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The Junior Club - Saturday Sailing at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School is back on Saturday, the 4th of February, for children aged 7-17 years.

The programme runs over nine Saturdays up to the Easter break, with participants choosing from either the morning 10 am-1 pm slot or the afternoon 2-5 pm slot.

The team are looking forward to welcoming back sailors who were participating before Christmas, as well as sailors from their Summer courses who want to get back into the sport ahead of this year’s school holidays. They’re also delighted to say that they have a specific programme for new sailors, tailored to those who have not sailed before, or have not sailed in a while, within each age grouping; 7-10 years, 11-14 years and 15-17 years.

Some of the team outline what they’ve got planned for each of their groups.

7-10 Years Age Group – Lead Instructor Cian Fay

Cian reflects on the last term, where the students developed their sailing skills from theory to practical application.

“They started the term off by concentrating and perfecting the basics, quickly moving on to upwind downwind, follow the leader and speed control drills. They also spent time doing shallow triangle courses and triangular courses, as well as manoeuvres such as coming alongside which was a new and exciting experience and to prepare them with skills that will be necessary as they move on to the older age groups.

This coming term, we’ll reinforce the basics, improve ropework and develop the students' understanding of theory. The students are particularly excited to try new manoeuvres and further their sailing abilities in the upcoming term.”

The 7-10 years Sailing Group of the INSS Junior Club in Dun Laoghaire HarbourThe 7-10 years Sailing Group of the INSS Junior Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour

11-14 Years Age Group – Lead Instructor Dairine McCabe

This term’s focus is to keep participants’ skill levels up while introducing them to new boats like the RS Zest and RS Feva. There’s also plenty planned for this group on the school’s new J80 keelboat fleet.

“The Junior Club last year was overflowing with joy and learning. We were delighted to have such attentive, enthusiastic students with us endeavouring to develop their skills and understanding. We held special events for both Halloween and Christmas last year and we hope to create something just as special for St. Patrick’s Day this year. We’ve planned lots of sailing time and practice of manoeuvres in our fleet of dinghies, and applications of the rope work we teach. On top of this, we tailor each session to the group themselves and what they would like to do, or what they need to get signed off in their logbooks. This creates a personal learning environment for our students that I have found most effective. We can’t wait to get started!”

The 11-14 years Sailing Group of the INSS Junior Club in Dun Laoghaire HarbourThe 11-14 years Sailing Group of the INSS Junior Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour 

15-17 Years Age Group – Lead Instructor Ben Duffy

“We started off the Autumn Term by getting students comfortable on the water which allowed us to progress quickly to double-handers dinghies such as RS Quests and RS Fevas. Towards the end of the October term, all 15-17 years students were introduced to racing where we held an award ceremony for the winners of the event.

We’ll continue with this progression and continue racing at a high standard. Students will find themselves being introduced to slightly more complicated tactics for race starts and implementing spinnakers to make the racing a bit more realistic!”

The 15-17 years Sailing Group of the INSS Junior Club on a keelboat at Dun Laoghaire HarbourThe 15-17 years Sailing Group of the INSS Junior Club on a keelboat at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Junior Club – Senior Instructor Zoe Noonan

“Last year's successful Junior Club saw sailors participating in a wide range of activities, including; dinghy and keelboat sailing, yacht sailing around the bay on one of our 36-foot cruising yachts, Lula Belle, as well as the odd kayaking session in weeks of bad weather.

Zoe also reminds all students to bring their logbooks and keep them up to date, so that the school’s instructors can determine what everyone needs to work on and will be looking out for talented sailors for the school Assistant Instructor Programme in the 15-17 years age group.

Programme Information

The Junior Club term runs from Saturday the 4th of February to Saturday the 1st April (Easter break). Sailors can choose from two times of attendance, 10 am-1 pm or 2-5 pm.

  • February: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
  • March: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th 
  • April: 1st

The fees for this term are €270, including wetsuits and boats.

More Information can be found here

Published in INSS

Normality resumed at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School at Dun Laoghaire Harbour with attendance on courses and programmes exceeding 7,500. The pandemic constraints now lifted the focus for the school team was to get the show back on the road and firing on all cylinders.

