"Never mind the weather, have we a good racing breeze?" That became the mantra for Volvo Cork Week 2024. And the eclectic fleet competing had a busy time of it, with the Race Officers putting through a remarkably complete programme.

We've managed to get this overview from Senior Race Officer Con Murphy (National YC) while he is still buzzing with the energy generated by a great Week. And as he's someone who was pilot of the Government jet while in the Air Corps, and whose personal sailing CV includes being co-holder of the Round Ireland Open Sailing Record with the 60ft trimaran Lakota from 1993 to 2016, his thoughts carry real weight.

For they come with the wisdom from many other successes afloat for himself and his family with Olympic sailor Cathy MacAleavey, including their daughter Annalise's Silver Medal in the 2016 Sailing Olympiad.

Cathy MacAleavey and Con Murphy – their input and enjoyment with boats and sailing is at a stellar level. Photo: W M Nixon

So perhaps we shouldn't be surprised if he's a dab hand with the camera-phone as well. But he is that too. Yet even this he takes easily in his stride: "Standing on the foredeck of the committee boat calling sail numbers on a reaching finish is a great spot to get good shots with your iPhone". Don't say you weren't told. Here's Con Murphy's story:

THE MURPHY REPORT

Back at home now, recovering after what was definitely one of my best weeks as an RO. I had never actually been at Cork Week before, and was really impressed with everything there. Great racing course areas, superb pre- and après- sail organisation and great atmosphere ashore. Good sponsor participation, classy event gear (from Paddy Kirwan and Nick Bendon), top class results service, and a superb organising team of volunteers and club staff led by Admiral Annamarie Fegan, who is a class act.

A class act. The RCYC Admiral with the Royal Navy's Beaufort Cup team at the Haulbowline base. Photo: Con Murphy

Local ROs Peter Crowley and Kieran Mc Sweeney worked really well with us visiting ROs (Eddie Totterdell (DBSC & NYC) and myself) and their good advice and guidance made my position as PRO very straightforward.

SHARED DECISIONS

I met Ross (Organising Chairman Ross Deasy) for the first time last Sunday (July 14th), and got on really well with him. We were to make some decisions together, such as running the extra coastal (discarded on Monday) on Wednesday, which initially were not very popular. But they proved to be right in the end, and kept the programme on track. Ross's experience as a racing sailor and running previous Cork Weeks was a huge help to me and the other ROs.

The Irish Defence Forces' winning Beaufort Cup Team at Haulbowline Base with the trophy and Minister of State for Defence Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Photo: Con Murphy

COMPLEMENTARY FORCES

Another important person was Denis Murphy, the Admiral's husband. A fantastic guy and absolute gentleman, he looked after Cathy and me really well all week. He is without doubt the complementary and essential force of nature matching Annamarie's class act.

DECENT WINDS

Of course, sailing conditions have a big part to play, and we were fortunate this past week to have a decent 10-20kt - and relatively steady - wind every day. It went from 070 degrees on Monday (and the most horrible sea state that any of us on the committee boats had ever experienced!), to 320 on Tuesday, 190 on Wednesday (perfect for the Harbour Race - more below), 190 again on Thursday (in mist and fog), and finally 210 on Friday (in sunshine).

Cathy MacAleavey with the Beaufort Cup US Team's Peter Gibbons-Neff Jnr, a veteran of the Mini Transat. Photo: Con Murphy

Con Murphy at Haulbowline with Lt Alex Rumball NS of Dun Laoghaire

SUNSHINE WHEN MOST NEEDED

Talking about sunshine, it did come out most evenings ashore, greatly helping the apres sail events, and in particular the Beaufort Cup's formal dinner reception for the service crews across the harbour at the Naval HQ on Haulbowline Island, which was a really lovely evening.

THE HARBOUR RACE

Finally, the highlight of the week for many was probably Wednesday's Harbour Race. After several hours of deliberations with Peter Crowley, Ross Deasy and Anthony O'Leary among others, we put a start line across pretty much the full width of the entrance to Cork Harbour with a 3 mile upwind beat out to sea to spread the 120+ boats out a little, then a 7nm run all the way back into the harbour to the most northeasterly navigation mark there (No. 13), then a .9nm reach up river to turn at No. 20, as going any further was discounted due to shipping traffic. Then came a reach back to No18, and finally a beat out to the finish at No. 3, specifically leaving No.8 to port on the way, in case we needed to shorten the race.

The Harbour Race Course packed an exceptional amount of different sailing conditions into its 15nm length

IN BEFORE A CRUISE LINER

But that need didn't arise, and we packed a lot of very varied sailing into 15nm. Concerns I'd had about the race clashing with a cruise liner leaving three hours after the start of the race proved unfounded, as the lead boat Opal (Eliott 57, Frank Whelan, Greystones) finished in 1hr 49m, and the last boat Lady Min (1902 cutter, Simon O'Keeffe, Schull) in 3hr 06m.

Second-oldest boat of the fleet – the 1902-vintage gaff cutter Lady Min was designed and built by Maurice O'Keeffe in Schull 122 years ago, and then two years ago she had an award-winning restoration nearby with Tiernan Roe of Roe Boats at Ballydehob. Photo: Con Murphy

The buildup to the start with boats manoeuvring to find a position and the start itself was a spectacle - despite a bias on the pin, the committee boat end was favoured by many to facilitate an early tack to the right out of the tide. While there was some bunching behind the committee boat (presumably the background shouting on the video!), there were no incidents.

ALL CLEAR

All boats cleared the line within a couple of minutes. The race itself was quite tactical with gains and losses to be made on the downwind leg through the harbour. On the beat to the finish, some of the braver helms (including Anthony O'Leary's Cape 31 Antix) gained by beating across the shallow Curlane Bank to avoid the flood tide.

I've been videoing starts with my iPhone on video x2 recently, rather than voice recording, finding it good enough quality for any queries etc on starts. And the start of the Volvo Cork Week Harbour Race 2024 has added something special to the growing colllection

Trust Con Murphy to spot something out of the ordinary when otherwise immersed in running a successful race week. This is the former Etchells 22 Guapa, "cruiserfied" when Bill Trafford of Alchemy Marine in Doneraile, North Cork was allowed to work his magic. Photo: Con Murphy