Royal Cork Yacht Club Marina has won International Marina of the Year 2018 at the London Boat Show.

The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) announced the winners of their prestigious NMU Marina of the Year Awards on Thursday evening (11 January) at the new five-day London Boat Show 2018.

Gavin Deane, General Manager at the Royal Cork Yacht Club, commented upon receiving the award for International Marina of the Year: “We are delighted to receive such a significant award from TYHA, having been runner up in this category last year it spurred us on to improve our standards even further over the last 12 months.

“The receipt of this award is as a result of the hard work of the Executive Committee and Club Staff since the Royal Cork attained the Five Gold Anchor Status in late 2011.

This award means so much to everyone at the Club as it is voted for by our berth holders and visiting boats.” 

Royal Cork Yacht Club's marina (foreground) full to capacity during the staging of its biennial Cork Week Regatta. Photo:Bob Bateman

Now in their fifth year, the Awards, sponsored in 2018 by specialist insurer, NMU, are special because they are voted for by berth holders. They recognise the best of over 160 Gold Anchor accredited marinas from across the globe.

The NMU Marina of the Year 2018 winners and runners up were:

International Marina of the Year 2018

Winner – Royal Cork Yacht Club, Ireland
Runner up – Marina de Vilamoura, Portugal

UK Coastal Marina of the Year 2018 (over 250 berths)

Winner – St Helier Marina, Jersey
Runner up – Royal Quays Marina, England

UK Coastal Marina of the Year 2018 (under 250 berths)

Winner – Inverness Marina, Scotland
Runner up – Poole Quay Boat Haven, England

UK Inland Marina of the Year 2018

Winner – Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina, England
Runner up – Overwater Marina, England

Superyacht Marina of the year 2018

Winner – The Pavilion Marina at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Runner up – Palmarina Bodrum, Turkey

Simon Haigh, Chairman of The Yacht Harbour Association, a group association within British Marine, gave his praise to all the marinas involved: “Many congratulations to all the winners and runners up in the NMU Marina of the Year Awards 2018. These awards have built huge momentum since they were introduced and really mean something because it is marina customers who are voting for their marinas, recognising the excellence of facilities provided and the level of service which they receive.

“The winners have been endorsed by their customers in the best possible way, to become Marina of the Year in their respective categories, which must be a hugely motivating and satisfying achievement. I would like to commend everyone involved and pass on our best wishes for the 2018 boating season.”

Commenting on their UK Coastal Marina (over 250 berths) category award, Mike Tait, Group Leisure Manager for Jersey Marinas said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won this award, especially as it is voted for by our customers. Although we are small in number each and every one of the team takes an enormous pride and pleasure in looking after our marina guests.

“To receive such recognition from the prestigious The Yacht Harbour Association is a true reflection of the dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism consistently demonstrated by the Jersey Marinas Team and we would like to thank everyone who voted for us”.

David Findlay, Marina Manager at Inverness Marina responded to their award for UK Coastal Marina of the Year (under 250 berths): “We were all very surprised and pleased to hear that we had won the award. We would like to thank all our customers that took the time to vote for us and we look forward to providing the same friendly service and welcome to all those who choose to berth their boats at Inverness Marina, and to all the ever increasing numbers of visiting yachts passing through in the summer months 

“This is the icing on the cake on top of our four gold anchors, and with further developments planned we hope to improve our facilities even more to become a five gold anchor marina.”

Robert Parton, Managing Director at Church Minshull Aqueduct Marina, this year’s winner of the inland marina category commented: “We are delighted to have won the Inland Marina of the Year 2018 award. In an increasingly competitive market where customers have plenty of choice of marinas and moorings around the inland network, it is particularly rewarding to win an award that is a result of boat owners’ votes. Our thanks go to all those who voted for Aqueduct Marina, The Yacht Harbour Association for organising the award and to NMU for sponsoring the competition.” 

Liyanage Kithsiri, Marina Manager, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Marina, on receiving the Superyacht Marina Award said: “We are delighted to win this prestigious award, which demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest standards of customer service and safety. We would like to thank all of our loyal marina members for their ongoing support as well as Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Dubai Holding for their commitment to quality.”

Joe McCarthy, Marine Trade Underwriting Manager at awards sponsor NMU commented on the awards and NMU’s involvement: “To be recognised by their berth holders for consistently delivering a first class service is testament to each marina and their staff. All the winners and runners up today should be rightly proud of these awards.