Coinciding with the full return of activities, School Principal Kenny Rumball was back in Ireland after several years on the Figaro circuit in France and first item on the agenda was boosting capacity across school activities as well as developing RS Sailing and marine projects generally between INSS and sister organisation MarineServices.ie.

Children’s Courses

The school successfully ran a variety of children’s courses, including week-long Summer Courses, Mid-Term programmes and Saturday Sailing during the school term. The Summer programme attendances exceeded 3,000 across 12 weeks, with nearly 300 participants on Saturday sailing courses throughout the school term. Nearly 1,200 school students got afloat as part of the INSS weekday school programmes at primary and second level.

Instructor Programme

Twenty-two new dinghy instructors qualified at Easter. The Dinghy Instructor Training Programme saw a 100% pass rate for another year in a row and the team are looking forward to welcoming a similar success at Easter in 2023.

Adult Courses

Normality resumed for the majority of programmes, and the school was delighted to report approximately 1,000 adult trainees through the doors on beginner keelboat, dinghy and yacht courses. The shore based schedule of Navigation, VHF, Sea Survival and First Aid training was slower to recommence, however, with approximately 500 powerboat course graduates trained, fears that the pandemic driven increase in getting afloat was to be short lived have been dispelled.

School support for the Irish National Sailing Club activities continued in 2022, with the club experiencing a record year of attendance thanks to the hard work of volunteers, committee and school staff.

Women at the Helm – INSS and MarineServices.ie Team up to get RS21 sailing

A combined team of school instructors and MarineServices.ie crew got the new RS21 afloat for the Women at the Helm Regatta hosted by the National Yacht Club in August. For a number of the school instructors this was their first ever regatta. A school 1720 was also entered and in all 17 team members participated across a number of boats. Credit for making this happen goes to RS Sailing lead Heather Wright, who’s carrying on her mentoring and encouragement of young sailors from her time as school senior instructor in her new RS Sailing Role. The event also saw the RS21s first Irish sail.

A combined team of school instructors and MarineServices.ie crew got the new RS21 afloat for the Women at the Helm RegattaA combined team of school instructors and MarineServices.ie crew got the new RS21 afloat for the Women at the Helm Regatta

RS Feva Racing Programme

The school were delighted to see five crews from their Junior Club programme racing in the RS Feva Easterns hosted by the National Yacht Club in September. This was the culmination of a Summer long programme of race coaching delivered by Ronan Mooney and supported by Heather Wright. The aims included getting youngsters who’d never taken part in a race event before to the point where they were comfortable and confident on a start line. The school team couldn’t have been prouder of the crew:

11th Overall: John Healy& Daniel Burns
12th Overall: Finn Byrne & Joe Gaffney
19th Overall: Kealan Reilly & Oisin O'Reilly
20th Overall: Orla Casey & Carla Williamson
21st Overall: Theo Homan & Manus O Baoighill

Crews from the Junior Club programme raced in the RS Feva EasternsCrews from the Junior Club programme raced in the RS Feva Easterns

MarineServices.ie Super Series

RS Sailing dealer MarineServices.ie was supported by the school in delivered three mornings of racing for RS Aeros, RS200s, RS400s, RS Fevas and Waszps in Dun Laoghaire harbour between October and December. The Super Series is slated to return in the new year and the school will once again be providing the full support to deliver this sprint style racing. Noel Butler took home the first place Aero prize and the 2023 series will be used to kick start the schools RS Feva racing programme.

Round Ireland Race – Under 25 Instructors compete in Figaro 3

Four team members from the school, all aged under 25 who took part in the 2022 Round Ireland Yacht Race. Lorcan Tighe, Andrew Irvin, Ronan Mooney and Cian Crowe, reached out to the Offshore Racing Academy, run by School Principal Kenny Rumball who helped them charter a Figaro 3 from the academy in France. The team completed the course in 5 days, 14 hours, 3 minutes and 40 seconds. There’s immense pride throughout the school in this achievement.

