Volvo Cork Week 2022 at the Royal Cork Yacht Club - Day 4
by Louay Habib 14 Jul 2022 14:00 PDT
11-15 July 2022
A sea breeze kicked in on Day Four to spice up the action on the penultimate day of Volvo Cork Week, incorporating the ICRA National Championships.
The 1720 Class competing for the European Championship had a real blast today as did the Cape 31 Class competing for the Irish Nationals. After three days of light and complex racing, leaders of all the classes racing at Volvo Cork Week are emerging. However, with a number of protests still to be heard results are provisional as is the Day Four Race Report.
Results from Volvo Cork Week: www.sailwave.com/results/VolvoCorkWeek2022.htm#
1720 European Championship
Rope Dock Atara with Ross McDonald on the helm representing Royal Cork YC & Howth YC, scored a 4-1-1 today to all but secure the European Championship title. Dave Kenefick's Royal Cork Full Irish had a cracking day, scoring a 5-4-2 to fly up the leaderboard into second place. Aidan Lynch's MO from the Baltimore SC scored a bullet in Race 6 and finished the day in third, but only on countback from Kenny Rumball's The Conor Wouldn't from the Royal Irish YC.
Padraig Byrne & Donny Wilson's Zing from the Royal Cork drop to fifth after an 11th place in the final race. Robert Dix's Elder Lemon from Baltimore SC came into contention for the podium but a 25th in the final race pegged the team back to sixth. Anything can happen on tomorrow's final day, but the six boats at the top of the leaderboard are likely to decide the 1720 European Championship podium.
Cape 31 Irish Nationals
Three windward leeward races were run for the Cape 31 Class competing for the Irish National Championship. Anthony O'Leary's Antix from the Royal Cork YC still leads the championship after scoring a 1-2-4 today. 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.
Dragons
Two wins today for Cameron Good's Little Fella has given the team from Kinsale YC a five point lead in the Dragon Class. Peter Bowring's Phantom from the Royal St. George YC is second, just a point ahead of Daniel Murphy's Whisper from the Kinsale YC.
Classic Class
Racing in Cork Harbour, Patrick Dorgan's Cork Harbour One Design Elsie from the drawing board of William Fife was today's winner in the Classic Class. Yves Lambert's 1969 37ft Dick Carter sloop Persephone was second. Terry Birles' 1912 Fred Shepherd sloop Erin was third.
Beaufort Cup at Volvo Cork Week
Racing for the Beaufort Cup will conclude tomorrow with the winning services team awarded the trophy and 10,000 euros for their chosen charity. Tonight, The Beaufort Cup teams are invited to a formal dress code Gala Dinner at Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour. With just one more day of racing, leading the Beaufort Cup is Crosshaven RNLI, racing Denis Murphy & Annamarie Fegan's Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo. The Royal Navy team racing J/109 Jolly Jack Tar is two points behind Crosshaven RNLI. The US Marines racing First 40.7 Escapado is in third place.
"We wanted to be here in 2020 but that didn't happen, so we have been waiting for this and the regatta has not disappointed us one bit," commented US Marine's Skipper Peter Quinn. "We have had such a fantastic welcome by everybody at the Royal Cork Yacht Club and we have been given great accommodation at hospitality at the Navy Barracks. A great moment came today when we were racing past Cobh. It was a beautiful setting, but it required team work and concentration to get around the short course. We only came together as a team on arrival in Cork, but we really came together there and sailed really well. Being part of a team is as central to sailing as it is when you are in service, racing here has brought that back."
IRC One
The big boat IRC Class has a new leader, Team Knight Build racing J/112 Happy Daize from the RORC, scored three straight bullets today to shoot up the leaderboard to pole position. Louise Makin & Chris Jones' J/111 Journeymaker 11 from the Royal Southern YC drop to second for the series. Jonathan Anderson's J/122 El Gran Senor from the Clyde Cruising Club had a good day at the races, to claim third for the series. Racing was tight in IRC One; El Gran Senor tied for second place in the last race of the day with Shaun Douglas' Game Changer.
IRC Two
Class leader, John Maybury's J/109 Joker 2 from the Royal Irish YC, scored a seventh in the first race of the day but came fighting back with a win and a second place to all but secure the class title with one more day of racing to come. Pat Kelly's J/109 Storm from Rush/Howth YC had a mixed day but came back from two fifth place results to win the last race to stay in second place for the series. Barry Cunningham's J/109 Chimaera from the Royal Irish won the first race of the day and finished the day in third, just a point behind Storm.
IRC Three
Sam Laidlaw's Quarter Tonner BLT from the Royal Yacht Squadron made it six straight bullets in the first race today but came fifth in the second, proving that the team from Cowes is human! BLT was back on track for the last race taking a seventh win and all but securing the class title. Marcus Ryan's Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase moved up to second place having scored two podium race results today. Dorgan, Marshall & Losty's Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club, slips to third just two points behind HeadCase.
Coastal Class
Liam Madden's x-332 Dexterity from Foynes YC won today's race by just over a minute from Sigma 38 Sam with a London Corinthian SC team, led by Peter Hopps and Hilary Cook. Dennis O'Sullivan Bantry Bay SC team racing Sun Fast 3200 Aris was third by the narrowest of margins. After IRC time correction Sam beat Aris by one second! Jaimie McWilliam's Ker40+ Signal 8 from the Royal Hong Kong YC leads the class for the series by two points from Peter Dunlop & Victoria Cox racing J/109 Mojito. Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom is third for the series.
Non-Spinnaker Echo Two
Clive Doherty's Royal Cork GK 29 Phaeton won today's race ahead of Darren McCann's Tailte from the Naval Service. John Twomey's Blazer 23 Shilleagh from the Kinsale YC was third today, but still leads the series.
Non-Spinnaker Echo One
Ray Bowe's Sun Odyssey 32 Calero from the Kinsale Yacht Club was today's winner by a handsome margin of six minutes. The runner up was also from Kinsale YC; Anthony Scannell's Hanse 370 Hansemer. Completing the podium was Darren O'Sullivan's Sun Odyssey 40 Siofra from the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Ronan Twomey's First 40.7 Rosmarina from the Royal Cork leads the class going into the final day.
Racing at Volvo Cork Week concludes tomorrow on five race areas, in and outside Cork Harbour, organised by the Royal Cork Yacht Club.
For more details and information about Volvo Cork Week go to www.corkweek.ie