Life’s a breeze as racing gets off to a fine start

WHEN it comes to sailing, size matters. The bigger the sail, the faster the boat.

That was evident off Weaver’s Point in Crosshaven, as a flotilla of boats, sails billowing like a line of washing, raced for glory at the start of Cork Week.

The racing boats were majestic but when Green Dragon came into view it eclipsed even the grandest of them. The big, white-hulled 70ft entry for the round the world race was in full sail, undergoing sea trials in Cork where the naval base at Haulbowline will be her home for most of July.

Despite doom-laden warnings of either too little or too much wind, yesterday’s breeze was just about enough to get things moving. The sailors were delighted when the wind picked up for the early afternoon start even if it chilled, but there was no pleasing some people.

“I wish the wind would drop, I’m freezing,” said one landlubber, much to the displeasure of a veteran race-goer nearby.

“Oh, don’t say that, boy,” said the sailor.

“We’d be knackered completely without the bit of puff, you know.”

In the afternoon, the sun shone as the Jeanie Johnston led the racing boats home. With full spinnakers they made an awesome site as they sailed past Cobh where hundreds of locals gathered on shore to watch the procession.

This is the 30th anniversary of Cork Week, Ireland’s largest international sailing regatta, is held every two years. It still amazes those who attend regularly how a sailing club with barely 300 members can carry off such a prestigious event, gaining for itself an enviable international reputation.

“Everything works, it’s as simple as that. All the starts are in order and everyone knows exactly where they are supposed to be. That may seem pretty basic, but it doesn’t happen everywhere. Everything at Cork Week is always well run, down to the last detail,” said one Cork Week veteran.

Next year in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, it will take seven different clubs to organise a similar undertaking.

There are more than 500 boats in Crosshaven, worth many millions of euro, among them Rambler, a 96ft boat owned by American businessman George David. Bostonian billionaire Dan Meyers has two boats here, but only one racing, Numbers is a 66 footer while Meteor is an awesome 174ft “mother-ship”.

To ensure his crew’s total comfort, Meyers has rented Crosshaven House for the week.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club has been transformed into a tented village for the week. The massive tented village in Crosshaven plays host to 5,000 competitors and spectators. That means serious racing by day and serious partying at night.

With five restaurants and 10 bars, there are plenty of opportunities for over-indulging. One winsome young woman was nursing a sore head that even a trip around the harbour couldn’t cure.

“I’ll have to go for a bit of a kip for an hour or so,” she said. “Otherwise I’ll be a complete wreck.”

Cork Week has always been a heady mixture of heart-stopping racing at sea and frenzied fun ashore. Perhaps that’s why it only comes around every two years.

It takes that long to recover.