Overall results for the O'Leary Insurance White Sails Winter League will stand after the Royal Cork Yacht Club decided to cancel Sunday's (December 10) final race of the Series in Cork Harbour due to storm force westerly winds. 

Afloat's Bob Bateman will report with a photo gallery on the league prizegiving that takes place in the clubhouse at 4. 30 pm.

Five wins from five races for Peter O'Leary and Stephen O'Sullivan means the Star keelboat pair continue to dominate the IRC White Sails Division of Royal Cork's O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour.

In Sunday's (Dec 3rd) race, Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star challenged the former Olympic keelboat, but after a light airs race, they finished second to lie second overall on nine points.

Race Officer Michael McCann set Course 15 for the fifth race across the river to the Dosco buoy, back to Cage,  no 7 to port,  no 13 to starboard, no 9 to starboard and then cage to starboard to finish.

Alan Mucahy's Apache from Kinsale is lying third overall on 16 points in the 17-boat fleet.

Next week's race is the final of the League.

RCYC White Sail League Crew Shots by Bob Bateman

The results are below. 

Dave and James Dwyer were presented with the Royal Cork Yacht Club's Keelboat Racing Sailor of the Year Award at the Cork Harbour club's annual laying up supper at the weekend.

The premier prize was one of 12 handed out at a packed gathering in Crosshaven.

Dwyers' Half-Tonner Swuzzlebubble was also named winner of RCYC's Club Yacht of the Year with victories across Ireland at the Sovereigns' Cup in June, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in June, and the ICRA Nationals in September.

Royal Cork Yacht Club silverware on show at the 2023 Laying Up Supper Photo: Bob Bateman

Michael McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally was the IRC Super League Champion (Spinnaker Division), and Ria Lyden's X-Yacht Ellida was named the Offshore Series Winner. 

The Club Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Marcus Worth for his role in the organisation of RCYC's successful staging of the Topper World Championships in July.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Laying up Supper 2023 Prizewinners Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Annual Junior Laying Up 2023 was held this weekend at Crosshaven, and the club's annual celebration of dinghy sailing was held in conjunction with its Frostbites Series prizegiving.

With a European title won by Ben O'Shaughnessy in the 29er class, there was certainly a lot to celebrate across the Cork Harbour youth sailing scene and an account of the season was given by each Class Captain, along with the presentation of highly valued end-of-year prizes.

Eddie Kingston, Royal Cork's ILCA Class Captain; Royal Cork Admiral  Kieran O"Connell, together with Maurice Collins, Royal Cork Rear Admiral Dinghies, were on hand to present the prizes.

Royal Cork's Junior Laying Up Supper 2023 Photo Gallery By Bob Bateman

A fourth race victory for Peter O'Leary and Stephen O'Sullivan this morning means the Star keelboat pair lead the IRC White Sails Division of Royal Cork's O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour by three points overall. 

Again, Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star challenged the former Olympic keelboat but, after a medium airs race, they had to be content with third to lie second overall on seven points.

After taking a well-earned second in today's fourth race, Paul Tingle's X4 Alpaca is lying third overall on nine points in the 17-boat fleet.

Check out Mary Malone's vid of the November 26th start below: 

Results below

Peter O'Leary and Stephen O'Sullivan took a third win in a row this morning to be firmly atop the leaderboard of the IRC White Sails Division of the O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour.

Blustery conditions off Roches Point with westerly winds gusting to 36 knots meant it was touch and go for Royal Cork's race number three of the league. 

Again, Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star challenged the former Olympic keelboat with some intense pre-start manoeuvres between the two front runners.

The fleet sailed two rounds of Course 20 again, with round one first sailing to Dosco mark, no8, no10 ef2 (East Ferry), no20 (off Cobh and a strong tide), no13 Dosco, Cage and round two back to Dosco and a finish at Cage.

As gusts hit 36 knots at Roches Point, it was touch and go as to whether to sail or not for the third race of the Royal Cork O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

North Star finished second in a depleted fleet, with Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo third. 

