An Adult Sailing programme is being introduced for members at the Royal Cork in Crosshaven for the coming season. All the sessions will be followed by a debrief and a social gathering the club says.

It is a development to encourage more active involvement and follows the club's intention to widen interest in dinghy sailing in Cork Harbour.

The adult programme will include keelboats and kayaking.

"Keelboat sailing is available in both May and June, on Tuesdays or Saturdays. Dinghy sailing on Wednesday evenings in May and June. 'Kayak in company' on Wednesday evenings in May and June – free of charge."

Details are on the club website here where applications to take part can be made.

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Club weekend cruiser-racer meeting on Saturday featured a discussion on IRC ratings and ECHO handicaps and start times for this summer's Cork Harbour racing from Crosshaven.

The meeting also proved an opportunity for the presentation of prizes that could not previously be presented due to COVID.

Annamarie Fegan and Denis Murphy's Grand Soleil Nieulargo received the international Boat of Year Award presented by RCYC Admiral Kieran O' Connell. 

Frank Caul's Prince of Tides took the White Sail Boat of the Year Award.

Annamarie Fegan and Denis Murphy's Grand Soleil Nieulargo received the RCYC International Boat of Year Award Photo: Bob Bateman

Fiona Young (pictured top), the helm of the Albin Express, North Star was awarded Club Boat of the Year.

Brian Jones' Jelly Baby was awarded National Boat of Year. 

Frank Caul (centre) skipper of Prince of Tides, is presented with the White Sail Boat of the Year Award from Daragh Conolly (left), Rear Admiral Keelboats in 2021 and RCYC Admiral Kieran O' Connell Photo: Bob Bateman

ILCA 6/Laser sailor Jonathan O'Shaughnessy was the Class One winner of the PY1000 prize money at the Royal Cork Yacht Club on Saturday, March 24th. 

46 dinghies contested the annual event with 30 boats in class one and 16 dinghies in class two.

This year the event was sponsored by Asian Street Food, Ramen.

O'Shaughnessy came in ahead of James Dwyer and Oisin McSweeney in the 29er Skiff with Cove Sailing Club's Kieran Dorgan in third place in the ILCA 7. 

The winner of Class 2 (Toppers, ILCA 4, Mirrors, Topazs) was Darragh Collins in the ILCA 4 from Liam Duggan in a Topper 5.3. Third was Isabel McCarthysailing an ILCA 4. 

Both division winners share the prize fund of €1000. 

Full results are here.

Bob Bateman's 2022 PY1000 Photo Gallery 

The Royal Cork YC is hoping to re-establish the ‘Mixed Dinghies’ Class at the Crosshaven-based club in Cork Harbour.

“Having been very quiet for a few years, the mixed dinghy fleet is making a comeback this season,” the club has told its, members, with an appeal for more support: “We would like to hear from everyone interested in getting on the water in double-handed boats, from beginners to advanced, young and old, from Topaz to RS400 and everything in between.”

“This fleet offers a great blend of social sailing with the opportunity to race and participate in events also,” says Maurice Collins, RCYC’s Rear Admiral Dinghies.“With a wide range of boats and age groups accommodated, it brings all our sailors together. It is an opportunity to explore sailing with friends usually in a multi-handed dinghy, but not confined to multi-handed dinghies.

Maurice Collins, RCYC’s Rear Admiral Dinghies Photo: Bob Bateman

“There is a limited number of club boats available for those starting out and for those with a boat and maybe looking for a crew, this is a great opportunity. If you have your own single-handed dinghy. but there is not a class in the club to join, please join in and sail along with the mixed dinghies.”

To gauge the level of interest and to explore what RCYC dinghy sailors are interested in, the club is carrying out a ‘Mixed Dinghy fleet survey.’

A 49er skiff and a GP14 compete in a mixed dinghy handicap fixture at Royal Cork Photo: Bob Bateman

“For those eager to get sailing and racing, we have the very social Ramen PY1000 race on Saturday, March 26,” says Maurice Collins,” with the Round Island and Coolmore races coming up later in the season.

“If we have enough interest, we intend to set up a mixed dinghy club racing series during the Summer months.”

With several dinghy classes already in the club, it will be interesting to see what response the appeal gets.

Last weekend saw Royal Cork Yacht Club Team Wildcard take another podium finish at the Monaco Sports Boat Winter Series, Primo Cup-Trophee Credit Suisse, the flagship winter event organised by Yacht Club de Monaco.

For Team Wildcard there were two prizes to aim for as the Primo Cup doubles as the fourth and final act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series of monthly regattas.

The last event of the four event series’ saw 81 J70s from 16 nations compete in Monaco for the final regatta in the principality prior to the 2022 J70 worlds which will take place there next October.

After four events over the winter months and three final days of very close racing in a variety of conditions, team Wildcard finished in 7th place overall and 2nd Corinthian team in the Primo Cup. Some big names were at the event and these included past J70 world champions and Americas cup sailors scattered across the highly competitive fleet.

This meant team Wildcard won the 2022 J70 Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series in the Corinthian division and came 4th overall for the series.

The result is a major result for the Irish team who had to keep a cool head going into the last event of the series in first place. Their competitors kept the pressure on but in the end, the Irish team showed their strength and knowledge of the J70 and delight at being back out competing after two years of Covid.

William Twomey said, “I am thrilled with the win and looking forward to the Europeans and Worlds”.

The team now go onwards to the Italian J70 summer series in Punta Ala and Lake Garda to name a few stop-offs before the Europeans in France and the Worlds next October also on the med in Monaco.

Wildcard will be hoping for continued success in the Corinthian category at these two major regattas that will have 100 teams.