The U25 Team raced in the Round Ireland race in a Figaro 3 Photo: AfloatThe U25 Team raced in the Round Ireland race in a Figaro 3 Photo: Afloat

Equipment Improvements

The school fleet continued to be upgraded and renewed in 2023. Several new safety boats, 6 RS Zests and a RS Quest were added to the dinghy/children’s line up. The school also took delivery of a new 7.5m Vanguard RIB, Buzz, which will be powered by a 200hp Selva Marine outboard. Buzz goes into final build this January with bookings already for the school’s range of tourism services starting this Summer.

The INSS took delivery of a new 7.5m Vanguard RIB, BuzzThe INSS took delivery of a new 7.5m Vanguard RIB, Buzz

Looking ahead to 2023

The school recently announced a major expansion to their keelboat fleet. Alongside that there’s a very full schedule of training courses for children and adults in the works. Kenny Rumball sums up his feelings for 2023 “Next year is going to be even bigger!! Hold on for the ride!!”

Check out the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School’s 2022 Year in Review video below

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The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School is preparing for the arrival of eight J80 keelboats in January, growing capacity for training, group events and competition.

After carefully reviewing the requirements for the next phase of sail training, the team choose the J80 to accommodate 4 to 5 students with an instructor with the small cabin adding extra options not currently available to the school on the 1720s.

The fleet is replacing the school’s six-boat 1720 training fleet. Operations Manager Glyn Williams explains, “This significant investment in the future of our sail training fleet is designed to meet the increased demand for adult beginner and improver sailing that has been sustained since the pandemic. We’re excited to be able to accommodate even more students in 2023, but importantly expand our charter, racing and group events”.

The school is planning an expanded beginner training schedule, as well as new coastal sailing courses, race training courses and more cruising pathway programmes.

School principal Kenny Rumball explains that training is not the new fleet’s only focus “each boat will be maintained in a totally one-design format, allowing for race event charter as well as to act as a support fleet for the Irish Sailing League. It’s an exciting moment for the school and these boats will play their part in growing sailing participation”. Kenny Rumball is also keen to point out that this creates opportunities with six 1720s available on the market.

Upgrading the Fleet

The J80s replace the school’s six 1720 keelboats which are now available for sale. The school is particularly keen to support the growing U25 representation in the sport. Here’s a race-ready, well-maintained package that’s ideal for a U25 team. Each 1720 has it’s own road trailer and school Principal Kenny Rumball is delighted to offer a discounted sail package to U25 teams as part of his new partnership with UK Sailmakers Ireland.

The school’s maintenance team spent the week before Christmas getting all six boats winterised and ready on their trailers. They’re all available for viewing in the school’s Dun Laoghaire yard.

The school’s six 1720 keelboats are for saleThe school’s six 1720 keelboats are for sale

One Design Fleet

A key feature of the fleet is that they’ve all been operated together from new and are truly one design. This will continue in school service, with school maintenance lead Lorcan Tighe having developed an operating schedule that will see every detail from part renewal and line replacements to length of time afloat being evenly matched across each boat. The fleet will shortly be equipped with new sets of UK Sailmakers' sails.

The one design focus will allow for new services such as fleet charter for one design events as well as to expand the school’s group and corporate event programmes.

They’ll also serve as a support fleet to the recently launched Irish Sailing League with competitions beginning in the new year. The whole fleet has road trailers and can be moved to any point in the country in conjunction with the MarineServices.ie team.

Getting Afloat

The boats are currently being prepared for their journey to Ireland. The first boats of the fleet land in the middle of January and all are expected to be in by the end of the month.

Training programmes for beginners start in March and the team in Dun Laoghaire will be using the month of February to familiarise with their new fleet.

The new INSS J80 fleetThe new INSS J80 fleet

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Competition fever has hit the Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School over the last four weeks with so many chances to win big prizes on their Instagram page (@insssailing).

The four-week Christmas giveaway campaign was also a great opportunity for the school to collaborate with other businesses in the sector and in the area, including CH Marine, Pure Magic Kitesurfing, Fad Saoil Saunas and the newly released campaign with McWilliam Bags.

