Press & Media

RORC Cherbourg Race

6th September 2010

Following the Irish domination of the RORC Commodores Cup 2010, September saw further Irish success in the annual RORC Cherbourg Race. Nick Martin and Barry Hurley co-skippered “Diablo-J”, a J-105, to not only win the RORC trophy for the Two–Handed Division, but took home the Yacht Club de France trophy for IRC 2 and the Cherbourg trophy for IRC Overall.

The RORC race report is available here.
A full page article on the Evening Echo followed later that week, thanks to Tom McSweeney. Part 1. Part 2.
Afloat magazine also reported the acheivement in both their online and printed editions.
And heartwarming congratulations came from the Irish shorthanded sailing group.

Cove Sailing Club:  Cobh Hero Returns

Friday 14th August 2009

OSTAR 2009 Class winner, Barry Hurley and “Dinah” arrived off Roche’s Point, with unnerving punctuality, at 1PM on Sunday 2nd August. They were met at Roche’s Point and escorted back to Cobh by a flotilla of boats from all over the harbor that had come out to welcome them home. It was great to see so many and such variety of boats out to meet them with many flying flags and bunting to add to the occasion.

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from the Irish Times

Hurley sails ‘Dinah’ to class win

Friday, June 19, 2009

by DAVID BRANIGAN

A THREE-WEEK epic in one of the longest-standing ocean yacht races ended earlier this week with Ireland’s Barry Hurley winning his class and placing fifth overall. The Original Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR) was given a traditional welcome into Newport, Rhode Island by crowds lining the quays and cannon-fire from the shore.

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Upon completion of the 2009 OSTAR, Barry was named the Irish Independent / Afloat Magazine sailor of the month for June.

from the Irish Independent

Sailing: Hurley’s triumph in adversity an example to all

By W M Nixon
Saturday July 04 2009

Barry Hurley is the latest Irish Independent/Afloat.ie Sailor of the Month, having hit the spot on June 22 with his class win in the OSTAR — the Original Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race.

Highlighting Hurley’s achievement among so many successes during a remarkably busy sailing month has been a demanding task for the adjudicators, but the consensus is that everything about his win — it included taking line honours in the IRC division — was an example for every sailor in these economically challenging times.

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AFLOAT Magazine

July/August 2009 edition, page 4  (click to enlarge)

afloat magazine


RTE’s Marine Correspondent Tom McSweeney

has broadcast his radio programme “Seascapes” for 20 years.  During the 2009 OSTAR, Tom contacted Barry by satellite telephone every Friday noon time for an interview which was broadcast later that evening.  Listen to their conversations via MP3  podcasts (right click then Save As to download).

Friday 29 May (4.10 minutes) West of the Fastnet and diesel blues…

Friday 05 June (3.33 minutes) Fairy Liquid and pedal to the metal…

Friday 12 June 2009 (4.23 minutes) Grand Banks and where’s the barbecue?…

Friday 19 June 2009 Finished! and planning for home…


For RTE television news, Tom interviewed Barry in Dun Laoghaire and the package was aired on Six One News on Friday 25 May.


Previous press items are in this Post.