It’s a long way for crew and boats to travel from Belfast Lough and Strangford Lough to Kinsale but eight from the northern-based Squib class will be making that 300 mile trip in June for the eight-race Bandon Co-Op Squib Nationals which will incorporate the Irish Squib National Championship.

At least, as Robert Marshall of Killyleagh says, it’s easier than travelling to Cowes.

The Kinsale event featured in WM Nixon's Afloat column on Saturday here where he described the event as being an "ideal launching pad for Ireland’s reviving international sailing scene In 2022".

From the 14 strong Royal North fleet on Belfast Lough there will be Fagin, Second Chance, Prodigal, Toy for the Boys and Jumini and of the eight Killyeagh boats on Strangford Lough will be Slipstream, Firecracker and Volante.

Robert Marshall and Neil Logan in Slipstream

The RNIYC based Squibs competing are Gordon Patterson and Ross Nolan in Fagin, Steven Stewart in Second Chance, Greg Bell and Jane Kearney, who have been runners-up in the Irish championship; Toy for the Boys with new pairing Peter Wallace and Kinsale local Fiona Ward as well as Ross Kearney and his cousin Charles (Woo) Kearney who will defend their Championship title in Jumini.

From Killyleagh, there will be Robert Marshall (Chairman of the Irish Squib Class) and Neil Logan in Slipstream, Simon Watson and Jordy Withers in Volante and Steven Bridges and Mathew Bolton in Firecracker.

Squib 146 Greg Bell's Prodigal

Robert Marshall is looking forward to the 2022 competition; “It's a big year for Squibs in Ireland with the combined Irish and UK nationals being held in Kinsale. Entries from both Killyleagh and Royal North at Cultra are eagerly awaiting the start gun to sound for the battle to commence.

Killyleagh is hosting a spring series 16/4 to 7/5 followed by the Squib Northern championship on 14/15 May at Killyleagh Yacht Club. There is quite s buzz around the class already and it’s only January. Good times are nearly upon us - great sailing and good craic with the best class in Ireland”.

The weather gods were shining at Kinsale Yacht Club for the annual Gunsmoke Bell race sponsored by Sammy Cohen.

In sunny weather, a fleet of 12 boats competed for the Gunsmoke Bell trophy. Race Officer, Donal Hayes, set a course to Sandycove and back via the Bulman.

12 boats started the Kinsale Yacht Club Gunsmoke Bell Trophy Race on Stephen's Day Photo: Bob Bateman

Reavra Too had an excellent start and found a nice line of breeze on the right-hand side of the course. White Tiger led on rounding Sandycove but in a race combining White Sails and Cruisers, it was the boats flying spinnakers that took over the lead for the remainder of the race.

Stephen Lysaght’s Reavra Too on her way to a win in the Kinsale Yacht Club Gunsmoke Bell Trophy. Behind Reavra Too are Chancer and Meridian Photo: Dave Cullinane

In the All-In Echo class, it was Stephen Lysaght’s Reavra Too that won the trophy. In second place was Cathal Buckleys Tir na nÓg and in third place was the Carroll Brothers Chancer.

Results here

To meet a growing demand for offshore racing, Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Matthias Hellstern along with Dave Cullinane (SCORA Vice-Commodore) and Harvey Matthews representing sponsors Matthews of Cork, launched the inaugural Inishtearaght Race in Kinsale on Wednesday, December 23rd.

As Afloat reported previously, the race is a new south coast offshore race to be held biennially commencing in 2022.

The course will be approximately 240nm long and will run along the spectacular coast of West Cork and Kerry, round Inistearaght and back to Kinsale. 

The video below by Mary Malone captures the announcement by the KYC team.

The race will start on Friday 20th May 2022. Download the Notice of Race below.

SCORA Vice Commodore Dave Cullinane with The 150-year-old Thuillier Trophy to be presented to the line honours winner of May's Inistearaght Race Photo: Bob Bateman

The Thuillier family have kindly allowed the oldest trophy in Kinsale YC to be presented as the line honours trophy for the race. The Thuillier Cup is 150 years old, having been originally presented by the Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers in 1871 and won by Michael Thuillier. The cup was presented to Kinsale YC by the Thuillier family to acknowledge the long tradition of yacht racing in Kinsale.

