A dramatic three-week 1720 sportsboat league in Cork Harbour was decided on countback after a final race showdown at Royal Cork Yacht Club.
Eight races were completed after an opening gale forced the cancellation of Week 1. Racing resumed with tight courses, short start lines and minimal margins between boats.
Race Officer Brian Jones set high-tempo racing from the outset. General recalls and close-quarters manoeuvres defined the early stages, with Fool’s Gold, Dark Side and Heroes & Villains emerging as early contenders.
Close quarters Prolines leads a tightly packed Cork Harbour 1720 fleet under pressure during RCYC Super League racing as crews hike hard in moderate breeze off Crosshaven Photo: Bob Bateman
Week 2 brought lighter conditions south of Spike Island. Probably Legal took two wins in soft breeze before Heroes & Villains responded as wind strength increased, keeping the leaderboard tight.
Going into the final day, four boats remained in contention. Racing shifted off Trabolgan in 6–7 knots, with two additional entries joining the fleet ahead of the Southern Championships.
Prolines struck first in the final series, winning the opening race. That result left Prolines, Dark Side and Heroes & Villains tied on 19 points heading into the decider.
Dark Side crossed the line first in the final race, with Prolines second and Heroes & Villains third. The finishing order forced a countback.
When results were confirmed, Rob McConnell’s Prolines secured overall victory. Brian Twomey’s Dark Side finished second, with Gary Rhodes’ Heroes & Villains third.
Prizes were presented outside the RCYC clubhouse, concluding a series defined by tight racing, variable conditions and a championship settled only after the final calculation.
Winning moment - RCYC Admiral Denis Byrne presents Rob McConnell of Prolines with 1st prize after countback victory in the tightly contested 1720 Super League in Cork Harbour
Second secured - RCYC Admiral Denis Byrne presents Brian Twomey of Dark Side with 2nd prize following consistent results in the competitive Cork Harbour 1720 Super League
Podium place - RCYC Admiral Denis Byrne presents Gary Rhodes of Heroes & Villains with 3rd prize after a close three-way title battle in the Cork Harbour 1720 Super League
| 1720 Super Series 2026 – Royal Cork Yacht Club | ||||||||||||||||
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| Sailed: 10, Discards: 2, To count: 8, Entries: 6, Scoring system: Appendix A | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Boat | Class | SailNo | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | Total | Nett |
| 1st | Fools Gold | 1720 | 1749 | WHSC | (5.0) | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | (6.0) | 1.0 | 2.0 | 28.0 | 17.0 |
| 2nd | Darkside | 1720 | IRL172020 | RCYC | 1.0 | 1.0 | (4.0) | 2.0 | (6.0) | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 27.0 | 17.0 |
| 3rd | Hero & Villians | 1720 | IRL1772 | RCYC | 2.0 | (5.0) | 3.0 | 3.0 | (5.0) | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 28.0 | 18.0 |
| 4th | Probably Legal | 1720 | 1804 | RCYC | (4.0) | 4.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | (5.0) | 31.0 | 22.0 |
| 5th | Full Bernard | 1720 | 1791 | RCYC | 3.0 | 3.0 | (5.0) | (5.0) | 2.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 40.0 | 30.0 |
| 6th | Goose | 1720 | 1804 Blue | MBSC | (6.0) | (6.0) | 6.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 56.0 | 44.0 |
