Peter O'Leary and Stephen O'Sullivan took a third win in a row this morning to be firmly atop the leaderboard of the IRC White Sails Division of the O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour.

Blustery conditions off Roches Point with westerly winds gusting to 36 knots meant it was touch and go for Royal Cork's race number three of the league. 

Again, Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star challenged the former Olympic keelboat with some intense pre-start manoeuvres between the two front runners.

The fleet sailed two rounds of Course 20 again, with round one first sailing to Dosco mark, no8, no10 ef2 (East Ferry), no20 (off Cobh and a strong tide), no13 Dosco, Cage and round two back to Dosco and a finish at Cage.

As gusts hit 36 knots at Roches Point, it was touch and go as to whether to sail or not for the third race of the Royal Cork O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

North Star finished second in a depleted fleet, with Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo third. 

Overall, O'Leary leads from Young, with Kinsale visitor Alan Mulcahy in another Albin Express lying third. Results below.

Forty-three dinghies have been competing in the Carrigaline Court Dinghy Frostbite series at Royal Cork Yacht Club over the past two weekends.

Racing is set to continue for two more rounds in November after two spectacular days on the water.

Race officer Ciaran MacSweeney has taken full advantage of the favourable November weather and managed five fleets across three races per day in fresh and sunny sailing conditions.

On Sunday, the tricky wind shifts challenged the fleets and correct course strategy paid off for the leaders, with Micheal O'Suilleabhain taking three bullets in a very strong ILCA 7 fleet ahead of Michael Crosbie, Jonathan O'Shaughnessy and Chris Bateman.

ILCA 7 competitor Jonathan O'Shaughnessy at the Carrigaline Court Dinghy Frostbite series at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

In ILCA 6, Max Tolan took a one-point lead from Andrew Kingston, who has a one-point lead over third-placed Liam Duggan.

The ILCA 4 fleet is dominated by the O'Neill family, with Shane Collins creating a bulwark to the full O'Neill hegemony.

Abbie Shorten and Isha Duggan (bow number 90) competing in the 420 dinghy class at the Carrigaline Court Dinghy Frostbite series at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

The 420 fleet, after returning from the Ulster championship last weekend, had excellent days racing, with six boats racing and three more anticipated for next week.  Tommy Hiras and Conor Kelly on 4.5 points lead from Abbie Shorten and Isha Duggan on 5. Third is Rian Collins and Matt Mapplebeck on 9.

A ten-boat Topper fleet is competing at the at the Carrigaline Court Dinghy Frostbite series at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman 

The Topper fleet is led by Ellen McDonagh on 6, followed by Ruby Foley on 13. Gwen Barry is third on the same points.

Olympic helmsman Peter O'Leary and crewman Stephen O'Sullivan stay top of the leaderboard of the IRC White Sails Division of the O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour after Sunday afternoon's second race of the series.

Ahead of Storm Debi, sunshine, wind, and flat seas provided perfect conditions for 21 competing boats in the Royal Cork Yacht Club league.

O'Leary and O'Sullivan raced their one-design Star keelboat, Archie, to the IRC rule to beat Paul and Deirdre Tingle's X4 Alpaca. Third was Fiona Young's Albin Express, North Star.

Topper dinghy sailing is going strong this winter at Royal Cork Yacht Club, four months after the Munster Club successfully staged the massive 250-boat Topper World Championships in Crosshaven.

On Sunday, both Topper and ILCA youth sailors hit the water for winter training and the first race of the club's winter dinghy frostbite league at the same time as the club's November/December White Sail keelboat League got underway in Cork Harbour.

The ILCA 7 fleet featured some dramatic racing between the ILCA 7s and a single RS Aero 7 sailed by Emmet O’Sullivan from MBSC, who swapped the outright lead several times in each race. Jonathan O’Shaughnessy leads by a point from Micheal O’Suilleabhain, in

In the Topper fleet, Ellen MacDonagh and Kate Deane traded first places, but MacDonagh leads after day one.

See Bob Bateman's photo gallery of Sunday's training below

Olympic helmsman Peter O'Leary and crewman Stephen O'Sullivan top the leaderboard of the IRC White Sails Division of the O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour on Sunday afternoon.

After Storm Ciaran, there was sunshine, wind, flat seas and a neap tide to provide perfect conditions for the first race of the Royal Cork Yacht Club league.

