UP TO 10,000 people a day are expected to attend competitive sailing events as part of Cork Week which got under way in Crosshaven yesterday.
Hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club – the oldest yacht club in the world – the event features a week of competitive sailing and plenty of entertainment land-side for those without sea legs.
Among the participants is John Lowry (27), vice-commodore of Cushendall Sailing Boating Club in Co Antrim who married Jane Gallagher (25), on Friday last in Glenariffe, Co Antrim.
The couple plan to spend the first week of their honeymoon racing at Cork Week on a boat called Wardance.
It will be a crowded honeymoon though, as John and Jane only had the boat to themselves for last night.
There are nine crewing on the boat, including John’s father Paul.
Paul and co-owner Brenda Reddington brought the boat, a Bennateau First 35, to Cork last week and then returned to Antrim for the wedding which hosted 150 guests.
The biennial sailing event was officially launched yesterday by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin.
Running until July 16th, Cork Week will see hundreds of boats competing in and around Cork Harbour at what is Europe’s largest regatta organised by a single club.
The event has attracted boats from all over the world, including vessels from Hong Kong, France, Australia, Germany, Holland, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
There will be more than 250 boats competing on five separate courses throughout the week.
Each class will have the opportunity to race on each of the five courses.
Meanwhile, Kinsale Arts Week is also under way with an attractive programme in place for arts enthusiasts in Cork city and county.
On Saturday evening Camille O’Sullivan played a cliff-top gig venue at Charles Fort as part of the festivities.
The programme features everything from local to international works in a mix of mediums such as visual arts, theatre, music, literature, film, dance and others.
Highlights for this year's week include Apres Match, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Joseph O'Connor and La Locandiera.