Portishead yachts sail across the Irish Sea to compete at Volvo Cork Week
by Tim Pearson 31 Jul 2022 10:34 BST
11-15 July 2022
PCC Team Photo, Broadhaven Crew House at Cork Week 2022 © Simon Britten
For the first time in Portishead Cruising Club's (PCC) 90 year history, yachts from the racing fleet recently set sail for Cork, Ireland to compete in the prestigious Cork Week regatta.
2022 marks the delayed tricentenary of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and visiting boats were welcomed from far and wide to join in the celebrations of the oldest yacht club in the world. The 600 nautical mile round trip was not only a great adventure but also a test of boats, skippers and crew.
Leaving Portishead at 01h00 on Friday 8th July were three boats from the local PCC racing fleet - Hero, skippered by Simon Britten, Assassin skippered by Matthew Bundell and Ctrl-J skippered by Andy Williams. The 36 hour non-stop transit to Cork was in light winds and took the crews towards Swansea and then almost a direct line across to Cork where the teams arrived safely in time for a quick refresh ahead of the regatta.
Racing took place in the Irish Sea off Cork and involved a series of 'round the cans' courses where the skills of our local crews were tested alongside some of the best-drilled yacht crews from Ireland, the UK and further afield. Races are scored on a handicap system with all the Portishead boats racing in the IRC 1 (Hero and Assassin) and IRC 2 (Ctrl-J) classes.
Now safely back in Portishead after an exhilarating week's racing, Simon Britten, skipper of lead Portishead boat Hero said, "This was the first time we'd taken some of our racing fleet to Ireland after a successful campaign at Falmouth Week last year. The teams enjoyed some highly competitive racing in great conditions off the coast of Cork and we can't wait to mount a return campaign next year."
If you've always hankered to be part of a racing yacht crew or want to get back into sailing then the team at PCC would love to hear from you! The fleet races in a number of club series across the year in the waters of the Bristol Channel - including some evenings during the summer. Contact Nick Duppa-Miller at to find out more and get involved - you don't need a boat to join in the fun!