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SAILING:TONIGHT AT 8pm up to a dozen boats depart Cork harbour en route to Dublin Bay and the start of a fortnight of intense activity for both inshore and offshore cruiser­racer fans.

The Royal Cork boats form 10 per cent of the fleet that will gather next weekend for the Liebherr Cruiser Nationals at the Royal St George YC. This new long-distance race will finish tomorrow evening in Dún Laoghaire, where pundits are tipping one of the three Royal Cork Commodore’s Cup boats competing as the most likely winner of the Irish Cruiser Racer Association’s (ICRA) inaugural offshore trophy. That’s no surprise as these crack teams have already received a weather and tidal briefing from their Commodore’s Cup weather guru Mike Broughton.