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Displaying items by tag: New slipway opened

#DalkeyIslandSlipOpens – Dalkey Island's newly constructed slipway harbour was officially opened today by An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr Carrie Smyth, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Speaking at the launch at Coliemore Harbour, An Cathaoirleach said: "I am delighted to be able to officially open the new slipway on Dalkey Island in what are my last few days as Cathaoirleach. Dalkey Island is a truly beautiful and important part of our county and I congratulate all of those who contributed to this project."

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the works of the slipway landing stage were carried out by Richard Nolan Civic Engineering and took almost a month to complete.

The upgrade which cost €350,000 was part of a PART 8 Programme which was implemented following a study undertaken in January 2010 that identified that the existing slipway on the island had fallen into a state of disrepair, restricting access at low tides.

According to Declan Nolan of the contractors, some of the work days involved extended 18 hours due to access delays caused by the vagaries of the sea.

During the main construction stage, this necessitated use of a self-propelled pontoon barge, the Kesmit that transported heavy plant machinery weighing more than 20 tonnes and building supplies that were loaded at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The new slipway is stepped at various heights for the tidal range and is overall higher than that of the previous structure. A widened channel and dredging has created easier and safer access for boats to berth.

Most importantly, the public can once again safely visit Dalkey Island which is designated as one of 16 parks within Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Dalkey Island's strategic location between Dublin and Co. Wicklow provides an experience that is a unique place with significant seascapes of both Dublin and Killiney bays. In addition the 20-acre island's importance is varied in terms of ecological, archaeological, architectural and cultural heritage.

As for tourism potential, a new combined visitor ticket to the Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre and passage to the island by a licensed commercial ferryboat will be made available for the first time.

There has not been a ferryboat service for three years, though the reinstatement of such service is expected to return within the next fortnight.The delay is due to the final stages of the new slipway where safety features to improve boarding and disembarkation is currently underway.

Equally similar works at Coliemore Harbour are also in progress to address and improve safer and easier access for boarding and disembarkation.

It is understood that Tim Carey, Heritage Officer of the DLRCoCo who launched the Dalkey Islands Conservation Plan: 2014-2024 along with Cllr Carrie Smyth earlier this week, has already granted a permit for the ferryboat which too has been certified with a license from the Department of Transport.

Only when such safety feature works are completed on both the island and the mainland that the commercial ferryboat service will resume. The boat is licensed to take five passengers on each of the 4-minute hop crossings to the island.

 

Published in Island News

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual offshore yacht racing event with an increasingly international exposure attracting super maxi yachts and entries from around tne world. It is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170 km).

The 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race starts in Sydney Harbour at 1pm (AEDT) on Monday 26 December.

This is the 77th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The inaugural race was conducted in 1945 and has run every year since, apart from 2020, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

88 boats started the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart, with 50 finishing.

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - FAQs

The number of Sydney Hobart Yacht Races held by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia since 1945 is 75

6,257 completed the Sydney Hobart Yacht race, 1036 retired or were disqualified)

About 60,061 sailors have competed in the Sydney Hobart Race between 1945 and 2019

Largest fleets: 371 starters in the 50th race in 1994 (309 finished); 154 starters in 1987 (146 finished); 179 starters in 1985 (145 finished); 151 starters in 1984 (46 finished); 173 started in 1983 (128 finished); 159 started in 1981 (143 finished); 147 started in 1979 (142 finished); 157 started in 2019 (154 finished)

116 in 2004 (59 finished); 117 in 2014 (103 finished); 157 in 2019 (154 finished)

Nine starters in the inaugural Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 1945

In 2015 and 2017 there were 27, including the 12 Clipper yachts (11 in 2017). In the record entry of 371 yachts in the 50th in 1994, there were 24 internationals

Rani, Captain John Illingworth RN (UK). Design: Barber 35’ cutter. Line and handicap winner

157 starters, 154 finishers (3 retirements)

IRC Overall: Ichi Ban, a TP52 owned by Matt Allen, NSW. Last year’s line honours winner: Comanche, Verdier Yacht Design and VPLP (FRA) owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant, in 1 day 18 hours, 30 minutes, 24 seconds. Just 1hour 58min 32secs separated the five super maxis at the finish 

1 day 9 hours 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set in 2017 by LDV Comanche after Wild Oats XI was penalised one hour in port/starboard incident for a finish time of 1d 9h 48m 50s

The oldest ever sailor was Syd Fischer (88 years, 2015).

As a baby, Raud O'Brien did his first of some six Sydney Hobarts on his parent's Wraith of Odin (sic). As a veteran at three, Raud broke his arm when he fell off the companionway steps whilst feeding biscuits to the crew on watch Sophie Tasker sailed the 1978 race as a four-year-old on her father’s yacht Siska, which was not an official starter due to not meeting requirements of the CYCA. Sophie raced to Hobart in 1979, 1982 and 1983.

Quite a number of teenage boys and girls have sailed with their fathers and mothers, including Tasmanian Ken Gourlay’s 14-year-old son who sailed on Kismet in 1957. A 12-year-old boy, Travis Foley, sailed in the fatal 1998 race aboard Aspect Computing, which won PHS overall.

In 1978, the Brooker family sailed aboard their yacht Touchwood – parents Doug and Val and their children, Peter (13), Jacqueline (10), Kathryne (8) and Donald (6). Since 1999, the CYCA has set an age limit of 18 for competitors

Jane (‘Jenny’) Tate, from Hobart, sailed with her husband Horrie aboard Active in the 1946 Race, as did Dagmar O’Brien with her husband, Dr Brian (‘Mick’) O’Brien aboard Connella. Unfortunately, Connella was forced to retire in Bass Strait, but Active made it to the finish. The Jane Tate Memorial Trophy is presented each year to the first female skipper to finish the race

In 2019, Bill Barry-Cotter brought Katwinchar, built in 1904, back to the start line. She had competed with a previous owner in 1951. It is believed she is the oldest yacht to compete. According to CYCA life member and historian Alan Campbell, more than 31 yachts built before 1938 have competed in the race, including line honours winners Morna/Kurrewa IV (the same boat, renamed) and Astor, which were built in the 1920s.

Bruce Farr/Farr Yacht Design (NZL/USA) – can claim 20 overall wins from 1976 (with Piccolo) up to and including 2015 (with Balance)

Screw Loose (1979) – LOA 9.2m (30ft); Zeus II (1981) LOA 9.2m

TKlinger, NSW (1978) – LOA 8.23m (27ft)

Wild Oats XI (2012) – LOA 30.48m (100ft). Wild Oats XI had previously held the record in 2005 when she was 30m (98ft)

©Afloat 2020