Displaying items by tag: RTE Radio 1

16th April 2012

American Sailor Hopes to Find Lost Irish Love

#NEWS UPDATE - More than three decades after their whirlwind romance, an American sailor is trying to reconnect with his long-lost Irish love.

As World Irish reports, Jarvis Boykin was on shore leave from the USS Mount Whitney when he he me the "gorgeous little strawberry blonde" at a nightclub in Dublin in 1976.

"We spent as much together as we could for those nine days that I was there," Boykin told the Mooney show on RTÉ Radio 1.

The pair exchanged letters for a time, but after the 1979 postal strike they lost touch, and Boykin later lost the woman's contact information.

But last week Boykin contacted Mooney from his home in North Carolina to appeal for anyone who can help in finding his lost love.

World Irish has more on the story HERE.

Published in News Update

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Seascapes Highlights Two Atlantic Voyages

This week's edition of Seascapes on RTÉ Radio 1 features accounts of two very different voyages across the Atlantic.

http://www.afloat.ie/sail/tall-ships/item/15615-us-cutter-eagle-on-its-way-to-waterford/

The show also features news of a group of sailors hoping to retread the route of St Brendan's famous voyage.

A crew of "mariners, poets and musicians" will set sail from Dingle on 16 May - St Brendan's Day - on the 45ft vessel An Seachrán, heading up the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland towards Iceland.

The latest edition of Seascapes is available to listen HERE.

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes/2011-05-13.html

This week's edition of Seascapes on RTÉ Radio 1 features accounts of two very different voyages across the Atlantic.

Presenter Marcus Connaughton hears from Pat Hanafin who is currently crossing the pond on board the US Coast Guard clipper Eagle, which as previously reported on Afloat.ie is due to call at Waterford on 27 May ahead of the Tall Ships Races.

The show also features news of a group of sailors hoping to retread the route of St Brendan's famous voyage.

A crew of "mariners, poets and musicians" will set sail from Dingle on 16 May - St Brendan's Day - on the 45ft vessel An Seachrán, heading up the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland towards Iceland.

The latest edition of Seascapes is available to listen HERE.

Published in News Update

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Seascapes to Broadcast Live From Kinsale

RTE's marine programme Seascapes will broadcast live from Kinsale Yacht Club this Friday night. The show will start at 10.30pm and will feature guests including KYC Commodore Alice Kingston and Hanna Jenner, the skipper of Cork's entry in the Clipper Round the World Race. Music will be supplied by Garland and Cape Breton, and John Eagle will also talk to the Seascapes crew about his photo essay, 'Ireland's Lighthouses', published by Collins Press.

Seascapes follows the rest of RTE to Kinsale, where several shows on Friday's schedule, including Morning Ireland, will be broadcasting from the RTE Roadcaster parked in Kinsale's dinghy park.

Seascapes WEBSITE.

Published in Seascapes

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Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro.

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race.

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind.

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

It starts in June or July from a French port.
The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
Since 1990, all boats are of one design.