The SB20 National Championships that were scheduled to take place as part of next week's Volvo Cork Week 2022 Regatta have been axed.

Running from Friday 8th July to Sunday 10th July in Cork Harbour, it is understood the decision to pull out was taken on Tuesday (July 5).

SB20 Class Chairman James Dowling said "We had a number of late cancellations, some Covid related, and the numbers weren’t stacking up". 

With the Worlds coming to Dublin Bay this September, a strong Irish fleet was initially expected for the three-man sports boat class as part of the 200-boat Cork Week lineup.

"It was with great regret that we had to cancel the Nationals", Dowling told Afloat.

Up to seven boats had entered including one from France, according to the Cork Week entry list. 

Commenting on the decision, Royal Cork's Alex Barry told Afloat: "It is unfortunate the class were forced to cancel. It was no doubt a difficult decision to make but we wish the class and our own Royal Cork sailors the best for the upcoming Worlds in Dun Laoghaire".

"RCYC were very understanding and assured us that we would be welcome back at a future date," Dowling said.

Royal Cork Yacht Club will host a Classic Yacht Regatta for the first time this year as part of Volvo Cork Week Regatta starting next Monday.

The 37-foot classic yacht Persephone, the 1919 classic Erin, the famous Opposition (Ex Morning Cloud), and Cork Harbour One Designs Jap and Elsie are among the famous classic racing yachts making their way to Cork Harbour.

The first yacht to step up to the plate to join Cork Week's Classic Division was Opposition, the gold standard classic 40ft S & S design which Ted Heath raced to outstanding all-round success in 1971.

It’s the first year that a dedicated Classic Yacht Regatta will be hosted by the Club, and it will be a fantastic viewing spectacle for shoreline onlookers over the week (Monday-Friday).

The 37-foot classic yacht Persephone

Recommended viewing points include Camden and the Church Bay in Crosshaven, the new Haulbowline Island Amenity Park, Ringaskddy as well as the promenade in Cobh. Classic French boats will also arrive as part of the Bastille Day celebrations.

The 1919 classic Erin

Yachtsmen and women from around the globe are expected in Cork next week to enjoy both the on and off-the-water events, as they plan to celebrate the tricentenary of the oldest yacht club in the world, after events were cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Cork Harbour One Designs Jap and Elsie. Photo: Bob Bateman

Yves Lambert from the Atlantic Yacht Club in France, who will be participating in his yacht Persephone, a 37-foot Tina designed by Dick Carter, said, “In 2020 we had plans to attend and help the Royal Cork Yacht Club celebrate its Tricentenary, enjoy some Irish beers with our Irish friends and everything else Cork has to offer. Sadly, Covid put stop to our plans in 2020 and indeed the Royal Cork’s Tricentenary celebrations. When we were advised of a classic class at Volvo Cork Week in 2022, we had to come. A 302-year-old birthday does not happen so often I guess, so if we were looking for a good reason to come, it arrived just in time!”

The regatta will incorporate four championship events - the 1720 European Championships which will include over 40 1720 boats that were designed in Cork, the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) National Championships, the Dragon South Coast Championships, and the SB20 Nationals– in addition to the renowned Beaufort Cup for international uniformed service personnel, which encompasses a race around the Fastnet Rock and back to Cork.

Racing at Volvo Cork Week starts 11th of July, after a four-year hiatus. The Royal Cork Yacht Club was 300 years old in 2020, but due to Covid the regatta couldn’t happen. Waiting two more years to celebrate the first tricentenary of any yacht club has not blunted the enthusiasm for Cork Week, if anything, the legendary Craic of Crosshaven will be bigger than ever writes Louay Habib

The international fleet is approaching close to 200 boats for Cork Week and, racing under IRC and ECHO Rules, the Irish ICRA National Championships will be competed for as part of the week.

Visitor Pata Negra is the biggest boat in IRC Zero

Lombard 46 Pata Negra - on charter for Cork Week Photo: Rick Tomlinson

At the top end of the size scale, the well-travelled and highly successful Lombard 46 Pata Negra is the largest boat in the class and is chartered to Joe Brito from Rhode Island USA.

