#sealinks – In the current debate which has surfaced about the future of Aer Lingus, it is good to hear the realisation in all quarters, from politicians to business, economic and media commentators that Ireland is an 'island nation'. While the importance of air links is being highlighted, those same people could extend their thinking to the maritime links which keep this country alive in a way in which no air linkage can do.

This is emphasised in the leading story in the current edition of my radio programme, THIS ISLAND NATION which you can hear on this website, where I interview the first lady to become President of the Irish Institute of Master Mariners, the professional body for Shipmasters. Sea-going has been a male-dominated profession but Capt. Sinead Reen who lives in Crosshaven, Co.Cork, has done a lot to break that mould. She was also the first woman to qualify as a Deck Officer in Ireland and has served at sea on several types of vessels, including super tankers and cruise ships.

She describes in the interview how she chose a career at sea and, at a time when the Naval Service would not admit women, joined the Merchant Navy: "We are not seen by the general public because we are at sea, carrying the goods, the supplies, the imports, the exports, which this nation needs across the world's seaways. Without ships and seafarers this nation would find it difficult to exist." She discusses life at sea for a woman in a male environment aboardship and speaks of the great opportunities for employment at sea for both women and men. Her election underlines the opportunities of a career at sea for women in what has been a male-dominated profession.

It is an interview worth listening to, as is that about the commemorations planned in the Cork Harbour town of Cobh for the centenary of the sinking of the Lusitania in May.

Hendrik Verway, Chairman of Cobh Tourism, outlines the details of the commemorative plans. Cobh, where survivors of the Lusitania sinking by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, were landed as well as the bodies of those who were killed in the tragedy, is planning ceremonies on the seafront at Cobh and a sail past by boats on the evening of May 7, with the vessels displaying a single white light to remember those who were killed. Two cruise ships will be in Cobh on the day. One of them, the Cunard's Queen Victoria, will be on a commemorative voyage and on Thursday afternoon, May 7, will sound her ship's whistle at the time at which the torpedo hit the Lusitania, to start a ceremony on the Cobh seafront . A quayside ceremony will start as the whistle sounds and which will conclude at 2.30 p.m., marking the time when the Lusitania sank beneath the waves. 1,198 passengers and crew died. Survivors were landed at Cobh, to where bodies of the dead were also brought and 169 buried. There were 764 survivors. Only 289 bodies were recovered. 169 are buried in the Old Cemetery in Cobh, 149 in three mass graves and 20 in individual plots. Amongst the commemorative events will be a series of lectures and an exhibition of photographs taken in Cobh, then called Queenstown, in the aftermath of the landing there of survivors and bodies by rescue vessels. Many of these photos have not been on public display before and have been digitised for exhibition from original glass plates photographed at the time, through the co-operation of the National Museum. It is also planned to re-enact the funeral of victims to the Old Cemetery in Cobh.

And in another interview on the programme, Paul Bourke of Inland Fisheries Ireland tells me that, for anglers, it has been a good year for the catching of specimen fish.

Fair Sailing...

#Lusitania - A special memorial cruise celebrating the Lusitania on the centenary of its sinking will visit Cobh next summer, as the Irish Examiner reports.

May 7 is the date to mark in your calendars to see the Cunard cruise liner Queen Victoria dock at expanded facilities in the Cork Harbour town amid a host of events to mark the anniversary.

The 'Lusitania Remembered' cruise, which sets out from Southampton on 3 May next, will also host an exhibition of memorabilia from the ill-fated liner, torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915.

The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

#corkharbour – Cove Sailing Club will finally have a home in Cork Harbour and Cobh town will get a marina, according to Commodore of Cove Sailing Club Adrian Tyler on Friday.

The new Cork Harbour marina facility adds another important link in the necklace of up to 60 marinas around the Irish coastline.

Tyler made the announcement following a meeting of Cove Sailing Club members it was unanimously passed to go ahead with a 74 berth marina at Whitepoint, Cobh.

The new facility will be built in two phases. The first phase is for thirty berths and this is expected to be operational by early in 2015.

Rear Commodore Derry Allister said that the works will begin immediately. The funding for this 'community marina' is made up of SECAD funding of €125,000 a grant from Cork County Council of €200,000 and club members have sponsored the remaining €300,000 for the project.

President of Cobh & Harbour Chamber Brian Curtis said this marina was a welcome boost to tourism in Cobh this news on the back of Cobh retaining its silver medal position in the tidy towns competition ends a great week for Cobh and gives all the community a boost for next year's tourist season.

