We have three Club boats racing in this year’s Round Ireland Race which starts at Wicklow this Saturday. We wish Blue Oyster (Noel Coleman), Cavatina (Ian Hickey), Nieulargo (Denis Murphy and Annamarie Fegan) and their crews all the best for this long offshore race that takes place every two years.
Looking at the Wicklow Harbour Sailing Club website feature on this race, our Club has a long history of competing in this now classic Offshore race.
Nieulargo, winners of the Fastnet 450 and Dun Laoghaire to Dingle, are being tipped as one of the race favourites.
Looking at our club’s results history in the race, the first race took place in 1980 with sixteen entries and Jimmy Butler of East Ferry fame started on Tam O Shanter (retired).
There were four boats from Cork in the next edition of this race. A fleet of nineteen boats started with Moonduster & Denis Doyle placing first overall and setting a race time record. William Tell (Pat O’Donovan), Stratus (Dave Harte) and Wild Goose (Seamus Gallagher) all retired.
Denis Coleman’s Blue Oyster has been on the start line of all the big Offshore Races in recent years
Moonduster won again in 1984 from a fleet of twenty one boats and set another race record. Irish Mist Jim McCarthy came eight.
The race fleet grew over the following years with a peak of fifty five boats in 1996. Five Cork boats took part that year.
See attached brief history for further information.
The famous Ron Holland designed Imp (George Radley) won the race in 2000. We note Imp is entered for Volvo Cork Week this year and is expected to be seen in Cork Harbour waters again very soon.
Eric Lisson and Ian Hickey and their regular crew on Cavatina have competed since 2002. Cavatina has won the race twice, 2002 and 2006. She was third in 2004.
Ian Hickey’s Cavatina from the Royal Cork Yacht Club,, a past winner of the Round Ireland Yacht Race. Photograph Robert Bateman
It is some record. In fact while chatting with Ian at the weekend, he commented this will be his ninth Round Ireland and that his long time crew Lenny Donnery will compete in his thirteenth Round Ireland this year. How many other club members are still competing from the early days. Please let us know..
Best of luck All.
Paul
Excellent report over the years Congratulations to all who have taken part & are now retired.