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seasonal · Monday 6 July 2026 · Racing from 1:00pm daily; Family Fun Day Sunday 5 July 12pm-5pm 
Cork Week 2026 International Sailing Regatta
At Royal Cork Yacht Club · Crosshaven, Co. Cork
At Royal Cork Yacht Club · Crosshaven, Co. Cork
Cork Week is one of the great spectacles of Irish sailing - five days of racing across Cork Harbour, with over 120 boats and 1,200 sailors from Ireland, the UK, Europe and the United States competing under the flag of the world’s oldest yacht club. The Royal Cork Yacht Club was founded in 1720 as the Water Club of the Harbour of Cork, which puts more than three centuries of maritime tradition behind this biennial event. If you have any interest in sailing or simply want to watch a fleet of racing yachts work the harbour in summer conditions, this is a genuinely impressive thing to see.
Racing runs daily from 1pm across five days, 6 to 10 July 2026. The 2026 programme carries extra weight - the Etchells European Championships and the ICRA National Championships both run as part of Cork Week this year, drawing competitors from well beyond Ireland. That means the standard of sailing is high and the racing is close.
A Family Fun Day on Sunday 5 July (the day before racing begins) opens things up from 12pm to 5pm, which is a good option if you have children or just want a look around before the competitive week gets underway. From Monday, après sail events run each evening at the yacht club - live music, casual dining, and the kind of sociable harbour atmosphere that Cork Week has built its reputation on since it began in 1978. Wednesday 8 July hosts a Ladies Day charity lunch in aid of Crosshaven RNLI, one of the more established fixtures in the Cork Week social calendar.
Spectators are welcome on the waterfront; the action on the water is visible from the shore and from the harbour itself if you can get out on a boat.
Crosshaven sits roughly 25km south-east of Cork city centre, out on the western side of Cork Harbour. By road, take the R610 from Cork city through Carrigaline and follow signs for Crosshaven - allow around 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. Bus Eireann runs services from Cork city, and during Cork Week additional ferry transfers operate within the harbour, which is by far the most pleasant way to arrive if you can manage it. Parking in Crosshaven village can fill up quickly during busy event days, so arriving early or using the bus is worth considering.
Crosshaven itself is a small harbour village with a good stretch of seafront, a sandy beach at Robert’s Cove nearby, and a scattering of pubs and cafes that fill up agreeably during regatta week. There is more to see in Crosshaven and across Co. Cork.
Heading to Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven? Cork has plenty more to see. Read the Crosshaven area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.