Jamie McWilliam's Ker 40+ Signal 8 Photo: Afloat

Tim Kane from the Royal Irish YC will race Extreme 37 WOW and Jamie McWilliam is bringing a crew from the Royal Hong Kong YC to mix with local sailors racing McWilliams Ker 40+ Signal 8.

Tim Kane's Royal Irish YC Extreme 37 WOW Photo: Afloat

Andrew McIrvine’s British Ker 39 La Reponse will be taking on the international fleet, the boat was formerly Anthony O’Leary’s Antix. 

La Réponse competing in the RORC IRC National Championship in June Photo Rick Tomlinson

Cape 31's first Irish tour

IRC Zero will have the addition of the new one-design Cape 31 Class on their race course. 

Dave Maguire’s Cape 31 Valkyrie from Howth Photo: Afloat

The Cape 31 Class will race for the inaugural Cape 31 Irish National Championships under one-design rules. 

Darren Wright’s Cape 31 Adrenaline Photo: Afloat

It is the first proper meeting of the Irish boats with Anthony O’Leary’s RCYC Antix joining the Irish Cape 31s from Howth YC; Dave Maguire’s Valkyrie, Dan O'Grady Aja, and Darren Wright’s Adrenaline.

Dan O'Grady's Cape 31 Aja Photo: Afloat

Anthony O’Leary’s RCYC Cape 31 Antix Photo: Rick Tomlinson

British ‘Cape Crusaders’ making the trip to Cork Week are Lance Adams’ Katabatic and Michael Wilson’s Shotgun. 

Lance Adams’ Cape 31 Katabatic Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Round Ireland Class Winner Darkwood competes in IRC One

Mike O’Donnell’s Hamble-based J/121 Darkwood Photo: Afloat

The highest-rated boat in IRC One is Dubliner Mike O’Donnell’s Hamble-based J/121 Darkwood. Racing inshore after their class triumph in the Round Ireland Race, the Darkwood crew has plenty of Irish talent, including past RORC Commodore Michael Boyd, Barry Hurley, and Kenny Rumball.

First 50 Checkmate XX, sailed by ICRA Commodore David Cullen and Nigel Biggs Photo: Afloat

New to the fleet is the Irish First 50 Checkmate XX, sailed by ICRA Commodore David Cullen and Nigel Biggs, who were struck with COVID on the eve of the Round Ireland and could be worth watching especially given their recent showing in the K2Q 160-mile race from Dun Laoghaire to Cork for Cork Week.

Paul and Deirdre Tingle's X4ºAlpaca Photo: Bob Bateman

There is no one who loves Cork Week more than Royal Cork’s own Paul and Deirdre Tingle who will be racing their X4ºAlpaca.

Mills 39 Zero II, is the former all-conquering Mariners Cove, which is chartered to Nick Burns from the Royal Hong Kong YC.

Mills 39 Zero II Photo: Rick Tomlinson

The Hong Kong invasion also includes Adrian McCarroll’s team, which have been coming to Cork Week for 20 years, they will be racing First 40.7 Playing Around.

James Chalmers' J112 Happy Daize Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Top competition from Great Britain includes Louise Minchin and Chris Jones’ J/111 JourneyMaker II and J/112 Happy Daize, skippered by James Chalmers.

Louise Minchin and Chris Jones’ J/111 JourneyMaker II Photo: Rick Tomlinson

IRC Two Packs the J109s

Pat Kelly’s family team on Storm II from Rush and Howth Yacht Clubs Photo: Afloat

A vast array of boats will be racing in IRC Two, with some close duels expected. Assume fireworks from the pack of J/109s racing, especially from the Kinsale YC team on Finbarr O'Regan’s Artful Dodjer, third overall in the Round Ireland Race, and Pat Kelly’s team racing the highly successful Storm that was Boat of the Week in Bangor Town Regatta.

Finbarr O'Regan’s Artful Dodjer from Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Two of the latest J Boat designs, the J/99, will be in action with Michael and Richard Evans’ team from Howth YC racing Snapshot, second overall for the Round Ireland Race, taking on Wayne Palmer’s British team racing J/99 Jam.

Wayne Palmer’s J/99 Jam Photo: Paul Wyeth

Michael and Richard Evans’ team from Howth YC racing Snapshot Photo: Bob Bateman

Highly competitive Half Tonners include two from the Royal Cork YC; Ronan & John Downing racing Miss Whiplash and David Dwyer’s Swuzzlebubble.

