Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Cork

#Kayaking - Urban kayaking is all the rage these days, with Dublin Bay a particularly popular destination for locals and visiting paddlers alike.

But Ireland's second city – once known as the 'Venice of Ireland' – is ready to stake its own claim thanks to its inclusion in Telegraph Travel's 10 best cities for kayaking.

Jim Kennedy's Atlantic Sea Kayaking runs trips that provide "a watery view of this maritime city's quays, wharfs and bridges" besides longer excursions out into Cork Harbour towards Cobh.

And Cork stands in some cosmopolitan company in this list that includes Berlin, San Francisco, New York, Melbourne, Cape Town and, of course, the famous canals of Venice itself.

Telegraph Travel has more on this story HERE.

Published in Kayaking
Tagged under

#Cork - The search for a homeless man seen falling into the River Lee in Cork city ended in his arrest, as The Irish Times reports.

Valentia Coast Guard co-ordinated the search and rescue operation for the man, who was witnessed falling into the water after 7am yesterday morning (Saturday 21 March).

However the man was quickly discovered by emergency personnel on a support beneath Parnell Bridge, refusing to come out.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

Published in News Update

#ROWING: Shane O’Connell (Cork Boat Club) and Daniel O’Sullivan (Lee Rowing Club) shared the winning of the 43rd Cork Sculling Ladder Time Trial held at the Marina course in Cork today. One hundred and seventy six scullers participated in this year’s event, which is sponsored by Hanley Calibration. O’Connell and O’Sullivan posted a winning time of six minutes 54 seconds each, a five-second winning margin from Colm Hennessy (Shandon Boat Club), the  2013 – 2014 Cork Sculling Ladder overall winner. Claire Synnott (Lee Rowing Club) won the Women’s Time Trial section in 7.43. She had two seconds to spare over her clubmate Eimear Cummins. Conditions for sculling were excellent on a very calm river.

The 2014-2015 Cork Sculling Ladder continues with two-boat racing until 29th March, 2015.   

Published in Rowing
Tagged under

#ROWING: The 2014-2015 Cork Sculling Ladder Time Trial, sponsored by Hanley Calibration Ltd., takes place at the Marina Course, Cork on this Sunday from 08.00am to 01.00pm. Last year from an entry of over 150 single scullers, John Mitchell (Lee Rowing Club) won the overall time trial and Marie O’Neill (Cork Boat Club) retained the women’s.
 A large entry is expected at the 43rd Sculling Ladder Time Trial especially with the sport in Cork on a high after major success at the Irish National Rowing Championships last July, with Cork Boat Club winning 7, Skibbereen Rowing Club 4, Lee Rowing Club, Presentation College Rowing Club, Shandon Boat Club and UCC Rowing Club, 1 apiece.  
 Competitors can launch only at Cork Boat Club and Shandon Boat Club as Lee Rowing Club do not have their new slip yet. Participants can also scull over the 1800 metre course as many times as they wish, but must have a different number each time if they are to have their time taken. The presentation to the two overall Time Trial winners (male and female) will take place at Cork Boat Club at 2.00pm.
 Once the Time Trial is over , the 2015-2015 Cork Sculling Ladder continues with two-boat racing until Sunday 29th March, 2015.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Scotland topped off a remarkable win in the Home International Regatta with dominant wins in the senior women’s and men’s eights today in bright sunshine at the National Rowing Centre in Cork. Ireland finished second in the men’s eight, where the entire Scotland crew were from Edinburgh University and coached by Colin Williamson, once an Ireland team member. Scotland were the winners in the senior men’s and women’s classes, while England won the junior women’s and men’s titles.

Ireland finished third overall, placing second in men’s senior and junior classes.

Home International Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Cork

Overall Totals: 1 Scotland 106 pts, 2 England 101, 3 Ireland 79, 4 Wales 58. Men – Senior: 1 Scotland 34, 2 Ireland 29, 3 England 20, 4 Wales 17. Junior: 1 England 25, 2 Ireland 17, 3 Scotland 15, 4 Wales 13. Women – Senior: 1 Scotland 34, 2 England 28, 3 Ireland 20, 4 Wales 18. Junior: 1 England 24, 2 Scotland 23, 3 Ireland 13, 4 Wales 10.

Men

Eight: 1 Scotland 5:48.46, 2 Ireland 5:55.81. Junior: 1 England 5:58.48; 3 Ireland 6:08.84.

Four: 1 Ireland (T Deere, R Corcoran, D Buckley, K Coughlan) 6:11.85, 2 England 6:12.21. Junior: 1 Wales 6:24.97; 3 Ireland 6:33.09.

Four, coxed: 1 Scotland 6:31.05; 3 Ireland 6:48.43. Junior: 1 England 6:38.35, 2 Ireland 6:40.57.