There were prefect sailing conditions for the first race of the O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 in Cork Harbour on Sunday afternoon Photo: Mary Malone

O'Leary and O'Sullivan raced their one-design Star keelboat, Archie, to the IRC rule to beat Fiona Young's Albin Express, North Star. Third was the Albin Express Apache skippered by Kinsale Yacht Club's Alan Mulcahy.

The race started offwind from the harbour's Grassy walk line in 15 knots and featured several premature starters on Course Number 21 from the RCYC course card.

Three rounds of the course took the 21-boat fleet about an hour and a half to complete.

O'Leary Insurance Winter League 2023 Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman and Mary Malone

Five weeks of racing produced comprehensive winners in all four IRC divisions of Royal Cork Yacht Club's 2023 Autumn League sponsored by AIB, but points were tight for the rest of the podium, with second and third places in both IRC One and Two spinnaker divisions decided by tie breaks.

Downwind in Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

In an unusual edition, the traditionally breezy Cork Harbour series offered five weeks of only light winds to the extent that there was no final day's racing on October 29th due to a lack of breeze.

With five wins from six races, David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble, won the IRC One Spinnaker Division by nine clear points in the nine-boat fleet. Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo took second, and Brian Jones' J122 Jelly Baby was third, finishing on an equal 14 points.

Dave Dwyer's Half tonner Swuzzlebubble (leading the fleet to the green buoy) won the Spinnaker One Fleet of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League. Pictured (below) left to right are Pat Horgan of sponsors AIB, James Dwyer, Brian Heneghan, Dave Dwyer, Conor Horgan and (front row) Johnny McCann and Oisin MacSweeney and Vice Admiral of RCYC Annamarie Fegan Photos: Bob Bateman

With four wins from six races, Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner Anchor Challenge, in an eight-boat IRC Two Spinnaker division, had a ten-point win margin. Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star, who, despite counting two 'DNCs' for the first two races of the league, took second overall ahead of Stephen Lysaght's Elan 333 Reavra Too in third, both on 16 points.

The "Anchor Challenge " Quarter Ton crew (above and below) winners of IRC Spinnaker Two Division of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League Photo: Bob Bateman

In White Sails One IRC Dan Murphy's X-99 Anteex won by two points from Kieran O'Brien's MG335 Magnet on ten points. Third place was taken by Ronan Twomey's First 40.7, Rosmarina

Dan Murphy's X-99 Anteex was the White Sails One IRC winner of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League Photo: Bob Bateman

In White Sails Two IRC, Alan Mulcahy's Albin Express Apache won by six points from Sean Hanley's HB 31 Luas on 11 points. The Impala Fast Buck was third. 

Alan Mulcahy, skipper of Apache and crew, with Pat Horgan AIB and Vice Admiral Annamarie Fegan, won the IRC Two White Sails Fleet of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League Photo: Bob Bateman

In a five-boat 1720 sportsboat fleet, national champion David Kenefick took four wins to win overall from Young Offenders (Walsh / Brownlow). Third was Padraig Byrne's Zing. 

Full results in all classes below.

David Kenefick's full Irish was the winner of the 1720s at Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League  Photo: Bob Bateman

Royal Cork Yacht Club's 2023 Autumn League Prizegiving Photo Gallery 

The Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour will be the centre for fun and learning at the IODAI Optimist National Training Week from the 1st to the 4th of November.

Over 120 boats are signed up at the time of writing, and more latecomers are also expected.

Now in its third year, the NTW offers Optimist sailors from all over Ireland a chance to connect and learn from some great coaching.

The coaching ticket is led by world-famous ‘Bocha’ Pollitzer of Argentina, who has coached Olympic Teams from the 49er class and has coached world champions in the 29er class and Optimists. Supported by Soren Laugenson of Denmark and Thomas Chaix of Ireland and France. This senior team will lead a talented Irish lineup of younger coaches, ensuring great fun and lots of learning.

The sponsors Grant Thornton and O’Leary Insurance Group, are delighted to support this gathering of the Optimist tribe, say the IODAI.

Swag’ bags have been put together, and the NTW event hoodie is now a collector's item. RCYC has a full food menu for the kids and parents, and the Club and Class are happy to give back by running a coffee morning in aid of the RNLI. As is tradition now, the training week ends with a Halloween Regatta, allowing the sailors to test their newfound skills.

IODAI President Paddy Ryan says, ‘National Training Week is really our most important event of the year. After a long season, it’s the perfect tonic for the sailors and their family to relax, spend time with their friends and engage with the sport in a very positive way that differs hugely from their Regional and National events. As one of the biggest fleets in the country, we are very aware of how an event such as NTW can build a really positive atmosphere for the whole Oppie family and support our sailors in the years ahead'.

