUILT BOAT

Then too the two Colonels are worth a mention – Blondie Hasler racing a 30 Square Metre with success offshore was something of a sensation on the immediate post-war scene, while Colonel Hollwey's handsome 14-ton ketch Viking O was known in her home port of Dun Laoghaire as "the twice-built boat'.

Her notably-determined owner had commissioned her in 1936 from highly-regarded Swedish builders, but when he sent his own surveyor unannounced the remote yard to see how things were getting on at a late stage of the building, not all was as it should have been. So the Colonel insisted they start completely anew, and for years a rejected and heavily-discounted semi-sister of Viking O sailed in Swedish waters, while the real one sailed in style from Dublin Bay.

As for Miss V Douglas, mentioned as being "Samson" aboard John Kearney's Mavis in the closing lines, she'd become John Kearney's crewmate and housekeeper after she and Daphne French joined Skipper Kearney in Dunmore East in September 1944 to help him get Mavis home to Dun Laoghaire. Thereafter, she kept him in such good shape that he was designing boats well into his eighties, and lived to 88. And until Mavis left Dun Laoghaire in 1952, Samson was more often at the helm than the skipper himself.

Mavis waiting for the Saturday afternoon sea breeze in Dun Laoghaire in 1950, with Skipper Kearney in the companionway and Miss Douglas – aka Samson – already at the helm. Photo: Dick Scott

Cork is to host 2025 European Maritime Day – the EU’s flagship annual maritime event.

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, made the announcement today, saying that it was “fitting that the event would take place in Cork which has a long maritime history”.

European Maritime Day, which was initiated in 2008, acts as the EU meeting point on maritime affairs and sustainable blue growth, and the place where “ocean leaders meet”, according to the Department of the Environment.

It is also open to the public, with local events held under the ‘EMD in my Country’ label.

Host city for the day holds a two-day conference, which is expected to be attended by more than 1,000 delegates, including experts and stakeholders from across Europe and beyond.

“Ahead of Ireland’s presidency of the EU in 2026, it is great news that Ireland will host European Maritime Day, which will take place in the great city of Cork – in partnership with Cork City Council,” Ryan said.

“Ireland is an island nation with a coastline of more than 7,400km. The sea is entwined with our trade, our history and our culture. It is fitting that Europe’s flagship annual maritime event is coming to us. It is also fitting that it will be held in the beautiful city of Cork – a city with a long maritime history and home to the second largest natural harbour in the world.”

The event will be jointly organised by the Government with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications as lead department, Cork City Council, and DG MARE – the DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries from the EU Commission.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dan Boyle, said that “Cork's maritime heritage, culture and industry have always been core elements of the city's identity and vibrancy”.

“For centuries, the city's Coat of Arm has celebrated Cork as being a ‘safe harbour for ships’ (the Coat of Arms incorporating the Latin inscription Statio Bene Fida Carinas),” he said.

“Hosting European Maritime Day in 2025 provides international recognition and acknowledgment of Cork’s place in Europe as a maritime hub and builds on investment and collaboration with local, national, and European partners.”

The event will also be attended by a large number of exhibitors from around Europe, focusing on the blue economy’s innovation and investment potential.

Helm Aidan O'Connor has reached a similar milestone in this year's 200th anniversary of the RNLI. Not 200 years, but his 200th 'shout' on the Crosshaven Lifeboat. He is the first to attain that particular honour at the Cork Harbour station.

Aidan has been at the helm for 24 years, from the station's inception in 2000. 

Sunday (July 7) evening's 'Shout' started with a request from Valentia Coast Guard to the volunteer crew at 7.20 pm to a 24' motor boat with engine problems on the Curlane Bank. The only person onboard deployed his anchor before requesting assistance from the Coast Guard.

The crew made good progress in calm conditions to the position before boarding the vessel. The crew assessed the situation before establishing a tow to the owner's mooring at Drake's Pool on the Owenabue River.

The lifeboat crew consisted of Aidan O'Connor, Ian Venner, David Venner, and Conor Barry. The Shore Crew were Moira Kavanagh, Denise Marionne, Hugh Mockler, Alan Venner, James Fegan and Susanne Deane. Hugh Tully was the Launch Authority. 

