There were breezy conditions for the annual dinghy race from Cobh to Ballinacurra in Cork Harbour on Sunday.

Organised by Cove Sailing Club in conjunction with the National 18 Class, the race started as usual from the Spit Bank area off Cobh.

But with 18/20 knots from the east and a flood tide, it made for a tricky and wet beat from the start to the East Ferry turn before the relative calm of the narrow and shallower waters towards Ballinacurra village.

With 18/20 knots from the east and a flood tide, it was a wet start to the 2022 Ballinacurra Race for this 505 crew Photo: Bob Bateman

As Afloat reported earlier, racing is provided for Class 1, Class 2 and Cobh’s Rankin dinghies with National 18s, 505s and Lasers all setting out on the challenging course.

A visiting cruise liner near the start line added to the challenges for the dinghy sailors

The conditions put off some participants and there were a number of capsizes off Whitepoint with some boats returning to shore.

For all those that made it to Ballinacurra, close to Midleton, there was a carnival atmosphere, a prizegiving and a special celebration of a vintage 'T' dinghy outside Creenan's Brooklands Bar.

National 18 helm Charles Dwyer (left) receives his prize from Commodore Cove Sailing Club Niall Hawes, Anne Ahern CSC and winning crew Kieran Dwyer and Richie Harrington Photo: Bob Bateman

The overall winner of the 2022 Ballinacurra race was the National 18 trio Charles Dwyer crewed by Kieran Dwyer and Richie Harrington. 

Cliodhna arrives by road, not sea to Ballinacurra

A valiant attempt to honour the Cliodna's 75-year history by racing to Ballinacurra this year was stymied by the tough sailing conditions.

Having got to the start line off the east end of Haulbowline in the vintage clinker-built boat, the weather proved far too inclement so skipper Owen O'Connell and crew Eamonn Twomey were forced to retire. The safer option was to trailer the Cliodna to Ballinacurra for post-race celebrations where Cliodna was quite rightly centre stage.

Owen O'Connell with the 75-year-old Cliodna Photo: Bob Bateman

Cliodna was built by Eddie Twomey in 1947. She was the third T Class to be built, Eddie designed and built the first one called Darine in 1945.

Cliodna was built by Eddie Twomey in 1947 Photo: Bob Bateman

Eric Rankin built T2 called Murtoo with the last, T10 built in 1949. Eddie Twomey raced and won the Ballinacurra Cup in the Cliodna in 1947. 

He sold her in 1950 to Dr Scully of Crosshaven. She remained with the Scully family until 2016 when Eddie Twomey's daughter, Eithne, bought her.

She was restored by Jim Walsh over the following year and finally put back in the water this year.

The Ballinacurra Cup prizegiving had a special setting with Cliodna on her road trailer at Brooklands Bar Photo: Bob Bateman

2022 Ballinacurra Race Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

There are not many sailing clubs which have experienced the vicissitudes of misfortune to the extent that Cove Sailing Club has in recent years.

Back in March of 2018, Afloat reported that “Cork Harbour will have a new name in sailing this season - the Great Island Sailing Club, formed to ensure the continuance of sailing at Cobh, following difficulties which arose in Cove Sailing Club as it attempted to build a marina at Whitepoint.”

That did not stop the Cove SC from celebrating its centenary in February of 2019 and, just over a year later, in March 2020 I reported on Afloat that: “As the marina project is being progressed satisfactorily and now installation is underway, negotiations between the clubs have been going on. With a positive outcome, Great Island Sailing Club held an EGM to discuss re-joining Cove Sailing Club and a motion to do so was passed unanimously.”

So, Cork Harbour lost a club, but it was all for the better of sailing in the community.

However, Cove SC faced more problems a few months later when, in August, Storm Ellen did a lot of damage to the marina at Whitepoint.

However, the strength of the club and the determination of its members overcame those difficulties again, which was brought home to me this month when Commodore Niall Hawes, showed me the impressive progress made at the Whitepoint marina.

A marina in Cobh has been very much needed, but there have been years of frustration. Commercial proposals were defeated by planning difficulties. For the club itself, the marina means that club boats no longer have to be kept several miles away from Cobh at East Ferry, but can now be berthed right outside the clubhouse. Evening racing can also be started from the marina.

Cove SC Commodore Niall Hawes presenting the traditional class prize to club member Anne Noonan of Deja Vu at Cobh Regatta 2021

BUSY PROGRAMME THIS SEASON

A busy schedule has been set for this season which will include cruiser and dinghy racing. The marina has added interest to sailing in the area and the successful revival of the traditional Cobh Rankin dinghies added an impetus, particularly to younger and family sailing. The club’s ‘Festival of Sailing’ which has evolved from the regatta, will also be developed. Bringing more cohesiveness together between dinghy and cruiser sailing has been a positive factor.

