How old is Cork Week?
Was this year (2008) the 30th anniversary of Cork Week, or will it come in 2016? To many of the sailing competitors enjoying Crosshaven’s sunshine this year, it might seem irrelevant when the event started. But for those close to the action, and the organisation, it certainly stirred up an interest.
Left: the start of it all – Tom O’Sullivan’s report from The Cork Examiner in 1978
After much discussion, it now appears that the leading Cork sailing authorities are in agreement. The first Cork Week was held in 1978 and attracted around 32 boats.
The event, which ran from July 18th to 21st, featured the presentation of the Carling Trophy. There had been some confusion over the event, which some commentators felt was in fact an ISORA event. However, checks on The (then Cork) Examiner archives by Afloat correspondent Claire Bateman revealed that there was an ISORA event on July 4th that year in Holyhead, with a feeder race from Dun Laoghaire attracting 50 yachts.
