2024 Volvo Cork Week - Overall
by Volvo Cork Week 20 Jul 08:43 NZST
15-19 July 2024
The final day of Volvo Cork Week was blessed with superb conditions to wrap up a wonderful regatta. Up to 15 knots of breeze piped in from the south west and brilliant sunshine broke through the early morning cloud cover. The Volvo Cork Week Grand Prizegiving & Closing Ceremony was held at the Royal Cork Yacht Club. It is one of the greatest parties on the international yachting calendar.
The winner of the Kinsale Kettle, dating back to 1895, for the best overall performance at Volvo Cork Week was Johnny Treanor's J/112 ValenTina (NYC). The overall winner is calculated by a formula and ValenTina won by a mere 0.009.
"Fantastic, it was so close!" commented Johnny Treanor. "We are so delighted, we have only been sailing the boat for a couple of years but fortunately we have kept the same crew and this week we have come into gear, everything was clicking! I have the best crew in the world, it was not the skipper that won The Kettle, it's the crew!"
1720 European Championship
Rope Dock Atara were crowned European 1720 Champions at Volvo Cork Week. Runner up was Brian Twomey's Dark Side (RCYC) and third was Kinsale YC's Mícheál Ó'Súilleabháin sailing Dutch Gold. Rope Dock Atara's Ross McDonald was all smiles having lifted the European title following on from the National title win earlier this year.
"It's very hard to get the double, although we did manage it in 2022," said Ross. "The quality of the fleet is very high, so there is always someone there to knock you off your stride. So we are delighted to have won at Volvo Cork Week. The weather has been very changeable, as have the course areas, but moving into the Harbour yesterday was a great decision; we had flat water, good visibility and stable wind. This has been a smallish entry but it has been a quality turn-out on the water and in the race village afterwards, I am sure there have been plenty of pints had!"
Beaufort Cup
The Irish Defence Forces J/109 Artful Dodger, skippered by Brian Mathews followed up their win in the offshore race around the Fastnet Rock by winning all of the inshore races. Second for the series was Denis Murphy & RCYC Admiral Annemarie Fegan's Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo representing the Crosshaven RNLI. Third was the US Patriot Team racing First 40.7 Fandango, skippered by Brendan McManhon.
The impressive achievement by the Irish Defence Forces was even more remarkable because the team that had only been together for one weeks. "To be honest, we were getting better as the regatta went on, especially in terms of manoeuvres," commented Simon Coveney TD who was at the helm for the Irish Defence Forces. "On board we have two Army, three Navy, and three Air Force sailors. This win is all about working together as a team." Continued Simon Coveney.
Skipper Brian Mathews added: "A big thank you to the Royal Cork for a fantastic event and delivering a great week of racing. A big shout out to the visiting teams from the United States and the UK for coming to Cork."
IRC Zero
Nick Burns & Andy Pidden's King 40 Blitz (RHKYC) scored three race wins in the ten-race series to clinch the big-boat class at Volvo Cork Week. Michael Wilson's Cape 31 Shotgunn (Isle Of Man YC & RCYC) finished in style with a bullet in the final race to clinch second place. The Jones family's J/122 Jellybaby (RCYC) completed the IRC Zero podium.
RS21 One-Design Class
Liam & Keith Willis, racing Dark n Stormy from the Royal Lymington YC in the UK, dominated the inaugural RS21 Class at Volvo Cork Week, winning 11 of the 12 races sailed. Kenny Rumball's RS Ireland was second but only by two points from Nick Redding's team sailing for Goring SC in the UK.
IRC One
Scoring six bullets in the ten-race series Barry Cunningham's J/109 Chimaera (RIYC / RCYC) won a close encounter with John Maybury's J/109 Joker 2 (RIYC) which won four races, just four points separated the two J/109s after five days of racing. Matthew Chubb's First 35 First Light (RWYC) was third.
IRC Two
A titanic tussle between two well-sailed Half Tonners ran all through the nine-race series. In a nail-biting final race, Boardman, Kelly and O'Leary's Half Tonner 2 Farr (RSC & BSC) won by seven seconds after IRC time correction to claim the IRC Two title. 2 Farr was also awarded the Sisk Corinthian Cup. James Dwyer's Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble (RCYC) was second by the narrowest of margins. In third place was another Half Tonner, Miss Whiplash raced by Royal Cork's Ronan and John Downing.
Eight straight bullets for the Albin Express North Star (RCYC) was fantastic for the Young family, with Jack Young on the helm. North Star was also awarded the Coveney Trophy for the Best RCYC boat. Conor Twomey's First Class 8 Allig8r (RStGYC) was second. Just three points behind in third was Conor Phelan's Royal Cork YC Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge.
Coastal Fleet
Five straight bullets for Johnny Treanor's J/112 ValenTina (NYC) secured a perfect regatta at Volvo Cork Week. Paul & Deirdre Tingle racing X4 Alpaca (RCYC) were second by a single point to another X4 from Scotland; Murray Findlay's Xaviera (CCC).
Non-Spinnaker IRC One
Frank Caul's Grand Soleil 37 Prince of Tides (RCYC) won the last race of Volvo Cork Week, their fourth bullet, to win the class. Ian Hickey's Granada 38 Cavatina (RCYC) scored two race wins in the six-race series to claim second. A close battle for third was won by Frank McGrath's Dehler 34 Big Mac (RCYC), just two points ahead of Dan Murphy's X-99 Anteex (RCYC).
Non-Spinnaker IRC Two
John Twomey's Blazer 23 Shilleagh (KYC) scored six straight bullets to dominate the class. Alan Mulcahy's Albin Express Apache (KYC) was second in every race to claim the runner up spot. Niall McPhillips' custom Etchells Guapa (RCYC) was third.
Special Trophies awarded included The Carroll Cup to the US Patriot Team Racing Holland 39 Imp and The Hugh Loane Prix d'elegance Trophy to the 1902 Classic Lady Min. The After-Party at the Royal Cork Yacht Club was in full swing with a live set of sing-along anthems from Phil Holbird and his band. Volvo Cork Week will return in 2026!
Full provisional results.
Event website: www.corkweek.ie