Friends, family and work colleagues of two Cork-based Malaysian chefs feared the men had died in Thursday’s doomed MH17 flight — only to get confirmation almost 24 hours later that the two men had actually travelled home to Kuala Lumpur on a different carrier.

It has emerged that two Cork-based chefs switched their flight from the downed Malaysia Airways flight MH17 to save €400, inadvertently saving their lives.

A waterfront, 2.5-acre site in West Cork’s Baltimore port and tourist village, earmarked for a marina and tourism development, is for sale.

THE penultimate day of the Rolex Commodore’s will be staged today with a 50-mile Round the Isle of Wight race, in which Ireland will face a significant challenge to maintain its overall lead of the event that has eluded Irish victors for almost two decades.

A GAME of offshore snakes and ladders was underway in the English Channel last night as the fleet in the Rolex Commodores’ Cup negotiated their way along a 180-mile course that is expected to last up to 36 hours and finish sometime early this afternoon.

AS Cork Week enters its finale today, the traditional programme of races has been altered by yesterday’s near gale conditions off Roche’s Point.

CORK WEEK 2010 passed its halfway mark with sunshine and light winds mixed with rain and a slow, rolling seaway off Roche’s Point as the results closed up in most of the 13 classes.

A CHANGE of pace saw standings across the 13 classes tighten into two distinct groups: the outright battles for first place in some, and clear favourites in others. Light winds are again expected today while there will be possible near-gale conditions tomorrow.

DOMESTIC entries have held strong despite the economic downturn as Cork Week prepares to begin racing off Roche’s Point this morning. Irish boats account for more than half the official entry list in contrast to previous years when overseas boats would account for as much as 80% of the turnout.

Sixteen three-bedroom townhouses are on offer in the third phase of the Fernhill Woods development.

TWO new boats made their debut in race two of the Frank Godsell March League at Kinsale YC and one of them, Dave Dwyer’s racing machine Mariner's Cove, a Corby 41 sent out plenty of shock waves.