O'Keefe's Tux Wins Royal Cork Race

13th May 2011

Mary O'Keefes' Tux, an X-332, was the winner of last night's IRC class one fleet in Cork Harbour, a night of perfect sailing conditions reports Hugh Mockler. In class two Kieran and Liz O'Brien's Magnet, an MG335, scored a second race win to lead overall after the second race of the season. Full Results below.

Short legs and plenty of mark roundings and a WNW breeze of 15 to 18 knots with flat water and sunshine made for a great night's sailing at Royal Cork Yacht Club.

There were over 20 boats racing in the McWilliam Sailmakers May league. Class 1 started at 19.00hrs, then Class 2 & 3 at 19.05 and then the White Sail at 19.10.

Race Officer was Edmund Cogan (National 18 sailor) with the help of his team. The combnined fleet started at Corkbeg and the firt leg was a beat to No.8, staying on the Eastern side of the course seemed to pay off.

The tide was ebbing with low water at 20.00hrs but for neap tides, there was still a good flow out of the harbour.

Adding an extra complication to race tactics was a cable laying tug in the middle of the course with yellow marker buoys around it, marking an exclusion zone. 'Do we go North or South?' was the decision skippers had to make.

Far easier was remembering the course; all the marks were to starboard.

After No.8 there was a short reach to No.10. After No.10 the fleet headed for No.7 before a gybe back to Corkbeg.

Spinnakers came down at Corkbeg and a close-hauled reach across the harbour to the Cage Buoy off the Grassy Walk line.

After that there was another reach back the way we came to Corkbeg, with big debates whether to carry a kite or not. .

The fleet rounded Corbeg and then reached close-hauled once again back to the finish line at the Grassy Walk.

Main results below

Class One IRC

Series Place	Sail No	Boat	Type of Boat	Owner	Handicap	Series Points	Race 1	Race 2
1	IRL3209	Endgame	A35	Frank Doyle	1.031	5	1	4
2	IRL6021	Ellida	X332	Ria Lyden	0.986	5	3	2
3	IRL8991	Exhale	X362 Sport	Diarmuid & Hilda Good	1.024	7	2	5
4	IRL892	Tux	X332	Mary O'Keeffe	0.981	8	7	1
5	IRL2003	Gloves Off	Corby 38	Kieran Twomey	1.115	10	7	3
6	IRL7290	Felix	X332	Michael Wallace	0.981	11	4	7
7	IRL2805	Indulgence	Dufour 36	Aidan Heffernan	1.023	13	7	6
8	IRL1367	Endeavour	First 36.7	Conor & Denise Phelan	1.009	16	7	9
8	IRL2007	Jump Juice	Ker 37	C & D Phelan	1.105	16	7	9
8	IRL3939	Antix	Ker 39	Anthony O'Leary	1.129	16	7	9
8	IRL4430	Samba	Sunfast 40.3	John Downing	1.030	16	7	9
8	IRL9609	Jelly Baby	J109	Ian Nagle & Paul O'Malley	1.029	16	7	9
8	IRL9834	True Penance	Projection 35 Mod	Colman Garvey & Martin Darrer		16	7	9
8	IRL13500	D-Tox	X35	Donal O'Leary		16	7	9
8	IRL17200	Antix Beag	1720 Mod	Robert O'Leary	1.005	16	7	9

Class Two IRC

Series Place	Sail No	Boat	Type of Boat	Owner	Handicap	Series Points	Race 1	Race 2
1	GBR9896	Magnet	MG335	Kieran & Liz O'Brien	0.945	2	1	1
2	IRL9732	Wicked	Sunfast 32	Mark Mendell	0.940	5	2	3
3	IRL16859	Bad Company	Sunfast 32	Desmond, Ivers & Deasy	0.939	8	6	2
4	IRL1022	Aramis	Contessa 33	Pat Vaughan	0.929	8	4	4
5	IRL78	No Gnomes	Nicholson 33 mod	Leonard Donnery	0.910	11	3	8
6	IRL1972	No Excuse	X 302 MK2	Ted Crosbie	0.931	11	6	5
7	IRL1193	Catalpa	First 31.7	Derry Nash	0.955	12	5	7
8	IRL6676	Y-Knot	First 32S5	Pat Barrett & Cathal Conlon	0.933	14	8	6
9	GBR7525	Thunderbird	Corby 25	Denis Coleman	0.940	19	8	11
9	IRL2005	Gosling	First 31.7	Gerard O'Sullivan	0.955	19	8	11
9	IRL2525	Yanks $ Ffrancs	Corby 25	Vincent O'Shea	0.938	19	8	11
9	IRL3492	Big Deal	Dehler 34	Derek Dillon	0.925	19	8	11
9	IRL3651	Aisling	Dufour 36	Bryan Heffernan	0.933	19	8	11
9	IRL3861	Cavatina	Granada 38	Ian Hickey	0.928	19	8	11
9	IRL9187	Aurora	Corby 25	Ronan Lydon	0.935	19	8	11
9	IRL9992	Split Point	Dufour 34 Performance	Seamus Gilroy	0.966	19	8	11

