Rockabill VI to Defend Calves Week Title With New Challengers on the Water in West Cork

2nd August 2021

Paul O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill (left) and Frank Whelan's new J122 Kaya will contest the Calves Week title at Schull Harbour Sailing Club from Tuesday Credit: Afloat

Paul O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI, whose victory in both divisions in 2019 clinched him the overall title, will defend on Tuesday in the first of four races to decide Calves Week Regatta 2021 in West Cork.

A fleet of 36 IRC racers will compete in four divisions (see entries below). A 12-boat Class One, in particular, is one of the biggest IRC gatherings of the Irish sailing season so far and follows another successful south coast regatta, the Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale in June.

It's a positive turnaround for Commodore Sean Norris and Schull Harbour Sailing Club who were forced to cancel 2020's regatta for obvious reasons.

So positive, in fact, that the popular event reached its entry limit in June.

The Irish Cruiser Racing Association's Boat of the Year rankings includes Calves Week as one of the events of its points series for the annual award.

Calves Week schedule

The format for the four-day regatta is three daily 'Round the Islands/Marks' races as well as a Round the Fastnet Race on Wednesday morning.

Starts each day are at 11.30 am at Copper Point or inside Schull Harbour as are the finish lines.

Calves Week 2021 Schedule

J/122 Kaya debuts in Schull

2018 titleholder Frank Whelan is also back in Class One even though his winning Grand Soleil “Eleuthera” has been replaced with a new Greystones' based J122 Kaya, that debuted on the East Coast this season in ISORA coastal racing.

The Greystones' based J122 Kaya

Leslie Parnell's 34.7 Black Velvet Photo: Afloat

Also ready to challenge in the big boat class is Royal Cork's Brian Jones the winner of Saturday's Kinsale to Baltimore feeder race in his J/109 Jelly Baby. It's not Jones' only victory this season either, the family crewed boat also won Kinsale's Fastnet Rock Race in June too.

Family crewed J109 Jelly Baby from Royal Cork Photo: Bob Bateman

Calves Week 2021 Class 1 IRC Entries: 12

George Radley's Half Tonner Cortegada will have to deal with two J/80 sportsboats, one local and one from Howth, as well as the well-sorted Sunfast 32, Bad Company of Frank Desmond from Royal Cork in nine boat Class Two.

George Radley's Half Tonner Cortegada

Lough Derg Dehler 36 Lisador is a freshwater visitor from Garrykennedy Sailing Club.

Calves Week 2021 Class 2 IRC Entries: 9

Calves Week 2021 Class 3 IRC Entries: 6

Calves Week 2021 Class 4 IRC Entries: 5

Calves Week 2021 Class WS1 IRC Entries: 4

Published in West Cork, Calves Week, ICRA

Published in West Cork

Tagged under

Calves Week

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