“As multiple winners of insurance industry service awards ourselves, NMU really value the achievement of winning an award which is voted for entirely by your own customers.

“NMU are specialist insurers to the marine industry and we are proud sponsors of the NMU Marina Of The Year awards.”

To commemorate their achievement, winners and runners up of the Awards were presented with etched glass trophies and framed certificates by NMU company director, Nick Limb.

Jon White, General Manager of The Yacht Harbour Association, summed up the awards for 2018: “Yet again the competition for these much coveted awards was fierce. The winners, runners up and all the marinas voted for in this year’s NMU Marina of the Year competition deserve a huge round of applause. Right across the UK and around the world we are seeing marinas rise to the challenge of meeting the modern berth holder’s needs, ensuring they receive both excellent facilities and services.”

Former Cork Port Harbour Master Pat Farnan will take over as the next Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club Crosshaven at its annual general meeting on Monday, January 22. He has been Vice-Admiral, writes Tom MacSweeney.

John Roche, who has served 10 years on the club’s Executive Committee, will tell members at the meeting that plans are taking shape for the 2020 three-hundredth anniversary of the club.

Plans have been drawn up for refurbishment of the club premises with an investment of €100,000 which the members will be asked to approve. Work is underway on refurbishing and improving dressing rooms areas at present.

“We have had a good year,” Roche says in a message to members. “There is a positive buzz around the club and all the signs are that this is set to continue. Growing membership numbers and greater participation in both dinghy and cruiser racing augurs well for the future.”

Santa Claus was out sailing for the final day of the O’Leary Insurances Winter League on Sunday, 10th December writes Class 1 Captain Ria Lyden. He travelled All the way from Schull HSC and was crewing aboard Shelly D with Michael Murphy. His elves had also been given the day off to go sailing and their red and white bobble hats were much in evidence in the fleet.

It was just as well that Santa was wearing his red merino wool waterproof suit. Bracing might be a good word to describe the weather. It was overcast, but with the sun breaking through occasionally and the odd drop of rain in a very cool, squally wind of 15 to 20 knots. The wind was in the west south west for most of the race, but it veered to slightly north of west before the race finished. It was a neap tide and the ebb was augmented by the ‘fresh’ in the River after Saturday night’s very heavy rain.

As Afloat.ie previously reported, going into Sunday’s race Coracle IV (Kieran Collins) and No Excuse (Ted Crosbie) were level on points, leading the series, and T-Bone (Tom Durcan/Clive O’Shea) was lying third, but the day’s results could change all of that. It was all to play for.

With Santa watching, and checking his list, everyone was on their best behaviour at the start at Corkbeg and the fleet got away cleanly on the first attempt, making life easier for Race Officers Clem and Wendy McElligott. T-Bone got a good start and got to No 8 first, closely followed by Nieulargo (Denis Murphy), Coracle IV, Dark Side (Robin O’Mahony) and Heroes and Villains (Gary Rhodes). Jelly Baby (Brian Jones) and No Excuse were next. The fleet was starting to spread out on the run to No 9 and the leg to No 20. In spite of the strong ebb, most boats got to No 20 without a tack by sailing across the Spit Bank and ballast stones. This had skippers watching their echo sounders and thinking ‘if there is enough water for Nieulargo, there is enough for us’.

Nieulargo rounded first and set a spinnaker. T-Bone (Tom Durkan/Clive O’Shea) followed her around and then had some sort of spinnaker misshap because, the next time we looked, they were heading back towards No 20. Coracle IV and Dark Side took the opportunity to overtake. T-Bone had ground to make up on the fetch to Corkbeg and beat Cage. The wind had shifted a little north of west as the leaders were broad reaching out to No 3. It was Coracle IV’s turn to experience a problem - a slow spinnaker drop and head sail set, which gave the chasing boats a chance to close the gap.

There was a short beat back to Cage. Nieulargo finished first. T-Bone was second with Coracle IV only six seconds behind. Only seconds separated the next group of boats also - Dark Side, Alpaca, Heroes and Villians and Jelly Baby. Crucially, No Excuse finished only 3 minutes and 20 seconds behind Coracle IV.
As we warmed up in the bar after the race, eating the mince pies which Anne Lordan was handing round, and sipping hot drinks, we checked the results web page but it had not been updated. Kieran O’Connell kept up the suspense until the prize-giving.

The beautiful turned wood, Irish Mist trophy, presented in memory of Archie O’Leary for first place in the All-In series on IRC handicap, had been won by No Excuse. They really had a superb series with a win and four second places. Coracle IV was a close second and T-Bone were third. Coracle IV was first in All-In ECHO handicap, with No Excuse second and Sea Dragon third.