David Dwyer’s Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble Photo: Afloat

Ronan and John Downing's Half Tonner Miss Whiplash Photo: Bob Bateman

Norbert Reilly’s team from Howth YC, racing Ghost Raider, will also be in the mix. Watch out for J/97 Jeneral Lee from Howth YC, sailed by Colin & Kathy Kavanagh, which is a proven winner. Steve Hayes’ First 34.7 Magic Touch from Greystones SC was second in the Coastal Class at Cork Week 2018 and switches up to IRC Two.

Quarter Tonners to do Battle in IRC Three

The 2019 Overall ICRA Champion X-302 Dux sailed by Caroline Gore-Grimes’ Howth YC team will be one to watch in IRC Three.

X-302 Dux Photo: Afloat

A battle is expected among the Quarter Tonners. Pick of the classic designs are Anchor Challenge sailed by Royal Cork’s Conor Phelan and Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Ton Cup winner; Cowes-based BLT. Colman Garvey and Kieran Kelleher’s Munster team will be racing Diamond.

Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Ton Cup winner, BLT Photo: Photo Rick Tomlinson

Anchor Challenge sailed by Royal Cork’s Conor Phelan Photo: Bob Bateman

Kieran Kelleher’s Diamond Photo: Bob Bateman

After IRC time correction, if the breeze is up, the Under 25 teams in the J24s should hopefully give the Quarter Tonners a run for their money, as will Royal Cork’s North Star, sailed by Fiona Young, and Pat Collins’ Ealu from Baltimore SC.

Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star Photo: Bob Bateman

Coastal Fleet is a good mix of designs

Denis Hewitt & Others on the Mills 30 Raptor from Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

The Coastal Fleet is a mixed fleet of cruising designs. Denis Hewitt & Others Mills 30 Raptor will be defending their win in 2018 with a team from the Royal Irish YC.

Royal Cork’s J/122 Jellybaby (Jones Family) Photo: Bob Bateman

With a strong Cork entry, local knowledge of tides could give the upper-hand in the Coastal Fleet. Royal Cork’s J/122 Jellybaby sailed by the Jones Family, and Frank Doyle’s J/112 Cara will be in the knowledge zone. Watch out for Patrick Burke’s First 40 Prima Forte, the Royal Irish team finished third in the 2018 Coastal Class on a previous boat.

Pete Smyth’s Sun Fast 3300 Searcher Photo: Afloat

Also, Pete Smyth’s Sun Fast 3300 Searcher from the National Yacht Club, will be quick on reaching legs in a solid breeze.

21 boat Non-Spinnaker Class is the biggest at ICRA Nationals/Cork Week 

Varying in size from Clive Doherty’s Westerly 29 Phaeton to J/122 Damacle raced by Jan and Susan Van der Puil. With 21 teams already entered the Non-Spinnaker Class is the largest class racing at the ICRA Nationals. Race reports for this class will focus on the progressive handicap system ECHO, where time corrections may alter after each race result. Darren McCann’s Dufour 35 Tailte will be defending their ECHO Class win from 2018. Clodagh O’Donovan’s Beneteau 35 and Thomas O'Mahony’s Hanse 31 Loch Grèibe were both on the podium in 2018.

IRC boat entry list is here

When anybody asks how the concept of the Cork 1720 Sportsboat Class first came to see the light of day in Crosshaven in the early 1990s, the response these days tends to be “Which version of the story would you prefer?”. For in all, more than 160 of these Tony Castro-designed 26ft dayboats with bulb keel, retractable bowsprit and mighty gennakers were to be built, and at Cork Week 2000 their fleet mustered more than 60 boats.

Local names like Mansfield and O’Leary took on visitors like Ainslie, Barker and Spithill. It was undoubtedly a highlight of class history. Since then, the 1720s have waxed and waned as a class, but at the moment Class Captain David Love is happy to report that they’re definitely in full-on waxing mode in Ireland, with growing classes at Crosshaven, Dun Laoghaire, Kinsale, Baltimore, Dunmore East, and Howth, such that they’re looking to have 48 boats racing in the Europeans within Volvo Cork Week from 10th to 15th July.

