Awareness of Cork Harbour’s long and colourful history of sailing has become so widespread and generally acknowledged that there’s a risk that the Irish and global sailing community will take it all for granted. Equally, the wonderful natural harbour of Cork, intertwining so peacefully and naturally with the handsome countryside about it, is such a constant in life that the ready opportunities it offers for sailing and boating of all sorts may not be getting used to their full potential. Volvo Cork Week 2016 – which gets under way this weekend – is primarily about sailboats up to the top international level going out racing. But the organisers are well aware of what a special opportunity this major regatta provides to re-energise the long-established links between Cork Harbour’s sea and land with the communities within their interaction, and they have planned accordingly. W M Nixon takes up the story.

For the very sea-minded community of Crosshaven, Volvo Cork Week 2016 is going to be an event in tandem. Naturally the headlines will be grabbed by the results of each day’s racing, which goes into full-ahead mode on Monday and continues through Friday. But while the boats are at sea, Crosshaven finds itself a different role as a bustling village which will be providing a variety of entertainment and attractions ashore.

The fleet’s in port. Crosshaven during Volvo Cork Week. Photo: Robert Bateman

The Royal Cork YC’s clubhouse at Crosshaven has expanded over the years Photo: Robert Bateman

In fact, so keen is the village to get on with this side of things that they’re gearing up for it this morning, with Volvo Family Day getting started at noon in the area around Crosshaven Village Square. There really is something for everyone of every age, with the Volvo Classic Car Display in town for that essential element of big boys’ toys to inspect. And there are tickets on sale to win a new Volvo V40, for which the draw will be at 4.0pm. But meanwhile, in addition to a host of entertainments for kids of all ages, there’s an intriguing twist to the ongoing programme with livewire TV personality Dermot Bannon of “Room to Improve” live in the Village Square Marquee at 2.00pm for a Q & A session which, let’s face it, could go in any direction when there’s a lively weekend audience.

Through the week, while the focus will be increasingly on the Royal Cork YC’s large and often music-filled compound where it will all culminate with the prize-giving and fireworks display on the Friday night, another part of the harbour will be involved on Tuesday when teams competing for the Beaufort Cup (of which more anon) will be hosted at a black-tie Gala Dinner at the Naval Base in Haulbowline.

The variety of boats racing in Volvo Cork Week is central to its attraction

Coming in from the sunny Cork sea…..the choice of courses includes in-harbour racing, but it’s the best of the sport outside the harbour which provides real champagne sailing
In fact, so well-filled is the shoreside programme that you wonder how chairman Kieran O’Connell and his team in the Volvo Cork Week 2016 Organising Committee found the time to create such a varied programme afloat. But they’ve done that too, with the waterborne areas in the overall care of Race Director Donal McClement, whose experience of regattas both in Cork and at other major international venues is surely unrivalled.

In addition to the trophies which have become synonymous with Volvo Cork Week (their incredible ages in many cases reflecting Cork Harbour’s unrivalled sailing history), this year’s Week, in addition to a strong emphasis on the ISA’s Try Sailing initiative, will include two new events, the European IRC Championship and the Beaufort Cup.

The Beaufort Cup is a stroke of inspirational genius, as it’s an international series within a series for maritime agencies, the military and marine emergency services of all kinds. Although one of the overseas competitors for the Beaufort Cup – The Royal Engineers Yacht Club from the UK – has been actively involved with ocean racing virtually since the first Fastnet Race of 1925, not all the maritime agencies have boats of their own such as the REYC’s J/109 Trojan of Upnor. But owners from home and abroad have volunteered to have their boat’s crew include personnel of whom at least 50% are involved in the maritime and emergency sphere, and thus we find that there are fourteen very competitive boats with noted owner-skippers such as John Maybury with the J/109 Joker 2, Frank Doyle with the A 35 Endgame, Simon Coveney with sister-ship Another Adventure, Tom Roche of Kinsale with the Salona 45 Meridien, and Conor Doyle with the X442 Freya, who are eligible for the Beaufort competition.

The Beaufort Cup series will include a race round the Fastnet, so it’s serious stuff, and with Frank Doyle’s Endgame team drawing on the talents of the famous Baltimore lifeboat crew, we get some idea of the standards involved, with the winning team receiving a €10,000 charitable donation in addition to the Beaufort Cup.

The Beaufort Cup is named in honour of Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857), the hydrographer and meteorologist who invented, among other things, the Beaufort Scales for measuring sea and wind conditions. He was born in Navan in County Meath, and it is many years now since the then Chairman of An Taisce’s Meath Branch, one Michael Boyd, unveiled a memorial in honour of Admiral Beaufort in the heart of Navan.

Michael Boyd, Commodore RORC, with Kieran O’Connell, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Volvo Cork Week 2016These days, Michael Boyd is best known as Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Having taken an excellent third overall in IRC with the First 44.7 Lisa in the recent Volvo Round Ireland Race, he will be in new territory in Volvo Cork Week, as he’ll be racing for the first time with a JPK 10.80, in this instance the French-numbered Audrey.

The JPK 10.80s will be one of the special points of interest in Volvo Cork Week, as three are racing, the other two being Dream Pearls from France (Eric Mordret and Arnaud Delamara), which has been among the front-runners in this year’s RORC programme, and Paul O’Higgins’ Rockabill VI from the Royal Irish YC, which had her moments of glory towards the top of the leaderboard in the Round Ireland, but never fully recovered from being one of the handful of boats which got hung up in a local calm at Inishtrahull for three dreadful hours.

In the open competition for the European IRC Championship, many boats are forces to be reckoned with, and it should be remembered that in the same regatta in 2014, Michael Boyd and Niall Dowling with the Grand Soleil 43 Quokka ended up being top boat overall despite being up against the likes of the Ker 40 Catapult, which has since become Anthony O’Leary’s Antix.

