Volvo Cork Week 2022 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club

Volvo Cork Week 2022 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club – Day 1

by Louay Habib Jul 11 ​​20:31 UTC
July 11-15, 2022

After a four-year wait, Volvo Cork Week is back with the first day of racing hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club. A total of 193 teams are taking part in Volvo Cork Week and the weather has truly given off to a magical start with fantastic sunny and warm weather conditions with a southerly breeze of around 8 knots. For the eight classes competing, four courses were used in Cork Harbor and the Atlantic Approaches.

Winners of the IRC Racing and One-Design Race classes on July 11 at Volvo Cork Week: 1720 Rope Dock Atara, 1720 efolio accounts, Cape 31 Valkyrie, J/109 Storm, J/109 Chimaera, J/109 Joker 2, Quarter Tonner BLT, J/111 JourneyMaker 11 and J/109 Mojito.

Classic Racing is back at Cork Week and Crosshaven’s Harold Cudmore was at the helm of the Cork Harbor One Design Jap for a win on day one. In Non-Spinnaker IRC One, Frank Caul’s Grand Soleil 37 Prince of tides was the winner. In non-Spinnaker IRC Two, Shane Statham Westerly Slack Alice of Waterford Harbor won the day.

Volvo Cork Week results at www.sailwave.com/results/Volvo%20Cork%20Week%202022.htm#

Class 1720

Despite the balmy air, the Class 1720’s return to Volvo Cork Week was marred by heavy fog on the downwind route about a mile outside Cork Harbour. The mist quickly cleared, revealing 44 1720s, guns and flames. There were three hotly contested upwind races between Roches Point and Ringabella Bay. An outstanding performance from Rope Dock Atara gives the Royal Cork and Howth team a whopping 11-point lead after three races. Zing of Padraig Byrne and Donny Wilson of Royal Cork is second and efolio accounts of Tom, Neil and Paul Hegarty of Baltimore won the first race but finished third at the end of day one.

“We’re delighted with a 2-1-1 today,” commented Rope Dock Atara helmsman Ross McDonald. “Our aim was to keep the race results in the single digits because I think it will be a high-scoring regatta, so going for a flyer is fantastic. We’ve had a good start, a good one, and also one that we had to get out of prison.In this fleet, especially in light weather, it’s all about getting air and getting on the wheels.

IRC One

The J/111 Journeymaker 11 of Royal Southern YC’s Louise Makin and Chris Jones won today’s race in IRC One with just under a minute of Team Knight Build racing RORC’s J/112 Happy Daize. Jonathan Anderson’s J/122 El Gran Senor of the Clyde Cruising Club made it a full J Boats podium by finishing third. This is Journeymaker’s first ever Cork week, and the 2021 J/111 UK National Champion loved racing the Harbor Course today.

“I would say it was a really good first day in uncharted waters,” commented Journeymaker navigator Louise Makin. “We made some very good decisions; the work of the crew was excellent and the atmosphere on the boat was great. The harbor is a fabulous place to race and we were lucky to have wonderful weather. on board an excellent Irish sailor; Laura Dillon and we worked very well together today.”

IRC Two

16 teams in IRC Two raced on a course set up in Ringabella Bay, three J/109s swapped leads in the three races on day one. Barry Cunningham’s Royal Irish YC team racing with Chimaera won a tightly contested first race by just nine seconds. Pat Kelly’s Storm with a team from Howth YC/Rush SC rose to the challenge winning the second race. Royal Irish’s John Maybury’s Joker 2 won Race 3 by just 17 seconds. Joker 2’s consistent results (3,2,1) were rewarded with first place in the class after three races. Chimaera is second and Storm third.

IRC Three

Royal Yacht Squadron’s Quarter Tonner BLT of Sam Laidlaw topped IRC Three today, scoring three consecutive balls. Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team who raced J/24 HeadCase scored three podium finishes to end the day in second place. Dorgan, Marshall & Losty’s Quarter Tonner Illegal of the Cove Sailing Club finished the first day in third place.

“We haven’t sailed Cork Week since we did on the Farr 52 Bob 12 years ago,” commented BLT helmsman Sam Laidlaw. “We came back because it’s such a beautiful place and with 300 years of history, everyone should be here. Today was a bit light for us, we would prefer more wind, but we’ll see.”

Class Cap 31

Brand new to Volvo Cork Week is the Cape 31 class race for their Irish Nationals. Designed by Mark Mills of Wicklow, the pocket rocket class began life in Table Bay Cape Town, South Africa, spread to the Solent in the UK and now to Ireland; reverse migration so to speak! Four of the Cape 31s are from Ireland and two are Cape Crusaders from the UK. The Cape 31s were on the scenic Harbor Course today for a single race lasting over three hours. The Howth Yacht Club team of Dave Dwyer racing Valkyrie took first blood, winning the race by less than two minutes from the Wright brothers of Howth YC racing Adrenaline. Royal Cork’s Anthony O’Leary’s Antix finished third. Tomorrow, the Cape 31 will be on its way downwind of the Irish Championship.

The Beaufort Cup fleet set out from Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbor for the Fastnet 120nm race. Nine hours after the start of the race, the fleet was off Baltimore, 15 miles from the Fastnet lighthouse. The Royal Navy team running Jolly Jack Tar was a mile ahead of the Irish Defense Force team running Meridian. The Crosshaven RNLI team racing Nieulargo finished third.

Last but not least, the Royal Cork Yacht Club was absolutely buzzing after the race. Lots of banter with old friends reuniting for the first time in years, and lots of newbies making new friends. Volvo Cork Week looks like an absolute crack.

For more details and information on Volvo Cork Week, visit www.corkweek.ie