Cork Week, commonly known locally as Ford Week, arising from the Ford Motor Company’s sponsorship of the event for a number of years, is the largest international sailing regatta in Ireland and takes place every two years in the month July at The Royal Yacht Club in Crosshaven, County Cork. The 2014 event takes place between the 5th and 11th July at the coastal venue not far from Fota Island Hotel near Midleton.
Entrants originate from across the globe who travel to the event to enjoy one of the world’s premier sailing events. In years gone by entrants included boats from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Channel Islands, England, France, Isle of Man, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, United States and Wales as well, of course, as Ireland.
The event was actually officially known as “Ford Week” for many years until Ford ended their association following the 2002 event and the name of the regatta reverted to the original “Cork Week”. The organisers ran the event without a title sponsor until 2008 when ACCBank was announced as the new Title sponsor. However on this occasion, sense has prevailed and the event will be called “ACCBank Cork Week” and not “ACCBank Week”. The name of Cork Week as a brand has since become internationally recognised. Its popularity has seen Volvo Car Ireland and its principal Volvo dealer in Cork, Johnson and Perrott Motor Group, becoming sponsors of the Volvo Cork Week 2014.
Cork week is run by the Royal Cork Yacht Club which is an excellent Cork venue for such an event, located in Crosshaven. The Royal Cork Yacht Club claims to be the oldest Yacht Club in the world and can trace its origins back to 1720 when it was called the Cork Water Club and based in Cobh, across Cork Harbour from Crosshaven to where the club moved in 1966 following a merger with the Royal Munster Yacht Club.
Cork Week is not all about sailing… at each event there is always a wonderful entertainment line up of on show within the grounds of the Yacht Club during the week-long event which makes it ideal for those seeking family hotel breaks or maybe weekend hotel breaks in Cork. In a ‘tented-village’ erected especially for the occasion, you will find a wide range of shops, restaurants and bars. This is combined with nightly entertainment with live music, bands and clubbing available in four different marquees. At previous events, the main stage hosted headline acts including Paddy Casey, Aslan, The Walls, Bagatelle, Revenge, J-90 and Bluemoose.
The traditional curtain raiser is the Cork Week Ball which takes place in a marina-side marquee on the eve of the event. The night begins with a champagne cocktail reception that is followed Gala Dinner and ball. The Cork Week Ball tends to attract the well-to-do and famous from all parts of Munster and beyond with all proceeds raised going to the RNLI Lifeboat service.
Sailing takes place each day from Monday to Friday on five different courses:
Each night after the sailing, there will be live music, bands and discos in four different marquees, including a new Main Stage which will play host to a number of high profile acts.
If you deciding which hotels in Cork are most suitable to your needs during Cork Week 2014, then why not choose the 5 Star Fota Island Resort with its award-winning spa hotel in Ireland and Cork Golf Club which just played host to the hugely successful 2014 Irish Open. With some of the most competitive hotel deals in Cork, you are sure to find an accommodation package to suit you. Contact the reservations team on + 353 (0)21 488 3700 or via email at reservations@fotaisland.ie.
