More than 2000 sailors are descending on Crosshaven for Cork Week writes Louay Habib. They will race in fourteen different classes over a variety of courses ranging from the complex harbour course to the fast Trapezoid Course in Atlantic swell. The Royal Cork Yacht Club is bristling with rigs, as competing boats, arriving from overseas, mingle with local boats. Visit Malta Puma, the race sailing school Reflex 38, arrived on Thursday night, having taken two and half days delivering the boat from the Hamble, near Southampton.

'We had a fantastic trip across the Irish Sea." Commented skipper Tim Thubron. "The delivery crew were a great bunch and I think we all thoroughly enjoyed the sail over as we had plenty of decent breeze. We are really looking forward to some competitive action on the water, I have been to Cork Week many times and it is a superb place to race. In fact we have already done a bit of boat on boat racing already; we came over with two other Reflex 38s and had a bit of a competition to make it to Crosshaven. We celebrated our safe arrival with an excellent meal at the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Part of Visit Malta Puma's crew were father and daughter, Ekkehart and Jess Staufenberg who come from Norwich, on the East coast of England.

"I do a fair bit of dinghy sailing on the Norfolk Broads but this was my first time sailing offshore." Explained Jess. "It was a fantastic experience, something I will always remember. Before we left I was really hoping to see dolphins and sixty miles off Land's End, my wish came true, a pod of twelve came up around the boat; it was a really magical moment."

Racing at Cork Week starts on Monday 12th July and concludes on 16th July. Each evening the tented village will host live music, besides being a wonderful place to sail, Cork Week is also a great place to party!