West Cork's 2025 Calves Week Regatta concluded with a final round-the-cans race in Roaring Water Bay on Friday morning (August 8), featuring a mix of new and vintage winners. The fourth race of the Schull Harbour Sailing Club-hosted event saw the overall leaders confirm their positions at the top of the leaderboards, but, in some classes, there was some shuffling of the leaderboard for the other podium places.
Prizes were presented after racing by Schull Harbour Sailing Club Commodore Jack Allen at a packed prizegiving celebration at the Schull Harbour House Hotel. See gallery at footer.
The Calves Week Trophy Table 2025. See the prizgiving photo gallery by scrolling to the bottom of this article Photo: Bob Bateman
While the latest boats may have wrapped up in Zero, vintage designs showed their prowess across the 74-boat fleet, winning throughout Classes One to Four.
Arrival of ORC
The regatta ushered in, what promoters say is a 'new era' in handicap cruiser racing by providing ORC rating scores for the first time at any major Irish regatta. The opt-in trial was completed in Classes Zero and One with Rockabill VI and Imp, the respective inaugural ORC winners of Calves Week.
Treanor's Valentina wins Zero IRC and Echo, Rockabill VI takes ORC
Johnny Treanor's J112e Valentina finished IRC Zero with three wins out of four races, ending two points ahead in Calves Week IRC Zero The crew also won the Echo divison and celebrate at the prizegiving below. Photo: Bob Bateman
Johnny Treanor's J112e Valentina wrapped up IRC Zero with three wins from four races sailed to be two points ahead of Paul O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI, who finished on five. Third was Tim MacCarthy and Wan Waterman's J111 Joyride on nine points.
Paul O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI was the ORC Zero winner at Calves Week 2025 (above and at the prizegiving below) Photo: Bob Bateman
Paul O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI Photo: Bob Bateman
O'Higgins won on ORC rating from Valentina in second on five. Finishing third in this 'shadow' division was Joe Kiernan's First 44.7, Out of Office.
Treanor produced another win for Valentina in ECHO from Rockabill with Ken Burke and Brian Curtis's X4.3, Vixen, third.
Tighey Boy wins IRC, ties on ECHO with Incorrect
J109 Tighey Boy, skippered by Tony O'Brien of Schull Harbour Sailing Club, won Calves Week IRC One and Echo Photo: Bob Bateman
Local J109 Tighey Boy skippered by Tony O'Brien of Schull Harbour Sailing Club won IRC One on three points to dispatch the threat of Royal Cork's George Radley in the vintage One Tonner Imp, who was runner-up on five. Finishing third on nine is Denis Ellis's Microspan 33, IZimbra.
The results for Imp and Tighey Boy were reversed on ORC rating, with IZimbra in third.
Royal Cork's George Radley in the vintage One Tonner Imp was the ORC One winner at Calves Week 2025. Photo: Bob Bateman
On ECHO, Tighey Boy won but finished on the same eight points as Paul Coyne's ILC30 Welbourn, Incorrect. Third was Darragh McCarthy's Mach 2.
Paul Coyne's ILC30 Welbourn, Incorrect at the Fastnet Rock on the Wednesday of Calves Week 2025 Photo: Bob Bateman
Swuzzlebubble is Class Two IRC Champion, Bateleur 88 takes ECHO
James Dwyer's custom Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble from Royal Cork was the Calves Week IRC Two winner. Photo: Bob Bateman
In Class Two IRC, James Dwyer's custom Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble completed another regatta win on three points. Pat Tanner's Castro 3/4 Tonner, Bateleur 88 took second on seven from Norbert Reilly's J70 Ghostraider from Howth Yacht Club on eight.
Henry Hogg's freshwater Dehler 36, Lisador, representing Garrykennedy Sailing Club on Lough Derg Photo: Bob Bateman
John McGowan's First 31.7, Mackey G Photo: Bob Bateman
On ECHO, Pat Tanner's Castro 3/4 Tonner won from Henry Hogg's freshwater Dehler 36, Lisador, representing Garrykennedy Sailing Club on Lough Derg. Third was John McGowan's First 31.7, Mackey G.
Dubois Quarter Tonner wins Class Three IRC, Sigma 33 is ECHO winner
Colman Garvey and Keirin Kelleher's quarter tonner Diamond from Royal Cork Photo: Bob Bateman
It was a clean sweep in Class Three IRC for Colman Garvey and Keirin Kelleher's Dubois quarter tonner Diamond from Royal Cork, who finished with a four-point margin over rival Farr quarter tonner Anchor Challenge (Conor Phelan) on seven points. Clinton Copithorne's J24, Jungle Juice, was third.
On ECHO, the Sigma 33, Muscateer (Gary O Neill/James Kelliher) won on countback, but finished on the same eight points as Anchor Challenge with Tadg Dwyer's Huzar 30, Brazen Huzie third on 11.
O'Reilly's Dynamo 25 wins overall in IRC Four, Sadler 32 Raffles second
Rob O'Reilly's Dynamo 25 Bon Journo Part Deux won overall with three wins in Class Four IRC from Richard Hanley's GK 24, Saoirse on six points. The Kirby/Norris Sadler 32 Raffles finished third on seven.
The Kirby/Norris Sadler 32 Raffles competing at Calves Week Photo: Bob Bateman
On ECHO, Simon Nelson's Oyster 26, Witchcraft, won from Raffles with the Dublin Bay vintage Shamrock Teascali skippered by Darius Kryzevicius third.
Two Elan 333s vie for White Sails 2 IRC title
Aidan Heffernan's Dehelr 36, Indulgence Photo: Bob Bateman
In Calves Week 1 IRC, Aidan Heffernan's Dehelr 36, Indulgence won by a point from Frank Caul and John Molloy's Grand Soleil 37, Price of Tides. Third was the Dufour 36 Aisling (Bryan Heffernan).
Frank Caul and John Molloy's Grand Soleil 37, Price of Tides Photo: Bob Bateman
In a 16-boat WS2 IRC division, the Elan 333 Reavra Too, skippered by Stephen Lysaght, won on three points from David Greene's sistership White Pearl on five. Third is the McJenkins family's S&S 34, Morning After on eight.
The Elan 333 Reavra Too, skippered by Stephen Lysaght at the Fastnet Rock Photo: Bob Bateman
