The Naval Service's Sailing Training Vessel Creidne cuts a great pose sailing in Cork Harbour on page three of the Autumn issue of Afloat. The refurbished 47-footer is now in full use by the Naval Service as a training vessel for naval personnel and is consequently a common sight sailing off the Haulbowline base.

No Sail Training Programme because of Government cut backs

Although Creidne, built in 1967, undertook a limited sail training cruise programme in 2009, the programme was shelved when Creidne became a casualty of the Government's decision to discontinue the Sail Training Scheme operated by Coiste an Asgard.  The Defence Forces have asked us to point out that the sail training programme, that took up to eight trainees, has been stopped even if the Autumn Afloat article may have given the impression that the Creidne is still carrying out this function. Apologies for any confusion.

Creidne sailing gallery here

 

 

 

There may be a forecast for torrential rain and the first October frosts for the coming days but today, with the wonderful sailing conditions in Crosshaven, all that may have applied to another world but certainly not to Cork harbour writes Claire Bateman.

Whitesail 1 and Whitesail 2 together with Classes 3 and 4 were sailing in the harbour today and after a somewhat quiet start the wind built from the south south west during the day and remained steady throughout racing in the O'Flynn Exhams sponsored league. With the enthusiasm there is now for whitesail 1 and whitesail 2 and the consistent increasing of numbers in these classes it is obvious they are going to have a major part to play in future events. In Class 4 it was interesting to see Michael Murphy's Shelly D taking first in IRC on the day as it is something he always maintained couldn't be done. In Class 3 the rivalry between the Dorgan family's No Half Measures and Ian Travers' Bandit was renewed, Bandit getting the better of the Dorgans on the day.

Although Afloat's photographer Bob Bateman was not on the rsce course today he flew over it on a separate assignment in the area and managed a brief bird's eye view of the racing.

Outside the harbour midway between the Harp Mark and Roche's Point Pascal Healy's committee boat was on station with Race Officer Richard Leonard and they were half way through the sequence when the wind shifted and there was a postponement while they altered the course. Here the wind was building during the day to between 18 to 20 knots causing some of the yachts to change to number 2 headsails.

At the time of prize giving Yanks $ fFrancs and No Excuse were in the protest room so that result has been held over until next week.

It has been confirmed that last week John Downing's Samba lost portion of her rudder and it appears likely she will miss the remainder of the series. That's tough at this stage but, as miracles do sometime happen, perhaps he may be lucky and get back in time. All will be known tomorrow when she will be lifted out for inspection.

In IRC 0 Jump Juice with Conor Phelan on helm got the better of Kieran and Brian Twomey's Gloves Off while the in the 1720 extremely competitive class Brian Hassett's Dark Side got the better of Denis Murphy's Aquatack and in IRC 1 David Scott's unstoppable EOS got the better of Martin Darrer's True Penance.

Portuguese-flagged Ocean Countess (1976/17,593grt) returned to Dublin Port from Vigo, this morning after completing a 10-night Iberian and Morocco cruise. She embarks on another direct cruise from the capital today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

With a short-turn around in port, more cruise-goers will be boarding for a mid-afternoon departure, marking the start of a 13-night Canary Islands & Madeira cruise. When she heads out of the port, the first port of call is Falmouth then it's off to Leixoes (Portugal), Agadir (Morocco), Arrecife (Lanzarote), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Funchal (Madeira), Lisbon (Portugal) and Vigo (Spain) before returning to Dublin.

The vessels final end-of season cruise from Dublin is on 25 October, with a 10-night cruise to Nice (returning by air). The interim ports of call are to Falmouth, Leixoes, Lisbon, Cartagena (Spain) Palma and Mahon (Menorca). To read more about this cruise click HERE.

In addition to Dublin calls the former Cunard Countess, also called this season to Cork Harbour. It was during a call last month to Ringaskiddy that another 'Cunarder' the flagship, Queen Mary 2 was also in port on a call to Cobh. To read more of that visit click HERE.

Phase one of a planned 300-berth marina facility in Monkstown Co. Cork, aptly named 'Cork Harbour Marina', is Ireland's newest coastal marina and is offering all year round berthing facilities for pleasure craft.

The new addition to the seaside village is in a sheltered location on the western bank of the River Lee in an area very popular for boating activities.

