Quarter tonners make welcome return to Cork

SAILING:A RETRO CLASS of sailing boats will give a shot in the arm to Cork week this July when the Royal Cork Yacht Club stages its biennial regatta. Although the Quarter ton class heyday was 30 years ago, coincidentally when Cork week first started, the fleet in Britain and Ireland is experiencing a new lease of life and making a welcome return to Cork Harbour.

The Grand Prix event was officially launched in the Port of Cork on Wednesday and as part of the line-up for the 2012 event, there will be a new trophy for the Quarter ton class.

Cork Week Racing chairman, Anthony O’Leary says they are delighted to welcome quarter ton class to Crosshaven. “Cork Week will be attracting a number of Quarter tonners but we feel that as these yachts have been extensively optimised there will be a prize for the best Quarter tonner.”

The fleet will race as part of class six. Local Quarter tonner Tiger, skippered by Neil Kenefick, is a pre-event favourite.

Cork Week runs from July 7th to 13th and the 2012 edition is attracting boats from all over the world. This year for the first time the club has relaxed the ban on professional sailors. Entries have already been received from South Africa and Hong Kong.

Cork week will also host the J109 Irish National Championships following the very successful European Championship in Crosshaven two years ago

Meanwhile, London medal hope Annalise Murphy is back in European action tomorrow as part of a five-boat Irish team competing at the Trofeo Princess Sofia Mapfre, in Palma, Mallorca.

The regatta is the first world cup event of the European season, an important marker on the road to the London Olympics in 120 days time. Murphy is keen to put in a strong performance against arch rivals and current world champion Marit Boumeester of Holland and Evi Van Acker of Belgium.

Also competing alongside Murphy is London qualified Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern in the 49er dinghy. Dublin 470 pairing Ger Owens and Scott Flannigan, Belfast single-handers James Espey in the Laser, and Finn trialist Ross Hamilton all still seek qualification. Last weekend’s 420 Leinster Championships was the first event staged by Malahide Yacht Club at its newly redeveloped Dinghy Sailing Centre at the Broadmeadows. It was a closely contested affair, with just two points separating the top-three boats and overall victory going to Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove (Howth YC/RSt.GYC) by the narrowest of margins from Patrick Crosbie and Grattan Roberts of Royal Cork YC. Although the fleet of 13 was relatively small, it represented over six different clubs and all four provinces.

Seventeen Fireballs contested the final race of Dún Laoghaire’s Frostbite series last Sunday with Noel Butler and Stephen Oram the overall winners of the DMYC after 20 races and five discards. Second was Kenny Rumball and Dave Moran, with Neil Spain and John Chambers alternating with Hugh Butler in third.

Gonzaga College beat Rathdown School to become Leinster Schools’ Team Racing champions after 45 rounds of competition in Dún Laoghaire harbour last weekend. Third overall were Kilkenny College from an entry of 10 schools.

The Royal St George hosted event was raced in the club’s firefly dinghies. Belvedere College were fourth. The top-four schools go through to the Nationals Schools’ Team Racing Championships in Schull later this month.