The Cape 31 designer Mark Mills says the order book for new boats is filling up for 2023 after a successful 2022 season so far. 

County Wicklow-based Mark Mill says the class came of age at July's Cowes Week, where an 18-boat fleet 'lived up to all the promise'.

Building on the success of its strong UK – and now a five-boat Irish fleet – new Cape 31s are being delivered to the USA, France, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and Australia, with interest from Denmark, Italy, and New Zealand.

As regular Afloat readers know, Anthony O'Leary's 'Antix' crew won the Cape 31 inaugural Irish National Championships raced as part of Cork Week.

Next up for the Cape 31s is Land Union September Regatta organised by the Royal Southern Yacht Club on the Solent from 24-25 September 2022.

Cape 31s will race in the Land Union September Regatta organised by the Royal Southern Yacht Club on the Solent

One design keelboats, including J/111 and Cape 31 will race in the Black Group and will have tight Solent courses around fixed and laid marks.

The latest Cape 31 arrival at the Royal Irish Yacht Club is the first of the new ultra-modern sportsboats into Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The new addition to Dublin Bay brings the Irish fleet to five, with three boats already racing in Howth and one at Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork Harbour since May.

Named 'Blast' with white topsides and striking hull graphics, the underwater appendages are painted bright orange.

It's not the only RIYC Cape 31, however, as UK-based Niall Dowling is already on the international circuit with his blue-hulled Arabella.

As regular Afloat readers know, the inaugural Irish Cape 31 National Championships were won last month by Anthony O'Leary's Antix. 

O'Leary competed at last week's Calves Week in West Cork along with Dan O'Grady's Aja, and both showed their pace on the final day. 

Meanwhile, the Wright brothers' Howth-based Adrenaline was competing in Cowes Week on the Solent with the very strong and pro-sailed Cape 31 British fleet.

The new Cape 31 was designed by Wicklow based Mark Mills as a simple, clean, high-performance One Design, and it's been turning heads at some of the world's biggest sailing centres.

Irish interest in the South African-inspired racer originally from Howth and Cork Harbour and from some very experienced crews seeking a racing boat with 'no pretences towards cruising'. 

Anthony O'Leary's Antix crew scored a first and a second in the final two races, which gave the RCYC ace the inaugural title on his home waters. 

Six pocket-rocket Cape 31s designed by Wicklow’s Mark Mills, contested the first Cape 31 Irish nationals at Cork Week with teams from Cork, Dublin, Hamble, UK, and the Isle of Man in action.
 
The 2022 Cape 31 Irish National Champion is Royal Cork’s Anthony O’Leary’s racing Antix after scoring a 1-2 on the final day. Antix winning crew: Anthony O’Leary, Peter O’Leary, Ben Field, Rebecca Coles, Peter Greenhalgh, Mark Hassett, and Tommy Murphy. A thrilling battle for runner-up came from two teams from Howth YC. Dave McGuire’s Valkyrie won the last race to take second by a single point from Dan O'Grady’s Aja.

Anthony O'Leary's Antix crew Photo: Rick Tomlinson 

“In 1997 we won the first 1720 National Championships, so in 2022 to win the first Cape 31 Nationals has a special ring to it!” commented Anthony O’Leary. “There is a very high level of competition in the Cape 31s, and it was great fun as well. Every day we go out, we are learning so much. This has been a light airs week and we still have loads to crack in the medium and heavy airs. It is very exciting to be on this learning ladder, and we are having a ball, the boats are spectacular!”

Cape 31 Adrenaline leads at a wing mark Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Three windward leeward races were run for the Cape 31 Class competing for the Irish National Championship at Cork Week on Thursday.

Anthony O'Leary’s Antix from the Royal Cork YC still leads the championship after scoring a 1-2-4 today.

After three days of light and complex racing, a sea breeze kicked in on day four to spice up the action on the penultimate day.

Cape 31 Adrenaline leads at a wing mark Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Dan O'Grady’s Aja from Howth YC was back in fine form scoring a 4-1-1 to finish the day in second for the series, three points behind Antix. Dave Maguire’s Valkyrie from the Howth YC finished the day in third place. Antix, Aja and Valkyrie look set to decide the National Championship podium with Antix in the driving seat.

Racing at Cork Week concludes tomorrow on five race areas, in and outside Cork Harbour, organised by the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Cape 31 Class was once again racing on the national championship windward leeward course on Wednesday (day three) off Cork Harbour's Roches Point.

Anthony O'Leary’s Antix from the Royal Cork YC scored a 1-3-1 to take the lead in the series being raced as part of Cork Week Regatta.

The third day of Cork Week incorporating the ICRA National Championships was blessed with sunshine and 8-10 knots of breeze from the north. 

Cape 31s Valkyrie, Adrenaline and Katabitcs Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Tuesday leader, Dan O'Grady’s Aja from Howth Yacht Club scored a 4-2-2 and drops to second. Michael Wilson’s Shotgun scored a 5-1-4 to finish the day in third for the series.

