Robert O'Leary will be going for a hat-trick of 2020 1720 sportsboats victories later this month but not as originally scheduled, as the 1720 National Championships moves venue from Baltimore Sailing Club in West Cork to Monkstown Bay Sailing Club in Cork Harbour. 

O'Leary won the 2020 Baltimore Cup a month ago and in the last weekend of August he won the Southern Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club, so he and his Dutch Gold crew will quite rightly see the defence of the 1720 title as a crowning glory of the 2020 season.

However, he won't have it all his own way with a potent Ross McDonald crew of Howth biting at his heels. McDonald lost on countback at the Cup and was tied on points overnight after day one of the Southerns. 

In a notice to competitors issued this month, Baltimore's Committee told competitors that 'after reviewing the current government guidelines and seeking guidance from the local businesses in Baltimore, we as a committee feel that we cannot provide the same level of racing and entertainment as experienced in the Baltimore Cup this year'.

1720s return to Cork Harbour on September 25th Photo: Bob Bateman

The West Cork club hopes to welcome the fleet back to Baltimore in 2021.

After discussions with Monkstown Bay Sailing Club, the 1720s have agreed to run the event in Cork Harbour on the same dates - 25th, 26th, 27th September 2020.

It will be a combined effort between the two clubs as both are of the opinion that the event should not be cancelled this year provided it can run it in line with the Covid-19 government guidelines.

It is the intention to launch, berth and recover boats in the Crosshaven River, with the primary race area being South East of the Harbour.

A motion has been put before Cork City Council seeking a ban on 'dangerous' inflatable craft.

It has been lodged by Cllr. Ted Tynan on behalf of the Workers Party: "In light of the recent rescue by fisherman Gus O'Donovan and crew member Mathew Byrne of two men on an inflatable craft in Crosshaven, I want to bring to the attention of the Council the dangers of such craft on our shores. This is just one of several water-related recent incidents that could have resulted in tragedy. I welcome the call by Chief executive of Water Safety Ireland, John Leech, for a ban on inflatable craft, in order to prevent a tragic outcome in our waters.

"Referring to 'supermarket inflatables', Hugh Mockler, Deputy, Launch Authority at Crosshaven RNLI, where Gus has been a crew member, described these craft as “downright dangerous”.

"I, therefore, call on Cork City Council to introduce the necessary by-laws to ban the use of inflatable craft on our shores and beaches".

Alex Barry, Sandy Rimmington and Richard Leonard sailing Aquadisiacs were the overall winners of an 11-boat National 18 Southern Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club last weekend.

The Royal Cork/Monkstown Bay trio won by a margin of three points over Barry's older brother Ewen steering FOMO crewed by Stanley Brown and Dion Barrett on 14 points. Two points back was third overall, Fifty Shades sailed by Laser ace Nick Walsh, Rob Brownlow and Eddie Rice. 

The  Aquadisiacs crew sailed a consistent seven-race series on Cork Harbour dipping only once out of the top three in a scoreline that included two race wins.

National 18 Southern Championships 2020 Results

National 18 Southern Championships 2020 Results

See National 18 Southerns photo slideshow by Bob Bateman below

Robert O'Leary's Dutch Gold Baltimore Sailing Club crew add the AIB Southern Championship title to their 1720 sportsboat trophy haul after an emphatic six-point win at Cork Harbour today. 

O'Leary counted a tally of eight results inside the top four to win the Royal Cork Yacht Club hosted event. The Cork ace had one poor result scored in race eight today where he finished 12th, a result that he later discarded.

The winds for the 14-boat championships came in like a lion for the opening races on Friday with some big breeze but then went out like a lamb as forecast today with the final two races sailed in light airs. O'Leary however, managed to prove himself across the wind range by making a strong recovery in today's final race nine to win it, his fourth race win of the weekend.

Second overall was Royal Cork's T-Bone (Durcan/O'Shea). Third was the Royal Cork and Howth Yacht Club entry Ropedock/Atara (Ross McDonald/English) who held second place throughout the championships until a disqualification from the final race.

1720 Southern Championships Results Overall

1720 Southern Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club Day Three Slideshow

Sailing in Cork took a hammering in the past week, from Storm Ellen and COVID 19, the combined effects of which destroyed a lot of work by four of the major clubs on the South Coast.

Disheartening for the sport and for club members who voluntarily put many hours of work into keeping within Government guidelines while preserving major events in the sailing calendar, but all of which effort came to naught.

