Cork Week sets sail for annual nautical festival

A positive forecast for at least the first three days of Cork Week is set to draw a bumper crowd to the annual sailing extravaganza.

Clearing cloud cover might offer relief from the rainfall of recent weeks though hopes of quality sailing and clear skies may be a more remote possibility.

However, a new low-pressure system arriving on Wednesday could round off the regatta with more blustery conditions and onshore winds.

The 100-boat entry is split into two fleets, both of which will race off Roche’s Point today.

The bigger entries of Class Zero and One plus the 1720 Sports Boats will be competing on the Trapezoid Course three miles east of the harbour entrance.

Fleet B comprising the combined class three and four as well as the J109 championship merged into class two will race on an Olympic course along with the white sail boats south of Roche’s Point.

Due to the reduced numbers, not all of the five courses used at Cork Week will be in action each day. However, the combined entry will sail the Harbour Course past Cobh on Friday as part of the finale to the series.