There are two interesting changes planned in Cork Harbour racing this season, for cruisers and dinghies.

Two separate Cobh-Blackrock Races are planned, and the Cork Harbour Cruiser Joint Clubs league will be reintroduced.

The Cobh/Blackrock Race is a big traditional gathering that was, in times past, the traditional end-of-season event. That is no longer the situation as racing, in dinghies and cruisers, goes on into the Winter. Both raced on the same day in the annual September Cobh-Blackrock Race, organised by Cove Sailing Club, dinghies starting ahead of the cruisers.

In recent years the running of the dinghies section of the race has been organised by Monkstown Bay Sailing Club, a successful dinghy club, that has been expanding its activities.

The sailing programme issued by MBSC for this season has scheduled the CSC/Cobh-to-Blackrock dinghies race for Saturday, July 6. Monkstown will be the organisers.

The Cobh/Blackrock Cruisers Race is set for Saturday, September 14.

Keelboat forum

A keelboat racing forum held in the RCYC clubhouse at Crosshaven at the weekend had “a fantastic turnout with hugely positive engagement from members”, according to the club.

Its Keelboat/cruiser Class says that it will “introduce some new additions to our racing calendar for 2024, including the re-introduction of Sunday racing, a sprint series, a combined June Friday league with Cobh Sailing Club, the ‘Round Spike Island Race’ as well as many more new initiatives.”

The Cork Harbour Combined Clubs League was run for a number of seasons but stopped when Covid impacted sailing and was not resumed. The plan is to run it on Friday nights in June. That evening is, at present, a whitesail night at the RCYC and whitesail and kites at Cove. The resumed combined league will probably be whitesail.