Sailing Event Cancellations

Two Cork Harbour clubs, the Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven and Monkstown Bay Sailing Club, with the support of Cork Port at its new leisure boat launching facility at Ringaskiddy, made late changes to running the Laser Nationals, which were brought to an end when the Government imposed further restrictions. Those also stopped the RCYC Tricentenary Parade salute to the club's history and its planned 'At Home' this coming weekend. The RCYC had already suffered several wipe-outs of its 300th celebration plans that will now take place in 2021.

That was followed by the cancellation of Dragon Week at Kinsale which had been arranged to replace the previously cancelled international Gold Cup.

The village of Crosshaven in Cork Harbour where so many plans to celebrate Royal Cork's 300th birthday have been postponed unttil 2021. Photo: Bob Bateman

Diligent Sailing Clubs

The three clubs stayed diligently within new Government restrictions though my question to Government about the contradiction in allowing more people to congregate internally than at outdoor events, a contradiction which challenges the benefits of sport and outdoor activity, goes unanswered so far. The anger expressed privately when the Golfgate scandal was revealed, was considerable and justified, in my view.

Added to this was the situation for Cove Sailing Club, hit hard by Storm Ellen causing considerable damage to its recently-opened marina.

West Cork Whale 'Boomerang'

A bad week for sailing on the South coast, so I was looking for something to lift spirits, which came when the best-known whale in Irish waters was discovered back in West Cork. This is Boomerang, pictured here in a stunning photograph by Ronan McLaughlin, provided by courtesy of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

Boomerang is back in Irish waters Photo: Ronan McLaughlin, courtesy IWDG

Boomerang likes the waters of Cork and Waterford, but seemingly not Kerry! Identified by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, he is an adult male humpback whale, first seen off the West Cork coast nineteen years ago this month - in August of 2001.

"He is by far the best-known whale in Irish waters and his annual return most years to our local waters, is the strongest evidence we have of the importance of our inshore waters for these gentle giants," Padraig Whooley, Sightings Officer of IWDG reported on my radio programme, THIS ISLAND NATION. "Interestingly," Padraig said, "Boomerang, despite over 53 sightings in almost 20 years has never once been recorded in Kerry, only Cork and Waterford."

Maybe, I wonder, he doesn't want to challenge Fungi in Dingle?

Padraig Whooley of IWDG has more about Boomerang on the Podcast below

The volunteers of Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat were tasked this evening to a report of a person in the water in the Ringabella/Fountainstown area.

The crew received the pager alert at 7.32 pm and were en route when information was received that two persons were in the water and clinging to a marker buoy near the back strand at Fountainstown.

On arrival, one adult had been taken from the water by a RIB which responded to the Coast Guard PAN PAN radio call and was handing the casualty into the care of Crosshaven Coast Guard at Fountainstown beach. A local kayaker was first on scene and rescued the child before handing the casualty over to Crosshaven Coast Guard before returning to the adult male. The RIB with the five teenagers arrived on scene and removed the adult from the water to the RIB and took the casualty ashore to be cared for by the Coast Guard. Rescue 117 helicopter transported the two casualties to Cork University Hospital for a check-up.

The crew on tonight's service were Helm Ian Venner with Aoife Dinan, Susanne Deane and Jon Bermingham. Launch crew was Gary Heslin and Richie Leonard.

The RIB which responded was crewed by five 16-year-olds who were fishing in White Bay when they heard the PAN PAN call and responded immediately to the incident.

Coincidentally, three of the RIB crew have RNLI connections. Jamie Venner is the son of Ian Venner who was also the Helm on tonight's service, Cillian Foster is a brother to Caomhe Foster who is also Crosshaven RNLI crew and Richard McSweeney is the son of former Baltimore RNLI crew member Ciaran McSweeney. The other crew on board were Kate Horgan and Harry Pritchard.

This article was updated on Monday, August 24th 2020

Storm Ellen has damaged boats and the facility at the new Cobh Marina that opened earlier this summer in Cork Harbour. 

Storm force easterlies are rare in Cork Harbour, and there’s only a very narrow window through which the waterfront at Cobh is exposed to the long fetch from Rostellan, which in turn has little in the way of high ground between it and the open sea northeast of Ballycotton. Thus as Storm Ellen thundered in from the Atlantic through last night, the easterly winds along the Cobh waterfront were hitting the same 75 knots-plus which were being recorded at Roche’s Point, and at spring tides high water the new Cobh SC Marina at Whitepoint was enduring maximum exposure with freakishly high tides.