White Sail IRC

Series Place	Sail No	Boat	Type of Boat	Owner	Handicap	Series Points	Race 1	Race 2
1	IRL3691W	Silk Breeze	Dehler 36	Ernie Dillon	0.927	2	1	1
2	IRL3612W	Sweet Dreams	Sun Odyssey 36i	Batt O'Leary	0.982	6	2	4
3	IRL2510W	Lady T	Jeanneau 32i	Michael Lynch	0.940	6	3	3
4	GBR1786YW	Thistle	Hustler 25.5	Peter Webster	0.805	7	5	2
5	IRL3610W	Elegance	Sun Odyssey 36i	Paul O'Shea	0.963	11	4	7
6	IRL1022W	Aramis	Contessa 33	Pat Vaughan	0.920	14	7	7
6	IRL1950W	X-Tension	X-372MH	Conor O'Donovan	0.952	14	7	7
6	IRL2005W	Gosling	Beneteau 31.7	Ger O'Sulllivan	0.945	14	7	7
6	IRL2406W	Expression	Jeaneau 30	Billy Duane	0.868	14	7	7
6	IRL3492W	Big Deal	Dehler 34	Derek Dillon	0.915	14	7	7
6	IRL3651W	Aisling	Dufour 365	Brian Heffernan	0.930	14	7	7
6	IRL3861W	Cavatina	Granada 38	Ian Hickey	0.913	14	7	7
6	IRL9992W	Split Point	Dufour 34	Seamus Gilroy	0.955	14	7	7

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Royal Cork Yacht Club

Royal Cork Yacht Club lays claim to the title of the world's oldest yacht club, founded in 1720.

It is currently located in Crosshaven, Co. Cork, Ireland and is Cork Harbour’s largest yacht club and the biggest sailing club on the south coast of Ireland.

The club has an international reputation for the staging of sailing events most notable the biennial world famous Cork Week Regatta.

In 2020 RCYC celebrated its tricentenary under its Admiral Colin Morehead.

Royal Cork Yacht Club FAQs

What is the Royal Cork Yacht Club?

The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in the world, and celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2020. It is one of the World’s leading yacht clubs, and is in the forefront of all branches of sailing activity. It is the organiser of the biennial Cork Week, widely regarded as Europe’s premier sailing event. It has hosted many National, European and World Championships. Its members compete at the highest level in all branches of sailing, and the club has a number of World, Olympic, continental and national sailors among its membership.

Where is the Royal Cork Yacht Club based?

The Royal Cork Yacht club is in Crosshaven, Co Cork, a village on lower Cork Harbour some 20km south-east of Cork city centre and on the Owenabue river that flows into Cork Harbour.

When was the Royal Cork Yacht Club founded?

The club was founded as The Water Club of the Harbour of Cork in 1720, in recognition of the growing popularity of private sailing following the Restoration of King Charles II. The monarch had been known to sail a yacht on the Thames for pleasure, and his interest is said to have inspired Murrough O’Brien, the 6th Lord Inchiquin — who attended his court in the 1660s and whose grandson, William O’Brien, the 9th Lord Inchiquin, founded the club with five friends.Originally based on Haulbowline Island in inner Cork Harbour, the club moved to nearby Cobh (then Cove) in 1806, and took on its current name in 1831. In 1966 the club merged with the Royal Munster Yacht Club and moved to its current premises in Crosshaven.

What does the Royal Cork Yacht Club do?