Hanging in there. At Volvo Cork Week 2014, Quokka (Michael Boyd & Niall Dowling) is sailing in clear air and keeping station on the higher rated Catapult. By the end of the regatta, Quokka was overall champion. Photo: Robert Bateman

The Ker 40 Antix in her former existence as Catapult at Volvo Cork Week 2014. The next six days will see her making the challenge as Antix to be overall champion. Photo: Robert Bateman

Inevitably, though, the focus will be on the glamour girls of Class 0, where an epic battle is lining up with overtones of the Commodores Cup 2014, when Antix in her former existence as Catapult was often head-to-head with French Skipper Eric de Turckheim’s A13 Teasing Machine. The Machine – having since covered herself in glory in events as diverse as the Rolex Sydney Hobart and this year’s Volvo Round Ireland - has been on the hard in Crosshaven getting TLC in recent days (they kept her keel shape hidden, though the twin rudders were much in evidence), so it will be battle royal with Antix and Sir Richard Matthews’ new H39 Oystercatcher XXXI.

She is currently one of the most successful ocean racers in the world. Eric de Turckheim’s A13 Teasing Machine (above & below) on the hard in Crosshaven, with her twin rudders revealed, but her keel coyly hidden. Photos: Robert Bateman

Fresh out of the wrappers - Sir Richard Matthews’ new H39 Oystercatcher XX

But complete newness is no guarantee of success, and another favoured boat, rating at the bottom end of Class O, has to be Conor Phelan’s Ker 36.7 Jump Juice (RCYC), which may be of 2006 vintage, but she just keeps on winning.

As ever, there’s a goodly turnout of J/109s – nine of them this time round – and after her brief but successful existence as Dave Cullen’s Euro Car Parks to win Class 3 in the Volvo Round Ireland, Pat Kelly’s Storm is her old self again, complete with the abiding honour of having been an ICRA Boat of the Year in times past, and she’ll be fresh and ready for battle with noted J/109 newbies Tim & Richard Goodbody (RIYC) with White Mischief.

The J/109s will have nine boats racing

For those who like a taste of open water while returning to a very hospitable port each evening, there’s a Coastal Division in two classes where participants include the likes of Sheila & James Tyrrell’s J/112E Aquelina, and two of the leading Dun Laoghaire boats, George Sisk’s Farr 42 WOW and Chris & Patanne Smith’s J/122 Aurelia in Class 1, while Class 2 has strong west coast participation with Derek & Conor Dillon’s Dehler Nova Big Deal from Foynes, and Martin Breen’s Dehler 37 Port of Galway.

The fleet is so diverse that simply seeing the results emerging is going to give a fascinating overview of the contemporary cruiser-racer and offshore scene, and when it’s set in the context of Cork, you get all sorts of added dimensions brought to us through the extraordinary sailing history of this remarkable place.

Yacht racing as it was in 1852. The fleet at the Royal Cork YC regatta about to race from a moored start

Volvo Cork Week as we know it today as a biennial festival was established in 1978 when the late Archie O’Leary was Admiral of the Royal Cork YC, but there had been other weeks or at least four day regattas before that, a notable one being in 1970 when the Royal Cork was celebrating its Quarter Millennium.

Inevitably, with the Tricentenary in 2020 coming down the line, significant events in Cork sailing history are being high-lighted and re-examined, and one special “first” which Organising Chairman Kieran O’Connell hopes to mark by a re-enactment is possibly one of the first offshore races held anywhere in the world, from Dublin Bay to Cork Harbour in July 1860.

Navy days. Haulbowline as seen from Cobh at mid 19th Century
It was inspired by the then Admiral of the Royal Cork, Thomas G French. Following a week of regattas at what was then Kingstown, he put up a prize of 15 guineas or something similar, and sixteen boats raced to Cork Harbour, though few of them got under way with the urgency shown by Rambler 88 and Teasing Machine at the start of the Round Ireland Race three weeks ago.

However, it’s the finish which will be a matter for discussion at tomorrow night’s opening ceremony for the sailing side of Volvo Cork Week 2016. According to Kieran O’Connell’s report, the winner in 1860 was Cooper Penrose’s 90-ton schooner Kingfisher in a race without any handicaps being applied.

That may indeed be the report which appeared in some of the newspapers of the day, as Kingfisher was first past Roche’s Point at daybreak to enter Cork Harbour. Yet the later detailed report in Hunt’s Yachting Magazine in the following weeks made the claim that the yachts were in fact racing to a finish line well up the harbour, off the Royal Cork clubhouse at Cobh. In struggling up the harbour in light airs, the noted amateur helmsman Henry O’Bryen, sailing Sir John Arnott’s 39-ton cutter Sybil, outsailed both the big Kingfisher and the 80-ton cutter Peri (J W Cannon) to snatch the lead at the finish, the finish times being 0520 (Sybil), 0523 (Peri) and 0525 (Kingfisher).

The Royal Cork Yacht Club’s former clubhouse in Cobh when it still was the RCYC. Following the merger in 1966 of the Royal Cork with the Royal Munster YC, Crosshaven became the club headquarters. Today, the former clubhouse at Cobh is a Heritage Centre.

If boats racing from Dun Laoghaire to Cork manage times as close as that, they’ll have had a fine race of it, and it will be further encouragement to the Royal Cork to persist in this new-fangled sport of yacht racing, For, as has been frequently pointed out, racing played no role whatever in the early years of the Water Club of the Harbour of Cork from its foundation in 1720. The fleet’s function was to show that it could sail in close and disciplined formation like a naval squadron, and that provided them with enough excitement for the day – if anyone wanted a race, they could send their crews off in the gig for a rowing race, and the yachtsmen could wager on the results.

Thus it seems that the vulgarity of racing yachts in Cork Harbour was kept at bay until the 1780s, but quite when in the 1780s we don’t know. The earliest known mention of a race in connection with the Water Club come from July 1787 when a notice in the Cork Hibernian Chronicle of July 23rd stated that on Thursday July 26th “the Yachts of the Harbour of Cork are to sail from Roches Tower, exactly at eight o’clock in the morning, to go round Cable Island from thence to the Blockhouse at Hawlbowling (sic). The first yacht past the Blockhouse shall be deemed the winner, and the owner is entitled to the Anchor”.

