Royal Cork Yacht Club hosted another dynamic edition of Cork Week on July 6-12, 2026, with 113 entries competing. Sam Laidlaw’s Royal Yacht Squadron Quarter Tonner BLT completed a perfect Cork Week, winning all eight races sailed in IRC Three to win Cork Week’s overall prize, the Kinsale Kettle. BLT was also awarded the Cork Week Trophy as the best overseas entry.

The Kinsale Kettle is far more than the trophy awarded to Cork Week’s overall winner. Steeped in the history and traditions of Royal Cork Yacht Club, it represents one of the regatta’s most prestigious honors.

Holding the magnificent trophy at the prize-giving, Laidlaw paid tribute to the racing, the organisers and the celebrated Cork welcome: “The racing has been absolutely extraordinary. How you managed to get in so many races for so many classes was remarkable, and of course we all come to Cork Harbour for the Harbour Race, which is always one of the most exciting races of the week.

Cork is a place where the racing is not only very competitive, but also enormously good fun, with tremendous hospitality. We are honoured to win this magnificent trophy, which certainly would not have happened without Brett, Ed, Rupert and Nick keeping me out of trouble around the racecourse. Thank you all for a fabulous week.”

Beaufort Cup

Baltimore RNLI rounded off a perfect Beaufort Cup scorecard by winning the final race of the series to lift the trophy for the first time. Brian Mathews’ Defence Forces SC team came from behind to take runner-up spot in the final race, with Simon Coveney’s Waterfront team third.

The vast majority of the Baltimore RNLI crew are active members of the lifeboat station, responding to emergencies along the coast of West Cork, including skipper Robert O’Leary.

“A massive thank you to the Royal Cork Yacht Club and to Brian Mathews for organising such a fantastic event. The racing has been brilliant, and racing around the Fastnet Rock is always a very special part of the Beaufort Cup. We are incredibly grateful to Pat Kelly for lending us the boat and to the crew of Storm for giving us the opportunity to compete this week.

I also want to thank Secretary General for Defence Ms Jacqui McCrum for her support and for meeting us on the dock. Thank you to Jackie and Pat who are past commodores of Rush Sailing Club. Most of all, thank you to my crew, our fellow competitors and everyone involved in the regatta. We have had an unforgettable week and look forward to coming back again.”

Etchells European Championship 2026

Chris Hampton’s Tango from Royal Brighton YC (AUS) won the Etchells Open European Championship, counting six race victories from eight starts. Shaun Frohlich’s Exabyte was crowned 2026 Etchells European Champion, while Andrew Crosbie’s Royal Cork YC Knot on Call completed the podium and collected both the Best Corinthian and Best Irish Boat awards.

Hampton highlighted Tango’s resilience and the quality of the Cork Week experience:

“We’ve had the full range of conditions, from stronger breeze to light-air sailing, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Being part of Cork Week has worked extremely well because it creates an atmosphere that we simply would not have had racing on our own. The race committee produced very even courses, with genuine tactical choices both upwind and downwind. The hospitality has been fantastic, Crosshaven is a beautiful place, and these are some of the best sailing conditions we have experienced for years.”

Principal Race Officer Con Murphy reflected on the clear objective shared by the regatta’s race management team: to deliver fair, straightforward racing that competitors could understand and enjoy.

For Murphy and the Cork Week race officers start the process well before the first start, and follow that up with daily meetings to assess the weather, shipping movements and the most suitable racing areas. Once afloat, the emphasis was on square start lines, clearly defined courses and reducing delays between starts.

“The key is not to make it complicated,” Murphy explained. “Keep the communications clear, do the basics properly and be ready to take the opportunity when the breeze appears. Good race management should allow the sailors to concentrate entirely on their racing.”

Chairman of Cork Week, Ross Deasy, confirmed that the 2028 edition of Cork Week will mark the 50th anniversary of the world-famous regatta and will be held in early July 2028.