In ranking the attractions of Ireland's sailing centres, the only way you can retain sanity is to take Kinsale out of the equation at the beginning of the process, and put it in a league of its own. For this sublime "mini naval port" on the estuary of the beautiful Bandon River ticks so many positive boxes from such a host of angles that you'd be tempted to make a list of things about Kinsale that don't make the grade.

Yet at the moment, we can't think of any. Even when you hear the comment that the place can become a little bit too crowded at popular times, this offers an opportunity to show off your local knowledge by listing – or better still personally guiding – your crowd-allergic friend to places where peace reigns even at the busiest times.

High summer off Kinsale – the Squibs Class in perfect sailing conditions in the Outer Harbour. Photo: KYC

MARINE INDUSTRY SERVICES

And for anyone with a boat needing some technical attention (and what boat doesn't?), the comprehensive range of full marine services to be found within the attractive town and harbour area is a revelation. It's such that if, for instance, you feel like lingering and getting your next dreamship design sketched out, Kinsale has people in that line whose creative work is of internationally-recognised standards, and they can soon get a local team working at building it too.

A place of unexpected and infinite possibilities, hidden under layers of history. Photo: KYC

Like many places in Ireland, Kinsale has had its dark moments of history, but overall its history has gradually worked itself out to provide a port of perfection well-suited to most aspects of modern recreational boating, supported by a dazzling array of hospitality establishments of all sorts ashore.

ABANDONED NAVAL PORT

Time was when it was the main naval port for the south coast of Ireland when the authorities were trying to bring piracy and smuggling and general brigandage under control. Today, with the much larger Cork Harbour providing all those big-ship facilities and much more, it takes an effort to imagine Kinsale in all its naval glory. Yet like English Harbour in Antigua in the Caribbean, Kinsale was a proper navy port which somehow survived long enough after being abandoned to find new life in seagoing recreation and shoreside hospitality.

We have to remember that naval vessels and merchant ships were much smaller when Kinsale was at its height of its importance, a situation conferred by its easily defendable size, which also ensured that any hostile vessel managing to get past the defending ports had nowhere to hide.

Cork Harbour by contrast had many miles of sheltered coastline within, and the presence of Drake's Pool in the Crosshaven River, with its legends associated with the buccaneering Sir Francis Drake, is testimony to its usefulness for mischief rather than security in that time.

It's not called Summercove by accident…..Photo: KYC

But with ships getting larger, in 1806 the Navy was beginning its move from Kinsale to a new headquarters on Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour off Cobh, and by 1820 the Royal Navy was no longer a presence in Kinsale, but was very much the power in the port in Cork.

I know we've been over this ground before, but we need reminding of it now and again to explain why Kinsale has its own unique and well-preserved character, and why its own sailing traditions – as opposed to sailing traditions which were offshoots of the 1720-founded Water Club of the Harbour of Cork – are built around a now-thriving and conveniently located yacht club which was founded as recently as 1953.

In the national picture, Kinsale YC's early days were soon being associated with top sailors in the Flying Fifteens and a noted phalanx of successful Enterprise dinghy racers. Meanwhile the sailing world may have become accustomed to the south coast's national hot spot for the International Dragons being at Crosshaven. But George Crosbie turned his powerful attention and his Dragon sailing towards Kinsale, the class followed, and since then Kinsale is the place of which we can say "Here be Dragons".

The most recent staging of the Dragon Gold Cup was there in September 2024, when an otherwise distinctly breezy series was won by Pedro Andrade of Portugal in the lighter winds of the final day.

International stars – the Andrade crew after snatching the Dragon Gold Cup 2024 in the final day of racing last September. Photo: KYC

As to what has happened to the once widespread Enterprise Dinghy Class in Ireland, that is the 7th Secret of Fatima, for these days if a blue sailed Enterprise appears in a PY Class, it seems to take for ever to explain how they appear to be extinct in Ireland, whereas the near-contemporary GP14s sail merrily on, with their big-feet Worlds staged at Skerries in 2022.

Meanwhile the Flying Fifteens of Kinsale definitely aren't what they used to be. But the port has the most steadily-growing fleet of Squibs in Ireland. For apart from the racing, the fact that the little tan-sailed keelboats provide sit-in comfort despite being only 19ft long makes them ideal for pottering around the estuary.