Brian Curtis stated that the marina will allow more tourists to visit Cobh and they will at last have a marina to tie their boats up. Without the assistance of our four newly elected councillors working together at Cork County hall with the marina committee this great news would not be possible today.

The marina group also acknowledged the assistance of Mr Louis Duffy of Cork county council in guiding them through the storms of financing the marina.

CSC will be holding a meeting for potential berth holders shortly.

In Cowes, on the south coast of England, IRL1392 Illes Pitiuses (Jason and Dominic Losty) from Cobh are leading the all amateur or Corinthian division trophy after day one of the 2014 Coutts Quarter Ton Cup having won the first race. Onboard is Cork Harbour Olympic Star keelboat sailor Mark Mansfield as tactician.

Yesterday's marks the start of a second week of successful racing for the Cove SC crew who finished 16th overall in last Saturday's massive 1,600–boat Round the Island Race. 

Ireland previously won the Corinthian Quarter Ton Cup in 2012 with the George Kenefick skippered Tiger, another Fauroux design like Illes Pitiuses.

Illes Pitiuses leads the pack by single point margin from Pierre Paris's Pinguin Playboy (1986 Castro) with Phil Cook's Purple Haze, the beautiful varnished 1976 version of the Thomas designed Bolero which won the inaugural revival Quarter Ton Cup in 2005, in third. Illes Pitiuses got their day off to a great start by winning race one overall and went on to also claim fourth overall in race three, added to their seventeenth in race two they now lie seventh overall as well as leading the Corinthians.

Warm sunshine, sea breezes and a great fleet of Quarter Tonners are ingredients guaranteed to produce an outstanding day on the water and the opening day of the Cup certainly lived up to everyone's expectations.

Initially the race committee, headed by Race Officer Rob Lamb, was forced to postpone while the sea breeze established itself, but once it arrived three great races were laid on for the 33-strong fleet. As always with the Quarter Tonners it was nip and tuck at every mark and the place changing was constant.

The quality of racing in the Coutts Quarter Ton fleet is always outstanding and for this tenth anniversary edition it seems that the teams have pulled out all the stops. As well as performing beautifully the boats and crews are also looking quite wonderful this year. The oldest boat in the fleet is Tony Hayward's Blackfun, a 1977 Davidson design, whilst the youngest is Richard Fleck's Per Elisa, which was designed by Ceccarelli and won the Quarter Ton Cups of 1995 (Gdynia) and 1996 (Travemunde).

With three races in the bag and a 2, 2, 3 scoreline Rickard Melander's Alice II, a 1990 Phil Morrison design, leads the fleet by a 4.5 point margin. Alice II has regularly featured on the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup podium since her first appearance in 2010 and must surely hope that this year they will finally be the bride and not a bridesmaid.

Lying in second overall is Peter Morton's Bullit, a 1979 Fauroux that won the Quarter Ton Cup in San Remo the year she was launched. Under Peter's ownership she also won the 2012 Coutts Quarter Ton Cup in Cowes and the team clearly have their eye on adding their name to the trophy for a third time. Their performance improved as the day wore on, starting with a seventh in race one, followed by a dead heat for third with Tony Haywood's Blackfun (a 1977 Davidson design) in race two, and finally a win in race three.

Tonight's overall top three is rounded out by Willie McNeill's Illegal Immigrant, a 1991 Ceccarelli design which acquired her name when customs officers found an illegal immigrant in the boat when she arrived at the UK border after Willie purchased her from Greece. After a slightly wobbly start with an eleventh in race one Illegal Immigrant went on to add a second and a win to her score line putting her 2.5 points behind Bullit.

The racing is so close that dead heats on corrected time are common. In addition to the tie between Bullit and Blackfun noted above there were three further dead heats today: In race two Enigma, the 1977 Dubois design now owned by the Stewart/Young/Smith partnership, and Graham Hetherington's Great Bear IV (1986 Joubert Nivelt) tied for thirteenth, and in race three Eric Reynolds' Magnum Evolution (1976 Everitt) and Phil Cook's Purple Haze (1976 Thomas) tied for twelfth and Rob Gray's Cote (1990 Gonzalez) and Cartoon tied for fourteenth.

Whilst the racing at the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup is always spectacularly close, the regatta is about more than just the results. It's wonderful to see such beautifully restored and maintained historic little boats being enjoyed by their owners whether they are leading the fleet or not. Joining the regatta for the first time this year is Cartoon, a 1986 Fauroux design owned by Ken Lawless from Ireland. Cartoon is unique in the fleet in that she still sports her original rig configuration, boasting runners, check stays and "almost" in line spreaders, and has not been optimised for IRC. She underwent a refit last winter and to keep the boat in as close to original condition as possible they even went to the lengths of finding fittings from Jack Holt's 1986 catalogue for authenticity.