The way this is stated seems to suggest that, by this time, races by the Water Club were nothing new in Cork Harbour sailing. As to what “entitled to the Anchor” precisely means, that muddies the water still further. The Anchor could have been a trophy of some kind. But on the other hand, “entitled to the Anchor” might have meant that after the finish, the winner could anchor wherever he wished in the harbour, with the rest of the fleet obliged to anchor near him in formation. As most of the yachts were kept moored off their owner’s houses, it would have been a matter of prestige to have the fleet come to your personal anchorage.

All of which reminds us that history, whether of sailing or whatever, should be registered as a controlled substance, to be administered by qualified medical staff in white coats in a clinical environment…

Volvo Cork Week 2016. Entries as of the 28th of June. Entries: 105

Sail No	Boat	Type of Boat	Owner	Class Entered	Handicap
GBR7005R	Trojan of Upnor	J109	REYC	Beaufort Cup	TBC
GBR8588R	Jungle Drum	J88	Stuart Southwick	Beaufort Cup	1.035
IRL1206	Joker 2	J109	John Maybury	Beaufort Cup	1.015
IRL2067	Justus	J109	Dan Buckley	Beaufort Cup	TBC
IRL3209	Endgame	A35	Frank Doyle	Beaufort Cup	1.026
IRL3511	Another Adventure	A35	Simon Coveney	Beaufort Cup	1.032
IRL4076	Meridian	Salona 45	Thomas W Roche	Beaufort Cup	1.120
IRL4477	Freya	X442	Conor Doyle	Beaufort Cup	1.090
IRL9834	True Penance	Projection 35	Martin Darer Colman Garvey	Beaufort Cup	1.018
IRL9876	Coast Guard	Benneteau 36	Conor McNally, John McLoughlin	Beaufort Cup	0.880
IRL??	Exhale	X43	Diarmuid & Hilda Good	Beaufort Cup	1.079
IRLMIT	Marine Institute		Marine Institute	Beaufort Cup	TBC
IRLPOG	Port Of Galway		Port of Galway	Beaufort Cup	TBC
IRL2820	Y'Dream	Beneteau First 36.7	Sean Riordan	Beaufort Cup	1.003
FR38757	Teasing Machine	A13	Eric De Turckiem	Class 0	1.169
GBR4321	Oystercatcher XXX1	H39	Sir Richard Matthews	Class 0	1.136
GBR8833R	Dark Angel	Dubois 37	Tony Ackland	Class 0	1.098
GBR11152L	Gladiator	TP52	Tom Wilson	Class 0	1.393
IRL708	Antix	Ker 40	Anthony O Leary	Class 0	1.215
IRL2007	Jump Juice	Ker 37	Conor Phelan	Class 0	1.104
FRA13220	Trilogy 2	One off Peterson 46	Jean Gabriel Samzun	Class 1	1.059
FRA38418	Audrey	JPK 10.80	Michael Boyd	Class 1	1.045
FRA43645	Dream Pearls	JPK 10.80	Eric Mordret & Arnaud Delamare	Class 1	1.045
GBR1385L	X Beat II	Beneteau 40.7	Andrew O'Sullivan/Peter Pope/Lain Wright	Class 1	1.054
GBR4031R	SAILPLANE	Beneteau First 40	Adrain McCarroll	Class 1	1.083
GBR4041R	Forty Licks	First 40	Jay Colville	Class 1	1.083
GBR5991T	Prime Suspect	Mills 36	Charlie Frize	Class 1	1.067
GBR6638R	Alice	Mumm 36	Simon Henning	Class 1	1.075
GBR8038R	Roxstar	XP 38	Murray Findlay	Class 1	1.084
GBR9380R	Forward Thinking	Reflex 38	Stephen Nicholls	Class 1	1.053
IRL7386	Lynx Clipper	Reflex 38	John Spottiswood	Class 1	1.049
IRL10800	Rockabill VI	JPK 10.80	Paul O'Higgins	Class 1	1.046
GBR37N	Antilope	Grand Soleil 37	Willem Wester	Class 2	1.033
GBR3135L	Jumbuck	J109	John Allison	Class 2	1.014
IRL1111	Team Stampede	Benneteau 36.7	Tony Purkiss	Class 2	1.017
IRL1242R	White Mischief	J109	Timothy & Richard Goodbody	Class 2	1.012
IRL3061	Fools Gold	A35	Robert McConnell	Class 2	1.022
IRL7991	Jigamaree	J109	Ronan Harris	Class 2	1.014
IRL9494	NowWhat	DIBOIS 33	Barry Heskin & Jim Grealish	Class 2	1.018
IRL9609	Jellybaby	J109	Ian Nagle	Class 2	1.026
IRL29832	Jump n'Shout	A35	James Crockatt	Class 2	1.028
IRL33000	w1Da Dulcibella	w1Da 33 OOD	Rory Staunton	Class 2	1.020
IRL35221	Alpaca	X34	Paul & Deirdre Tingle	Class 2	0.998
IRL44444	Magic Touch	First 34,7	Steve Hayes	Class 2	1.004
NED10922	vrijgezeilig	J109	Michel Hiesweiller	Class 2	1.009
IRL1141	Storm	J109	Pat Kelly	Class 2	1.014
FRA29340	CAVOK	JPK960	Patrick Farcy	Class 3	0.985
GBR1039	Aurora	Contessa 33	Oscar Chess	Class 3	0.927
GBR3663	Mischief of Mersea	Carter 36	Martin Sykes	Class 3	0.935
GBR4860T	Skyhunter	J35	Ronan Fenton	Class 3	0.974
GBR9653R	DayDream	X332	Stephen Cutford	Class 3	0.980
IRL1078	Jostler	J92	Patrick Beckett	Class 3	0.965
IRL1295	Lisador	Dehler 36	Henry Hogg	Class 3	0.969
IRL1484	Harmony	Half Tonner	John Swan	Class 3	0.948
IRL6021	Ellida	X332	Ria Lyden	Class 3	0.981
IRL16859	Bad Company	Sunfast 32	Desmond Deasy Ivors	Class 3	0.934
GBR4264	Afrita	Sigma 33	Andrew & Cheissie Laming	Class 4	0.912
IRL0000	Animal	Formula 28	Gerard O Sullivan	Class 4	0.912
IRL78	No-Gnomes	Nich 1/2 ton	Leonard Donnery	Class 4	0.907
IRL680	Ireland's Eye Kilcullen	J24	Cillian Dickson	Class 4	0.887
IRL3087	Anchor Challenge	Farr Quarter Tonner	Paul Gibbons	Class 4	0.917
IRL4506	SeaHawk	Sigma 33	Clem & Wendy McElligott	Class 4	0.913
IRL5098	YaGottaWanna	J24	Dave Lane & Sinead Enright	Class 4	0.886
IRL6564	Monkey Business	Formula 28 MOD	Bill McConnell	Class 4	0.910
IRL7071	Out Rigger	707 MOD	Jimmy Nyhan	Club Regatta Fleet	0.903
IRL1359	WishBone	Holman31	Joanne McKenna	Club Regatta Fleet	0.822
IRL3612	Sweet Dreams	Sun Odyssey 36i	Batt & Helen O Leary	Club Regatta Fleet	TBC
GBR7797T	Foxtrot	Beneteau 36.7	Hilary Davies	Coastal Class 1	1,010
GBR8911R	Ulula	Bermudian Sloop	Nick Ogden	Coastal Class 1	1.098
IRL1301	Kayachtic	Hanse 400	Mike Walker	Coastal Class 1	TBC
IRL1477	Saxon Senator	X37	Eric & Wan Waterman	Coastal Class 1	1.035
IRL1507	Aquelina	J-112E	Sheila & James Tyrrell	Coastal Class 1	1.060
IRL3207	Aris	Bermudan Sloop	Wolfgang Kallenberg	Coastal Class 1	0.997
IRL4208	WoW	Farr42	George Sisk	Coastal Class 1	1.123
IRL35950	Aurelia	J122	Chris & Patanne Power Smith	Coastal Class 1	1.077
GBR380	Rioja	J80	Dominic Baxter & Ernie Dillon	Coastal Class 2	0.953
GBR606	Jedi	J80	Fergus Coughlan	Coastal Class 2	0.958
GBR1317	Violet Flame	Benneteau 31.7	David Wilkins	Coastal Class 2	TBC
GBR4183	Poppy	Contention 33	John Roberts	Coastal Class 2	0.902
IRL816	Serifa	Saler 40	Rory Fitzpatrick	Coastal Class 2	0.910
IRL1975	Tambourine	Thomas One Off	Kieran Collins	Coastal Class 2	0.878
IRL3492	Big Deal	Dehler Nova	Derek Dillon	Coastal Class 2	0.934
IRL5687	Port of Galway	Dehler 37 CR	Martin Breen	Coastal Class 2	0.952
IRL9992	Split Point	Dufour 34	Seamus Gilroy	Coastal Class 2	0.956
GBR1983C	Wildebeest 4	Brenta 24	Derek Buchanan	Mixed Sports	0.960
IRL1771	Cosmic	1720	Brian Jones	Mixed Sports	1.022
IRL1772	Heroes & Villains	1720	Gary Rhodes	Mixed Sports	1.022
IRL1804	Aquatack	1720	Denis Murphy	Mixed Sports	1.021
IRL2500	Elder Lemon	1720	Robert Dix	Mixed Sports	1.013
GBR1786Y	Thistle	Husler 25.5	Peter Webster	Non Spinnaker	0.803
IRL408	Julia B	She 33	Bill O Mahony	Non Spinnaker	0.854
IRL733	Thalia	Sigma 400	Aubrey Leggett	Non Spinnaker	1.028
IRL1033	Loch Greine	Hanse 311	Tom/Declan/Donal O Mahony	Non Spinnaker	0.916
IRL1523	Speedy Gonzales	26	Mark Reardon	Non Spinnaker	TBC
IRL1528	Beau Reve	Beneteau First 30	Paddy McNamee	Non Spinnaker	TBC
IRL2382	Xerxes	IMX38	Dan O Neill	Non Spinnaker	1.024
IRL3276	Roaring Forties	Beneteau First 35s5	Clodagh O Donavan	Non Spinnaker	0.983
IRL4004	Objection!	Sun Odyssey 35	Kevin Murray	Non Spinnaker	0.955
IRL4434	Minx 111	Sigma 33	Tom McNeice	Non Spinnaker	0.892
IRL7006Y	Ashanta	Thompson T31	Richard O'Halloran	Non Spinnaker	0.832
IRL7212	Phaeton		Clive Doherty	Non Spinnaker	0.830
IRL9515	Bonanza	Hunter Impala	Judy McGrath	Non Spinnaker	0.890
IRL1750	RCYC 2	1720	Richard Hayes	Try Sailing Challenge	1.022
IRL1760	RCYC1/NYC	1720	Helen Cooney	Try Sailing Challenge	1.022
IRL1768	RCYC3	1720	Voxpro	Try Sailing Challenge	1.022

