11 August 2020
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Tricentenary Regatta, Maritime Parade, RCYC Exhibition, Family Race to / from the City, and Championship races among the exciting events back on the calendar.
It’s sails’ ahoy once more for The Royal Cork Yacht Club’s exciting Cork300 events schedule.
The Crosshaven based club, which is the oldest yacht club in the world, had planned a phenomenal series of events across Cork Harbour this summer to celebrate its 300th anniversary. Unfortunately many of the larger high profile international events, such as The Great Gathering, the Powerboat Festival, and Volvo Cork Week, which were set to attract thousands of sailors and competitors from around the globe, had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However the Royal Cork Yacht Club is delighted to announce that a select number of events will now take place from August following the publication of the Government Road Map for reopening society and the easing of public health restrictions.
The celebratory and competition events include a Tricentenary Regatta, a fantastic Maritime Parade in Cork Harbour, a RCYC Exhibition at the Sirius Arts Centre, a Family Race to / from Cork City, and several National Championship races.
Commenting, Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and Chairman of Cork300 Colin Morehead said, “We were disappointed that we had to cancel our March to July Cork300 events as a huge amount of work went into organising the celebrations for what is an incredibly historic year for our club and for sailing world-wide. However public health is of paramount importance and we are delighted that a revised schedule of our events can now go ahead next month, adhering to Government and HSE guidelines.
“We are especially pleased to be able to host several prestigious National Championship sailing competitions as part of the new Cork300 schedule. All competitors and attendees will be required to comply with public health safety guidelines and we are communicating clear information on how to participate and use our facilities in a safe and enjoyable manner on our website.
“As sailors and members of the oldest yacht club in the world, we’re thrilled to be able to get back out on the water and mark this historic anniversary for the Royal Cork Yacht Club and for sailing clubs globally. We will continue to monitor the evolving situation around Covid19.”
Cork300 events taking place for the remainder of 2020 include
AIB Irish Optimist National Championships, 13-16 August
Junior sailors up to the age of 15 will compete in the AIB Irish Optimist National Championships from 13-16 August.AIB Irish Laser National Championships, 20-23 August
Organised by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, in association with the Irish Laser Association, this National Championship race will be open to sailors from 13-75+ years of age.AIB 1720 Southern Championships 28th-30th August
Sadly, the 1720 Europeans scheduled to take place as part of Volvo Cork Week fell victim to the covid 19 pandemic. The Royal Cork Yacht Club is delighted to announce that they will host the AIB 1720 Southern Championships 2020 as part of their Tricentenary At Home Regatta weekend. The 1720 class originated from an idea generated by some committed racing members of the Royal Cork Yacht Club with the first prototype taking to the water in 1994. Designed by Tony Castro, they have been delighting many a competitive sailor since.
Tricentenary at Home Regatta, 28th – 30th August:
The AIB Tricentenary at Home Regatta will be the biggest sailing event of the year in the Royal Cork calendar. Racing will be available for all classes both dinghy and keelboat with many visitors expected from up and down the Irish South Coast. The National 18 Southern Championships will also feature as part of the racing over the weekend.
Maritime Parade 29th August
A maritime parade, originally scheduled for July, will now take place during the Tricentenary Regatta on the 29th August, with the support of the Irish Naval Services and Port of Cork. The Admiral of the Royal Cork and other dignitaries will review the parade from one of the Irish Naval Service vessels which will be anchored in the vicinity of Haulbowline.1720s Race from Haulbowline to Crosshaven, 29th August
Following the Maritime Parade, a race will take place between all of the 1720s boats from the Naval Signal Tower back to the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven. The National 18 Class will also be participating.RCYC Exhibition at the Sirius, 29th August to 19th December
A RCYC Exhibition will be launched at the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh on August 29th following the day’s events. The Sirius was the Royal Cork Club House from 1854 to 1966, and the Exhibition will take a look at what life was like at the yacht club during its time there.Fastnet Challenge, 29th August
The Fastnet Powerboat Challenge originally scheduled for the last week of July has now been moved to the last weekend of August (Weather permitting). This will see the UIM Long Distance Cork-Fastnet-Cork World Record attempt competed for.Cork300 Family Race to the City, 12-13 September
In conjunction with Cove Sailing Club’s annual Cobh to Blackrock race, Yachts and craft from across Cork Harbour will take part in a race to Blackrock Castle, following on from which, they will continue to the city Quays where they will remain overnight and provide a spectacle of sail within the City environs.AIB National 18 Championships, 12-13 September
The AIB National 18 Championships for adult sailors in the UK and Ireland will take place from 12-13 September in Crosshaven this year as part of the Cork300 celebrations.AIB Cork300 Autumn League, 27 September-25 October
The premier yacht racing event on the South Coast this year, the AIB Cork300 Autumn League, will be held over 5 weekends leading up to the October Bank Holiday weekend. This is expected to be the largest yacht racing event on the South Coast of Ireland this year.AIB All Ireland Sailing Championships, 13-16 October
The All Ireland Sailing Championships are scheduled from 13-16 October. The prestigious invitational event will see class associations make one nomination for a member from their class to compete. The overall winner will be designated as the Irish Sailing All Ireland Sailing Champion 2020 and will receive the Irish Sailing Helmsman’s Trophy, the winning crew will receive the Irish Sailing All Ireland Salver, and there will also be Irish Sailing individual medallions of Gold, Silver and Bronze.AIB Irish Team Racing National Championships 2020, 21-22 November
Sailing teams from across the country will compete in Cork Harbour for the title of AIB Irish Team Racing National Champion 2020
Other events have been rescheduled to take place in 2021, including the Cork300 Gala Dinner and the Cork300 Wild Atlantic Way Cruise in Company along the Cork and Kerry coastline.
For more see www.royalcork.com – in partnership with AIB (premier partner), Volvo Car Ireland, Cork County Council, Musto.