Paul Colton's Cri-Cri is another boat that might not be at the top of the leaderboard but is nonetheless having a great time. Cri Cri was one of the first Kevlar and Nomex boats built and was designed for the 1979 Quarter Ton Cup in San Remo by Alain Jezequel. Cri Cri is a pet name for Christoph and the boat was named after the original owner's son. Alain Jezequel's boats filled five of the top ten in the 1979 Cup - Cri Cri finished eighth. Subsequently he attempted to take his designs forward into the Half and One Ton classes, but he was unable to make the transition so 1979 was to be the zenith of his design career. After racing Paul Colton's Irish humour came to the fore as he joked "I'd quite happily have 50 starts a day and then a 100 yard race. We're considering running our GoPro footage backwards so it all ends up in a draw rather like the Grand National in reverse. But seriously the racing is stunning although it was a very tough day at the office. We're a crew thrown together this year but always really enjoy the racing here and are looking forward to tomorrow and to hopefully eking out one or two results."

Today's racing wasn't without its fair share of controversy. In the final race of the day the race committee announced an individual recall for three boats. Lucy Wood's Rum Bleu (1979 de Ridder) turned back and restarted correctly, but Jamie McWilliams' Sai Kung Belle, a 1981 Fauroux design which has shipped all the way from Hong Kong for the event, and Ian Southworth and Led Pritchard's Whiskers (1979 Joubert Nivelt) both ignored the call to return. On the line neither received a gun which was particularly painful for the Whiskers crew who crossed the line in first place. An appeal to the Protest Committee, chaired by Sonia Mays, failed to see them reinstated so they find themselves in eighteenth overall and looking forward to the introduction of the discard.

Tomorrow the fleet looks forward to three more races and with a forecast for easterly breezes in the mid to upper teens we can expect more great racing and perhaps a few of the thrills and spills for which these lively little boats are famous. The regatta continues until Friday 27 June with up to nine races scheduled. Three races constitute a series and if six or more races are sailed a discard will be applied.

Provisional Overall Top Five After Three Races

1. SWE744 Alice II - Rickard Melander - 2, 2, 3 = 7
2. FRA7891 Bullit - Peter Morton - 7, 3.5, 1 = 11.5
3. GBR501 Illegal Immigrant - William McNeil - 11, 1, 2 = 14
4. GBR8414R Aquila - Sam Laidlaw - 5, 5, 7 = 17
5. GBR50R Espada - Louise Morton - 4, 6, 8 = 18

Provisional Corinthian Top Three After Three Races

1. IRL1392 Illes Pitiuses - Jason and Dominic Losty - 1, 2, 1 = 4
2. FRA12130 Pinguin Playboy - Pierre Paris - 2, 1, 2 = 5
3. GBR7070 Purple Haze - Phil Cook - 3, 3, 3 = 9

#tradsail – Now in its fourth year, Cobh Traditional Sail Regatta will be held from 27th to the 29th June 2014, on the waters adjacent to the amphitheatre of the town of Cobh. The event is organised in association with The Cove Sailing Club and the Naval Service Yacht Squadron. It is an opportunity to enjoy both sea and shore activities with traditional sailing trips, traditional music, sea shanties and an eventful prize giving ceremony.
The opening ceremony takes place in the Sirus Centre on Friday 27th at 19.30 hours, with entertainment provided by local sea shanties group the Mollgoggers and local musicians
On Saturday and Sunday a full programme of events is planned with the Rankin, Cork harbour One Design and White Sail Fleet racing in the beautiful setting of Cork Harbour. There will also be an opportunity to tour the traditional wooden vessels the Ruth, the Irene and the Soteria. Tours are also available to Spike Island .
In keeping with the ethos of the festival of promoting sailing amongst young people the festival is sponsoring eight young people to participate in a week's sail training on the Spirit of Oysterhaven in June. These teenagers are drawn from various schools and organisations in Cobh.
For more information click for the tradsail website

#corkharbour – The building at Cobh Railway Station is currently undergoing renovation with the intention of opening the premises as a dual operation, offering tourism information on Cork City and County to visitors, in particularly cruise passengers, and as a vibrant exhibition space. A new company 'Cobh Maritime Development Company Ltd' has formed to manage and develop this building and consists of directors from the Port of Cork, Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh Tourism, SECAD, Cobh & Harbour Chamber, Cobh Town Council and Cork City Council. Their main aim is to develop and promote the potential of Cobh, East Cork, Cork City and Cork Harbour as an area of significant tourism, maritime, historical and economic importance.