The first winner of the Sovereign's trophy in 1995 was – very appropriately – John Godkin's Rob Humphreys-designed Sovereign 400 VSOP of KYC, built to such a high standard that only two could be completed.

On the cruiser-racer front, the story of Kinsale's expanding role in Irish sailing has been accelerated with the inauguration of the Sovereign's Cup biennial championship in 1995, which makes this year's staging, from the 25th to 28th June, the 30th Anniversary and the 16th event.

With 74 boats already in the listings, the possibility that organiser Michael O'Sullivan and his team will be handling a total fleet around the 90 mark is reachable, though from here on in experience indicates that the early season weather will play a role in boosting the entry topping-up process.

However, as the series incorporates the ICRA Nats 2025 and there's full sponsorship from Kildare Innovation Campus, there's an element of extra seriousness added to it all. With the Race Officer lineup headed by Anthony O'Leary with Kinsale's own Race Officer Michelle Keanneally, and supported by Con Murphy of the National YC in Dun Laoghaire, and Ciaran McSweeney of Monkstown Bay, this constitutes a major championship.

The list of past winners might at first seem like a continuing story of yacht design development, but the 2023 winner Swuzzlebubble is probably the oldest of them all.

• 1995 VSOP John Godkin Kinsale YC
• 1997 Ford Racing Anthony O'Leary Royal Cork YC
• 1999 Obsession Barry Rose RCYC
• 2001 Azure Bob & Bairbre Stewart Royal Irish YC
• 2003 Dux Anthony Gore Grimes Howth YC
• 2005 Antix Anthony O'Leary RCYC
• 2007 Shillelagh John Twomey KYC
• 2009 Blondie Eamon Rohan  RCYC
• 2011 Antix Anthony O'Leary RCYC
• 2013 Spiced Beef  Peter O'Leary RCYC
• 2015 Equinox Ross McDonald HYC
• 2017 Fool's Gold Rob McConnell Waterford Harbour SC
• 2019  Eleuthera Frank Whelan Greystones SC
• 2021 Snapshot Mike & Richie Evans HYC
• 2023  Swuzzlebubble James & David Dwyer RCYC

The list of previous winners is fascinating, for while it may seem at first glance to be a history of yacht design development during the past 30 years, the current defending champion from the 2023 series, the charismatic Bruce Farr-designed Classic Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble from RCYC, had already been sailing for 19 years when the Sovereigns Cup series was launched upon the world in 1995, for she'd been built in New Zealand in 1976.

Defending champion – the charismatic Classic Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble belies her build date of 1976. Photo: Robert Bateman

As for the first winner, John Godkin's Rob Humphreys-designed V.S.O.P, she was a Sovereign 400, one of only two built. The initial builder in Yorkshire insisted on such a high standard of finish that he went bust after Boat 2, the other one being Alakush, raced with much success and cruised out of Howth by Jenny Guinness. But later, the marque was re-born in a more economical version as the Sigma 400.

The O'Leary family provided winners several times with 1720s and the Corby 36 Antix in 2005, while three of the winners – Dux, Shillelagh and Equinox – are still with the same owners and we'd expect to see them again - certainly 2007 winner John Twomey is dusting off Shillelagh and will be there on the line.

The Gore-Grimes family's Dux from Howth has been in the Sovereigns from the start, and won overall in 2003. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

As for the 2021 winner Snapshot, Mike & Richie Evans' J/99, she has been replaced by a J/112e which should find exactly the competition her owners savour down Kinsale way.

In fact, she might find competition she won't find anywhere else. Because although Kinsale boats such as Conor Doyle's xP50 Freya and the Cian McCarthy/Sam Hunt crew of the Sunfast 33 Cinnamon Girl have willingly gone near and far for top level international competition, Kinsale offers so much within its own harbour and sailing area that there are some front-line boats and crews based there who are reluctant to go anywhere else.

All of which adds an extra edge when the starting sequence gets going, and the visitors are extra-keen to take away all the booty they can lay their hands on.

Conor Doyle's xP50 Freya is a boat that has represented Kinsale in distant places, but is seen here on home territory, leading the Kinsale to Monkstown Race. Photo: Robert Bateman