The lifeboat returned to the station at 8.55 pm, was recovered, washed down and refuelled before being declared ready for service at 9.30 pm.

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's weekly evening leagues have big numbers on the water in Cork Harbour.

Twenty-six dinghies have registered to race Class 1 in the June League. After seven races, the club’s Laser ‘veteran, David O’Connell, took over the lead on 18 points, racing his ILCA 7 from Brian Jones and Gary Frost, who raced their 505 in second place on 26. Ewen and Thea Barry have moved into third place, sailing a Fireball on 32 points

There are also 505s, RS dinghies and an International 14 racing the series.

Tim and Philip O’Connor, with four first places in the seven races, continue to sail their Mirror into the lead in Class 2 which has ten boats entered. They are on 21 points, ahead of Conall and Cormac O’Domhnaill in their RS Feva XL on 32. Harry Coole and George Curtin in another Feva XL are third on 36.

The final race in the Cork Harbour Combined Clubs June League will conclude the four-race series tomorrow night (Friday).

The League, organised by the RCYC and Cove SC is being raced in spinnaker and whitesail fleets inside Cork Harbour and has boosted the number of cruisers on the water, with up to 27 yachts racing the revived series.

The clubs are pleased with the upsurge in interest. After the last race is completed, the prizegiving will be held in Cobh.

Results after three races – Spinnaker IRC and ECHO divisions – 1st – Nieulargo/RCYC (Annamarie and Denis Murphy); 2 – North Star/RCYC (Fiona Young); 3 – Pat Mustard/Cove SC (George Radley).

Nieulargo is away from Cork, competing in the Round Ireland Race at present.

Whitesail IRC and ECHO – 1st, Big Mc/RCYC (McGrath Family); 2, Scribbler/RCYC (Tom and Cormac MacSweeney); 3. Phaeton/RCYC (Clive Doherty).

The RCYC In-house handicap racing Friday League, run in conjunction with the combined clubs series, is led by Scribbler (MacSweeney Family), with Luas second and Clodagh (Rob Foster) third.

Only four weeks remain until Volvo Cork Week 2024 (15th-19th July), with the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven—the world's oldest yacht club— gearing up to welcome sailors and boats globally. Organisers say this year's event promises over 120 boats and attracting 8,000 sailors and spectators to the harbour town for a week of thrilling races and maritime festivities.

Download the current Volvo Cork Week 2024 entries below as an Xcel file to review the latest runners and riders due off Crosshaven.

Newly crowned 2024 1720 national champion Ross McDonald and his Atara crew will defend their European title at Volvo Cork Week next month Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Volvo Cork Week is not just about the competition; it's a celebration of coastal culture where sailors and spectators come together to share their passion for the sea. Attendees can look forward to a packed schedule of onshore events, including live music, local cuisine, a Family Fun Day, and Ladies' Day.

Racing will be spread across various challenging courses over the 5 days, offering competitors new challenges and opportunities each day, from longer coastal courses raced offshore, to ‘Round-the-Cans’ racing inside the harbour and multiple short races and Olympic courses laid in the open waters. The event will host the 1720 European Championships which will include over 30 1720 Sports boats designed in Cork, and there is a great charter opportunity this year with a fleet of RS21s participating.

The Volvo Cork Week scene on the lawn at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: VCW

This year’s Beaufort Cup will be the biggest one yet, with entries from around the world including USA and Ecuador. The renowned race for international uniformed service personnel encompasses a race around Fastnet Rock and back to Cork.

Recommended viewing points for the Harbour Race taking place on Wednesday 17th July include Camden and Church Bay in Crosshaven, the new Haulbowline Island Amenity Park, Ringaskddy and the promenade in Cobh.

