Tom MacSweeney: How Cork boat Gull launchedthe world’s largest yacht race

There is a story about a Cork yacht, “a handsome ship with a mighty spread of canvas”, that had involvement in the emergence of the Irish Free State and the start of the most famous British yacht race, the Fastnet Race, around the iconic West Cork lighthouse.

The yacht was Harry Donegan’s 17-ton gaff cutter, Gull, which carried dispatches for Michael Collins during the Civil War in 1922. Three years later, Donegan became a founder member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, which this Saturday will start the centenary Fastnet Race.

That is one of the great stories of maritime Cork.

In 1921, the Donegan family, of Cork, bought Gull, an 1896 Charles E Nicholson-designed, Camper & Nicholson-built 18-ton gaff cutter, with a large jackyard topsail. Solicitor Harry Donegan sailed her until his death in 1940.

At the final stages of the Civil War, she carried Collins’s sister from Cork to Dublin with dispatches for Collins, commander-in-chief of the army for the pro-treaty government. Anti-treaty rebels had destroyed road and rail links.

When the first Fastnet Race was suggested, in 1925, Gull was one of the seven participating yachts. Sixteen had been entered. The race started from the Solent and finished in Plymouth.

Gull led at one stage and finished third. From that race the Ocean Racing Club of the UK was formed at a meeting in Plymouth.

It later became the Royal Ocean Racing Club, known colloquially and internationally as the RORC.

Donegan was a keen sailor and to the fore in establishing the sport of sailing. Four years after the foundation of the ORC, he was part of the creation at Glengarriff in 1929 of the Irish Cruising Club, of which he was vice commodore. Gull was well-known around the east coast for racing in Irish Sea events, as well as in Cork Harbour.

Gull, then an older vessel, was sold and ended her days in the 1950s in Poole.

The Donegan family has continued to be part of Cork’s sailing scene and Cork yachts have been participants in many Fastnet Races.

This Saturday, 470 yachts will make Fastnet the biggest offshore race in the world. 

There are entries from 30 countries, with 4,500 sailors expected, and with some international sailors navigating around the only place they know in Ireland: Fastnet Rock.

Much public memory of the race centres on the 1979 tragedy, when it was hit by a storm. A total of 24 yachts were abandoned, five sank, and 136 sailors were saved in the largest-ever sea rescue operation off the Irish coast.

It involved RNLI lifeboats, the naval service, RAF, and royal navy helicopters, as Ireland did not then have its own. Ships were asked to help. The car ferry Saint Killian, on its way from Le Havre to Rosslare, changed course to help the search. Yachts were scattered across a wide sea area.

Hugh Coveney, later marine minister, was skipper of Golden Apple, from Cork, one of the 303 yachts racing. Its rudder broke off 48km north west of the Scilly Isles.

Ron Holland, the yacht’s designer, was aboard. The crew took to their liferaft.

International sailor Harold Cudmore left a note on the yacht’s chart table: 

‘Gone for lunch, be back in a while’. 

They were rescued by a helicopter.

Horrifically, 18 people — 15 competing yachtsmen and three rescuers — died in the storm. A total of 86 yachts finished. Several took refuge in Irish ports.

Overall, Irish yachts have done well in the race.

“After great promise leading in to the stormy 1979 Fastnet, it was Donal McClement, of Cork, with the UFO 34 Black Arrow, who had a class win,” 

recalls yachting writer, WM Nixon.

“In 1981, Ken Rohan’s Holland 40 Regardless won Class 1, with Tim Goodbody lead helm on the overall winning Dubois 40 Irish Independent, in 1987, followed by Ger O’Rourke, of Limerick, and Kilrush, winning overall in 2007 with his Cookson 50 Chieftain.

Denis Doyle’s Frers 51 Moonduster, from Cork, was an admired part of the race for many years. He sailed his last Fastnet at the age of 81.

In 1977, the Ron Holland-designed Imp stamped her mark on the Fastnet Race. She is now owned by the Radley family of Cobh.

There are several Irish yachts entered for this year’s centenary race, including from Cork: Cian McCarthy’s Cinnamon Girl, Conor Doyle’s Freya, from Kinsale YC, and Denis/Annamarie Murphy’s Nieulargo, from the RCYC.

The Donegan name is there with Jalapeno James Donegan, from Kinsale Yacht Club.

On a personal note, while I have sailed several offshore races, I have never raced in the Fastnet, but this Saturday two of my family will be competing, but on different yachts.

My son, Cormac, a master mariner, is crewing on Mynx, from Dingle, and my student grandson, Oisin, is aboard Aurelia, from Dun Laoghaire.

My wife, Kathleen, says “this family is boat mad”.

‘Fair sailing’ to all racing.

• Do give your views on maritime matters, which are very welcome. Email: tommacsweeneymarine@gmail.com My Podcast is always available on: https://tommacsweeneymaritimepodcast.ie