South and East Cork Area Development Ltd. (SECAD) is grant aiding the renovation of the building through the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 supported through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the National Development Plan. The project will cost in the region of €150,000 and it is anticipated to have the building open for the commencement of the cruise season in April 2014.

The building currently being converted is a protected structure owned by CIE Properties, which forms part of the Cobh Railway Station Facility and which underwent a major upgrade in recent years. CIE Properties have enthusiastically welcomed the approach to utilise the available space and a long term lease agreement between Cobh Maritime Development Company Ltd and CIE Properties has been agreed. The facility will be managed by Cobh Maritime Development Company Ltd as a not-for-profit facility which will serve to promote and complement existing tourism, economic and community activity in the Cork Harbour Area. It is envisaged the building will open throughout the year and will capitalise on the increased footfall from cruise passengers from April to November each year. The building will also be used to accommodate cruise passengers who are either embarking or disembarking from a cruise ship. Cobh Maritime Development Company Ltd, together with SECAD, hopes to employ two or three staff through the Tus community employment scheme.

Announcing the details of the project, Cobh Maritime Development Company Ltd Chairman, Captain Michael McCarthy said: "This is a very exciting project for the Cobh and Cork region which will see a disused building turned into a tourism information hub and a space for exhibitions. The railway station already has a high footfall during the summer months when cruise liners are in Cobh and this building will offer passengers a place to absorb what the region has to offer either before or after a trip by train to Cork City."
He continued: "Our aim is to complement other venues in Cobh offering similar exhibition space and Cobh Maritime Development Company Ltd will work closely with all local tourism venues to maximise the regions offering. We are also working closely with Cork City and Cork County Council to ensure Cork City and County attractions and events are also promoted to visitors."

Following a tender application, local Cork Company MMD Construction was awarded the contract to carry out the necessary works to the building, which commenced in December 2013.

#Windsurfing - The Round Cobh Windsurf Race will make its return this summer as part of SailCork's 40th anniversary festivities.

The revival of the famous Cork Harbour windsurfing race is listed in the provisional birthday programme for the sail training business, a winner in our recent Maritime Web Awards.

Events lined up so far run from the Royal Cork Yacht Club Dinner on Saturday 8 March to the cruise to Cork City on 8 October.

For more on SailCork's summer plans visit their website HERE.

#MunsterCruise – German tourists are on a cruise around Ireland which included a visit to Foynes yesterday followed by a short overnight passage to Cobh today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The cruise on board Phoenix Reisen's Amadea 29,008 tonnes vessel marked the final caller to Foynes this season, which was opened by Holland America Line's 37,845 tonnes Prinsendam a month ago.

Amadea, formerly the Japanese cruiseship Asuka,  is the 'flagship' of the German cruise operator which runs the 1984 built Artania, well known to cruise buffs as the former Royal Princess. In addition the small fleet includes Albatros, originally Royal Vikling Sea, one of a trio of Finish built sisters commissioned for Royal Viking Line.

A third caller was due to start the season at the Shannon port, Voyages of Discovery's 15,396 tonnes Voyager, however the vessel had technical problems forcing the cruise to be curtailed in Killybegs.

#CorkHarbour - Many thanks to the Hurdy Gurdy Museum in Howth (@HurdyGurdyRadio on Twitter) for tipping us off to this fascinating radio documentary on the history of the port of Cobh in Cork Harbour, first broadcast all the way back in August 1954.

The programme, produced for Radio Éireann, charts the history of the town well before the visit of the ill-fated Titanic in 1912 and its role as the point of departure for emigrants during the famine, all the way back to its beginnings in 1780.

The entire documentary is available to stream or download from the RTÉ Documentary on One website HERE.

In glorious sunshine, with some real summer heat at last, the town of Cobh in Cork Harbour was en féte to day writes Claire Bateman.

Scroll down for photos by Bob Bateman.

Adding to the mardi gras atmosphere and towering over the town was the magnificent cruise ship, Independence of the Seas, a Freedom Class Vessel of some 154,407 gross tonnes and 1120ft. in length.

She carries 4,370 passengers catered for by 1,360 crew.

She is a regular visitor to the Port of Cork that has fifty scheduled cruise ship calls for this season.

Today in Cobh could have been a scene from Spain or France such was the colour, excitement, entertainment on the promenade, food and craft fairs.