MULTIPLE EXPLANATIONS FOR ORIGINS OF CLASS

Failure is an orphan but success has many fathers, and Class Captain Love is the very soul of diplomacy in not apportioning individual credit for the class’s beginnings thirty years ago, and its growing current success. Back in the day when they started racing, I was told that it was basically a group of National 18 sailors on Cork Harbour who wished to re-create the very special spirit of their wonderful centreboard class on a larger canvas, yet with a sit-on rather than hang-out keelboat.

But equally these days, they’ll tell you there was a very significant inspirational input from Half Ton and Quarter Ton sailors who wanted to transpose the best of their sport into a more straightforward value-for-money One-Design boat which carried no hint of a suggestion that racing nights at sea would be on the agenda.

The absolute simplicity of the concept continues to be one of the 1720’s best features

And now, with everyone from the Lollipop Lady to the Meter Reader telling us that global recession is on the way if it isn’t here already, the 1720s have the USP of offering incredibly good value. They’ve survived to become inexpensive. There’s virtually no wood in them, they’re of a generation of fibreglass which lasts for ever, and you can still find de-commissioned yet perfectly usable 1720s at the far end of somebody’s uncle’s hayshed if you only know how to ask the right questions.

FINDING PHILANTHROPIC SAILMAKERS

Admittedly the chance of finding a decent suit of sails with these rural relics is remote. But as we all know, Ireland’s sailmakers are a soft-hearted and incredibly philanthropic group of folk who will respond favourably to requests for substantial discounts when you use the magic password “1720”, with perhaps a Masonic handshake to be sure to be sure.

And finally, there’s the fact that, with a crew of five, they’re notably labour-intensive boats. Thus they provide a purpose in life for young people who might otherwise be listlessly loitering on street corners, their day jobs taken over by electronic instruments and machines. Indeed, it can only be a question of time before Social Security grants are available to anyone who can show that their 1720 provides healthy, mind-stimulating activity for at last ten hours a week for four young (and not-so-young) people who might otherwise be deflected into a wasted life of anti-social inactivity.

The big warm winds of the Caribbean provide ideal 1720 sailing 

Thus there’s a lot to celebrate in the fact that the 1720s will be providing fantastic sport for at least 240 people during Cork Week, and there’s even more to celebrate in this remarkable class’s survival and regeneration over thirty years. So although every night will be party night, on Tuesday 12th July in Crosshaven it’s going to reach stratospheric heights with the 1720 30th Anniversary party.

MEDALLISTS AT THE BOYNE

For those who don’t know, it’s called the 1720 Class simply because 1720 was the year of foundation of the Water Club of the Harbour of Cork, the direct antecedent of the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Now as it happens, on the 12th July in the other end of Ireland, some people will be celebrating an earlier contest, which took place in 1690. In that, the people from around Cork tended to be on the side which won the Silver Medal. The Silver Medal from the Battle of the Boyne is not something to be sniffed at. But nevertheless the 30th Anniversary of the Cork 1720 on 12th July 2022 at Crosshaven will be much more fun.

The 1720s are still as much fun to sail now as they were thirty years ago

The announcement of the IRC class bands gives a first look at the various classes for next month's Volvo Cork Week Regatta. 

Class Zero will now benefit from the addition of the new Cape 31 class, which will have six boats and will also include the inaugural Cape 31 Irish National Championships. It is the first proper meeting of the Irish boats with Ant O'Leary's Antix also joining the Irish fleet fresh from Hamble.

Anthony O'Leary's red hulled Cape 31 Antix competing at the RORC IRC Nationals on the Solent

At the other end of the scale, the well-travelled and successful Pata Negra is the largest boat in the Class which will be joined by the latest WOW, an Extreme 37, and the well-rated Ker 39 La Response.

Andrew McIrvine's Ker 39 La Réponse Photo: Rick Tomlinson

The J121 Darkwood competing in the Round Ireland race is owned and campaigned by Dublin's Mike O'Donnell, who is UK-based Photo: Afloat

In Class 1, the highest rating boat Darkwood owned and campaigned by Dublin's Mike O'Donnell has had a great season to date and will be much fancied assuming they get over the gruelling Round Ireland Race.

