Ford Cork Week gets underway

The razmatazz has started, the tented village is buzzing and the magic of Ford Cork Week has once more returned to the Royal Cork Yacht Club and Crosshaven.

Sailors who normally meet at international events all over the world are now greeting each other at Crosshaven, the family cruisers have berthed and the families are set fair to enjoy a weeks holiday.

Today was family day and already the social programme has got off to a great start with hundreds of parents and children from infants and toddlers upwards enjoying the brilliant sunshine and atmosphere.

The opening ceremony was performed by Minister for Health and Children, Michael Martin.

The Sigma 38s were the only boats to commence racing today and they started their offshore overnight race from Weavers Point at 12.30 p.m.

This is a traditional race for them and and as they will have raced overnight their next official race will be Tuesday.

The fleet enjoyed brilliant sunshine but conditions were very light with a fickle northerly breeze competing with the strong ebb tide.

The Sigmas are very popular visitors to Ford Cork Week and enjoy very strong class racing.

They will be holding their annual class championships during the week so competition will be very keen and closely watched.

Another very popular crew returning to the event will be the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind entry Wild Goose Victory Chase.

This boat will be skippered by the very experienced skipper Noel Conlon, who is visually impaired, and will have some celebrity crew members on board during the week.

Among these will be Fine Gael TD Simon Coveney, who also acted as Guest Tactician during last Ford Cork when the crew achieved a very creditable fourth placing in their class.

The crew consists of four visually impaired and two sighted sailors and they are enabled to sail in the event and raise funds for their very worth aims or providing guide dogs for the visually impaired through the generosity of their sponsor, Pepsi-Cola.

As the week of racing and fun commences, Crosshaven is the place to be to enjoy the sailing spectacle with all its colour and intense competition and the on shore entertainment which has something for everyone young and old alike.