VISITOR BERTHS

This year Cove Sailing Club will be offering visitor berths at the marina. Club members have availed of all the berths available to them. The club wants to encourage visitors to the harbourside town and this will be its commitment to helping boost the local tourist economy, the Club Commodore told me when we met in the clubhouse, with its attached dinghy park, on the quayside adjacent to the marina.

• Listen to the Podcast here with Cove SC Commodore Niall Hawes, in which we discuss the challenges the club overcame and its plans for the future.

Cove Sailing Club expect another vintage Quarter Tonner to join its fleet this season with the purchase of the UK yacht, 'Illegal'.

Former CSC Commodore Kieran Dorgan team is part of the syndicate to purchase the new boat that replaces their recently sold Quarter Tonner Diamond late last year.

Illegal is out of the water at present in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. According to CSC, the crew plan to do some early season racing in the UK before having her shipped home.

Cork Harbour sailors will be watching closely to see how she performs, given the success of sistership Diamond last season especially in the recently concluded RCYC December League where she was fast straight out of the box in the hands of new owners. 

The arrival of Illegal is another feather in the cap for the '25-footers' that are on the rise in Cork Harbour thanks to the fact that you can race with a small crew, often made up of just family and friends as Afloat reported previously here

Cove Sailing Club is looking forward to seeing a big turnout for this year’s Cobh to Blackrock Race on Saturday 4 September.

Starting from Cobh at 2pm and finishing at Blackrock Castle, the 2021 race is extra special as the club is helping the Naval Service commemorate its 75th anniversary.

Festivities on the day include a parade of sail from Cork Harbour up to the city quays, providing a fitting spectacle on the River Lee.

Last year’s class honours were claimed by Nieulargo, Don’t Dilly Dally and Prince of Tides, and all three boats have registered for this year’s race — see the list on the club website, where you can also find the Notice of Race for class bands and details (open to IRC, ECHO and Trad classes).

This event will run in accordance with COVID restrictions and prize-giving will take place either on the stern of a Navy vessel or the quay wall overlooking the city marina, with only winners invited to come and receive one of the many prizes sponsored by Union Chandlery.

There’s still time to register your intent to participate in the race HERE.

A fine turnout of revived Rankin dinghies raced in a Cork Harbour mist and drizzle to commemorate the class founders in Saturday's Cobh People's Regatta. 

Fiona O'Connell's Rankin R21 was the overall winner of the 29 boat fleet after two races sailed, scoring a 3 and a 1.

Ewan and David O'Keeffe were second in R5.  Third was Richard Marshall in Rankin R30.

The packed regatta schedule included cruiser racing for the Titanic Trophy on Friday night.

It was followed by the Optimist Spit Bank Challenge plus racing for a fast dinghies fleet and lower handicap dinghies too.

Cruiser Racing involving other harbour clubs will be on Sunday, with the first gun at 1330.

A Rankin is a traditional wooden dinghy that was built in Cobh, of which it’s believed there were 80 and of which The Rankin Dinghy Group has traced nearly half.

The name of the Rankin dinghies is revered in Cork Harbour and particularly in the harbourside town of Cobh.

Maurice Kidney and Conor English are driving the restoration of the Rankin dinghies in Cork Harbour. They have discovered that Rankins were bought and sailed in several parts of the country.

Fiona O'Connell's Rankin R21was the winner

 Ewan and David O'Keeffe were second in R5

Third was Richard Marshall in Rankin R30

Rankin Dinghies Race at Cobh People's Regatta Photo Gallery below

Andrew Crosbie and Stephen O'Shaughnessy in the National 18 'Virtual MissFits' were the 2021 Ballinacurra Race winners hosted by Cove Sailing Club in conjunction with the National 18 dinghy class. 

Among other competing boats, Nine Eighteens contested the race that has traditionally been an annual pilgrimage from Royal Cork in Crosshaven to 'Jacko's Bar'.

As Afloat reported earlier, this year's Cove Sailing Club race was an open event and Commodore Niall Hawes gave a  start time at 3 pm near to the harbour's Spit Bank.

The race started from Committee boat Brisa Mar with OOD Joanna O’Brien onboard.

Class 1 started first with a quick dog leg down to 16 and back to no 20 then straight to Ballinacura.

Class 2 started straight after with a fleet of 9 with 4 Rankins in attendance with 2 young hopefuls Sam and Noah Dorgan racing Optimists.

