CORK Week Preview

(Cork, Ireland)- Sailing came to Cork Harbour in the early 1700s and since 1978 Volvo Cork Week has proudly born the standard of this tradition. The locals say that Volvo Cork Week only happens every other year so that the town of Crosshaven can recover, and for those who have witnessed the passion and hard work of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, and its a volunteers, it is easy to believe.

Between July 10th to 15th, the Royal Cork Yacht Club will fling open its doors to over a thousand visitors, for a tremendous warm welcome to the oldest yacht club in the world. Competitors from The Netherlands, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, and France, will savor the atmosphere ashore and relish the opportunity to race in one of the world’s largest harbors and the stunning barren coastline of the Atlantic Approaches. After racing, expect the party to start immediately, live music will greet the teams as they come ashore and the Royal Cork Bar will be full of sailors rubbing shoulders and recounting the day’s stories.

Volvo Cork Week has never been afraid to take the initiative with innovative changes to the format of Ireland’s longest running regatta. This year has particular significance, as Volvo Cork Week will stage the first ever IRC European Championship.  More than a dozen teams from the UK and Ireland will contest the inaugural Beaufort Cup, in which at least 50% of a team’s crew must be active members of services such as; Navy, Coast Guard, Army, Airforce, Police and Emergency Rescue Services. Volvo Cork Week has also put feeder races in place from Falmouth, UK hosted by the Mylor Yacht Club and from Dun Laoghaire to Cobh, hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club. The latter re-enacts the Kingstown to Queenstown Race first run in 1860. For competitors that are new to sailing, or prefer to sail shorthanded, the non-spinnaker and Coastal Classes are ideal and for one-design adrenalin junkies the sportboats provide the perfect thrill.

“The Royal Cork Yacht Club welcomes all our competitors and visitors to Crosshaven for Volvo Cork Week 2016,” commented Kieran O’Connell- Chairman Volvo Cork Week 2016. “We are looking forward to the great quality and variety of racing on the water that Volvo Cork Week has become internationally synonymous. Shoreside, we have once again put together an unrivalled mix of entertainment to suit all tastes and especially look forward to Friday night’s performance by The Frank and Walters followed by a fantastic fireworks display.

My sincere thanks go to our major sponsor Volvo who has taken the lead in sailing event sponsorship throughout Ireland; we are delighted to be part of this undertaking. Words of thanks must also go to our other sponsors as without them this event would be difficult to run and last but by no means least a big THANK YOU to all our volunteers who donate an immeasurable amount of time and effort. I wish you all a safe and fun filled week both ashore and on the water. Enjoy!”

Sailing in the IRC Coastal Class 1 is the brand new J/112E sport cruiser- AQUELINA- owned and skippered by Sheila & James Tyrrell.  They will be up against a veteran team in the form of Chris & Patanne Power Smith’s J/122 AURELIA.

Sailing in the Beaufort Cup class is Stuart Southwick’s J/88 JUNGLE DRUM and three J/109s- including the Royal Engineers YC TROJAN OF UPNOR, the Irish Defense Forces B team on JOKER 2 and the Irish Defense Forces C team on JUSTUS.  The balance of the J/109s are all racing IRC Class 2, including John Allison’s JUMBUCK, Pat Kelly’s STORM, Tim & Richard Goodbody’s WHITE MISCHIEF, Ronan Harris’ JIGAMAREE, Ian Nagle’s JELLY BABY and Michel Hiesweiller’s VRIJGEZEILIG from Cardiff Bay.  What promises to be one of the battles of the regatta will be in the J/109s. Royal Irish skipper Richard Goodbody, sailing White Mischief with his Irish Olympic son Tim, will come up against Ian Nagle’s Royal Cork team racing Jelly Baby, winner of the 2015 J/109 UK Open Championship.

In IRC Class 3 are Patrick Beckett’s J/92 JOSTLER and Ronan Fenton’s J/35 SKYHUNTER.  Then, in IRC Class 4 are two J/24s- Cillian Dickson’s IRELAND’s EYE KILCULLEN and Dave Lane & Sinead Enright’s YA GOTTA WANNA.  Finally, in the IRC Mixed Sports boat classes are two J/80s- Dominic Baxter & Ernie Dillon’s RIOJA and Fergus Coughlan’s JEDI.   For more CORK Week sailing information


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