The new marina at Monkstown in Cork harbour

Accordng to the marina website a grant secured from SECAD (South East Area Development) assisted in the development of the marina and it is claimed the new facility will allow a wider range of people to get afloat in Cork Harbour, the second biggest natural harbour in the world.

Annual and long-term lets are now being taken.

Plans include promoting sailing in the area to older people, people with disabilities and for some less active men and women to get involved on the basis 'it is far easier and safer for such sailors to access their boats from a pontoon than a swinging mooring', the marina website says.

The new facility can accomodate boats up to 17m and consists of an outer perimeter of floating concrete break waters with fingered berths contained internally.

The 'Cork Harbour marina' web site is here.

Brian Carlin was sailing onboard the Twomey's Corby 38 'Gloves Off' yesterday in the second outing of Royal Cork's Autumn regatta. The October event has attracted over a hundred entries and it is sponsored by O'Flynn Exhams Solicitors. His clip below features onboard action from the class one competitor plus lots of 1720 sportsboats, broaching in the gusty harbour conditions.

Main regatta report and photos from Bob and Claire Bateman here.

Strong westerlies that swept Royal Cork's Yacht Club's George Kenefick to success at the All Ireland championships on Lough Derg also blew for the second race of his club's Autumn regatta in Cork Harbour today writes Claire Bateman. Bob Bateman's action photos are below.

It was a day that kept the best wine until last. There was much sailing activity in the harbour with some seventy five cruisers sailing their various courses and some ninety dinghies from Optimists to Laser 4.7s sailing in a strong westerly breeze with warm overtones . Although the wind was there all day, and plenty of it, when the sun broke through in the early afternoon it created that special Cork Harbour sailing ambience.

A great start for the Autumn fleet. Photo: Bob Bateman. More pics below

Classes Three, Four, and Whitesail 1 and 2 sailed on the Eastern Bank with Race Officer Richard Leonard and he started with a triangle course followed by a windward/leeward course. There was plenty of excitement on this course with mention of Chinese gybes. The Dorgan Sonar from Cove Sailing Club revelled in the conditions and got the better of Ian Travers' Bandit from Kinsale (currently for sale on the Afloat boats for sale site here)  while Michael Murphy's Shelly D had won the day in ECHO with Alan Mulcahy's Sundancer from Kinsale taking IRC.

Meanwhile on the Red Course with Race Officer David O'Brien it was a perfect day for the 1720s and fleets 1 and 2. Your scribe was watching the second race that started inside the harbour just inside Roches Point on a beat in a strong flood tide to W2, a screaming reach to Harp, a beat back to W2, back to W1 before a number of dramatically tight finishes near the Cage. The 1720s displayed the best of One Design racing as they came into W2 with one boat becoming the meat in the sandwich between the buoy and the fleet with no quarter being given and had to do their penalty turn. In the best 1720 tradition, despite the high, wind they hoisted their kites as they went hither and thither before most got sense and finally dropped their kites.

On the day it was Denis Murphy's Aquatack from the home club took the honours followed Peter O'Flynn's Two 2 Tango.

At the time of prizegiving Class 2 were still involved with protests but first again this week on IRC was Brian Goggin's Allure (KYC) followed by the Desmond/Deasy/Ivers Bad Company from the home club. In Class Zero IRC in a reversal of last week's results Kieran and Brian Twomeys' Gloves Off got the better of Conor Phelan's Jump Juice on the day. In Class 1 IRC David Scott's EOS again took the spoils but Dan Buckley's Justus was going very well and took the second slot.

As Rear Admiral Cruisers Ronan Enright had promised, the prizegiving was bang on 5.30pm with the prizes being presented by Frank O'Flynn of the Sponsor Company who incidentally had been sailing on the Peter O'Flynn Two 2 Tango 1720.

Racing continues in the O'Flynn Exhams sponsored league next Sunday with a first gun at 11.55am.

Sean Kelly MEP has welcomed today's impending confirmation that the government will allocate €40 million to clean-up the Haulbowline toxic dump in Cork Harbour over the next two years.

"This is going to come as an enormous relief to the people of Cobh who have quite rightly feared for the health of their community for over ten years with unchecked emissions of a carcinogenic toxin, Chromium VI, coming from an unlicenced landfill," the Ireland South MEP said in Brussels today.

"While a baseline health study has never been carried out, the National Cancer Registry of Ireland proves that the rate of cancer in Cobh is 37% higher than the national average. Furthermore, we cannot forget the environmental and economic concerns also at the fore of the Haulbowline campaign."