Pair: 1 Ireland (N Murphy, A McKenna) 6:59.04, 2 Scotland 7:02.13, 3 England 7:25.08. Lightweight: 1 Scotland 7:07.86; 3 Ireland 7:17.19. Junior: 1 England 7:00.84, 2 Ireland 7:02.98.

Sculling, Quadruple: 1 Scotland 6:08.06; 3 Ireland 6:14.68. Junior: 1 England 6:10.89; 3 Ireland 6:27.26.

Double: 1 Scotland 6:40.76; 3 Ireland 6:51.88. Lightweight: 1 England 6:45.82; 3 Ireland 6:59.23. Junior: 1 Ireland (S Mulvaney, F McCarthy) 6:44.18, 2 England 6:45.59.

Single: 1 Ireland (E Grigalius) 7:12.90, 2 Scotland 7:21.52, 3 England 7:26.99. Lightweight: 1 Ireland (N Duncan) 7:22.39, 2 Scotland 7:26.29, 3 Wales 7:35.88. Junior: 1 Scotland 7:14.12; 4 Ireland 7:48.73.

Women

Eight: 1 Scotland 6:28.81; 3 Ireland 6:46.21. Junior: 1 England 6:40.71, 2 Ireland 6:46.72.

Four: 1 Scotland 6:50.28; 4 Ireland 7:21.12. Junior: 1 England 7:09.13; 3 Ireland 7:17.43.

Four, coxed: 1 Scotland; 3 Ireland 7:28.59. Junior: 1 Scotland 7:31.43; 4 Ireland 7:41.00.

Pair: 1 Scotland 7:36.50; 3 Ireland 7:49.83. Lightweight: 1 Scotland 7:50.28, 2 Ireland 8:01.28. Junior: 1 Scotland 7:47.97; 4 Ireland 8:01.67.

Sculling, Quadruple: 1 England 6:51.81; 4 Ireland 7:11.23. Junior: 1 England 6:57.40; 3 Ireland 7:09.94.

Double: 1 Scotland 7:28.98; 3 Ireland 7:39.57. Lightweight: 1 Scotland 7:22.07; 3 Ireland 7:48.63. Junior: 1 Scotland 7:33.87; 3 Ireland 7:45.72.

Single: 1 Wales 7:57.28; 4 Ireland 8:19.93.

Lightweight Single: 1 Ireland (E Desmond) 8:03.69, 2 England 7:4.02, 3 Wales 7:35.88. Junior: 1 England 8:14.03; 4 Ireland 8:30.05.

Pararowing: Trunk and Arms single sculls: 1 Ireland (K O’Brien) 4:51.98.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Cork will stage a regatta tomorrow (Saturday) in which young local rowers will take on visiting crews from Copenhagen. About  60 rowers from Cork Boat Club, Lee Rowing Club, Shandon Boat Club and Presentation College Rowing Club will represent Cork rowing, while an estimated 20 Copenhagen rowers from three Copenhagen rowing clubs will compete. The Deputy Lord Mayor will officiate at a welcome reception for them, their coaches and parents today.

The Copenhagen crews in each race are made up of a selection of rowers from the three Copenhagen clubs. They will race against crews from the individual Cork clubs except in the eights races where the Cork crews will also be made up of a selection of rowers from the Cork clubs - four clubs in the case of the girls crews and three clubs in the case of the boys crews (PBC rowing club having male only members).

The regatta is being sponsored by the Port of Cork Authority and Maersk Shipping Line and the crews in the eights races will compete for the Port of Cork- Maersk Trophies.

This is an inaurgural event and it is intended that the event will be held in Cork and Copenhagen in alternate years.

The regatta will consist of the following races:

Boys Junior 15 Sculls

Boys Junior 16 Sculls

Boys Junior 16 Double Sculls

Boys Junior 16 Quadruple Sculls

Boys Junior 16 Eights

Girls Junior 15 Sculls

Girls Junior 16 Sculls

Girls Junior 16 Double Sculls

Girls Junior 16 Quadruple Sculls

Girls Junior 16 Eights

 

Published in Rowing
Tagged under

#ROWING: Colm Hennessy of Shandon Boat Club and Marie O’Neill of Cork Boat Club were the overall winners of the Cork Sculling Ladder for 2013-2014. O’Neill retained the title she had won in 2013. The presentation for all the winners of the Ladder will be made this evening by Judge Donagh McDonagh at Cork Constitution club at Temple Hill.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Outboard motors worth up to €20,000 were stolen from the National Rowing Centre in Cork at the weekend. It is understood that rowers from the High Performance Programme were staying at the NRC when thieves took the engines, which were attached to catamarans and tinnies moored on the water. The raid did not come from the land.

Rowing Ireland has advised that anyone who becomes aware of 15HP Hondas and 20HP Yamahas being offered for sale should contact the Gardaí.

Published in Rowing

#MarineWildlife - "There is no light and I've forgotten my headtorch. The walls close in and within a few seconds we are in total darkness. Something sparkles when I paddle. I put my hand in the water and spin it around. Suddenly an entire galaxy of stars explodes from my fingertips, sending fading constellations of pale blue lights swirling out into the black."

