Big Breeze and Thrills and Spills as Calves Week 2023 Ends on a High in Schull Harbour

11th August 2023

Overall IRC Zero winner John Treanor's J112e ValenTina from the National Yacht Club gets her bow out in some close-quarter racing in the final race of Calves Week 2023 in Schull Harbour, West Cork Credit: Thomas Newman

There were thrills and spills – particularly in the Spinnaker fleets – in the final race of CD Environmental Calves Week Regatta in Schull Harbour, West Cork, on Friday.

Race officer Alan Crosbie started all fleets in the harbour in a brisk 20-knot gusty southwest wind.

Thankfully visibility had greatly improved compared to Thursday's Fastnet race, and all the fleets were able to race in the relative shelter of Long Island and Castle Island, with only classes 0 and 1 having to venture out to the Amelia Buoy.

All fleets were safely back in the harbour by 3.30 pm with the overall prize-giving scheduled on the street at 6.30 pm.

The leader since Tuesday's first race, John Treanor's J112e ValenTina won IRC Zero overall with four points from Norbert Reilly's J111 Ghostraider by just one point. Onboard Valentina was seven Under 25 National Yacht Club sailors, including former Laser sailor Nicole Hemeryck. Paul O'Higgins JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI was third on seven.

The Class Zero and One final race course of Calves Week 2023 Photo: Maurice O'Connell

Similarly, Leslie Parnell's First 34.7 Black Velvet from the Royal Irish Yacht Club kept his early lead to take IRC Two overall victory but Bobby Kerr on the J109 Riders On The Storm lost second overall when Jamie McWilliam in Kiwi took the runner-up position place on the seven-point tie break.

A perfect scoreline for David and James Dwyer's Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble in IRC Two gave them overall victory, with rival Half Tonner Two Farr (Boardman/Kelly/O Leary), who retired in Thursday's Fastnet Race race recovered to take second place on eight points. Third was Kevin Daly's Schull Harbour J 80 Jamaro on nine.

Likewise, in IRC Three, Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star four wins were unbeatable on three points. Colman Garvey & Keirin Kelleher in the Quarter Tonner Diamond stay second on six, with Patrick Collins' Ealu taking third place on eight.

The Radleys' Skipper 70, Pat Mustard (right) from Cove Sailing Club was the IRC Four winner of Cavles Week 2023 in Schull, West Cork Photo: Thomas Newman

A final race win for the Radleys' Skipper 70, Pat Mustard, put them back on top of IRC Four. Rob O'Reilly's BonJourno! Part Deux took second and Richard Hanley's Saoirse was third.

The results for all seven classes are below.

Race Results

You may need to scroll vertically and horizontally within the box to view the full results

Published in Calves Week, West Cork

Published in Calves Week

Tagged under

Calves Week

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.