The inaugural International Inter Services Sailing Competition ‘The Beaufort Cup’, hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club and supported by the Irish Defence Forces starts on Monday, 11th of July, off Haulbowline Island, the home of the Irish Naval Service. The Beaufort Cup invited sailing teams from their associated national services; 50% of each team must be active in the service they represent. Racing will take place over five days in a mix of challenging offshore, and tactical inshore, racing. Teams will get the chance to enjoy the renowned social experience of Volvo Cork Week and the winning team will also have €10,000 donated to a nominated charity of their choice while the winner will also be eligible for the ‘Boat of the Week’ prize at Volvo Cork Week 2016.

Boats have been borrowed and chartered for the event by a number of the competing teams. Current Irish Class 1 national champion yacht Joker 2, a Dun Laoghaire J109, is sailing with a 100% military crew. Minister Simon Coveney will compete too and he has chartered the Greystones Sailing club based A35 Another Adventure for the event.

South coast sailors Martin Darrer and Coleman Garvey have loaned their Projection 35 and the crew of nine includes six of the Baltimore lifeboat crew led by Youen Jacob with Cathal Cottrell, Pat Collins, Jim Baker, Aidan Bushe, Brendan Cottrell, along with Nicholas O’ Leary, Sandy Remington and Coleman Garvey.