Kinsale Yacht Club say sailing instructions and a race entry form will be available on www.kyc.ie closer to the date and additional information is available by emailing [email protected].

Kinsale Yacht Club and Marina - the start and finishing point for the new 240-mile Irish offshore yacht race Photo: Bob Bateman

Kinsale Yacht Club has elected Matthias Helstern as its new Commodore at last night's online AGM.

The former Mirror dinghy ace and Dragon keelboat sailor takes over at a busy time for the West Cork club from outgoing Commodore Mike Walsh.

Tony Scannell was elected as the new vice commodore.

Helstern, whose late father Hans also led the club, takes the tiller as Kinsale prepares for its 2024 staging of the prestigious International Dragon Gold Cup.

The club held a very successful edition of its Sovereign's Cup in June this year, a pillar event for Irish sailing in a COVID-hit season.

In 2022, KYC will stage the Squib UK and Irish combined national championships, the first-ever class staging of the dual championships.

Newly elected Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Matthias Helstern sailed to success in 2021 with clubmates Cameron Good and Henry Kingston at the Dragon East Coast Championships on Dublin Bay.

Afloat Photographer Bob Bateman's essential role in promoting sailing in Ireland was recognised again last night, this time at the Kinsale Yacht Club AGM. 

Bateman was made an honorary member of the West Cork club for his support of the Kinsale sailing and boating scene.

In nominating the photo-journalist, outgoing Commodore Mike Walsh told the meeting, "Bob has served this club for many, many years, turning up at countless events and getting on the water to produce the photos that we all want to put in a frame and hang on the wall".

Bateman covers the wide range of maritime activity on the Cork Coast for Afloat.ie, especially sailing. He has an extensive archive dating back to the 1960s, documenting a unique record of Kinsale, Cork Harbour and south coast life in general.

One of Bob Bateman's striking images of the Cork coastline from Kinsale Yacht Club's staging of June's Sovereign's Cup 2021

The nomination was enthusiastically approved by the online KYC meeting that also saw Walsh hand over the tiller to new Commodore Matthias Helstern, as Afloat reports here.

Bateman's KYC award follows a National 18 dinghy class presentation in September, where he was similarly honoured with the class's Sullivan Trophy for his 'outstanding support' of dinghy affairs.

Bob and his late wife Claire were previously awarded Cove Sailing Club's Foley Rose Bowl in 2011 for their services to sailing. In 2013, Bob was also made an Honorary Member of Royal Cork Yacht Club, one of only eight such awards made.

The fifth race of Kinsale Yacht Club’s cruiser White Sails October/November Series was won in IRC Fleet 1 by Stephen Lysaght’s Reavra Too, the boat’s first outing in the league.

Michael Carroll’s Chancer finished second and Valfreya (D.Riome & M.Leonard) was third. That result kept Valfreya top of the fleet on 7 points.

The second-placed Meridian (Thomas Roche) did not sail on Sunday but still holds second overall, though slipping to four points behind the leader. Sam Cohen’s Gunsmoke II is third on 13.

Reavra Too racing in June's Sovereign's Cup Photo: Bob Bateman

Padraig O’Donovan’s Chameleon was also a new competitor in the fifth race and was the only boat in IRC Fleet 2 and thus the winner. Patrick Beckett’s Miss Charlie remains top.

Sam Cohen's Gunsmoke Two Photo: Bob Bateman

In ECHO handicap Fleet 1 Valfreya also leads, with Gunsmoke II second and Stephen McCarthy’s Nadie third. Echo Fleet 2 leader is Martin Hargrove’s Deboah on 9 points with Denis Buckley’s Ailleacht in second place on 11 and Albert O’Neill’s Sallybelle third on 12.

Patrick Beckett's Miss Charlie with KYC Commodore Mike Walsh (second from right) on board during June's Sovereign's Cup Photo: Bob Bateman

Class 1 IRC at Kinsale Yacht Club’s White Sails October/November series has been seeing changes at the top with Valfreya (M. Leonard & D. Riome’s Sigma 33) taking back first place after winning on Sunday and now on four points overall.