Overall, O'Leary leads from Young, with Kinsale visitor Alan Mulcahy in another Albin Express lying third. Results below.

Forty-three dinghies have been competing in the Carrigaline Court Dinghy Frostbite series at Royal Cork Yacht Club over the past two weekends.

Racing is set to continue for two more rounds in November after two spectacular days on the water.

Race officer Ciaran MacSweeney has taken full advantage of the favourable November weather and managed five fleets across three races per day in fresh and sunny sailing conditions.

On Sunday, the tricky wind shifts challenged the fleets and correct course strategy paid off for the leaders, with Micheal O'Suilleabhain taking three bullets in a very strong ILCA 7 fleet ahead of Michael Crosbie, Jonathan O'Shaughnessy and Chris Bateman.

ILCA 7 competitor Jonathan O'Shaughnessy at the Carrigaline Court Dinghy Frostbite series at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

In ILCA 6, Max Tolan took a one-point lead from Andrew Kingston, who has a one-point lead over third-placed Liam Duggan.

The ILCA 4 fleet is dominated by the O'Neill family, with Shane Collins creating a bulwark to the full O'Neill hegemony.

Abbie Shorten and Isha Duggan (bow number 90) competing in the 420 dinghy class at the Carrigaline Court Dinghy Frostbite series at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

The 420 fleet, after returning from the Ulster championship last weekend, had excellent days racing, with six boats racing and three more anticipated for next week.  Tommy Hiras and Conor Kelly on 4.5 points lead from Abbie Shorten and Isha Duggan on 5. Third is Rian Collins and Matt Mapplebeck on 9.

A ten-boat Topper fleet is competing at the at the Carrigaline Court Dinghy Frostbite series at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

The Topper fleet is led by Ellen McDonagh on 6, followed by Ruby Foley on 13. Gwen Barry is third on the same points.

Olympic helmsman Peter O'Leary and crewman Stephen O'Sullivan stay top of the leaderboard of the IRC White Sails Division of the O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour after Sunday afternoon's second race of the series.

Ahead of Storm Debi, sunshine, wind, and flat seas provided perfect conditions for 21 competing boats in the Royal Cork Yacht Club league.

O'Leary and O'Sullivan raced their one-design Star keelboat, Archie, to the IRC rule to beat Paul and Deirdre Tingle's X4 Alpaca. Third was Fiona Young's Albin Express, North Star.

Topper dinghy sailing is going strong this winter at Royal Cork Yacht Club, four months after the Munster Club successfully staged the massive 250-boat Topper World Championships in Crosshaven.

On Sunday, both Topper and ILCA youth sailors hit the water for winter training and the first race of the club's winter dinghy frostbite league at the same time as the club's November/December White Sail keelboat League got underway in Cork Harbour.

The ILCA 7 fleet featured some dramatic racing between the ILCA 7s and a single RS Aero 7 sailed by Emmet O’Sullivan from MBSC, who swapped the outright lead several times in each race. Jonathan O’Shaughnessy leads by a point from Micheal O’Suilleabhain, in

In the Topper fleet, Ellen MacDonagh and Kate Deane traded first places, but MacDonagh leads after day one.

See Bob Bateman's photo gallery of Sunday's training below

Olympic helmsman Peter O'Leary and crewman Stephen O'Sullivan top the leaderboard of the IRC White Sails Division of the O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour on Sunday afternoon.

After Storm Ciaran, there was sunshine, wind, flat seas and a neap tide to provide perfect conditions for the first race of the Royal Cork Yacht Club league.

There were prefect sailing conditions for the first race of the O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour on Sunday afternoon Photo: Mary Malone

O'Leary and O'Sullivan raced their one-design Star keelboat, Archie, to the IRC rule to beat Fiona Young's Albin Express, North Star. Third was the Albin Express Apache skippered by Kinsale Yacht Club's Alan Mulcahy.

The race started offwind from the harbour's Grassy walk line in 15 knots and featured several premature starters on Course Number 21 from the RCYC course card.

Three rounds of the course took the 21-boat fleet about an hour and a half to complete.

O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman and Mary Malone