There was a ding dong battle for overall prizes at Royal Cork Yacht Club's O'Leary Insurances Winter League in Cork Harbour on Sunday won out by Ted and Tom Crosbie in the X-302, No Excuse writes Bob Bateman.

A festive spirit and 20–knot north–westerly winds brought the league to a buoyant close that followed an equally upbeat SCORA agm at RCYC at the weekend. More details and a podcast with Kieran O'Connell here.

No Excuse won the all–in 29–boat IRC division by one point having finished second in the final race to Coracle IV's (Kieran Collins) third place.

Coracle IV won the Echo division by a bigger margin.

Results are here

A cold but dry race started at seven degrees but by the finish had dropped to a chilly two degrees. 

Race officers Clem and Wendy Mc Elligott Started from a Comitee boat at Cork beg with a Beat to No.8 buoy from there up to Cobh and then out of the harbour to No.3 buoy. Two rounds were sailed.

After a few negative years, resulting in some despondency about the future of cruiser racing, the annual meeting of SCORA, the South Coast Offshore Racing Association, had a more positive atmosphere, with a good attendance of skippers, boat owners and club representatives and quite a few practical suggestions about driving the racing scene forward.

SCORA Commodore Kieran O’Connell, who is also Rear Commodore for Keelboats at the Royal Cork YC in Crosshaven, has been talking up the levels of participation in the racing scene, so I was interested to find out if this was the case at the meeting.

In fact, it seemed to be so and was reflected with a wide-ranging debate, from developing Class 4 for the smallest boats, to bring more people into racing, to the length of races, a desire for more racing amongst Cork Harbour sailors outside of the harbour confines, developing more inter-club racing and how to bridge the gap where young sailors are lost to the sport, between dinghy racing and cruisers.

2017 Scora winners at RCYC Photo Bob Bateman

This practicality was reflected in a debate about the often contentious issue of boat handicaps. There was general agreement that the concentration on handicapping should primarily be at club level, where it could best be used to stimulate more participation locally and strengthen the clubs. Where boats wanted a national handicap to race in other locations, that would have to take account of and dealt with, but the emphasis should be in the clubs.

There was also a desire expressed for longer duration races, because shorter races discouraged participation.

Encouraging young people to move on from dinghies to cruiser racing was debated. “We are not getting enough young people from dinghies into cruiser racing,” was a generally agreed view. There is no obvious solution to this, but it was agreed that to encourage younger sailors into cruisers they had to be given specific roles aboard boats, not just brought onto a boat “to sit on the rail.”

Some things don’t change, but this meeting indicated that there is a lot of positive change and a better future ahead, it seems, for cruiser racing, which SCORA Commodore Kieran O’Connell says is on the increase, with more boats racing in the past season than previously.

Listen to Kieran O’Connell on my weekly Podcast below

The 2018 Notice of Race for Volvo Cork Week, which will take place at the Royal Cork Yacht Club from the 16th to the 21st of July, 2018 has been published (and is downloadable below)

A Super Early Bird entry rate until December 30th where a lucky 10% of entries received before the deadline will get a full refund on their entry fee.

2016 saw a revived interest in the Club’s biennial regatta, which has been going strong since 1978. For its 40 year anniversary in 2018, RCYC is launching an all new format where competitors can pick a choose which element of the week that they wish to attend, giving the options for one, two, or three days racing, or go all in for the full Volvo Cup.

Cork Week organiser Kieran O'Connell told Afloat.ie 'We are also holding a number of One Design Class Championships during the week with racing for these classes on Thursday 19th, Friday 20th and Saturday 21st. If your class would like to be part of this, and benefit from the great entertainment that will be laid on for the week, please get in touch'.

The Beaufort Cup returns in 2018 and with entry level already surpassing 2016 it is gearing up to be a great success. Three English teams have already committed to take on the challenge and there’s also interest from Wales, America, France and Northern Ireland. Download the Beaufort Cup Notice of Race here.

The new Offshore Series on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th will attract boats from all over to compete in the challenging over night Fastnet race and in the shorter day race Wreck series for the smaller boats.

The online entry system is now live and RCYC is running a Super Early Bird entry until December 30th where a lucky 10% of entries received before the deadline will get a full refund on their entry fee.