The Irish Coast Guard service will have a team competing on a Beneteau 36-footer drawing crew from around the country for a competitive entry coordinated by Crosshaven Coast Guard station. The Sea Fisheries Protection service has also entered a team on one of the largest boats at the event. The racing format promises a full range of tests, starting off with three inshore races on Monday, quickly followed by a 24-hour race to the Fastnet Rock and back. 

The beginning of the race will be a fantastic spectacle and members of the public are invited to view all of the action from Cobh Pier. A military display will take to the skies at 9.30am sharp with four PC9 Flypast aircrafts, an AW139 Helicopter, and a CASA aircraft. In addition there will be two Mogwag 18.5 tonne armoured vehicles plus crew, along with naval vessels HMS Dragon (UK), Fort Rosalie (UK) and the FS Thetis from France present at Cobh Pier.

The initial 24 hour Offshore Race will be started by the RCYC Race Officer, Peter Crowley, at 9.55am with thirteen participating teams. The teams include; The Royal Engineers, The Royal Logistics Corps, the PSNI, four teams from the Irish Defence Forces, the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency, the Marine Institute, the Port of Galway, Baltimore Lifeboat, Crosshaven Lifeboat and the Coastguard

Next week Royal Cork Yacht Club will fling open its doors to over a thousand visitors, for a tremendous warm welcome, to the oldest yacht club in the world at Volvo Cork Week writes Louay Habib. Competitors from The Netherlands, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, and France, will savour the atmosphere ashore and relish the opportunity to race in one of the world's largest harbours and the stunning coast line of the Atlantic Approaches. 

Cork Week has never been afraid to take the initiative with innovative changes to the format of Ireland's longest running regatta. This year has particular significance as  Cork Week will stage the first ever IRC European Championship. Also more than a dozen teams from the UK and Ireland will contest the inaugural Beaufort Cup in which at least 50% of a team's crew must be active members of uniformed services such as: Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Emergency Rescue Services. Cork Week has also put feeder races in place from Falmouth in the UK hosted by the Mylor Yacht Club and from Dun Laoghaire to Cobh, hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club. The latter re-enacts the Kingstown to Queenstown Race first run in 1860. For competitors that are new to sailing, or prefer to sail shorthanded, the non-spinnaker and Coastal Classes are ideal and for one-design adrenalin junkies the sportsboats provide the perfect thrill.

Tony Langley's TP52 Gladiator Photo: onEdition

Countries collide in the big boat clash with Tony Langley's all-pro British TP52 Gladiator topping the bill, having won the 2016 J.P.Morgan Round the Island Race in a fleet of over 1500 boats. Antix and Jump Juice will be flying the burgee of the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Skippered by Anthony O'Leary, Antix will have double Olympian, Peter O'Leary, providing the strategy. Conor Phelan's Ker 37, Jump Juice, is the current ICRA National Champion. Eric De Turckiem Teasing Machine is a proven offshore weapon. This year the French guided missile won class in the Rolex Sydney Hobart and the RORC Caribbean 600. A veteran of Volvo Cork Week, Richard Matthews, will be racing his brand new Humphries 39, Oystercatcher XXXI, with skills from local expert Eddie English and Tony Ackland will be hoping for Welsh fire from his Dubois 37 Dark Angel.

Anthony O'Leary's Antix will be flying the burgee of the Royal Cork YC. Photo: Paul Wyeth

There is a hot prospect of intense competition, with three JPK 10.80s enjoying a close battle. RORC Commodore Michael Boyd, racing Audrey, will be taking on Mordret & Delamare's Dream Pearls. The French team have been in scintillating form in the RORC offshore series, winning class in three out of four races. From the Royal Irish YC, Paul O'Higgins team racing Rockabill VI is a former class winner at Volvo Cork Week. Other proven winners include Charlie Frize Mills 36 Prime Suspect, Simon Henning's Mumm 36, Alice and Jay Colville's First 40 Forty Licks. What promises to be one of the battles of the regatta will be in the J/109s. Royal Irish skipper Richard Goodbody, sailing White Mischief with his Irish Olympic son Tim, will come up against Ian Nagle's Royal Cork team racing Jelly Baby, winner of the 2015 J/109 UK Open Championship.

Mordret & Delamare's Dream Pearls, one of three JPK 1080s at Volvo Cork Week. Photo: Paul Wyeth

“The Royal Cork Yacht Club welcomes all our competitors and visitors to Crosshaven for Volvo Cork Week 2016” commented. Kieran O’Connell, Chairman Volvo Cork Week 2016. “We are looking forward to the great quality and variety of racing on the water with which Volvo Cork Week has become internationally synonymous. Shoreside, we have once again put together an unrivaled mix of entertainment and specially look forward to Friday night’s performance by The Frank and Walters, followed by a fantastic firework display. My sincere thanks go to our major sponsor Volvo who have taken the lead in sailing event sponsorship throughout Ireland, we are delighted to be part of this undertaking. Words of thanks must also go to our other sponsors, as without them, this event would be difficult to run and last, but by no means least a big THANK YOU to all our volunteers who donate an immeasurable amount of time and effort. I wish you all a safe and fun filled week both ashore and on the water.”

 

RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew are used to working together in challenging conditions out on the water but a major event during Volvo Cork week will see them pitted against each other and their colleagues in the emergency services to take home the prize in the Beaufort Cup Regatta 2016.

The Beaufort Cup invites sailing teams representing their national services to race over five days in a mix of challenging offshore and inshore races, including round the Fastnet, to be crowned the Beaufort Cup holder and receive a €10,000 charity donation. The event is being run by the Royal Cork Yacht Club and is supported by the Irish Defence Forces.

The RNLI is proud to have two teams participating in the cup with Baltimore RNLI lining out with RNLI South-Coast, made up of lifeboat crew from Fenit, Union Hall, Crosshaven and Tramore RNLI lifeboat stations. The rules state that the team must be made of at least fifty percent from the emergency services.

