A fleet of Royal Cork Yacht Club dinghies returned to one of Cork Harbour's lesser-known traditions on Saturday when sailors raced from Coolmore on the Owenabue River back to Crosshaven.
The annual event takes competitors upriver on a rising tide to Coolmore, the historic Newenham estate on the Currabinny side of the Owenabue. The race starts near the old river crossing point before competitors make their way back downriver to the club.
While once a popular fixture on the club calendar, the event has become a less frequent sight in recent years.
Light winds made progress challenging this year. Following a short postponement, the Race Officer got the fleet underway with a brief beat across the river before an eclectic mix of dinghies drifted their way towards Crosshaven in gentle conditions.
Family Affair — Line honours winners Alex Barry and Jen Barry sail home aboard Omega with four-year-olds Max Barry and Jackson O'Leary during the Coolmore Race. Photo: Robert Bateman
The race nevertheless delivered an afternoon of family sailing and friendly competition in one of Cork Harbour's most scenic settings.
Alex Barry, sailing with Jen Barry, four-year-old Max Barry and four-year-old Jackson O'Leary, took line honours on the water.
A strong turnout of junior sailors featured among the fleet, with Optimists securing the top three places on corrected time and claiming the event trophy. However, the prizewinners had departed before the presentation and their names were unavailable at the time of writing.
The race route passes an area steeped in local history. The opposite bank carries the route of the former railway line that once served the harbour communities, remembered today in local place names such as French Furze and Aghnamarta.
Though modest in scale, the Coolmore Race remains a reminder of the Royal Cork's long-standing connection with the rivers, creeks and sheltered waters of Cork Harbour.
