Displaying items by tag: Chris Bateman

1st January 2024

Chris Bateman of Cork Harbour is “Sailor of the Month (Dinghies)” for December

Former junior champion Chris Bateman is a top sailor who leads by example and inspiration.

Having decided that the ever-young Fireball is the answer for junior and adult dinghy sailors who don’t want to go down the cheque-book route to racing, he has beavered away re-building the formerly popular and economically attractive class both in practical restoration, and in actively sailing the boat to championship level.

The result has been a favourable and supportive response from Fireball sailors new and “old”, and a genuine re-invigoration of the class spreading outwards from Cork.

Published in Sailor of the Month

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13th October 2020

Optimist Ace James Dwyer Matthews Takes a Tack in an Olympic 49er

James Dwyer Matthews of RCYC takes a spin in a 49er with Chris Bateman of Monkstown Bay

Despite Royal Cork Yacht Club's Seafra Guilfoyle's super efforts at the sharp end of Ryan Seaton's 49er campaign for Tokyo 2021 next year, there's been little in the way of Olympic skiff sailing going on in Guilfoyle's home port for the past two seasons.

These fast and tricky skiffs are a handful for most and this has put them on a downward spiral in Cork Harbour.

So it was interesting to spot Optimist and Laser 4.7 ace James Dwyer Matthews of RCYC trying out a 49er (one of two in active use), with Chris Bateman of Monkstown Bay as his crew.

Guilfoyle, a 2014 world youth silver medalist, meanwhile, continues his campaign for selection in the 49er and is vying with a Dublin crew to win a single Irish berth against stiff competition for one of the final slots available for Japan.

Published in Optimist

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2nd October 2019

Chris & Olin Bateman of Cork are Sailors of the Month (Junior) for September

Large and little……it’s not easy being the crew when your brother is twice your age and twice your size. 18-year-old (just) Chris Bateman and his 9-year-old brother Olin racing to the title at the All-Ireland Junior Championship in Schull at the weekend

Chris Bateman of Cork has been cutting a swathe through the dinghy sailing scene in Ireland at both junior and open level in a number of classes for some time now, and as he turned 18 on September 23rd, his 2019 national title in the RS 200s provided a final opportunity to put his stamp on the All-Ireland Junior Championship. But as it was to be raced in the relatively small TR 3.6s in Schull, his size meant that - to be competitive – he had to find a pint-sized crew, and the hand of destiny fell on his youngest brother, 9-year-old Olin.

The pair of them raced a truly masterful championship. But it’s not easy being the little guy crewing for the hyper-talented big guy, so we reckon that September’s Junior Sailor of the Month award should be shared between Chris and Olin.

chris and olin with trophies2 The Junior Champion 2019 – Chris Bateman turned 18 a week ago, his brother Olin is just nine. Photo: Irish Sailing/INPHO/Bryan Keane

Published in Sailor of the Month

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Chris Bateman

12th August 2018

Kohl & Bateman’s Strong Showing At 29er Europeans

Chris Bateman and Atlee Kohl in action on Helsinki’s waters

#29er - Atlee Kohl and Chris Bateman followed their overall victory at last month’s 29er Nationals with a strong performance at the class Europeans in Helsinki this past week.

The Royal Cork youth duo, and the only Irish contingent at the Helsingfors Segelklubb in Finland’s capital, ranked 17th in the Gold fleet after a week of racing which wraps up today, Sunday 12 August.

Published in 29er

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The Half Ton Class was created by the Offshore Racing Council for boats within the racing band not exceeding 22'-0". The ORC decided that the rule should "....permit the development of seaworthy offshore racing yachts...The Council will endeavour to protect the majority of the existing IOR fleet from rapid obsolescence caused by ....developments which produce increased performance without corresponding changes in ratings..."

When first introduced the IOR rule was perfectly adequate for rating boats in existence at that time. However yacht designers naturally examined the rule to seize upon any advantage they could find, the most noticeable of which has been a reduction in displacement and a return to fractional rigs.

After 1993, when the IOR Mk.III rule reached it termination due to lack of people building new boats, the rule was replaced by the CHS (Channel) Handicap system which in turn developed into the IRC system now used.

The IRC handicap system operates by a secret formula which tries to develop boats which are 'Cruising type' of relatively heavy boats with good internal accommodation. It tends to penalise boats with excessive stability or excessive sail area.

Competitions

The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium.