Full sail ahead to Crosshaven

By Ellen O'Brien

Volvo Cork Week 2024 is set to be bigger than ever this year.

More than 200 boats and 10,000 sailors will descend upon Crosshaven for the event in July.

Volvo Cork Week will take place from 15-19 July and is hosted in The Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven. The weeklong event will be filled with competition, maritime celebrations, and special events. The event was officially launched over the weekend by the first female Admiral of the 304 year old club Annamaire Fegan, Deputy Simon Coveney, Ross Deasy, Event Chair, Gavin Deane GM of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and Alan Cowley, Managing Director of title sponsor Volvo Car Ireland.

Also in attendance were event supporters Mark Whitaker, Chairman of Johnson & Perrott Group, and Cllr Audrey Buckley, deputising for the Cork County Mayor Frank O’Flynn.

Attendees at the event can look forward to a lot of racing action, live music, local cuisine, family fun day and a ladies day.

Speaking about the event Annamaire Fegan stated her hopes for the Volvo Cork week. “My ambition is to get more people on the water and Volvo Cork Week is an incredible showcase for the incredible sport of sailing. We have pathways for all ages into sailing from young kids to teens and adults. Every boat needs a crew and we always welcome new people looking to get involved.”

She added: “I have previously been involved as chair of the event for many years and this year will be extra special. Of course, it would not be possible without our sponsors so I would like to sincerely thank them for their support and also a big thanks to the army of volunteers that it takes to run this event.”

Deputy Simon Coveney said: “At the heart of Volvo Cork Week lies a tradition of excellence, with participants from across the globe vying for top honours in a series of exhilarating races. But it’s more than that. It’s about a community coming together to celebrate a passion for sailing and our greatest natural asset, our harbour.”

There will be a variety of different sailing race courses throughout the week. See corkweek.ie for more.