The breeze began to drop as the fleet neared the corner of east ferry and the Race officer decided to finish Class 2 at the church in East Ferry.

Class 1 consisting largely of National 18’s carried on up the East Passage where the tide was flooding rapidly with the shifty breeze.

The race concluded with Class 1s finishing at South Quay in Ballinacurra with the committee boat Bris Mar braving the shallow channel to record the finish

There were two classes racing to Ballinacurra.

A number of Rankins (below), two catamarans (above), two RS400s and a few mixed dinghies including two Optimists also started the race.

An interesting course for Class 1 dinghies was set to send them round Spit buoy and run back to No. 20 buoy and then straight to Ballinacurra.

Winds were very light prior to the start with some boats towed the final quarter of a mile just to get to the line. 

The wind filled in for the start of the race to Ballinacurra with one National 18 dinghy over the line and having to return

Although largely a family affair, the race was not without some decent competition especially for the National 18 lead in Class One.

In very strong tide, the National 18s found it hard to keep spinnakers filled at East Ferry

Ballinacurra Race Results 2021

Class 1

1st National 18 Misfits Andrew Crosbie & Stephen O’Shaughnessy

2nd National 18 Puss in Boots Katie Dwyer, Tome Dwyer & Willy Healy

3rd National 18 Minnie’s Return Colin Barry, Ronan Kenneally & John O’Gorman.

Class 2

1st Rankin Maurice & Francis Kidney

2nd Rankin Owen O’Connell & Joe Keenan

3rd Rankin James & Suzanne Burke

There was also a special presentation to the youngest competitor Harry Coole who was just 10 years old.

Cove Sailing Club wish to thank all the competitors who ensured this historic race was well supported.

Thanks to Charles Dwyer of the National 18 class for helping organise with us, Joanne O’Brien and crew of the Bris Mar for providing committee boat duties, the Brooklands Bar for providing much needed libations and to Steven Byrne and Harry McDwyer for providing rescue cover.

Ballinacurra Race Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour is holding the Ballinacurra Race this Saturday (24th July) in conjunction with the National 18 dinghy class. 

The last race there was in 2019 but prior to that the 'Ballinacurra Cruising Club' would traditionally have an annual pilgrimage from Royal Cork in Crosshaven to 'Jacko's Bar'.

In part, the in-harbour cruise commemorated the fact that the Midleton pier was the final disembarkation point for the last commercial sailing ship in Cork Harbour.

The harbour channel for Ballinacurra is located near East Ferry but, say, harbour experts, it is slowly getting silted up and now limited to about five feet of draught.

Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour is holding the Ballinacurra Race to Midleton this Sat (24th July) in conjunction with the National 18 dinghy class. Photo: Bob Bateman

The channel to Ballinacurra is reportedly marked by plastic milk bottles and other similar buoyage.

Most boats venturing up that way go towards the top of the tide. But, say, locals, "you have to get out of it pretty sharpish or you can get caught".

The Cove Sailing Club race is an open event and Commodore Niall Hawes is keen to spread the news of the weekend fixture. 

The start time is 3 pm near to the harbour's Spit Bank.

There are three classes; class 1, Class Two (dinghies) plus local Rankin dinghies.

The prizegiving will be held outside Jacko's.

More here

Maurice Kidney's Rankin continues to lead the Wednesday Night Dinghy League at Cove SC in Cork Harbour on 7 points from Owen O'Connell.

The latter continues second in another Rankin on 9, with Joe Keenan making up the top trio in his Solo on 15 points.

There are 16 boats in the fleet.

While other clubs have found it a big enough challenge simply resuming sailing in a regulation-compliant way, the 101-year-old Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour has also been bringing its new marina on stream, and in addition to resuming club sailing, it staged the first open event of the delayed 2020 season, the Squib Southerns, on July 25th-26th. It has been a superb team effort, but all teams need effective leadership, and CSC Commodore Kieran Dorgan has been providing it in a family tradition - his father Barry was in the same role, while on the water Kieran himself is no stranger to the front of the fleet with his First 36.7 Altair.

Kinsale overnight leader Colm Dunne at the helm of Allegro held off a strong Northern Ireland Challenge to win the Squib Southern Championships at Cove Sailing Club this afternoon.

As reported earlier, 13 boats contested the championships in Cork Harbour but no one was able to overhaul Dunne who counted three race wins on the windward-leeward courses.

Second place after five races sailed in the one-design keelboat competition went to Royal North of Ireland's Gordon Patterson. Third place went to Patterson's Belfast Lough club-mate Peter Wallace, skipper of Toy for the Boys.

Results are here

Bob Bateman's Day Two Photo Gallery below