Meet some of the winners so far

Winner of the first week’s competition, Tunde Sipos, was delighted with her early Christmas gifts of a Dinghy Level 1 course with the Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School and 2 Kitesurfing lessons with Pure Magic Kitesurfing.

Week 2 winner, Sarah Hutch, was over the moon to hear that she had won a Keelboat Level 1 course with the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School and a Group Sauna voucher with Fad Saoil Saunas in Greystones and Salthill – something to look forward to in the New Year!

Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School and a Group Sauna voucher

There’s still time to take part

Week 3 and 4 competitions are still open until the 30th of December. It’s easy to enter – head over to the school’s Instagram page (@insssailing) and don’t miss your chance to win a Level 1 Powerboat Course and a CH Marine voucher worth €169 (Week 3), or a Summer week-long Children’s Sailing Course and 3 personalised McWilliam Bags (Week 4). Best of luck!

Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School and a Group Sauna voucher

Gift Vouchers

There’s still plenty of time to get a unique present – the gift of sailing or powerboating. There’s something for everyone, with shore-based courses for adults, beginner dinghy and keelboat courses and plenty for kids. Gift Vouchers here

 

Published in INSS

Race officer Kenny Rumball was jealous last Saturday morning as he laid the anchor of the committee boat in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for the final races of the Super Series that had been run through the Autumn. Why was he jealous? There was lovely crisp, clean North Easterly wind coming in over the East Pier! Perfect sailing conditions for the harbour and with the wind slightly higher than forecast, the ideal conditions for Waszp foiling… Bliss!

After dispatching one of the committee boat crew to the East Pier for hot chocolates to keep the mark layers and committee boat crew warm, the hardy RS Aero, Feva and Waszp sailors arrived on scene eager to start racing and get ashore for homemade mince pies in the clubhouse after sailing!

With the wind being from the North East, meaning there were not huge wind shifts, the sailors enjoyed some cracking sailing. Most of the Aero fleet were sailing on the smaller 6 rig which has proven to be hugely popular for the entire fleet across all genders and weight ranges. Thomas Chaix the head coach from the National Yacht Club took to the water in an Aero 7. Judging by the grin on his face, he was thrilled with the performance of the boat. He quickly got a handle on the boat, taking line honours in a few of the races.

With five races sailed, sailors quickly returned ashore for prizegiving in the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School and Irish National Sailing Club’s home on the West Pier. Mince pies, and gourmet sandwiches from Kenny’s Café in conjunction with the Wooden Spoon fed the appetites of the hungry sailors.

Noel Butler took the overall win in the AerosNoel Butler took the overall win in the Aeros

Frank O’Rourke took the overall in the Waszp ClassFrank O’Rourke took the overall in the Waszp Class

Joe & Finn from the Irish National Sailing Club took the win in the RS FevasJoe & Finn from the Irish National Sailing Club took the win in the RS Fevas

RS and Waszp INSS Super SeriesRS and Waszp INSS Super Series results

There will be a small break for Christmas but look out for more Super Series racing in 2023!

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The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School at Dun Laoghaire have announced one final chance to get your sea survival training completed before the end of the year. Kenny Rumball will be delivering a course on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th of December in advance of a busy 2023 offshore racing season, including an expanded ISORA calendar and the Fastnet Race.

The course takes place at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School’s Dun Laoghaire West Pier clubhouse, with practical components running in the Monkstown Blue Pool. Course times are 9 am-5 pm each day, and included in the training are the components to qualify for the World Sailing Offshore Personal Safety Certificate. This would cover successful attendees for Categories 0, 1 and some Category 2 offshore races. It also meets the requirements for commercial endorsement for power and sail operators.

Kenny Rumball of the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School at Dun LaoghaireKenny Rumball of the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School at Dun Laoghaire

Kenny Rumball shares plans for 2023, “We’re about to publish an expanded programme of shore-based training and courses suitable for commercial operators. This is to build upon the return of our full range of advanced training courses this year that had been curtailed by the pandemic. It’s great to see the increased number of those interested in entering the marine industry, and we’ll play our part in supporting this”.

