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Displaying items by tag: Maiden Cork call

#CruiseLiners - Disney Magic made a maiden call to the Port of Cork this morning. 

The Port of Cork welcomed the Disney Magic on the maiden call to Cobh, as part of Disney Cruise Line’s new seven-night British Isles cruise. Capable of holding 2,713 guests and 950 crew, the Disney Magic is designed primarily with the family in mind.

To mark the Disney Magic’s maiden call and to ensure a warm welcome for the passengers to Cobh, a number of free family focused events will take place from 2.30pm on the promenade in Cobh. These include an outdoor ball pool trailer, balloon modelling, face painting, a ‘Tony Balone’ magic show and family friendly music on the bandstand. The Cobh Confraternity Band will play on the bandstand as the liner departs and Disney Cruise Line has confirmed as a special bonus; the Disney characters will be out on deck to wave goodbye as the liner passes the promenade in Cobh.

Chief Executive Brendan Keating said: ‘Welcoming the Disney Magic to Cork is a real honour for the Port of Cork and we look forward to further calls from this admired cruise line.’

Disney Cruise Line described Cork as ‘home to a vibrant culinary scene and a plethora of pubs, shops and cafes. It invites visitors to connect with Ireland’s ancient past, with historic sites like Blarney Castle, where visitors can kiss the famed Blarney Stone.’

Following a request by Disney Cruise Line the Deep-water Quay in Cobh will be closed to the public from 2pm until the Disney Magic departs at 6.15pm. The Port of Cork is encouraging anyone coming to Cobh to see the ship to view it from the High Road or promenade, and to follow traffic signs for parking in the town.

Published in Cruise Liners

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

© Afloat 2020