Calves Week 2023 'for the craic' will, as promised, deliver an eclectic maximum 70-boat fleet for its first race of the annual regatta next Tuesday in West Cork.
The weather looks like it may play its part, too, and as WM Nixon predicted on Saturday in Afloat, the event which may most benefit from the more benign pattern will be Calves Week from Tuesday onwards for four days.
Westerly winds gusting up to 20mph will bring all types of keelboat designs to Schull's Copper Point line, everything from a brand new keelboat from Racing Sailboats (RS) to an oceangoing fifty-foot canting keeler for the Round the Islands first race.
Calves Week Regatta has courses in and around the islands, around the Skeams and Calves, and laid courses too Photo: Bob Bateman
As previewed by Afloat earlier in the week, the competition is split into seven fleets, and the top end of the entries looks particularly competitive this year for the Schull Harbour Sailing Club event.
Regular visitor Paul O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI from Dun Laoghaire will race in five boat Class Zero of Calves Week 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman
This year Calves Week Regatta has a new addition – at the suggestion of the bigger Class Zero boats – which is a laid windward mark at the entrance to Crookhaven Harbour. From the starting line off Schull Harbour, the fleet will have a first upwind leg of six nautical miles, tacking up Long Island channel before a turn downwind, which should make an excellent sight for shore spectators at Goleen.
The highlight of the West Cork sailing season is drawing entries from 'Bantry Bay, Kerry, Foynes, Lough Derg and the major Dublin sailing centres for Calves Week 2023 in Schull Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman
Download the latest class breaks (and the initial ECHO Handicap) released by the organisers below.
The biggest entries are in the White Sails divisions, with 15 boats in White Sails One and thirteen in White Sails Two, but the slightly smaller spinnaker divisions are packed with top boats from the Irish scene and some top crews, including some key Irish sailmakers.
It's not always plain sailing at Calves Week Regatta....Photo: Bob Bateman
Among the marques debuting at Calves Week 2023 is the new family adventure keelboat, the RS Venture Connect, as Richard Burrows launches 'Lace' in White Sails Two. This division also includes the vintage Cork Harbour One Design Jap entered by America's Cup promoter Stewart Hosford and Simon O'Keeffe's award-winning historic Lady Min will race on her home waters.
Calves Week 2023 will happily exceed its entry cap of 70 boats ahead of its return to a full format of West Cork craic and fun sailing Photo: Bob Bateman
There are nine entries in Class One where local Tony O'Brien's J109 Tighey Boy will see competition from the new Dublin Bay sistership, Riders On The Storm, skippered by Bobby Kerr with UK Sails Barry Hayes onboard the Dublin yacht for Wednesday's race and on the Schull boat for Thursday.
Royal Irish's Leslie Parnell is competing in Class One of the 2023 Calves Week Regatta in the First 34.7, Black Velvet Photo: Bob Bateman
Baltimore's multiple 1720 sportsboat champion Rob O'Leary is onboard the Boardman/Kelly/O Leary new Half-Tonner "Two Farr" that will compete in Class Two. It's not the only Half-Tonner either, with the all-beating Swuzzlebubble that was the overall winner of Kinsale's Sovereign's Cup in June and a class winner of Volvo Dun Laoghaire in July also lining up. North Sails Ireland's Nigel Young is racing on his family's Albin Express "North Star" in ten-boat Class Two.
The Calves Week Regatta includes a race around the Fastnet Rock Photo: Bob Bateman
Onboard John Treanor's brand new J112e Valentina from Dun Laoghaire in a five-boat Class Zero will be Prof O'Connell of North Sails Ireland. This division includes Frank Whelan's biggest boat of the event, the canting-keel Elliott 52, which will have Kinsale doublehanded-ace Sam Hunt on board and North Sails Kilcoole's Shane Hughes. Royal Cork's Mel Collins will helm the JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI", standing in for regular helmsman Kieran Tarbett of Dun Laoghaire.
John Treanor's brand new J112e Valentina from Dun Laoghaire will compete in Class Zero of Calves Week Photo: Michael Chester
Quantum Sails Ireland's Mark Mansfield, who was tactician on board John Smart's J109, Jukebox in last week's IRC 3 winner at Cowes Week, is back on the water again, racing with Nobby Reilly on the new J111 Ghost Raider in Class Zero. Local Schull sailor David Harte is also onboard the Howth boat.
Nobby Reilly's new J111 Ghost Raider - Calves Week is the Howth boat's second trip to the south coast this season. She also sailed in June's Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race Photo: Afloat
The CD Environmental sponsors reception will open Calves Week on August Monday, followed by four days of racing. Each night, participants can look forward to a presentation of prizes and live musical entertainment on Schull's Main Street.