The RNLI South-Coast team will be racing on ‘Endgame’ owned by Frank Doyle with RNLI lifeboat crew from the South coast crewing her. The crew will be made up of Ruth Concannon from Fenit RNLI, Johnny McKenna from Union Hall RNLI, Aidan O’Connor and James Fegan from Crosshaven RNLI and Fergal McGrath from Tramore RNLI. Frank’s existing crew Harry Donegan, John Lapthorne, Will Barry and Tadhg Concannon will also be on hand during the week.

The Baltimore RNLI Beaufort Cup team 2016 (L-R) Nicholas O’Leary, Colman Garvey, Pat Collins, Jim Baker, Aiden Bushe, Caoimhe Cottrell (Cathal’s niece), Cathal Cottrell & Youen Jacob (missing from picture is team member Sandy Remington)

The Baltimore RNLI team will be racing on a projection 35 boat ‘True Penance’ given to them for the event by Martin Darer and Colman Garvey. The crew will be made of Skipper Youen Jacob, Baltimore RNLI all-weather lifeboat crew and inshore helm, Nicholas O’Leary, Tactician and second Skipper, Cathal Cottrell, Baltimore RNLI all-weather lifeboat mechanic and crewmember, Pat Collins, Baltimore RNLI all-weather lifeboat assistant mechanic and assistant Coxswain, Sandy Remington, Jim Baker All-weather and inshore lifeboat crew, Colman Garvey, co-owner of True Penance and Aiden Bushe All-weather lifeboat assistant Coxswain. Aidan will race offshore and be replaced by Brendan Cottrell all-weather lifeboat assistant Coxswain who will replace Aidan later in the week to keep the lifeboat station fully operational with a crew on-call and available at all times.

The two crews have received sponsorship and support from the Cape Clear Ferry Company for Baltimore RNLI and Helly Hanson and Solas Marine for RNLI South-Coast.

Commenting on the Beaufort Cup, Crosshaven RNLI and RNLI South-coast crewmember James Fegan said, ‘This is going to be a fantastic event and we are very grateful to the Defence Forces for supporting it and making it happen. We work side by side with our colleagues from other lifeboat stations and agencies so this is very different for us. I feel it could get quite competitive out there in the sea but may the best team win.’

Also speaking on the event Baltimore RNLI station mechanic and ‘True Pennace’ crewmember Cathal Cottrell added, ‘Everyone knows we take our sailing very seriously down here and we will be looking to bring home the Cup. It is going to be a tough few days of racing. With so many lifeboat crew onboard I don’t think we will need to call out the lifeboat. I want to wish all of the crew from across the emergency services the Best of luck, we will see them at the finish line.’

The offshore race will start on Monday 11 July off Haulbowline Island, the home of the Irish Naval Service.

With nearly 90 yachts already confirmed for the 2016 edition of Volvo Cork Week, an increase in entries from 2014 is highly likely for Ireland's most famous regatta writes Louay Habib. Hosted by the world's oldest yacht club, the Royal Cork YC, the regatta offers phenomenal racing conditions; boasting one of the world's largest natural harbours, a stunning cliff-lined coast and the Atlantic. Volvo Cork Week has the natural resources to provide some of the best racing anywhere and combined with the legendary 'craic' of Irish hospitality, and a concerted effort to drive down costs, Volvo Cork Week is a regatta not to miss.

2016 Volvo Cork Week will also host the first ever, IRC European Championship, the Irish Quarter Tonner National Championship and the inaugural Beaufort Cup.

Tony Langley's TP52 Gladiator is currently the fastest yacht competing at Cork Week.However, British entrepreneur Tony Langley will not be at the helm of Gladiator for Volvo Cork Week, as Team Gladiator Project Manager, Tom Wilson explains:

“Tony would love to be there but has other commitments. His son Bernard has taken up the challenge to lead the team. Much the same as our last regatta, which was Antigua Sailing Week, we will have a young team of talented sailors on board from Britain and also several local Irish sailors. The team is just being finalised but the youngsters will be joined by some very well known yachtsmen.”

Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary has enjoyed tremendous success with his Ker 40, Antix, racing with his three sons, Peter, Nicholas and Robert and an all Irish crew. Anthony was the Irish Captain for both of Ireland's Commodores' Cup wins and his former boat, also called Antix, was the overall RORC IRC National Champion in 2014.

“The move to host the first IRC European Championship at Volvo Cork Week was an inspirational move by the sailing committee, the Royal Cork YC and the Royal Ocean Racing Club.” Commented Anthony O'Leary. “ To have the championship in Cork is fantastic and I am sure it is the perfect venue for what IRC is all about. There is a massive variety of courses; plenty of windward leeward but also reaching and running legs, and you never know what the Harbour Course has in store. If you sat down with a blank piece of paper to design the best courses for an IRC regatta, Volvo Cork Week has been providing it for years.”

“From the point of view of Antix, we are especially looking forward to racing against Teasing Machine. In the 2010 Commodores' Cup, in her former life as Catapult, the Ker 40 had a great battle with Teasing Machine and we look forward to that. There are similar battles right through all the classes and to have twice as many boats already entered compared to the same time in 2014, we are hoping for a large number of quality boats enjoying an outstanding regatta.

Laurent Pages has competed in the last two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race, winning the round the world race with Groupama in 2014 and will be tactician for Eric De Turkheim's French A13, Teasing Machine for Volvo Cork Week.

“With the intention to race around Ireland in June, Volvo Cork Week was really an option for us. The fact that IRC European Champion title will decided at Volvo Cork Week was also a key point.” commented Laurent. “Teasing Machine will come with a lot of ambition but we know the competition will be really fantastic ! It's a great challenge ! And always a great pleasure to come to Ireland !

To have a variety of racing conditions is absolutely great: mixing pure inshore races and coastal races gives so much interest and it all makes sense to contend an IRC European Title in that way. Irish sailors will be really hard to beat in their home waters and we also know that top British teams will be highly competitive, as always but we will defend the french chances with determination and passion!”