The First 50 Checkmate XX from Howth Photo: Afloat

New to the fleet is the First 50 Checkmate XX who were struck with COVID on the eve of the Round Ireland and could be worth watching. Zero II, the former Mariners Cove, is still highly competitive, whilst local boat Alpaca will also be worth watching.

Class 2 is a more mixed affair with a wide range of boats and performances. Boats fancied include the half tonners, particularly the highly successful Swuzzlebubble, which has been brought to Cork by the Dwyer family whilst Jeneral Lee had good form recently. The J109s are always serious contenders, and this year's runner-up in the Round Ireland, the Evans brother's J/99 Snapshot is clearly also on form.

Swuzzlebubble, which has been brought to Cork by the Dwyer family Photo: Afloat

Class 3 should be a battle of the Quarter Tonners, but hopefully, the Under 25 teams in the J24s should hopefully give them a run for their money. If the breeze is up, the 2019 overall ICRA Champion, Dux, could shine again.

The 2019 overall ICRA Champion, Dux, an X332 from Howth Photo: Afloat

The Coastal Fleet is a mixed fleet with a strong Cork entry who may have the upper hand when it comes to local tides and wins. Boats to watch in this Class include the latest J122, local boat Jellybaby owned by the Jones Family, whilst visitors Searcher and Prima Forte may upset the locals here. Several other boats have serious potential, and wind strength will have a lot of influence on this fleet.

Pete Smyth's Sunfast 3600 Searcher was a class winner of the National Yacht Club Regatta Photo: Afloat

The J122 Jellybaby is owned by the Jones Family of Cork Harbour Photo: Afloat

The Non-Spinnaker Class varies in size from the GK29 Phaeton from RCYC to another local boat, the J122 Damacle. With 19 boats so far entered, this will be a most interesting class to track results during the week.

ICRA trophies will be awarded to each of these Classes, including Irish Sailing medals and potential places at the annual Irish Sailing All Ireland Sailing Championships.

The fleets will be racing to Cork in a race from Falmouth in the UK and the brand new K2Q Dun Laoghaire to Cork Harbour race. 

Musto’s range of Volvo Cork Week 2022 branded marine clothing is now available for pre-order from CH Marine.

The exclusive collection has an expected release date of this coming Thursday 30 June — in plenty of time for the Cork Harbour regatta from 11-15 July — and will be available on the site for the duration of the event.

These T-shirts, polos, jackets, caps and gilets for men and women are only available from CH Marine, so be sure not to miss out!

The class bands and fleets are now finalised for the ICRA Nationals which take place as part of Volvo Cork Week this year.

With the fleet split across Classes 0,1,2,3 along with Non Spinnaker and Coastal, ICRA trophies and more will be up for grabs for the winners.

The Nationals, like the Round Ireland, are a Category 1 ICRA event and therefore carry a double weighting towards the ICRA Boat Of The Year gong.

The full lists of entries can be found on the Cork Week website, and the class bands are as follows:

• IRC 0 - 1.126 & above
• IRC 1 - 1.025 to 1.125
• IRC 2 - 0.935 to 1.024
• IRC 3 - less than 0.935
• Coastal - 0.950 & above
• Non Spinnaker 1 - 0.950 & above
• Non Spinnaker 2 - less than 0.949
• Beaufort Cup - All eligible yachts
• Classic Inshore - All eligible yachts
• Classics/Go To Cork - All eligible yachts

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, a number of feeder races will lead into this year’s ICRA Nationals, including the Falmouth to Cork Race from 7 July in which the Prince of Wales 300th Anniversary Trophy will be contested for the first time.

Several feeder races are now in place for the ICRA National Championships which form part of July's Volvo Cork Week 2022.

The entry list for the championships continues to build with over 50 boats registered to compete in the IRC class and a further 14 boats registered for the coastal class.

Promising some top-class competitive racing, the idea behind the feeder races is to encourage boats from further afield to compete in the July 11-15th Cork Harbour-based championships.