Local boats of the host club will feature strongly in Volvo Cork Week 2024 with the Dehler 34 Big Mac (IRL 3492) and the Jeanneau 36iP Elegance (IRL3610) both entered Photo: Bob Bateman

In addition to the thrilling racing action, Volvo Cork Week aims to make the event inclusive and enjoyable for all ages, with off-the-water activities for the whole family. The Family Day on July 14th from 12-5pm will feature a coastal market in the Royal Cork Yacht Club marquee, trails to Camden Fort Meagher, themed competitions and games, the famous Pipers Fun Fair and boat trips from Hugh Coveney Pier on the Cailin Or.

Volvo Cork Week 2022 big boat action in Cork Harbour Photo: Rick Tomlinson

As the boats are moored and sailors are back on dry land, the fun will continue at the Royal Cork Yacht Club, with musical entertainment all week, a ‘Pure Cork’ Crew night on Thursday 18th, fun on-shore sailing activities, and an expanded family-friendly area which includes a Play Zone for children’s games, a picnic area, and multiple casual dining options, alongside retail outlets, spares, sail-repair and other facilities. The emphasis this year is on sustainability with a focus on conservation, reuse and recycling and environmental impacts. Sponsor Volvo Car Ireland will be on hand to showcase their range of fully electric & plug-in hybrid cars.

Don't miss the Volvo Cork Week Ladies' Day charity lunch on July 17th, in support of the Crosshaven RNLI, featuring special guests Volvo ambassadors Dermot Bannon and Suzie McAdam. A fabulous afternoon for a great cause is guaranteed.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Admiral Annamarie Fegan Photo: Bob Bateman

Commenting, Admiral Annamarie Fegan said, “We are very excited to welcome new and returning sailors to Cork from around the world. Volvo Cork Week has a reputation of excellence and the quality this year is going to be outstanding. With participants from across the globe vying for top honours in a series of exhilarating races - we expect some top-class racing over the week. And this year I’m delighted that we have a lot of local people taking part as crew for the first time - it’s a fantastic opportunity for people to get a taste of really high-quality racing.”

Crosshaven will be buzzing with spectators all week long with outstanding sporting displays on show on the water and plenty of entertainment and celebration on-shore. The neighbouring harbour villages of Cork will be bustling with activity over the week and offer the perfect vantage points to see the stunning spectacles on the water.

Volvo Car Ireland is the title sponsor of Volvo Cork Week in association with Johnson & Perrott, with official partners Cork County Council, Port of Cork, Musto, Heineken, Barry & Fitzwilliam, and media partner Cork’s Red FM.

Divers recovered a propeller from a World War I submarine on Monday, June 17 at the entrance to Cork Harbour.

It is believed to be part of the wreck site of the UC-42, the German World War 1 mine-deploying submarine, though this can only be fully confirmed on closer analysis of the archaeological object.

The project is very much a collaborative one, with project leads being a joint effort between Blackwater Sub-aqua Club and Mizen Archaeology, and supported by the National Monuments Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the National Museum of Ireland and the Federal Republic of Germany through their Embassy.

Is this the propellor off UC-42, the German World War 1 mine-deploying submarine. It can only be fully confirmed on closer analysis of the archaeological object

During World War I German forces organised a deadly submarine offensive in a bid to obstruct British supply routes and the entrance to Cork Harbour was regularly mined necessitating frequent sweeping operations by the British Navy.

The UC-42 sank in 30m of water, just outside Cork Harbour off Roche’s Point, on 10th September 1917 when a mine it was carrying exploded. All 27 crew on board the UC-42 were lost.

Later in 1917 an oil slick over the sunken vessel alerted the British Navy, who then dropped depth charges in the area and sent divers to investigate. They found the forward mine shoot empty, and the stern completely destroyed, indicating that one of the mines detonated prematurely. The divers discovered the hatches were open, suggesting the crew had attempted to escape. The periscope and documents including control room logbook were recovered as evidence.

The dive boat over the site of the wreck off Cork Harbour and below diver Gearoid O Looney enters the water to retrieve the propellor

The exact location of the submarine remained unknown over the intervening years but was identified in recent years during seabed mapping for a pipeline project. It has since become a popular dive site. As the wreck is over 100-years old it is automatically protected under the National Monuments Acts 1987-2014 and a licence is required to dive the site.