Oystercatcher XXXI is the third boat to be designed for Sir Richard Matthews by Tom Humphreys and should be launched 8th June, after fitting out at Fox’s Marina Ipswich. Oystercatcher XXXI will be making its debut at Volvo Cork Week, although Sir Richard has been coming for years.

“A return to a genuine dual purpose cruiser racer, a proper cockpit, berth for every crew, H&C water including a shower and a proper galley with an oven - all in less than 39 feet and 86 feet shorter than my ‘other’ boat!” laughed Richard. “Cork Week has always been friendly and it is even better now that it's more of a regatta and less of a pop concert and I prefer Murphy's.

The race courses are varied and interesting and I especially enjoy the Harbour Course. Oystercatcher's crew will be mostly our East Coast (UK) regulars (some of whom are still young enough to walk unaided!) and Eddie English our dear friend from Cobh, who has done the last 8 or 10 Cork Weeks with us. All of the crew are keen golfers and The Old Head of Kinsale is one of the best courses in the world and is a fine start or finish to the week.”

“I live just up the road, I have to come every regatta! I enjoy the competition, the professional race management, variety of courses on offer, the onshore entertainment and the camaraderie. This year I think that it is great that the IRC European Championship is part of it. Jump intend doing the Irish, UK and Welsh IRC nationals so it's a great fit to our programme.

It is really tough to win your class at Volvo Cork Week, because all the good boats and best sailors are there. Competition, varied conditions and courses and a lively social scene all mitigate against predictability. Not until the skipper and crew look each other up and down each morning can one make any presumptions. A lot depends on the night before! Having gone through the rock concert type event some years ago the event is firmly fun for sailors mostly on site. Expect great craic, late nights and sore heads.”

Simon Henning's British Mumm 36, Alice is returning to Volvo Cork Week after a long absence, as Simon explains: “We did Cork Week in 2006 and 2008 in Farr 45, Alice 2 but the Mumm 36, Alice was last at Cork Week in 2004, she has had a major refit and is much more competitive, the first IRC European Championship is the big attraction to come back this year and we are looking forward to a very competitive week. Also Cork is a great place to sail with a variety of conditions and it is rare you get a windless day. For me personally, the older you get, the more you need to grab the opportunities that come along.”

The IRC European Championship is attracting new teams from overseas of a very high standard and the Beaufort Cup is bringing new faces to Volvo Cork Week. The Beaufort Cup invites sailing teams from their associated national services, 50% of each team must be active in the service they represent. Racing will take place over five days in a mix of offshore and inshore courses. The winning team will also have €10,000 donated to a nominated charity.

The inaugural ISA 'Try Sailing' Invitational will take place this July, hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC), Crosshaven, Co. Cork, as part of Volvo Cork Week from July 10th to 15th. It represents one of a number of initiatives under the ISA’s Try Sailing banner aimed at introducing as many people as possible to the joys of sailing.

“It is with huge excitement that we announce the inaugural ISA Try Sailing Invitational which will be part of Volvo Cork Week 2016. This event will attract teams from clubs across the country and will add a unique and exciting element to the already fun packed Volvo Cork Week 2016.” – Kieran O’Connell, Chairman of Volvo Cork Week.

The ISA Try Sailing Invitational invites sailing clubs from around the country to put together a team comprised of participants in their Try Sailing programmes. Each club can nominate one experienced sailor to either skipper their entry or be part of the crew. Racing will take place in 1720 sports boats, over five days, with challenging and enjoyable inshore racing. Teams will get the chance to enjoy the renowned social experience of Volvo Cork Week and the winning team will win the ISA Try Sailing Invitational Trophy.

This event will develop valuable bonds between Try Sailing participants and the clubs they represent and will give them an appreciation for what a large regatta is all about – play, sail & enjoy. The ISA Try Sailing Invitational represents a fantastic opportunity to further enhance participation in the sport of sailing through racing in the natural maritime amphitheatre that is Cork Harbour – the largest natural harbour in the northern hemisphere.

The Irish Quarter Ton Cup will also be held at Volvo Cork Week 2016. In the 1980's and 90's the then J Class raced every week in the RCYC and was made up of many different quarter tonners so many people got their first experience of sailing in a quarter tonner. The Irish Quarter Ton Cup in 2016 will not only crown a national champion but the winner will also be eligible for a class European Medal and will be in with a chance to win best overall boat of the European Championship. Volvo Cork Week 2016 is looking forward to welcoming quarter tonners from all over Ireland and the UK to compete this year.

Next month's ICRA Nationals at Howth Yacht Club will feature what looks like the 'hottest cruiser fleet of the year' when class one boats resume battle after last year's epic clash at Kinsale. 

Paul O'Higgins new JPK 10.80 will be up against some good J109's (including John Maybury's Joker which won ICRAs in 2015, Jelly Baby from Cork, Storm from Howth and J/109 newcomer Tim Goodbody). Also in the class one mix will be the A35 Fools Gold which was second to Joker at Kinsale and also won the Scottish series 2015 overall. Former champion, the XP33 Bon Exemple, skippered by Philip Byrne of the Royal Irish, is also a contender.

The cruiser racer body says its decision to apply 'equal status and trophies to IRC and Progressive Echo has attracted support' and overall entries for the championships is now in the sixties. The event is timed to lead into the Round Ireland​,​ WIORA and Cork Week and Calves Week in a summer of​ ​racing highlights.

Although an early discount deadline has now passed, organisers have made the decision to extend it, presumably because they see there is still lots of potential entries to still emerge in each division.

Class two should be very competitive as well with four Half Tonners vying against the home club's X332 Equinox (Ross McDonald) plus a few others. Half tonners won't have their pro sailors however as ICRA rules only allow pros in classes 0 and 1.

Dux from HYC will compete in class three

Class three will see Fusion the Corby 25 of Colwell, Cobbe and Ronan pushed by likes of Anthony Gore Grimes in Dux, the Sigma 33 s and the ICRA Commodore's family boat from Foynes Yacht Club, the McGibney's Dis a Ray. 

The event is under the experienced Chairmanship of Chris Howard who has twice before run championships with ICRA at this County Dublin venue. 

