Cork Yacht Club revamp format for this year’s July regatta

Tánaiste Simon Coveney hailed Volvo Cork Week’s drive for change at this week’s regatta launch on Haulbowline Island .

Organisers Royal Cork Yacht Club decided to shake up the format for the July regatta following an exit survey of competitors at the 2016 event. A brand-new format now offers cruiser-racer fans the option to choose from a multi-series format.

Mr Coveney hailed the Beaufort Cup’s enhanced place in the revamped format and the regatta’s efforts to turn the tide against plastic in the ocean.

Competition for the second edition of the cup from July 16th will see teams from national and international defence forces, RNLI, Coast Guard, Welsh and Northern Ireland Police, and other service teams, compete in a series that includes an overnight race around the Fastnet Rock.

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The new week will feature 12 competitive classes in IRC and ECHO handicaps. As well as the Beaufort division, there is racing for the Cork Week Cup, Club Regatta day, inshore races plus a new ‘Offshore and Wrecks’ series.

Elsewhere, Wicklow Sailing Club's Volvo Round Ireland committee have appointed a new race director following the retirement of Theo Phelan.

The 20th edition of the race starts from Wicklow on June 30th and already the club have recorded 27 entries so far for the 20th edition. With 16 weeks to the start of the of the 700-mile offshore, a former Wicklow SC Commodore, Hal Fitzgerald, will now lead the race team.

Early interest extends beyond Ireland and Britain with an early French entry, Team Jolokia. The largest entry to date is the Cowes-based Swan 65 Desperado of Cowes.

Democratic control

The ‘substantial damage’ wrought on the East Pier at Dun Laoghaire by Storm Emma has underlined the seriousness of the situation at the country’s biggest sailing centre this week.

There were no pulled punches in Tuesday's local council debate on the recommended dissolution of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. Councillors have called on Transport Minister Shane Ross to transfer harbour ownership to "democratic control"– and pay up €31.5million to bring the 200-year-old harbour to 'taking in charge' condition.

In Howth, the collapse of a storage shed on its pier during last weekend's storm has resulted in damage to seven of 20 boats in the historic Howth Seventeen fleet. Class Captain Ian Byrne has confirmed five of them will be sailing again this year, and of the other two, Rosemary (built 1907) may make it afloat again before the 2018 season is finished, though the worst-damaged boat, Anita of 1900 vintage, will take a little longer.

Two Irish Finn sailors are on countdown to the European Championships in Cadiz. Oisín McClelland from Donaghdee and Fionn Lyden from Baltimore are among the 96 Finn sailors from 33 countries in Spain.