Lance Adams' Cape 31 Katabatic Photo: Bob Bateman

Racing at Cork Week continues tomorrow with the penultimate day of racing for the regatta. Five race areas, in and outside Cork Harbour, will be organised by the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Cape 31 Class was racing on the national championship windward-leeward course off Roches Point today on the second day of Volvo Cork Week.

You could feel the tension as the high-performance fleet approached the line for the first race.

Several boats returned to restart after the X-Ray flagged announced that boats were over the line. Dave McGuire's Valkyrie took a penalty turn before the first top mark. Anthony O'Leary’s Antix from the Royal Cork YC held their nerve to win the first race of the day.

Dave McGuire's Cape 31 Valkyrie from Howth Photo: Rick Tomlinson

In the second race, Dan O'Grady’s Aja was the winner to lead the Volvo Cork Week Series on countback from Antix. Michael Wilson’s Shotgun from the Isle Of Man YC is third for the series.

Three Irish Cape 31s from left Valkyrie, Antix and Adrenaline Photo Rick Tomlinson

The O’Leary family has been part of the history of Cork Week for three generations, racing at every edition of Cork Week since 1978. Anthony O’Leary’s Antix is new to the Cape 31 Class but Anthony has tasted victory at Volvo Cork Week many times in the past.

Cape 31s (from left) Adrenaline, Antix and Shotgun Photo Rick Tomlinson

“It is great to be racing back at Cork Week, which we haven’t had for quite a while; not racing in 2020 was a huge disappointment” commented Anthony O’Leary. “To have all of the competitors from Cork, Ireland and from overseas is just superb. To have six Cape 31s here is fantastic, and we would have had double that if we had the trailers. The standard is great in the Cape 31 Class and to have 44 1720s here is also just fantastic. You know, the 1720s were a small class when they appeared in 1996 and many of those 1720 sportsboat pioneers are now racing Cape 31. The drivers maybe a bit older, but we have young people on the crews! I am sure everyone is looking forwards to a glorious week of racing!”

Brand new to Volvo Cork Week is the Cape 31 Class racing for their inaugural Irish National Championships in Cork Harbour

Designed by Wicklow’s Mark Mills the pocket-rocket class started their life in Table Bay Cape Town, South Africa, expanded to The Solent, UK and now onto Ireland!

Four of the Cape 31s are from Ireland and two are Cape Crusaders from the UK.

The Cape 31s were on the picturesque Harbour Course today for a single race of over three hours. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Dave Maguire’s Howth Yacht Club team racing Valkyrie took first blood, winning the race by under two minutes from the Wright brothers from Howth YC racing Adrenaline.

Anthony O’Leary’s Antix from the Royal Cork was third.

Tomorrow the Cape 31 will be on their Irish Championship windward-leeward course.

Cape 31 Class after one race sailed

1st Valkyrie David McGuire IRL3129 Howth Yacht Club (1.0) 1.0 0.0
2nd Adrenaline Darren Wright IRL 31031 Howth Yacht Club (2.0) 2.0 0.0
3rd Antix Anthony O'Leary IRL 3128 Royal Cork Yacht Club (3.0) 3.0 0.0

Results here

If you've wondered what it's like in the wide open prairie-like spaces of the new Cape 31s' cockpits when things get hairy, "The Cork Boat in Cowes", aka the latest Antix with Anthony O'Leary doing the driving in the Solent, provides an answer here.

Not least of the points of interest is that designer Mark Mills' persistence in not going down the twin rudder route seems to be borne out by the tiller being more or less in the fore-and-aft position, though things may well have looked very different within the next few nano-seconds......

Anthony O'Leary and the Antix crew from Royal Cork are competing in a 13-boat Cape 31 fleet in Cowes at RORC's Vice Admiral's Cup Regatta where they took a third place in the second race of the day.

A stunning opening day delivered three fast-paced and testing races for every class. After a short wait for the wind to fill in, it quickly built to a solid west-southwesterly of 12-14 knots. The breeze then rose further, with gusts into the mid 20s, accompanied by plenty of excitement as downwind boat speeds topped 20 knots for some.

Results are here

The Mark Mills-designed Cape 31 is an uncompromising day-racing machine, but when two of them made their debut appearance off Howth this (Sunday) afternoon, their sheer style blew away any negative thoughts that if you're seeking any off-watch zizzes in a comfortable pilot berth down below, then this isn't the boat for you.

For if it's speed and action and skill and strength of nerve with grown-up sail areas that you seek, then sign on the dotted line. The two boats up and running are David Maguire's Valkyrie and Dan O'Grady's blue
boat, name to be revealed in due course, and at least one more of this breakthrough design will be joining them for the Howth Wave Regatta in three weeks' time.

Dan O'Grady's very blue boat was the first Cape 31 to be unwrapped in Ireland. Photo: Judith Malcolm

The camera does not lie, they say, but it depends on how you hold it and angle it, and which lens you use. If you see the Mark Mills-designed Cape 31 sailing, you'll reckon she's a reasonably beamy and sensible boat.

But the first to arrive in Ireland got here a day or two ago and - from one photo angle at any rate - she looks so skinny and so deep that for some harbours, draught requirement might be a problem. We'll see.

As for the Pinnochio nose, that's brought on by owners trying to tell their wives how little this stark day-sailing boat cost...