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Displaying items by tag: Finn Europeans

The Notice of Race for the 2021 Open and U23 Finn European Championship has been published and registration is also now open.

The 66th Finn Europeans will take place in Hyères, France from 16-23 April.

Registration runs until 31 January for the first round, with the second round from 15 February to 15 March. The schedule includes three days of measurement followed by a 10-race series from Monday 19 to Friday 23 April.

The championship is part of a carefully planned event strategy for the class that leads from Palma’s Trofeo Princesa Sofia in March through to the Finn Gold Cup in Porto, Portugal in May, after which many sailors will head back to Tokyo to prepare for the Olympics.

International Finn Association president Balazs Hajdu said: “This year proved that Covid-safe events could take place and we are delighted that the 2021 Open and U23 European Championship will be held in Hyères as part of the iconic Semaine Olympique Française, an event that the Finn class has been involved in since the very beginning of its history.

“I am sure that the French organisers will provide perfect Finn races as the sailors prepare not only for the final Olympic qualification event, but also for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo three months later.

“I would like to thank all those involved in putting this event together with great cooperation in showcasing our amazing sailors at this quintessential event in the sailing world.”

Hajdu also expressed his hopes that Tokyo 2020 “will not be the last year for the Finns on the Olympic circuit”, following the IOC’s recent postponement of its decision on its would-be replacement, the Mixed Offshore Keelboat event, for Paris 2024.

The most recent Finn Europeans were held at Gdynia in Poland, where Northern Ireland sailor — and solo Olympic campaigner — Oisin McClelland recorded a personal best and finished 23rd in the overall standings.

Published in Tokyo 2020
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Illness has forced Balimore’s Fionn Lyden to withdraw from the Finn Europeans getting underway in Cadiz today, Friday 9 March.

Irish Sailing’s James O’Callaghan confirmed the news as sailors from across Europe take to the waters of Andalusia ahead of the first races next Monday.

Lyden’s illness means that Oisin McClelland of Donaghadee Sailing Club will be the only Irish representative among the near 100-strong field as he progresses his Tokyo 2020 campaign.

Afloat.ie has more on the first big test of the year for Finn sailors gearing up for the Olympic qualifier this summer in Denmark.

Published in Tokyo 2020

Marine Institute Research Vessel Tom Crean

Ireland’s new marine research vessel will be named the RV Tom Crean after the renowned County Kerry seaman and explorer who undertook three major groundbreaking expeditions to the Antarctic in the early years of the 20th Century which sought to increase scientific knowledge and to explore unreached areas of the world, at that time.

Ireland's new multi-purpose marine research vessel RV Tom Crean, was delivered in July 2022 and will be used by the Marine Institute and other State agencies and universities to undertake fisheries research, oceanographic and environmental research, seabed mapping surveys; as well as maintaining and deploying weather buoys, observational infrastructure and Remotely Operated Vehicles.

The RV Tom Crean will also enable the Marine Institute to continue to lead and support high-quality scientific surveys that contribute to Ireland's position as a leader in marine science. The research vessel is a modern, multipurpose, silent vessel (designed to meet the stringent criteria of the ICES 209 noise standard for fisheries research), capable of operating in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Tom Crean is able to go to sea for at least 21 days at a time and is designed to operate in harsh sea conditions.

RV Tom Crean Specification Overview

  • Length Overall: 52.8 m
  • Beam 14m
  • Draft 5.2M 

Power

  • Main Propulsion Motor 2000 kw
  • Bow Thruster 780 kw
  • Tunnel thruster 400 kw

Other

  • Endurance  21 Days
  • Range of 8,000 nautical miles
  • DP1 Dynamic Positioning
  • Capacity for 3 x 20ft Containers

Irish Marine Research activities

The new state-of-the-art multi-purpose marine research vessel will carry out a wide range of marine research activities, including vital fisheries, climate change-related research, seabed mapping and oceanography.

The new 52.8-metre modern research vessel, which will replace the 31-metre RV Celtic Voyager, has been commissioned with funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine approved by the Government of Ireland.

According to Aodhán FitzGerald, Research Vessel Manager of the MI, the RV Tom Crean will feature an articulated boom crane aft (6t@ 10m, 3T@ 15m), located on the aft-gantry. This will be largely used for loading science equipment and net and equipment handling offshore.

Mounted at the stern is a 10T A-frame aft which can articulate through 170 degrees which are for deploying and recovering large science equipment such as a remotely operated vehicle (ROV’s), towed sleds and for fishing operations.

In addition the fitting of an 8 Ton starboard side T Frame for deploying grabs and corers to 4000m which is the same depth applicable to when the vessel is heaving but is compensated by a CTD system consisting of a winch and frame during such operations.

The vessel will have the regulation MOB boat on a dedicated davit and the facility to carry a 6.5m Rigid Inflatable tender on the port side.

Also at the aft deck is where the 'Holland 1' Work class ROV and the University of Limericks 'Etain' sub-Atlantic ROV will be positioned. In addition up to 3 x 20’ (TEU) containers can be carried.

The newbuild has been engineered to endure increasing harsher conditions and the punishing weather systems encountered in the North-East Atlantic where deployments of RV Tom Crean on surveys spent up to 21 days duration.

In addition, RV Tom Crean will be able to operate in an ultra silent-mode, which is crucial to meet the stringent criteria of the ICES 209 noise standard for fisheries research purposes.

The classification of the newbuild as been appointed to Lloyds and below is a list of the main capabilities and duties to be tasked by RV Tom Crean:

  • Oceanographic surveys, incl. CTD water sampling
  • Fishery research operations
  • Acoustic research operations
  • Environmental research and sampling operation incl. coring
  • ROV and AUV/ASV Surveys
  • Buoy/Mooring operations