The Royal Cork Yacht Club today encompasses a wide variety of sailing activities, from young kids in their Optimist dinghies sailing right through the winter months to the not-so-young kids racing National 18s and 1720s during the remaining nine months. There is also enthusiastic sailing in Toppers, Lasers, RS Fevas and other dinghies. The larger keelboats race on various courses set in and around the Cork Harbour area for club competitions. They also take part in events such as the Round Ireland Race, Cowes Week and the Fastnet Race. In many far off waters, right across the globe, overseas club members proudly sail under the Royal Cork burger. The club has a significant number of cruising members, many of whom are content to sail our magnificent south and west coasts. Others head north for the Scottish islands and Scandinavia. Some go south to France, Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean. The more adventurous have crossed the Atlantic, explored little known places in the Pacific and Indian Oceans while others have circumnavigated the globe.

Who are the flag officers of the Royal Cork Yacht Club?

As of November 2020, the Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club is Colin Morehead, with Kieran O’Connell as Vice-Admiral. The club has three Rear-Admirals: Annamarie Fegan for Dinghies, Daragh Connolly for Keelboats and Mark Rider for Cruising.

How many members does the Royal Cork Yacht Club have?

As of November 2020, the Royal Cork Yacht Club has approximately 1,800 members.

What are the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s burgee and ensign?

The Royal Cork Yacht Club’s burgee is a red pennant with the heraldic badge of Ireland (a stylised harp topped with a crown) at its centre. The club’s ensign has a navy blue field with the Irish tricolour in its top left corner and the heraldic badge centred on its right half.

Does the Royal Cork Yacht Club organise racing?

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club organises and runs sailing events and courses for members and visitors all throughout the year and has very active keelboat and dinghy racing fleets. The club also hosts many National, European and World Championships, as well as its biennial Cork Week regatta — widely regarded as Europe’s premier sailing event.

Does the Royal Cork Yacht Club cater for youth sailing?

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club has an active junior section with sailing in Optimists, Toppers and other dinghies.

Does the Royal Cork Yacht Club cater for sail training?

Charles Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club regularly runs junior sailing courses covering basic skills, certified by Irish Sailing.

What sailing classes does the Royal Cork Yacht Club host?

The Royal Cork hosts both keelboats and dinghies, with the 1720 Sportsboat — the club’s own design — and National 18 among its most popular. Optimists and Toppers are sailed by juniors, and the club regularly sees action in Lasers, RS Fevas, 29ers and other dinghy classes.

Does the Royal Cork Yacht Club have its own fleet?

The Royal Cork Yacht Club has a small fleet of 1720 Sportsboats available for ordinary members to charter.

What facilities does the Royal Cork Yacht Club have?

The Royal Cork Yacht Club’s Club House office can provide phone, fax, email, internet and mail holding facilities for a small charge. Club merchandise and postcards may be purchased. Showers and toilet facilities are available 24 hours a day, free of charge. Parking is plentiful and free of charge. Diesel and petrol are available on site. Marina berths are generally available for a fee payable in advance; arrangements must be made before arrival.

Does the Royal Cork Yacht Club have a bar and/or dining facilities?

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s Club House has all of the usual facilities, including bars and restaurant, which are open during normal licensing hours. The restaurant provides a full range of meals, and sandwiches, snacks etc, are available on request.

What are the opening hours of the Royal Cork Yacht Club?

Normal working hours during the sailing season at the Royal Cork Yacht Club are 9am to 9pm daily. For enquiries contact the RCYC office on 021 483 1023 or email [email protected]

Does the Royal Cork Yacht Club host functions such as weddings, parties or corporate events?

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club caters for all types of events rom weddings, anniversaries, christenings and birthday celebrations to corporate meetings, breakfast meetings, luncheons, private dinners and more. For enquiries contact the Royal Cork Yacht Club office on 021 483 1023 or email [email protected]

How do I become a member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club?

New members are invited to apply for membership of the Royal Cork Yacht Club by completing the Nomination Form (available from www.royalcork.com/membership) and returning it to The Secretary, Royal Cork Yacht Club, Crosshaven Co Cork. Nominations are first approved by the Executive Committee at its next meeting, and following a period on display for the members, and are reviewed again at the following meeting at which any objections are considered.

Do I need to own a boat to become a member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club?

No; while ordinary members of the Royal Cork Yacht Club are usually boat owners, there is no requirement to own a boat when submitting an application for membership.

How much does it cost to join the Royal Cork Yacht Club?

The annual feel for ordinary members (aged 30+) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club is €645. Family membership (two full members and all children aged 29 and under) is €975, while individuals youth (ages 19-29) and cadet (18 and under) memberships are €205. Other rates are available for seniors, associates and more. All fees quoted are as of the 2020 annual subscription rates.