Michael O'Donnell's UK based J/121 Darkwood from the RORC is entered for the ICRA Nationals in Cork Harbour

Kingstown to Queenstown Race

Organised in conjunction with ISORA, The 'Kingstown to Queenstown' (which formerly ran as the Fastnet 450 in 2020 during COVID) Race kicks off from Dun Laoghaire and consists of a  260-mile race, via the Fastnet Rock, ending in Cobh in Cork Harbour.

Falmouth to Cork Race

As Afloat reported earlier, The 180-mile Falmouth to Cork Race, most recently ran in the 1990s, sets off from Royal Falmouth Yacht Club on July 7th, and it is hoped that this race will encourage UK participants for Cork Week and the ICRA National Championships to attend.

The winner of the race will be the inaugural recipient of the Prince of Wales’s 300th Anniversary Trophy”. His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, is the Royal Patron of the Royal Falmouth Yacht Club.

"Hopefully, this weekend’s WAVE Regatta in Howth will enthuse more Dublin boats to travel to what is intended to be a fantastic regatta with the old Cork Week spirit!," ICRA Commodore Dave Cullen told Afloat

A full entry list for Cork Week and the ICRA National Championships is here with the entry form here

The Mayor of County Cork and Minister Simon Coveney launched the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s world-renowned Volvo Cork Week regatta that takes place this July.

Title Sponsors Volvo Car Ireland and key partners are back on board for the highly anticipated week-long sailing event series in and around Cork Harbour.

Highlights include World Class Racing, a Volvo Cork Week Family Fun, and a Volvo Cork Week Ladies Day with Volvo Brand Ambassador Amy Huberman and Brendan Courtney in aid of the Crosshaven RNLI.

Volvo Cork Week has been officially launched by Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs & Minister for Defence, and the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Gillian Coughlan. The legendary world-renowned regatta returns to the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven from 11th-15th July 2022.

At the launch in the title sponsor Johnson & Perrott’s Volvo Showroom in Bishopstown, Cork, Volvo Cork Week co-chairs Annamarie Fegan and Ross Deasy met with key event partners and revealed details of the much-anticipated sailing festival’s return.

Among those in attendance were David Thomas, Managing Director of Volvo Car Ireland, Mark Whitaker, Chief Executive of Johnson and Perrott Motor Group and Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer of Port of Cork Company Ltd, which has been an event partner for over 30 years.

Volvo Cork Week will also incorporate four championship events - the 1720 European Championships which will include over 40 1720 boats that were designed in Cork, the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) National Championships, the Dragons South Coast Championships, and the SB20 Nationals– in addition to the renowned Beaufort Cup for international uniformed service personnel, which encompasses a race around the Fastnet Rock and back to Cork.

Racing within the harbour will take place from Monday 11th to Friday 15th July and recommended viewing points include Camden and the Church Bay in Crosshaven, the new Haulbowline Island Amenity Park, Ringaskddy as well as the promenade in Cobh.

A new addition for Volvo Cork Week 2022 is a dedicated Classic Yacht Regatta, which will be hosted by the club for the very first time this year. Classic yachts from around the world will sail to Cork to partake in three days of racing in and outside Cork Harbour, including the famous 37-foot classic yacht Persephone, the 1919 classic Erin, and the 1957 luxury yacht Shamrock, which will provide a fantastic viewing spectacle for shoreline onlookers. Over 20 classic French boats will also arrive as part of the Bastille Day celebrations.

In addition to top quality racing, the event has become just as known for its off-the-water activities over the years. This year, Volvo Cork Week will kick off with a fun-filled Family Day on Sunday, July 10th from 12-5pm. There will be fun and adventure for families across whole village of Crosshaven from the Royal Cork Yacht Club to Camden Fort Meagher and everywhere in between, including the famous Pipers Fun Fair and boat trips from Hugh Coveney Pier on the Cailin Or. The emphasis this year is on sustainability with coastal walks, competitions, games as well as a new coastal market in the Marquee at the Yacht Club. A children’s workshop with Marine Scientist and Volvo Car Ireland Brand Ambassador Finn van der Aar will also take place at the Royal Cork on the day.

There will also be a Volvo Cork Week Ladies’ Day charity lunch in aid of the Crosshaven RNLI on Wednesday, July 13th, with Volvo brand ambassadors Amy Huberman and Brendan Courtney, which is a total sell out.

