Kinsale Yacht Club held their Laying Up Supper for the 2023 season in the clubhouse on Friday night (3 November).

Commodore Matthias Hellstern welcomed Irish Sailing president John Twomey and Julian Renault, Cork County Council senior harbour master, before the awards from the season were announced by Tony Scannell, the club’s Vice Commodore.

Club Person of the Year was awarded to Patrick Beckett, club treasurer and company secretary, for his enormous contribution to Kinsale Yacht Club on a daily basis.

Other prize-winners on the night were James and Harvey Matthew (Squib Class Boat of the Year); Cameron Good, Simon Furney and Henry Kingston (Dragon Class BOTY); Freya Conor Doyle and crew (International BOTY); Apache’s Alan Mulcahy and crew (White Sails) who were also winners in the Royal Cork’s Autumn League; Valfreya David Riome and crew (White Sails); Saoirse Richard Hanley and crew (Cruiser Spinnaker Class); and Swift’s Paul Cotter and crew (Cruiser Spinnaker Class).

Kinsale Yacht Club's Dick Hegarty Trophy race was postponed again on Bank Holiday Monday, having deferred racing from Sunday due to weather. 

The First Gun for the memorial race was scheduled at 13.55, but lack of wind prevented racing.

The Victoria’s Antiques White Sails Autumn/Winter Series incorporates the Hegarty Trophy for White Sails Echo & IRC Class 1 and 2.

Kinsale Yacht Club sails its Dick Hegarty Trophy race on Bank Holiday Monday, having deferred racing from Sunday due to weather. 

The First Gun for the memorial race is 13.55.

The Victoria’s Antiques White Sails Autumn/Winter Series incorporates the Hegarty Trophy for White Sails Echo & IRC Class 1 and 2.

Racing at the top of Kinsale YC’s Whitesail October-November series in IRC One Fleet is close. David Riome’s Sigma 33 won the third race on Sunday and leads the fleet.

Only a point separates the top three from each other. Thomas Roche’s Meridian is second and Gavin Lawlor’s Genesis third. Eight yachts are racing.

Four are racing in IRC Two where Padraig O’Donovan’s Chameleon and Patrick Beckett’s Miss Charlie are both on five points at the top. Albert O’Neill’s Sallybelle is next on eight.

After two races of Kinsale Yacht Club's White Sail October-November Series, Gavin Lawlor’s Genesis leads the IRC 1 Fleet, with Meridian (Thomas Roche) second and John Godkin’s Godot. third.

In ECHO handicap Cirrus (Gerard and Mathilde Campbell) leads with Godot second and Meridian third. IRC 2 Fleet leader is Chameleon (Padraig O’Donovan), with Miss Charlie (Patrick Beckett second and Sallybelle (Albert O’Neill) third. In ECHO Sallybell leads from Chameleon with Corrib 2 (Mark and Sonia Leonard) third.

Kinsale Yacht Club’s opening day for the Victoria Antiques White Sails League October/November last Sunday had seven yachts in IRC Fleet 1 which was won by Gavin Lawlor’s Genesis with John Godkin’s Godot second and David Rime’s Valfreya third.

On ECHO handicap, the results were: 1 – Godot; 2- Meridian (Thomas Roche); 3 – Cirrus (Gerard and Mathilde Campbell).

IRC 2 Fleet had four boats racing, won by Padraig O’Donovan’s Chameleon, with Patrick Beckett’s Miss Charlie Second and Albert O’Neill’s Sallybelle third. ECHO: 1 – Chameleon; 2 – Sallybelle; 3 – Toroloco (Raymond Hanley).

The annual Draper family ‘Spalpeen Race’ will be sailed at Kinsale Yacht Club this Friday.

This is an All-In ECHO Trophy Race for cruiser-racers, with the first gun at 1825 and a time limit to finish by 2030.

The race Is run in memory of Billy Draper, a long-time member and friend of the Kinsale Yacht Club.

It will be followed by the annual RNLI auction in the clubhouse.

Cameron Good, Simon Furney and Henry Kingston sailing ‘Little Fella’ maintained their lead to defend their Irish National Dragon Championship in Kinsale on Sunday (27 August).

The host club leaders finished with a four-point margin after a total of seven races sailed Dublin Bay’s Phantom, sailed by Neil Hegarty, Peter Bowring and David Williams of the Royal St George YC.

Third in the 17-boat fleet were Kinsale Yacht Club’s Tenacious, sailed by Anthony O’Neill, Arthur Mehigan and Eoghan O'Neill, who pipped the day one leaders Whisper, sailed by Brian Goggin, Daniel Murphy and Sean Murphy, thanks to their single bullet and two third-place results.

This year's national championship gave a taster to all competitors to what racing will be like for the much anticipated Dragon Gold Cup to be held in Kinsale next year.

The crew of Little Fella (Cameron Good, Simon Furney and Henry Kingston) and KYC Dragon class captains Brian Goggin and Daniel Murphy of Cantor Fitzgerald. Little Fella won the Dragon National Championship for the second year in a row Photo: Dave Cullinane

Whisper — sailed by Daniel Murphy, his brother Sean and Brian Goggin — tops the fleet after the first day of racing in the Irish National Dragon Championships in Kinsale on Thursday (24 August).

The home team scored a bullet in the first race with a fourth-place finish in the second, enough to put them ahead of the Royal St George’s Phantom (Neil Hegarty, Peter Bowring & David Williams) who placed second and third respectively. Both are on five nett points.

Little Fella, another Kinsale YC home entry and last year’s championship winner, is in third after a stronger performance in the second race, second over their previous fifth.

The highly touted Jaguar Sailing Team from the Royal St George is much further down the table in eighth place after a disastrous second race which saw them trailing most of the fleet in 15th.

Racing continues on Friday (25 August).

Dragon National Championships 2023 Photo Gallery Day One at Kinsale Yacht Club By Bob Bateman

The Black Tom Race for cruisers will be sailed out of Kinsale Yacht Club on Saturday with First Starting Gun at 1155 am.

The IRC prize will be the Horserock Trophy with the Mary P for ECHO.

The course will be around the Black Tom mark to port and self-time, finishing at the Bostoon Line.