The school are shortly publishing dates for a wide range of Navigation and Theory courses, intermediate powerboat, advanced powerboat and Yachtmaster programmes.

For now, those interested in getting a pre-Christmas boating safety workout can join the Sea Survival Course on Wednesday, 14th and Thursday, 15th of December here.

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Saturday morning’s Irish National Sailing Club's Super Series attracted four RS Aeros (three 6s and a 7) and had five tight two-lap windward-leeward races writes Noel Butler.

Conditions were gusty and shifty, with everything from 10-20 kts in a very mild, almost warm southerly. Race Officer Kenny Rumball and his team of Heather Wright and INSS staff did a great job of putting the weather mark right on the median wind direction and running the races off sharply, minimising any waiting, even starting the Aeros while the other fleets were still racing.

The Super Series is unique to other racing offered in the bay as, unlike in the winter DMYC frostbites and DBSC summer series, the Aeros have their own start, as races are short and run as a sprint style this is a perfect opportunity for training for the larger national and regional events.

This Saturday saw the addition of three Fevas from the Irish National Sailing Schools Feva development squad, as the super series has the ability to run form both inside and outside the harbour depending on conditions it allows for an extremely safe environment for the young sailors, Coach Roann Mooney joined in a rib as a safety boat while also providing some coaching between races. The Short sprint style racing is such an amazing opportunity to gain vital experience in racing and developing skills first hand in a safe, fun and friendly environment while also providing a competitive element.

After plenty of thrills and spills, we adjourned back to the INSS terrace café for a hot drink and delicious gourmet sandwiches/wraps and some de-brief and gentle slagging, comparing capsizes and such!

Apart from the racing, this really was excellent training on par with the afternoon session in Howth the Friday before the Easterns. In my view, this sort of racing is the quickest way up the learning curve for anyone keen to make progress. For anyone who wants to get some intense Aero racing in a safe and friendly environment, the next race day is on Saturday, December 3rd, first start 10am.

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The Halloween Sailing course took place this week at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School.

Great pirate fun was had by Sea Explorers, aged 4 to 6, from venturing along the seashore towards Seapoint to trying out their sea legs on the "pirate ship" in the harbour, while the weather was favourable!

Sea Explorers, aged 4 to 6, enjoy time afloat at Halloween Week at Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Photo: INSSSea Explorers, aged 4 to 6, enjoy time afloat at Halloween Week at Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Photo: INSS

Sea Explorers, aged 4 to 6, enjoy time afloat at Halloween Week at Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Photo: INSSSea Explorers, aged 4 to 6, enjoy time afloat at Halloween Week at Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Photo: INSS

Meanwhile, the older age groups managed some intensive sailing in the 7-10 years age group with Optimists and the 11-14 years age group with RS Zests, RS Fevas and Toppers, weather being moderate to fair for the majority of the days, allowing for plenty of sailing experience within the safe confines of the harbour.

Squibs are prepared for some harbour sailing at the Sea Explorers at Halloween Week at Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Photo: INSSSquibs are prepared for some harbour sailing at the Sea Explorers at Halloween Week at Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Photo: INSS

Conditions were to worsen mid-week, but didn't stop the two older groups from venturing out onto the water for a quick paddle in their boats. Later on, that same very wet day saw for some good marine and boat theory work take place indoors in the recently renovated clubhouse. Thankfully the much-improved weather on Thursday and Friday allowed for dinghy and keelboat sailing.

The school was generally abuzz this week with the 22 trainee dinghy instructors in for the week practising in the RS Quests.

Practising in the RS Quests at the Halloween Week at Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School in Dun Laoghaire HarbourPractising in the RS Quests at the Halloween Week at Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School in Dun Laoghaire Harbour

1720

As the Juniors were heading afloat, the school’s fleet of 1720s were coming ashore and the maintenance crew got to work on the annual winter jobs.

One of the 1720s was also prepared to participate in the DBSC Turkey Shoot starting on Sunday.

RS21

School instructors onboard this 1720 will be joined next weekend by the new RS21 keelboat currently competing at the World Championships in Croatia skippered by Kenny Rumball. Demonstrations of the RS21 are available on Sunday mornings and interested sailors should contact [email protected].

