Volvo Cork Week 2024 (15-19th July) was a resounding success with over 120 boats and 1,200 competitors. The world-class event which incorporated the 1720 European Championships, and welcomed teams from Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, and the United States to Crosshaven. They enjoyed a full five-day programme of racing around Cork Harbour, with many prolonging their stay for sightseeing around the region after the event.
The extended entertainment programme was also a big hit with sailors, locals, and visitors. On-shore highlights included a very successful Ladies’ Day charity lunch in aid of the Crosshaven RNLI with Volvo ambassadors Dermot Bannon and Suzi McAdam and the Family Fun Day. The extended family-friendly area proved very popular, with families entertained with action both on and off the water all week. The event attracts 8,000 visitors to Cork every two years and provides a strong boost to the local economy as most competitors stay for a number of days and avail of local accommodation and hospitality.
This year, organisers at Royal Cork Yacht Club – the oldest yacht club in the world – committed to making the world-renowned regatta a green event by taking significant steps to conserve the ocean habitat of Cork Harbour. They introduced several sustainability measures to preserve the maritime health of important local waters. They hope their efforts will be awarded with the gold standard ‘Clean Regatta’ certification from Sailors for the Sea, the world’s leading ocean conservation organisation that educates and activates the sailing and boating community toward restoring ocean health.
Commenting at the Volvo Cork Week prize-giving, Admiral, Royal Cork Yacht Club and co-chair of Volvo Cork Week, Annamarie Fegan, said, “On behalf of the Royal Cork Yacht Club and our sponsors and partners, I would like to extend my thanks to all of our competitors from Ireland and around the world who put in so much effort to be part of Volvo Cork Week 2024. This week’s racing has been a fantastic showcase for the incredible sport of sailing and I hope that this will encourage more people of all ages to get out on the water. I would also like to thank the race officers and their teams for their outstanding race management and our Green Committee for working so hard to ensure our event protected our treasured waters. And finally to Volvo and Johnson and Perrott for their incredible support, as well as Cork County Council, Port of Cork, Musto, Heineken, Barry & Fitzwilliam, John Paul Construction, Smart Club Solutions, and media partner Cork’s Red FM.
For more see volvocorkweek.ie and full results are on https://www.royalcork.com/