Cork's 96FM Radio station has published photos via Twitter of the new facility this morning with damage to boats visible.

Thanks to Karen Histon for these images of the new marina at Cove Sailing Club this morning #Cobh #StormEllen pic.twitter.com/WuHMusbZgP

— 96fm Opinion Line (@OpinionLine96) August 20, 2020

Meanwhile, conditions were such that a Naval Service vessel heading for her berth at Haubowline was instructed to anchor off, but for the marina, there was no escape, and damage was sustained. A Hallberg Rassy cruiser fetched up against the concrete shore structure and became so damaged she sank, but although an Oyster 52 broke free and went up the beach, in the high water since she has been refloated and safely taken to the Naval Squadron marina in Haulbowline. With new surges of the storm in the offing, the potential for further damage is still a very live issue.

As Afloat reported previously, Cove Saling Club’s brand new marina pontoons were put to immediate use with yachts and motorboats occupying the new berths since the opening up of sailing activity on 8th June. 

A yacht battered by Storm Ellen in Cork Harbour Photo: via Whatsapp

The new facility also staged its first event in July when the Squib keelboat class Southern Championships sailed from the pontoons.

A spokesman for Cove Sailing Club declined to comment.

Update: Statement by Cove Sailing Club –

Issued at 09:30 on 20th August 2020

Due to the impact of Storm Ellen between 21:00 and 00:00 yesterday, a number of boats at the Marina Facility at Whitepoint Cobh suffered damage. The Coastguard conducted an initial assessment at 07:45 and upon their advice, the facility has been closed. Forecast conditions today are not favourable to allow a fuller inspection. The office at Cove Sailing Club will be open today to facilitate further information updates.

As a club of volunteers, we are saddened that individual boat owners have suffered damage and loss to their boats but we are grateful that there has been no injury to anyone as a result of the impact of storm Ellen.

We will issue further updates when we are in a position to carry out a more comprehensive inspection.

Cove Sailing Club. [email protected] 087-0574481

Storm Ellen and COVID-19 have combined to bring about the cancellation of this week's Irish Laser National Championships in Cork Harbour, one of the biggest dinghy sailing events of the year. 

Both the AIB Irish Laser National Championships, hosted by the Royal Cork YC, and the Irish Laser 4.7 National Championships hosted by Monkstown Bay SC, have been cancelled according to a statement released from organisers tonight.

As Afloat reported earlier, included in the line up of over 100 competitors due into Cork Harbour on Thursday was Tokyo 2021 representative Annalise Murphy who was set to resume domestic competition in the single-handed class in one of the most hotly contested dinghy battles of the season.

The statement says "Both organising Clubs, along with the Irish Laser Association and Irish Sailing have given careful consideration to both public health guidelines and also the impending Storm Ellen due to hit Ireland on Thursday and Friday"

The statement adds: "Notwithstanding the ability for the event to run behind closed doors under the revised guidelines, the combination of that, the weather alert impacting sailing on Thursday and Friday and the number of people travelling, it was decided to cancel the event in the best interest of competitors, officials and everyone involved".

The Coolmore Race is an old Cork Harbour yacht race that has been brought back to life by Royal Cork Yacht Club after many years.

After a day of torrential rain, the downpour stopped and sadly the wind died with it. After the dinghies were launched they were towed up the Owenabue River to the start at Coolmore Estate.

The 50 competing boats started at the top of the tide and had the benefit of the ebb for a race back to the RCYC clubhouse. However, the course was shortened and the first boat to finish was James Dwyer (Matthews) in a Laser 4.7 but close on his heels came JP Curtin in an Optimist and won the Trophy. 

Coolmore Photo slideshow by Bob Bateman below 

After three races of the Fitzgerald's Menswear sponsored August League at Royal Cork Yacht Club on Sunday, Ronan and John Downing's Half Tonner Miss Whiplash has an overall lead in the IRC spinnaker division for cruiser-racers.

Second overall is the Trapper, Cracker sailed by Denis Byrne. Third overall, and in her first appearance this season was Kieran Collins' Olson 30 Coracle IV who took a win in Sunday's race three.

Kieran Collins' Olson 30 Coracle IV

See results here.

Sean Hanly's HB31, Luas