With Irish sailing life struggling to return to normality, we find we are facing it without someone who could put it all into perspective.

Dermot Burns, Honorary Archivist to the Royal Cork Yacht Club for many years, passed away peacefully in February after a lifetime in which any spare moments were devoted either to sailing, or in placing the story
and memorabilia of Cork sailing and the maritime life of Cork Harbour in its proper historical context.

We first became aware of this special talent many years ago on one of several occasions when the Royal Cork YC became what was then the Mitsubishi Motors Sailing Club of the Year. The presentation party included people from Mitsubishi headquarters in Japan, and Dermot as ever rose to the occasion by giving them chapter and verse on how, in the 1860s, a shipbuilding company on the shores of Cork Harbour had constructed a 690-ton steamship for the Mitsu Bishi Company of Japan.

On other similar occasions, he always enriched the evening with his store of fascinating and appropriate facts which, quite rightly, put Cork Harbour at the centre of the maritime world. He was the "marine archivists' archivist", and while he will be much missed, what he achieved means he will always be remembered.

Our thanks to the Royal Cork YC for permission to publish this appreciation of Dermot Burns from their club website:

Former club Archivist Dermot Burns passed away peacefully on February 6th. Dermot served as club Archivist from 1991 to 2019, it’s said history was his passion and sailing his hobby.

Dermot’s enthusiasm for the club’s history was infectious and it was matched by a careful and meticulous approach to the cataloguing and care of any documents and items that came into the club. He delighted in discovering new aspects to the club’s history and left no stone unturned in trying to track down much-needed information.

He brought his skills as an engineer to his study of the archives and soon realised that there was wonderful material contained within and potentially more information elsewhere, all of which would be vital in telling the history of the club. So, the idea of publishing a book about the club began to take shape and over the ten years leading up to 2005 he worked closely with Dr. Alicia St. Leger, the author of the book. Peter Crowley, Admiral in 2005/2005, also realised that as Cork was to be European Capital of Culture, it would be appropriate to release a book on the history of the oldest yacht club in the world, and indeed gave his wholehearted support for the project. 

His own love of sailing and his knowledge of Cork Harbour was of huge assistance in compiling the history of the club. In fact, that publication would not have happened without his enthusiasm, dedication and sheer hard work. But his input certainly did not stop there. He continued to research the origins of the club and to interact with people (both within and outside the club) who shared his interest in the history of sailing.

He has left a remarkable legacy in the club Archives which he built up so carefully over the years and which will be a vital resource for future researchers. His role in the 2005 book and his ongoing contributions to publications, to interested individuals and groups, and to the media, have been immense and were rightfully acknowledged when he was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Dermot will be greatly missed by all in the Royal Cork and our sympathies are with Fran and their wide circle of family and friends.

Classic boats from across Europe will take part in July's Volvo Cork Week Regatta for the first time as they join the celebrations of the Royal Cork's Tricentenary.

Sir Edward Heath's Morning Cloud, since renamed Opposition, is amongst one of the early entrants in the historic boat fleet.

Morning Cloud was the name given by the former British Prime Minister to a series of five yachts that he owned between 1969 and 1983.

Royal Cork organisers have also confirmed The Atlantic Yacht Club of France will be strong supporters of the event, committing 20 boats through their GoToCork campaign.

The Notice of Race for the Classic fleet is currently being finalised.

The international Inter-Service Regatta, the Beaufort Cup, will be held during Volvo Cork Week, including an overnight race around the Fastnet Rock.

The third edition of the Cup organised by the Royal Cork Yacht Club will include a 'wealth of international teams' racing for charity.

The Cup is open to national and international teams from the RNLI, Navy, Coast Guard, Army, Airforce, Police and Emergency Rescue Services.

Inshore racing will be held on different style courses every day for the prestigious Beaufort Cup in honour of Sir Francis Beaufort along with €10,000 to be presented to a charity of the winners choice.

The Harbour Race will take place on Wednesday 13th July with spectacular racing in Cork Harbour for the fleet.

In previous years, both local Crosshaven and Baltimore RNLI lifeboat crews have taken part in the race.

The RNLI have in the past been the recipient of the charity donation from the winners.

A Notice of Race for the Beaufort Cup will issue shortly.

Royal Cork YC has announced that its popular annual PY1000 race will take place this year on Saturday, March 26

“With racing at high tide, the plan as always is to race in the river at Crosshaven if conditions allow. This is always an amazing spectacle,” the RCYC says.

This year, the €1,000 prize will be split with €500 for the winner of Class 1 and €500 for the winner of Class 2 (Toppers, ILCA 4, Mirrors, Topaz’s etc.). First Gun – 11.25 a.m.

“There will also be some great prizes available for youngest sailor, first female helm, youngest combined crew age and oldest combined crew age,” the club says.

Entry is open to members of any ISA/RYA affiliated club.

“The entry fee will be €20 for single-handed entries and €25 for double or triple handed entries and is only available online. No entry means no result,” says the club.

Notice of Race & Sailing Instructions have been published on the RCYC website.

Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork Harbour is seeking an experienced sailing coach required to fulfil the role of “Head of Sailing Development”.

RCYC says the candidate should at a minimum have their senior instructor ticket or equivalent, be actively sailing and coaching. They should have strong organisational skills and a strong leadership style, which will be required to manage sailors, parents and coaches/instructors together with interacting closely with Club officials.

The role is primarily the organisation and facilitation of top-class training programmes within the RCYC, it requires an understanding of the mission statement and a collaborative approach to make the best use of the skill sets already existing within the club.

Management and maintenance of the club’s growing dinghy and keelboat fleet will also form a key part of the role.

Download the full job spec below.