The programme will provide seven races over three day from Friday 10th to Sun 12th June with a mix of windward/leeward courses and interesting round the cans courses.

ICRA will be presenting overall matching perpetual trophies for IRC and ECHO in each Division in addition to ISA Gold, Silver and Bronze medals smartly mounted which are unique to the National championships.

ICRA's Corinthian Cups are also competed for in both Progressive Echo and IRC will provide equally interesting courses, specifically designed for the non spinnaker divisions with overall trophies and glass mountings as prizes.

The ICRA Nationals returns to Howth Yacht Club in early June, timed to lead into the Round Ireland​,​ WIORA and Cork Week and Calves Week to round off a summer of​ ​racing.

The ​combination of IRC and Progressive Echo divisions in all Classes with equal Trophies and ISA National Championship Gold, Silver and Bronze medals ensures strong interest through the fleets.  The event is under the experienced Chairmanship of Chris Howard who has twice before run championships with ICRA at this County Dublin venue. 

An early entry list is admittedly still building but it already features top boats with the likes of Conor Phelan's Jump Juice returning from his success in March's RORC's Easter Challenge.

Early indications are that the hottest fleet could be in class one where, like ICRAs in 2015, some of the most competitive sailing took place. Paul O'Higgins new JPK 10.80 will be up against some good J109's (including John Maybury's Joker which won ICRAs in 2015, Jelly Baby from Cork, Storm from Howth and J/109 newcomer Tim Goodbody). Also in the class one mix will be the A35 Fools Gold which was second to Joker at Kinsale and also won the Scottish series 2015 overall. Former champion, the XP33 Bon Exemple, skippered by Philip Byrne, is also a contender.

Class two should be competitive as well with four Half Tonners vying against the home club's X332 Equinox (Ross McDonald) plus a few others. Half tonners won't have their pro sailors however as ICRA rules only allow pros in classes 0 and 1.

Class three will see Fusion the Corby 25 of Colwell, Cobbe and Ronan pushed by likes of Anthony Gore Grimes in Dux, the Sigma 33 s and of course, the ICRA Commodore's family boat from Foynes Yacht Club, the McGibney's Dis a Ray. 

Class four will see current National Champions Kilcullen the local Howth Yacht Club youth J24 team take on the J24 fleet including the ICRA Commodore Simon MC Gibney the well sailed quarter Tonners and likes of Impalas who can all feature on their day

The Corinthian Cup​s​ ​are well established for the non spinnaker boats and ​are expected to attract a large fleet.

The early Discount deadline for the ICRA Nationals is 6 th May so get your entry in and enjoy great racing and a fun social scene ashore.

With the early entry discount for Volvo Cork Week running out on May 1st Royal Cork Yacht Club organisers have been keen to point out innovations for the 2016 edition such as the first ever IRC European Championship and the Beaufort Cup as part of this summer's line–up.

'RCYC has always listened to competitors comments about Cork Week and has never been afraid to make improvements whenever possible', the club say in its latest mail out to competitors

Kieran O'Connell, Chairman of Volvo Cork Week, spoke candidly about the changes to this year's event, brought about by talking to competitors, the real cost of coming to Cork Week is being reduced by pro-active measures.
“When talking to people in Ireland and the UK." commented Kieran O'Connell. "We have been making a big effort to keep the cost down for visiting teams, we have been setting guide prices for local accommodation in Crosshaven and local home owners have been listening and reducing their expectations. For example a 3 bedroom house that sleeps 6 - 8 crew for the week is averaging at €1250 - €1500 or B&B for €50 per night. In 2016 there will also be camping options with toilet and shower facilities.

The committee have undertaken to keep food and beverage costs at normal club rates. Helly Hansen, the Official Clothing Partner to the event will have a retail shop in the regatta village, alongside other notable retailers such as CH Marine and Union Chandlery.

The entertainment line-up is fantastic this year with the event open to the public on Thursday and Friday nights with big name bands performing. The management team is putting a big effort into the apres-sail slot from 4.30 to 7pm, with live music creating the right sort of atmosphere, as the sailors come off the water.

The IRC European Championship is attracting new teams from overseas of a very high standard and the Beaufort Cup is bringing new faces to Volvo Cork Week. The Beaufort Cup invites sailing teams from their associated national services, 50% of each team must be active in the service they represent. Racing will take place over five days in a mix of offshore and inshore courses. The winning team of the Beaufort Cup will also have €10,000 donated to a nominated charity.

For yachts entering before the end of April, there is a prize draw for sailing gear and a weekend 40ft bareboat charter.
Including the one design 1720 and Viper Sportsboats, a wide variety of yachts have already entered Volvo Cork Week, with a significantly higher number of early entries compared to this time in 2014. For yachts entering before the 1st May 2016, there are two prize draws. Volvo Cork Week will be giving away, sailing gear and a weekend 40ft bareboat charter, kindly sponsored by Sovereign Sailing Kinsale.”

The early entry discount for Volvo Cork Week runs out on May 1st.

There have been a few notable amendments to the Notice of Race for this year’s Volvo Cork Week, taking place in Crosshaven, Co. Cork from July 10th to 15th:

All boats under IRC are now permitted to have the IRC crew number, plus one.

The Coastal fleet does not need to have an endorsed IRC cert.

The white sail fleet is no longer restricted to one head sail as long as their IRC cert permits multiple head sails or they are only sailing under ECHO.

The decision to the divide of White Sail and Non Spinnaker has been greatly welcomed. The logic behind the amendment is that it will be fairer on all participants to separate the results of the cruiser racers sailing with no spinnaker and the traditional cruising boats sailing under white sail, as per “Appendix A” of the Volvo Cork Week Notice of Race. As a result of this change, event organisers are expecting to see more White Sail boats entering.

This year at Volvo Cork Week there’s a particular effort being put into building the Coastal Fleet, this will be for boats who wish to partake in the event but do not want to be in the mix with all the high performance racing boats, or have to get a full crew of experienced sailors in order of have a chance of winning their class. The coastal fleet will be longer races with a lot more variety to the types of boats, aimed at providing good fun racing for those competing in that fleet.