If that got your attention, The Guardian has more on Kevin Rushby's 'glow in the dark' kayaking experience in West Cork with Atlantic Sea Kayaking's Jim Kennedy, made possible by the unique bioluminescent marine wildlife of Lough Hyne.

Published in Marine Wildlife

#ROWING: Trinity beat NUIG/Gráinne Mhaol into second to win the Division One men’s eights final in warm sunshine at the Skibbereen Regatta at the NRC in Cork today. This was a surprisingly emphatic win, with over five seconds in it at the finish.

The Division One women’s final was much closer. UCD’s eight held off repeated pushes by Trinity to win by .6 of a second.

Gráinne Mhaol had earlier won the Division One men’s fours final, while a composite with international hopes – Marie O’Neill, Aifric Keogh, Emily Tormey and Barbara O’Brien were by far the best women’s four.

The Skibbereen men’s double of Gary O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll had a fine win in the Division One final.

Skibbereen Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Cork (Sunday Results)

Men

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 Trinity (A McElroy, D Butler, J Magan, P Moreau, M Corcoran, M Kelly, L Hawkes, I Hurley; cox: C Sheehan; senior) 5:55.1, 2 NUIG/Gráinne Mhaol (sen) 6:00.5, 3 Carlow (inter) 6:12.7; 4 Portora (jun 18) 6:14.6. B Final: Trinity (inter) 6:09.5.

Four – Division One – A Final: 1 Gráinne Mhaol 6:20.1, 2 Commercial 6:23.9, 3 NUIG 6:30.9.

Four, coxed – Division Two – A Final: 1 UCD (club two) 7:00.3, 2 Trinity (club two) 7:03.3, 3 Trinity B (club two) 7:05.7; 4 St Michael’s (jun 18) 7:06.4. B Final: Blackrock (club two) 7:04.6; 2 Portora (jun 16) 7:08.3. C Final: Pres, Cork 7:23.7.

Sculling, Quadruple – Division Two – A Final: 1 Commercial (jun 16) 6:45.9, 2 Clonmel (jun 18) 6:52.1, 3 Lee (club two) 6:53.5. B Final: Skibbereen (jun 18) 6:59.6. C Final: Athlunkard (jun 16) 7:21.6.

Double – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (u-23) 6:38.6, 2 UCC (sen) 6:41.6, 3 Shannon (jun 18) 6:55. B Final: Shannon (sen) 6:55.4; 2 Garda (inter) 6:59.2. C Final: Garda (club one) 7:16.7.

Single – Division Two – A Final: 1 Clonmel (S Channon; jun 18) 7:41.4, 2 Belfast BC (A Murray; club two) 7:46.7, 3 Lee (D Synott; jun 18) 7:49.7; 4 Shandon (S O’Sullivan; jun 16) 7:51.1. B Final: Clonmel (S Lonergan; jun 18) 7:46.9. C Final: Carrick-on-Shannon (T McCabe; jun 16) 7:55.6.

Women

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 UCD (C Harrison, A Crowley, S Bennett, R Larsen, O Finnegan, G Collins, A Gilligan, R Gilligan; Cox: A O’Leary; inter) 6:41.2, 2 Trinity (sen) 6:41.8, 3 Cork (sen) 6:56.0; 5 Portora (jun 18) 7:09.4. B Final: Trinity (u-23) 7:13.1.

Four – Division One – A Final: Univ of Limerick, Cork, Gráinne Mhaol, NUIG (sen) 6:59, 2 UCD (u-23) 7:16.6, 3 Skibbereen (sen) 7:24.9; 4 Skibbereen (jun) 7:28.5. B Final: Muckross (jun 18) 7:35.6.

Four, coxed – Division Two – A Final: 1 Commercial (club two) 7:50.7, 2 Garda (club two) 8:07.7, 3 Trinity A (club two) 8:37.1; 4 Muckross (jun 16) 8:37.4.

Sculling

Double – Division One: 1 Skibbereen (sen) 7:33.4, 2 UCC A (inter) 7:42.5, 3 Commercial (jun 18) 7:44.7; 5 Belfast BC (club one) 8:07.4. B Final: Killorglin (inter) 8:03.4.

Single – Division Two – A Final: 1 Belfast BC (K Turner; club two) 8:25, 2 UCC (D O’Sullivan; club two) 8:29.8, 3 Belfast BC (S Quinn; club two) 8:31.1; 4 Lee (E Cummins; jun 16) 8:39.0, 5 Muckross (Z Hyde; jun 18) 8:42.9. B Final: Lee (C Synott; jun 16) 8:38.9. C Final: Lee (S O’Mahoney; jun 16) 8:57.2.

Published in Rowing
Page 9 of 26

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

 

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.

©Afloat 2020