In a move to build on Peter O'Leary's sixth overall at this summer's ISAF Youth world's result, the Royal Cork Yacht Club have been presented with a $50,000 bursary and perpetual trophy this week from American sailing millionaire Roy Disney, who has strong ties with the club and participates at Ford Cork Week regatta.
The pioneering programme to further develop youth sailing in the Cork area provides generous funding for the RCYC over five years to assist in the running of youth regional or national regattas, top-level coaching clinics and the purchase of specific equipment items.
The first benefit to the club will be a four-day racing clinic later this month with world champion sailors for the club's budding Optimist, Laser and 420 fleets.
Coaches include UK sailors, Olympic Finn Gold medallist Ian Percy and the Fireball World and European champion Steve Morrisson.
The club's own International Europe sailor Maria Coleman, ranked second in the world, will also attend.
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) committee in London has made an unprecedented decision in awarding the Somerset Memorial Trophy for RORC Yacht of the Year 2001 jointly to Piet Vroon's Lutra 52, Tonnerre de Breskens who won the 2001 Rolex Fastnet Race and Denis Doyle, who in 2001 skippered his 20th Fastnet in his 20-year-old Frers-designed Moonduster.
Vroon, from Breskens in the Netherlands and Crosshaven's Doyle, have supported RORC racing for more than 40 years, making a great contribution to the Club's international success.
The award recognises racing achievement in yacht owned or sailed by a RORC member. Doyle and Moonduster took line honours in Saturday's continuing CH Marine sponsored October league.
In class two, Dominic O'Sullivan's Scorpio won on both IRC and ECHO handicaps.
Abroad, the Royal Cork's Diarmuid Foley's Mumm 30 'Mammy', finished eighth in the Mumm 30 World's in Sardinia last Friday where 10 nations in a fleet of 45 boats competed in conditions from three to 14 knots.
The Munster crew included Foley as a trimmer, Shane Hughes, Clifford Nicholson, Mark Mansfield and helmsman Mel Collins.
On the East coast with beats and runs and virtually no reaching, Colm Barrington's Gloves Off had a clear win in Class 0 with Cracklin' Rosie (Roy Dickson) second in last Sunday's heavy air Dublin Port Autumn series that enters its penultimate round this weekend.
Class one saw Ian Switzer's Lethal Weapon slicing through in convincing style, with third place being taken by the vintage Corby Frenzy (Dave Hopkins and Barry O'Loughlin), with Malahide's Robert Eason on the helm.
In the Puppeteer division, Andy Sargent, racing Mayfly beat class favourites, the McAllisters with Jellyroll from Lough Neagh.
