The Victoria Antiques Winter Series got underway at Kinsale Yacht Club on Sunday the 6^th of October 2024.

The conditions were challenging and the large fleet (White Sails I & II) assembled at the start line in blustery conditions with a stiff southerly blowing at 18 – 24 knots.  Most crews delayed their sail selection until the last minute and the Race Officer (Anthony O’Neill, Vice-Commodore) set a great course with the first leg out to the Bullman Bouy (South Cardinal Mark). 

The Race Officer warned all crews about the low tide at the start of the race and he urged all skippers to take care not to go too close to the Bullman Rock on the low tide.  Avoiding the Bulman Rock was easy as there was a very serious short chop at the harbour entrance, with the boiling cauldron breaking over the Bulman Rock, signposting the location of this dangerous reef.  Racing was close off the start line (all-in start) and the bigger and faster yachts, Cinnamon Girl, Chancer, and Meridian led the way in the WS Class I fleet.  Cinnamon Girl was skippered by Cian McCarthy and amongst his crew were some young, aspiring and promising sailors.

The racing in the WS Class II fleet was very competitive also with Padraig O’Donovan, the hardened sea dog relishing the challenging conditions on the helm of his tried and tested Fastnet 35 ‘Chameleon’ leading from Albert O’Neill’s ‘Starlett’ and ‘Miss Charlie’ the beautiful Tofinou with Victor Fusco at the helm, not far behind. Great to see Albert’s Formula 28 finding some form again. 

The Race Officer set a course that required all yachts to round the Bulman to starboard and race back into the harbour to round a harbour mark and then race back out to the Bulman, followed by a western hike to Sandycove racing mark and back to the finish. The Class 1 WS fleet 

Enroute to the Bulman for the second time, David Riome’s Sigma 33 ‘Valfreya’, in the WS Fleet I, experienced gear failure and retired for an early seat in the bar. 

The WS fleet II rounded the Bulman for the second time and raced nip and tuck back to the finish line. 

A big thank-you to Francis and Hugh of Victoria Antiques for sponsoring this Winter Series of Racing.

 IRC 1 

1. Cinnamon Girl (Cian McCarthy)
2. Chancer (Brian and Michael Carroll)
3. Meridian (Tom Roche)

Echo 1 

1. Chancer (Brian and Michael Carroll)
2. Cinnamon Girl (Cian McCarthy)

IRC 2 

1. Chameleon (Padraig O’Donovan)
2. Starlet (Albert O’Neill)
3. Miss Charlie (Patrick Beckett)

Echo 2 

1. Chameleon (Padraig O’Donovan)
2. Starlet (Albert O’Neill)
3. Miss Charlie (Patrick Beckett)

Race report by Tom O’Connor  – White Sail Class Captain