Connor Phelan's Jump juice will be among the winners saluted tonight at the South Coast Offshore Racing Association (SCORA) agm and prizegiving that will be held in the Royal Cork Yacht Club at 7.45pm writes Bob Bateman.

Cruiser–racer fortunes are on the up in Cork harbour according to SCORA Commodore Kieran O'Connell who gave a recent confident forecast that fleet numbers are on the 'way back'.

Tom McCarthy's Whistling Dixie was third in ECHO White Sails division. Photo: Bob Bateman

Conor Phelan's Jump juice is among the winners at SCORA tonight Photo: Bob Bateman

As well as Phelan's Class Zero and One victory, among tonight's other highlights is Tom Roche's first in ECHO in the same division with Kinsale Yacht Club entry Meridian.

RCYC entry Bad Company (Desmond, Ivers) was the IRC two winner with Waterford Harbour yacht Slack Alice skippered by Shane Statham second.

Kinsale Yacht Club entry Meridian (Tom Roche) Photo: Bob Bateman

Dan Buckley's Justus (yellow spinnaker) was third in IRC Zero Photo: Bob Bateman

A full list of prizewinners are below.

Among the matters for discussion at tonight' meeting will be the perennial question of Class Bands for handicapping. This is because the IRC certs change and consequently bands need updating on a regular basis.

Waterford Harbour Sailing Club's Flyover, a Sigma 33, skippered by David Marchant was the IRC 3 winner Photo: Bob Bateman

Agenda

1. Finance
2. SCORA Leagues
3. Combine club league in Cork
4. Class handicap bands for 2018
5. ICRA Training Grants
6. ICRA Crew Point
7. AOB
8. Prize Giving

List of 2017 prizewinners: Scora league

Jump juice             Connor Phelan         1^st IRC 0/1           2^nd Echo

Meridian               Tom Roche               1^st Echo 0/1        2^rd Echo  

Justus                     Dan Buckley               3^rd IRC 0/1           3^rd Echo        

Slack Alice             Shane Statham         2^nd IRC 2             3^rd Echo

Bad Company     Desmond,Ivers           1^st IRC 2             2^nd Echo

Artful Dodger       Finbarr O Regan       1^st Echo 2             3^rd IRC

Cracker                 Denis Byrne               3^rd Echo 3

Ye Gotta Wanna Dave Lane and Sinead Enright             3^rd IRC 3

No Gnomes         Leonard Donnery       2^nd IRC 3           2^nd Echo

Flyover               David Marchant         1^st IRC 3             1^st Echo

Nieulargo            Denis Murphy          1^st IRC W/S 1       2^nd Echo

Indulgence           Aidan Heffernan       1^st Echo W/S 1     2nd IRC

Magnet                 Kieran O Brien             3^rd IRC W/S 1    3^rd Echo

Prometheus         Paul Murray                 1^st IRC W/S 2      

Bandit                   Richard Leonard         2^nd IRC W/S 2    2^nd Echo

Whistling Dixie   Tom Mc Carthy            3^rd Echo W/S 2

Aramis                   Pat Vaughan              1^st Echo W/S 2     2^nd IRC

Scora Cork Harbour league

Alpacca                Paul Tingle                         1^st all in IRC

No Gnomes         Leonard Donnery             1^st all in Echo

Indulgance           Aidan   Heffernan             1^st W/S IRC

Sea Dragon           Frank Caul                         1^st W/S Echo

There is a possibility that Cork Harbour could see more active inter-club racing next season.

Following the successful initial inter-club racing this past season between Monkstown Bay and Cove Sailing Clubs, there are to be meetings with the RCYC about the possibility of the Crosshaven-based club joining the existing duo next season, reports Tom MacSweeney. That would probably be based around Friday night whitesail racing. MBSC cruisers race whitesail only and the concept also has good support in Cobh. The RCYC reserves Fridays for whitesail only. The initial consideration is towads perhaps one race a month, starting from a central point in the harbour. That was tried for general cruiser racing a few seasons ago but wasn’t successful.

While the three clubs support each other’s annual ‘At Home’ regattas, the possibility of an all-harbour-clubs league throughout the season would add to the revived interest in cruiser racing which was discussed here.

A ‘Great Ocean Race,’ the possibility of the oldest single-handed Transatlantic race, the Transat, having one of its legs into and form Cork; a ‘Great Gathering’ of cruisers with ‘feeder’ events form several countries, a ‘Water Club Invitational Cup’ event that would recall the start of sailing in Cork Harbour by the ‘Water Club’ – are amongst the plans being developed at the RCYC in Crosshaven to mark its 300th anniversary in 2020. The Naval Service will be involved, fittingly as the original founders of what has become the RCYC, were based at Haulbowline. A Presidential visit and Salute by Naval vessels visiting during the sailing season of 2020, a Classic Gathering and events to involve the harbour communities are amongst the plans.