Haulbowline - A €40m clean up has been announced. Photo: Bob Bateman

Mr Kelly, who tirelessly lobbied for action on the site, is now hopeful that this part of his Cork constituency can look towards future economic growth with positivity: "This toxic dump is located in a very scenic part of Ireland and while it is difficult to measure its impact in monetary terms, no one can deny its existence has had a detrimental effect on Cobh's tourism potential.

"Earlier this year, the European Commission directed Irish authorities to take decisive action on the landfill within a three month timeframe under threat of court action. The warning followed a petition of over 5,000 signatures calling for immediate action, I brought before a parliamentary committee in conjunction with Cork Harbour Health pressure group," the MEP continued.

Mr Kelly believes the previous government, the EPA and Cork County Council 'passed the buck on Haulbowline in a disgraceful way'. However, with Cabinet approval of 20m in the 2012 budget and 20m in the 2013 budget due for the restoration of the area, 'it is time to look towards a brighter future for Cobh and Haulbowline Island', according to Mr Kelly.

Day One of the Autumn Sailing Regatta commenced at 8.30 am yesterday when Royal Cork Yacht Club was jam packed and rocking with the excitement of the Ireland vs Italy rugby match writes Claire Bateman. (SCROLL DOWN FOR GALLERY)

After the glorious Irish victory the fleets headed out into the mist hoping that a bit of breeze would fill in. The mood was buoyant and the atmosphere sizzling but alas and alack on attempting to set a course the hard working David O'Brien, Principal Race Officer for Classes 3, 4 and whitesail, on Admiral Paddy McGlade's Sabone, would appear to have encountered the wrath of the weather gods who must have been rooting for the Italians today! As the Race Officer described it "the fog would roll away for some 200 yards and some minutes later it would roll back in again" and at times it was raining and other times it was dry.

Once the fog lifted, there was some breeze for racing. Photo: Bob Bateman. More photos below.

The fog descended and visibility was so reduced he couldn't even see the pin end of the line that had just been laid. However, after a short delay the a small breeze filled and the fog lifted sufficently to enable a start. Class 3 were first away with the exception of Outrigger who had to return to start having been over the line. Then it was the turn of the Whitesail fleet who headed off into the mist accompanied by a number of dolphins.

Meanwhile Classes 0, 1, 2 and 1720s, under PRO Richard Leonard, stayed in the harbour where they sailed windward/leeward courses with a start off Spike and despite the conditions they managed two races . The committee boat for these fleets was kindly provided by Paschal Healy who had on board the Senior partner of the sponsor firm, Irene O'Donovan, assisting with Race duties. In the second race for these fleets Buoys 10 and 16 were used for the windward/leeward course giving Classes 0 and 1720s three rounds and Class 1 two rounds. Towards the final round the wind died and crews struggled to round 16 before the wind filled in enough to get all boats finished.

Given the conditions it was a wonderful achievement to get in any racing at all for the large fleet on the day and hopefully next Sundays' racing will enjoy better conditions and will return to the scheduled start time of 11.55am.

Curradinghy is the new sponsor for the October and November Frostbite Laser dinghy leagues which start this Sunday at Royal Cork Yacht Club. Curradinghy has recently been appointed southern dealer for Laser. The 4.7 and Radial fleets have grown in the last year and with a strong Standard group Royal Cork is expecting another large turnout for the Cork harbour frostbites.

Hurtigruten's polar expediton cruiseship Fram (2007/11,647grt) docked at the Cobh cruise terminal in Cork Harbour today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Fram operates on cruises from Norway to Spitsbergen, Greenland, and Europe. She also cruises in Antarctic waters and explores the Chilean fjords. She can handle 400 passengers in 254 berths. On board there is a reception area, a large top-deck glass-enclosed observation salon positioned forward, bar, restaurant, library, shop and leisure facilities, including gym, sauna and jacuzzi. For further information and deck plans click HERE.

Throughout her interior she has traditional and modern artwork from a selection of Norwegian and Greenlandic artists. To read more on her Antarctic cruises and other destinations click HERE.

On this particular cruise, she had departed from Bergin and called to several Scottish ports prior to berthing in Belfast and docking in Dublin yesterday. This evening she heads for the Isles of Scilly, followed by a call to Portsmouth before disembarking her passengers in Hamburg.