Last year, while inspecting the submarine Timmy Carey of Blackwater SAC discovered a previously unidentified propeller lying close to the submarine. ‘’It was lying on the seabed detached and knowing that it was vulnerable to potential damage from trawling, anchoring or salvage, I knew I had to put a plan in place to safeguard the object.’’ Timmy discussed at the time.

He spent much of last year liaising with the National Monuments Service, the National Museum, and the German Embassy to ensure that all of the correct procedures, including all requisite licences, are in place to recover the object.

Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, said: “I am very pleased that our National Monuments Service was able to support this project, along with colleagues in the National Museum of Ireland, providing advice on the dive and recovery and conservation of the propeller. The UC-42 wreck is a significant part of our underwater cultural heritage and the final resting place of the German crew who were on board. It remains incumbent on us all to ensure we respect their remains. A collaborative project like this highlights what can be achieved on a shared heritage basis, bringing together the diving community, the commercial archaeological sector, our German Embassy colleagues, Local Authority and the general public to raise awareness of the heritage of our seas and how, together, we can ensure its protection and appreciation.
Over several months, a dive team of six divers, including underwater archaeologists, carefully assessed, recorded and excavated the propeller in preparation for recovery. Finally, this morning the historic object was raised onto the MV Harpy dive boat of Kinsale (skippered by Carroll O Donoghue), and brought ashore.

Underwater archaeologist, Julianna O’Donoghue, of Mizen Archaeology will continue to archaeologically lead, including the conservation of the propeller in advance of going on display in Spike Island Museum, in agreement with Cork County Council. Ms O’Donoghue said I’m anticipating the conservation process will reveal markings or finer details on the propeller which will further our understanding of the site, and confirm, or otherwise, if it is associated with the UC-42 wreck. The safe recovery, conservation and presentation of the object also very much denotes a best practice project relating to our fragile underwater cultural heritage.

The Ambassador of Germany to Ireland Cord Meier-Klodt added: “I would like to congratulate all involved for the successful recovery of the propeller of UC-42. We are now looking forward to the conservation work, which will hopefully allow for the propeller to be exhibited in a local museum. This will encourage more engagement with and learning about both German and Irish wartime history.”

Timmy Carey further added that the project also highlights how, if we all work together, especially with the relevant authorities, we can successfully recover vulnerable material from wreck sites like the UC-42 submarine. The project is significant as it offers an opportunity for the wider public to engage and interpret objects from such wreck sites and increase our understanding and appreciation of Ireland’s maritime heritage.

Strong winds disrupted Saturday's programme at the Crosshaven Traditional Sail Festival (from June 14 to 16) in Cork Harbour.

The weekend features a 143-year-old, unique wooden boat, the only one of its kind in the world.

The vessel Barbaras is on a ‘living heritage’ voyage linking the ancient Celtic lands – Cornwall, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Read more on the Barbaras by Tom McaSweeney here

The revived Cork Harbour Combined Clubs June League has been strongly supported by cruiser racers.

The first race, including whitesail and spinnakers, sailed around Spike Island and in the main harbour.

The results provided by the RCYC (see below) show that the top trio in Whitesail IRC and ECHO were from the RCYC. First was Magnet (Kieran O'Brien and Fiorentina Stanciu); second was Scribbler (Cormac and Tom MacSweeney); third was Big Mc (McGrath Family). In Whitesail ECHO, the winner was Lapwing (Conor Hanlon); second was Big Mc; third was Scribbler.

Spinnakers IRC was won by Nieulargo from the RCYC (Annamarie and Denis Murphy); 2nd Pat Mustard (George Radley Cove SC); 3rd North Star (Fiona Young RCYC). Spinnakers ECHO was also won by Nieulargo, with Pat Mustard second and Legal Alien (Craig O’Neill/RCYC) third.

The RCYC IHS Fleet Race (In-house system) was part of the Friday race. Lapwing won, with Sting Ray (Kieran O’Halloran) second and Clodagh (Rob Foster) third.

The second race in the Combined Harbour League will be this Friday evening with First Gun at 1855.