“In 1720, interest in the sport of sailing had progressed so much that 26-year-old William O’Brien, the 9th Lord Inchiquin and five of his friends got together to formalise their activities and in so doing established ‘The Water Club of the Harbour of Cork.’ This club is known today as the Royal Cork Yacht Club and it is the oldest yacht club in the world,” says the RCYC history. As people in Cobh will tell you, they enabled Crosshaven to establish its credentials when the then RCYC in Cobh merged with the Royal Munster YC at Crosshaven. Monkstown has also laid claim to helping the RCYC maintain that long history.

There was a competitive air to today's Royal Cork Yacht Club racing in light westerly breezes at Cork Harbour writes Bob Bateman.

Topper and Laser dinghies enjoyed short course racing as part of the final round of RCYC's winter frostbite series for junior sailors who enjoyed the season's junior prizegiving at the clubhouse too this weekend.Tight racing for Toppers Photo: Bob Bateman

Overall, it was a very positive scene that echoes the sentiments of RCYC Rear Admiral Kieran O'Connell who has blown the bugle for cruiser racing in the harbour. Likewise, dinghy numbers are also positive as recently described by RCYC Rear Admiral, Stephen O'Shaugnessy here.

The keelboat course for the fourth race of the O'Leary Insurance Group Winter League was from a committee boat start under race officers Clem and Wendy McElligott.

The course sailed was No8 (S) No10 (S) EF4 (P) (East Ferry) No20 (P) EF2 (S) No10 (P) Corlbeg (S) and a Finish at Cage.

This event is an all–in league including the. start. Overall results are worked out for IRC and ECHO as well as separate class divisions.

Racing in the fourth race of the O'Leary League today. Photo: Bob Bateman

In IRC One division, the X302, No Excuse, has had three different helms in the series so far and Tom Crosbie, sailing with son Patrick and brother Andrew, still leads by a point. Kieran Collins skippering the Olson 30, Coracle IV, seems to have to work very hard to sail to his handicap but the recent American yacht was rewarded today with a win overall in IRC to be placed second overall.

Equally competitive were the white sail fleets with two Impalas on five points each in WS 2 ECHO.

The smaller boats sailed over the bank on the beat from EF4 to No 20, off Cobh, to dodge the worst of the ebb tide.

Full results are here

Addtional reporting from RCYC

The November Frostbite dinghy Series and Bill Jones Memorial Trophy came to a conclusion this afternoon with two races completed by PRO David O’Brien and his team – Celine McGrath and Stephen O’Shaughnessy.  The morning started with very light breeze but filled in and the sailors had 8 – 13 knots on the Curlane Bank with an ebbing tide.

Caoimhe Foster caused an upset to Chris Bateman’s string of series bullets in the first race, however, Chris returned to his winning ways in the second race of the day to secure 1st Place in the Radial Fleet.  Caoimhe Foster was 2nd and Conor Walsh 3rd.

In the 4.7 Fleet – only 3 points separated the top two going into the final day and Atlee Kohl held his three point lead by securing a first and third.  Conor Horgan kept his 2nd overall and Tom Good from Kinsale Yacht Club came 3rd.

This is the first year that there have been Topper 4.2 rigs racing in the Frostbites.  Well done to Joe O’Sullivan 1st, Fearghal Desmond 2nd and Vicky McDonnell Lettice 3rd.

The Topper 5.3 Rigs were the largest fleet competing in the Frostbites and it was great to see a strong fleet join us from Kinsale.  In the Silver Fleet another win for the Foster house with Cillian Foster taking home 1st, Oisin MacSweeney 2nd and Neil O’Leary 3rd.  In Gold Fleet – Jonathan O’Shaughnessy finished with a five point lead to come 1st, Dorothy Matthews 2nd and David Jones 3rd.

The prize giving was held in the Upstairs Bar directly after the sailors had some hot chocolate and thawed out!.  Stephen O’Shaughnessy thanked all the sailors with particular mention to the visiting sailors from Kinsale Yacht Club.  

The Junior Laying Up Supper celebrated a fantastic year afloat for Royal Cork youth sailing on Saturday.

Afloat.ie's photo gallery is below.