Tom Roche’s Salona 45, Meridian, is second on 6 and Sammy Cohen’s First 32, Gunsmoke II, third on 9.

In ECHO handicap, Valfreya also leads, with Gunsmoke second and Meridian third.

Class Two ECHO is led by Martin Hargrove’s, Deboah, on 4 points, with Patrick Beckett’s, Miss Charlie, second on 6 and Denis Buckley’s, Ailleacht, third on 8. Miss Charlie was the only boat racing IRC 2 on Sunday.

More clubs around the country are developing cruiser racing opportunities for young sailors.

It is, increasingly, being seen as vital to ensure that clubs themselves have a future.

The biggest loss to sailing has been when young sailors leave dinghies and the sport itself for other sports, which, they perceive, as offering a better continuing pathway.

The Irish Cruiser Racing Association have been encouraging the formation of Under 25 groups to combat this and develop more interest in cruiser sailing and racing amongst younger sailors.

"Is insurance preventing young sailors from getting into cruiser racing?"

Kinsale Yacht Club in Cork is the latest to launch such a group. It has two particularly interesting aspects to it.

One is that it was young sailors themselves who asked the club for such a development, which has been most enthusiastically supported by older members of the club because, says former Club Commodore Dave Sullivan, the senior members want to ensure that the future of the club is planned for and protected.

Kinsale Yacht Club has identified the J/24 (above) as a suitable boat for their Under 25 project Photo: Bob Bateman

Kinsale has identified the J/24 as a suitable boat for their project, but the former Commodore says that boat insurance is preventing young sailors, who may be interested in buying their own boats, from moving from dinghies into cruisers and that is an issue that must be addressed.

He is my Podcast guest this week, where we discuss the Kinsale Under 25 keelboat development, the support of senior members for the project and the issue of insurance.

The first-ever UK and Irish Squib National Championships featuring combined fleets will take place next year in Kinsale.

The rescheduled Squib National Championships incorporating the Irish Squib National Championships will sail from Kinsale Yacht Club from 19th to 24th June 2022.

Six days of competitive racing are scheduled on the waters South of Kinsale Harbour.

Ashore, Kinsale Yacht Club is looking forward to welcoming competitors to its facilities. The Club is equipped to run large events with its flagship bi-annual Sovereigns Cup regatta hosting up to 100 cruiser racers a popular fixture on the Irish sailing calendar. Kinsale Yacht Club is also the chosen venue for the prestigious Dragon Gold Cup in 2024.

The rescheduled Squib National Championships incorporating the Irish Squib National Championships will sail from Kinsale Yacht Club from 19th to 24th June 2022.

The Regatta Director is Squib sailor Ian Travers who has launched a new event website.

The event website is now available here which accepts entries with an early bird entry discount available until the 31st December.

Kinsale Yacht Club's new event logo for the dual UK & IRL Squib Championships

Travers commented 'the Bandon Co-op sponsored event will bring the National Squib racing fleets from both sides of the Irish Sea together for the first time and will make for a very competitive regatta. Having been to many class events over the past number of years, I know that Squib sailors are extremely competitive, and their rivalry on the water is quickly exchanged for camaraderie once ashore. This competitive and social mix along with the wonderful venue of Kinsale provides all the ingredients necessary to make a memorable dual National Championships Event.'

Squib regatta director Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan sailing Outlaw in Kinsale Photo: Bob Bateman

Early entries have the added incentive that One early bird entry will receive a full refund in a draw that will take place in early January. A specially discounted under-25 entry fee is offered to encourage participation.

Kinsale Yacht Club's October/November White Sails series has six boats entered in the IRC 1 fleet where the leader is Anthony O'Brien's White Tiger, with Meridian (Thomas Roche) second and Valfreya (M.Leonard/D.Riome) third. The IRC 2 leader is Patrick Beckett's, Miss Charlie.

ECHO 1 fleet has eleven entries and is also led by White Tiger with Nadie (Stephen McCarthy) second and Meridian third.

ECHO 2 has nine entries, the leader is Martin Hargrove's Deboah, second Miss Charlie and third Atlantis II (Ted Power).

Racing will continue until November 14 with First Gun each day at 1355.