Last minute booking can be done here and RCYC have an information page here 

After a one-hour postponement ashore, waiting for fog to lift, the Royal Cork Yacht Club fleet got set for the penultimate round of its 2023 Autumn League.

Race Officer Anthony O'Leary, with his team of Sally O'Leary, Tom Durcan and Tom Kirby, headed to the outer harbour in a light south-easterly, which gradually built during the day to no more than 8 to 10 knots.

O'Leary set a weather mark to seaward for spinnaker classes and set both white sail fleets on a downwind start into the harbour, where they did two rounds (as per number 11 on the RCYC course card).

The white sail fleet goosewinging downwind on the penultimate day of racing at the Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Mary Malone

The spinnaker classes, having gone to the weather mark, sailed back to the harbour to do three rounds of the same course.

Five 1720 sportsboats competed on their course, and with the cruiser fleet sailing through them, it made for a grand harbour spectacle on a late October day.

Five 1720 sportsboats competed on a separate course on day four of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Mary Malone

Conor Phelan's string of wins in the Quarter-Tonner Anchor Challenge in  IRC Two Spinnaker division was broken today by Fiona Young's Albin Express North Star who, despite counting two 'DNCs' for the first two races of the league, now moves to second overall ahead of Stephen Lysaght's Elan 333 Reavra Too in third. Michael McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally, who was second, drops to fourth.

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble (KZ3494) rounds a mark on day four of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Mary Malone

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble, won in IRC One Spinnaker Division and remains the overall leader of a nine-boat fleet. Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo is second, with Brian Jones' J122 Jelly Baby replacing Finbarr O'Regan's J109 in third place.

Results in all classes below

There was plenty of action on the water for the third Sunday of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 as a number of different RCYC fleets took advantage of the great autumn breeze and fine weather in Cork Harbour.

Fleets sailed in both the inner and outer harbour. On the Curlane Bank, a good fleet of Optimists dinghies were in action for the "Cobbler League", and a small but growing fleet of 420 dinghies were training.

Nearby, 1720 Race Officer Barry Rose started a league for the sportsboats with five competing. 

Race Officer Barry Rose (above) sets the Cork Harbour course for the 1720 sportsboats (below) Photo: Bob Bateman

The weather forecast for the day was for a north-easterly breeze going to the east at the bottom of the tide, so Keelboat Race Officer Richard Leonard brought the fleets to the outer harbour and set courses for the different classes using the harbour marks as windward marks and laid a buoy for a leeward mark. This clever plan enabled a more tightly controlled finish time. 

A second race got underway quickly, and as the easterly had set in, a weather mark was set, and the competitors finished on a new line in the harbour stationed off grassy.

Anchor Challenge, Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner in action on day three of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

Anchor Challenge, Conor Phelan's Quarter-Tonner, who has won all the races so far, suffered a setback when she retired from the first race this morning in IRC Two Spinnaker division. Phelan bounced back in race two, however, with another win and continues to lead the eight-boat IRC Two Spinnaker Division. The vintage yacht beat Michael McCann's Etchells 22 Don't Dilly Dally, who lies second overall, while Stephen Lysaght's Elan 333 Reavra Too from Kinsale is third. 

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble (blue spinnaker) on day three of Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 Photo: Bob Bateman

David Dwyer's Farr Half Tonner, Swuzzlebubble, won both races in IRC One Spinnaker Division and continues to be the overall leader of a nine-boat fleet. Annamarie and Denis Murphy's Grand Soliel 40 Nieulargo is second, with Finbarr O'Regan's J109 moving up into third place.

Results in all classes below

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League 2023 (Day 3) Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman and Mary Malone

Royal Cork Yacht Club's Mel Collins, Aidan MacSweeny and Harry Pritchard sailing GoldDigger beat the SB20 national champions for overall honours at Lough Derg Yacht Club Freshwater Keelboat One Design Regatta on Sunday. 

The Crosshaven trio lifted the trophy after finishing on the same four nett points as 2023 Irish champions Michael O'Connor, Davy Taylor, and Owen Laverty from the Royal St George, who discarded an expensive disqualification from the fourth race.

Four races were sailed on Saturday with one discard, but racing was abandoned on Sunday by Race Officer John Leech due to a lack of wind at Dromineer. 

Greystones Sailing Club trio Marty O'Leary, Rachel O'Leary and Conor Galligan finished third.

Ten SB20s competed.