The popular biennial sailing regatta, which has been in existence since 1978, holds a special significance this year as the Royal Cork will take the opportunity to mark its postponed tricentenary celebrations with international visitors, two years on. Hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors and global visitors, who were planning to attend in 2020, have already rescheduled their plans to join the oldest yacht club in world in their celebrations this year, which will impact tourism in the Cork region and along the Wild Atlantic Way over the week.

There will also be an opportunity to see Ireland's young sailing Olympic hopefuls in action as four sailors from Team Ireland will participate in the races, including the Royal Cork’s very own Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan.

The biennial regatta draws spectators from far and near and the atmosphere in Crosshaven, home of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, is always second to none both during and ahead of the biennial Volvo Cork Week. The harbour villages of Cork are also buzzing with activity and offer the perfect vantage points to see the stunning spectacles on the water.

Minister Simon Coveney T.D., a keen Volvo Cork Week competitor himself, who plans to take part in the Beaufort Cup, said, “It is a pleasure to officially launch Volvo Cork Week, which will make a welcome return this summer. Events like this that attract visitors from around the world are very important for Ireland, as they are an opportunity to showcase our beautiful marine resource, particularly here in Cork Harbour, the second biggest natural harbour in the world. The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the oldest sailing club in the world - it all began here –and is a huge part of Cork harbour’s history that we are all very proud of.”

Co-Chair of Volvo Cork Week Annamarie Fegan, the first female vice admiral in the club's 302-year history, said, “It is my great honour to welcome sailors from around the world back to the stunning Cork Harbour and the most historic yacht club in the world, this summer, after a 4-year absence. It’s going to be an exceptional week of sailing, we have a fantastic family day planned for everyone in Cork to enjoy, and I’m delighted that four of our own Irish Olympic hopefuls will be participating. We have a packed schedule on and off the water”.

David Thomas, MD of Volvo Car Ireland, said, “We are delighted to continue our title sponsorship of Volvo Cork Week, an event that matches our brand’s commitment to being sustainable, safe and personal. The Volvo brand is synonymous with sailing across the world and we believe in the importance of supporting, and partnering, with sports and communities where our customers live, work, and play.”

Volvo Car Ireland is title sponsor of Volvo Cork Week in partnership with Johnson & Perrott, with official partners Cork County Council, Port of Cork, Musto, Dubarry, Heineken, Barry & Fitzwilliam, Clean Coasts, and MaREI.

With less than nine weeks to go, the countdown is on to the ICRA National Championships 2022 which forms part of Volvo Cork Week from July 11th -15th.

Hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world, the Irish cruiser-racer championships form part of its tricentennial celebrations, ICRA Commodore Dave Cullen says.

ICRA Commodore Dave Cullen

Of the more modern IRC boats already entered, some high profile visitors include Hamble based Darkwood, the J121 owned by Dublin Mike O’Donnell who is London based and has been having great success in RORC racing over the last two years and is expected to be racing Round Ireland in June.

The Ker 40, Signal 8 skippered by Jamie McWilliam Photo: Afloat

Cullen told Afloat that the UK based La Response, the Ker 39 will revisit Irish shores in July and is joined by the more recent Ker 40, Signal 8 owned by Jamie McWilliam, now based in Hong Kong, who promises an Irish crew reunion for this event.

Zero II, the Mills 39 also has a Cork Harbour heritage having been formerly owned by David Dwyer who campaigned her with great success as Mariners Cove and now as Zero II, still enjoys success in the Solent is also entered.

The 1720 fleet will be a star of the show at Cork Week in July Photo: Bob Bateman

With 36 boats entered so far, the 1720 fleet will be a homegrown success for the club that first launched the one design in 1994.

The brand new Cape 31 entries are starting to grow with an increasing interest from the Solent based class, so hopefully, they will provide the spectacle they regularly do off Cowes. As regular readers know the first Irish Cape 31s arrived in Ireland this month. 

Cork Week will be a launchpad for the brand new Irish Cape 31 fleet

With a current entry of 110 boats across all fleets, which is ahead of the same time two years ago, ICRA and Cork Week are shaping up to be a highlight of the 2022 Irish sailing season, according to Cullen. 

Entries can be made at the following link here

More information including info on accommodation, travel and previous results can be found on the event main website here