Anyone else just 'done' Cork Week??

[Will_M]

Anyone else just \'done\' Cork Week??

Anyone else out there last week?

What a fantstic weeks racing /forums/images/icons/smile.gif , great place to sail.......

Have to say the sight of Peter Harrison's Chernikeeff II moored alongside Chernikeeff was a great sight!!!

anyone else read chernikeeff in reverse!! <font color=red> ffeekinrech </font color=red>

Also those two MaxZ86 footers, Pyewacket and Morning Glory... Talk about a different world, nice to see the two of them racing, well at least till one of them threw their toys out and withdrew from the regatta /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif!!!!

Well done to the Royal Cork YC all in all a good event.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[StephenSails]

I wish!

Sounds like a good week, heard that one of the Maxs got a bit fussy and went home early.

I am looking forward to Cowes Week.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yachtinguniverse.com>http://www.yachtinguniverse.com</A>

 

[JonBrooks]

Re: I wish!

I was out there.
Although not sailing, we sponsored the communication for the event so one of us had to be out there!
God I hate my job!!

Great event, great eveing fun, great location and great people.
If you have never been and the chance in 2 years time grab it with both hands.

Regards

<hr width=100% size=1>Jon Brooks
Marine Dealer Manager
Icom UK Ltd.
01227 741741

 

[TheBoatman]

Re: Anyone else just \'done\' Cork Week??

I recieved this email from a "racer" I don't for one minute pass comment on it.

Cork Week

Quote

It's a shame that I should be writing this, but Cork has failed everyone in our division today. Monday was fine - a tricky harbour race in light winds that kept us all on our on toes with plenty of miles logged under the keel. Today (Tuesday the 13th) was a horror show and the blame is clearly laid at the doorstep of the Race Committee. When you think there are 20 boats in IRM and another 60 in the top two IRC classes (which includes the two maxZ86s) then the total spend for a day out on the water must be getting near £200,000 between the owners.We were all racing on the windward-leeward course with two races planned. The only problem was that the windward mark was set 3.3 miles from the start line and there was seven knots of wind. This was fine for the maxis, and what a fantastic sight they are, but for us on a Farr 45 it was way too long for the two lap course in the light winds. And the little fellas - well, we wondered if they might need nav lights on to get home. But it gets worse. After one lap of the course the committee announce on the radio that the course is to be shortened for those of us racing in IRM. So Peter Harrison's crew on Chernikeef, who are leading the race at the leeward marks, sail through and consider it a job well done. The committee then come back on the airwaves and change their mind and the race is to continue.This is bad enough for me as I have one gybe to get everything back in order to do a rounding and another leg. It is worse for Chernikeef as they have to turn round and head back upwind with the jib going up having relinquished their comfortable lead to fellow Farr 52 Bear of Britain.So another lap it is and another 3.3 miles to the windward mark. By this stage it's getting really boring - the fleet is so spread out in the light conditions that one minute you're dipping a Swan 60, and 20 minutes later you're having to tack away because you are in the dirty wind of a K One Design 33.But it gets even worse. The maxis finished ages ago and are pootling around doing not much at all, while for us in IRM we get across the finish line with a collective sigh and 3.3 miles back the little fellas are just setting their spinnakers. The committee then come on the blower saying that the IRM race is abandoned as no one has finished within the time limit and all remaining boats should drop their sails and motor down for the start of the second race. The problem is that there is no time limit under IRM.The VHF channel alights with angry navigators from, as Cork Week calls it, The Grand Prix Class. So a couple of minutes later the committee re-announce that the race is continuing. Now we all decide to chill out and let what happens, happen.So now, they decide to cancel the racing for the day. No second race. Great for the maxis who have been floundering around for two hours. And great for everyone else who have had enough too.So the latest is that Chernikeef are seeking redress for the shortened course incident and we await the outcome. The problem comes when the protest committee decide what they are going to do. The sensible (and probably the fairest) thing to do is lob the race out. But we have one discard in our fleet and Bear of Britain, who was DSQ yesterday will not want that and similarly 2XL (the Farr 40) who sailed a great race to finish second will not want this either. Rebel, the Farr 45, won today's race and now with two bullets will not want this either. The smaller boats will be livid whatever the outcome.What we can expect is another amendment to the sailing instructions. Two days of racing and we already have 13 amendments - which is indicative of the problems, that boil down to squeezing highly rating boats like the maxZ86s and the new Full Pelt (all with ratings above 1.6) and the smaller majority with ratings of 1.121-1.200. The great thing about Cork Week though is not that the Yacht Club and beer tents are full of disgruntled sailors. Yes, there's chat about the sailing but conversations swiftly move onto what crew were doing to what the night before, who is looking sheepish and bleary eyed, and the grand competition of how little sleep I/you had last night. It's still all good fun

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[pft]

Re: Anyone else just \'done\' Cork Week??

Yup, I was out there racing in a 1/4 tonner in IRC7.
The great thing about Cork Week is that the racing is so much better than Cowes week.
Much fewer conflicts between fleets rounding the same marks, and a good variety of courses. I know Cork has the advantage of space, but they are prepared to make you motor 4 miles in order to get the separation between fleets.
With windward/leewards, harbour race, coastal race and olympic triangles tp play with everyone should be happy.
Sadly this year the weather wasnt great, and the committees struggled on the light days to set courses to keep everyone happy - but in general it was great racing.
I think the beer tents are becoming more of a zoo like Cowes - I suspect lacking a major sponsor, they are letting larger numbers of the public in to top up the coffers, so we spent more time in the pubs this year....cheaper too.
Good time had though.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[aod]

Re: Anyone else just \'done\' Cork Week??

Cork week is always a blast (4th or 5th time for me) and I prefer it to Cowes any day of the week but I have to admit that this year it did seem a bit flat and I'm not quite sure it was for any one reason. Sure other than crappy Beamish and Millers the drinks were extremely expensive. (Smirnoff Mule just under 6 euros) and I once made the mistake of buying a large rum and coke and a pint of Beamish and paid 15 euros!

Mind you I didn't see any trouble this year largely on account of the fact that Beamish appears to have the same alcohol content as a rum truffle so no-one could get blasted unless you spent 120 euros on 30 pints of it.

The local pubs were a much better proposition offering a bigger selection and much cheaper prices. Mind you eating out was scary but I suspect it's pretty expensive all over Ireland now that the Euro has taken hold.

What really did hit me was how pleasant it was to sit in non smoking pubs!

The weather certainly didn't help and the last night in the tents in the hacking down rain was a bit of a dismal ending to the week.

I thought overall the race organisation to be pretty good and i suppose in such a huge event there are bound to be cock ups although I can understand the frustration at having a race go awry.

Still imho poor Cork week is still significantly better than the best Cowes farce and I aim to be there at the next one

<hr width=100% size=1>