Shanahan Cup School’s Team Racing Event

Between the maintenance jobs, preparations continued for the school’s RS Feva fleet in advance of the Shanahan Cup School’s Team Racing Event hosted by the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School in conjunction with Gonzaga College next Wednesday, 9th November. 72 sailors are signed up to compete, and the event is supported by the Irish RS Sailing agent MarineServices.ie.

Now, as the school looks forward to next Saturday's Sailing Junior Club series before the Christmas break, they hope to see the Halloween campers put into practice their new and enhanced sailing and seamanship skills learnt this week.

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MarineServices.ie, the Irish agent and distributor for RS racing Sailboats, is currently en route to Biograd na Moru in Croatia for the inaugural RS21 world championships.

The RS21 One Design is a modern keelboat designed with corinthian racing at its heart – keelboat racing the RS way.

Finished and completed so you can enjoy close one-design sailing without the complex choices.

The powerful rig and distinct chines are balanced by well-mannered boat handling and an ergonomic deck layout to ensure everyone sailing has a key role to play and yet ease of use. For those passionate about our planet, the RS21 was developed with sustainability at the core of its design, not only in terms of materials but also the carbon footprint of the supply chain, a reduction in single-use plastics and efficient logistics.

The powerful rig and distinct chines are balanced by well-mannered boat handling and an ergonomic deck layout to ensure everyone sailing has a key role to play and yet ease of useThe powerful rig and distinct chines are balanced by well-mannered boat handling and an ergonomic deck layout to ensure everyone sailing has a key role to play and yet ease of use

The RS21 International Class is going from strength to strength, with fleets growing over three continents and a national and international racing calendar that is escalating each year.

The RS21 International Class is going from strength to strengthThe RS21 International Class is going from strength to strength

Corinthian sailing, epically close racing and a class built around removing the arms race, the RS21 is the future of keelboat racing and everything you’d expect from an RS racing class.

The Irish team will be skippered by Kenny Rumball, with Andy Smith, Jonny Sargent and Sean Donnelly jumping on the boat for the first time.

All top-level sailors in their own disciplines, it is the first time the four sailors will have sailed together.

The team will have a solid four days of training before the event kicks off on the 3rd of November. The team is looking forward to learning a new boat but of particular interest for all members is the nifty retractable electric motor that deploys when required from the middle of the boat for ease of departure and return to the marina!

RS21 events are specifically designed to maximise fun on and off the water for their crews. Stunning locations with an action-packed social calendar await the team this week.

RS21 logo

At a meeting earlier in the week, this recipe is due to be launched in the UK and Ireland for the 2023 season.

Exact dates to be determined and defined but July's Dun Laoghaire Regatta is certainly on the cards.

The RS 21 class puts close racing over ultimate performance. Convenient ownership over complexity. It maximizes low maintenance. Comfortable ergonomics. Value. And pure sailing enjoyment. This is the boat to bring wider availability and popularity back to keelboat racing. RS Sailing’s sustainability focus has actively influenced the design, resulting in a boat built from eco-friendly materials, with multiple environmental attributes. It marks significant progress over previous generations. The RS21 is a safe purchase and assured of success.

The One-Design RS21 has an IRC rating of 0.949.

Following on from a successful European Championships in Malcesine, Lake Garda last year, the International RS21 Class expects around 40-50 RS21’s to compete for the honour of being crowned the first RS21 World Champion. Entries are expected from Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, as well as the home nation, Croatia.

Unfortunately, the dates of this event mean the Irish boat will miss the initial race of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Series. However, the boat will return to Ireland in time for the remainder of the series. Any interested parties should contact [email protected] for a spin on this high-performance modern one-design keelboat.

To see what all the fuss is about, be sure to follow the action on the MarineServices.ie Instagram account, www.instagram.com/MarineServices.ie

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The 22nd of October was the first date in the 3 Saturday morning Super Series run by the Irish National Sailing Club.

MarineServices.ie as the RS agents are the event sponsors. The series, unlike other racing in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, offers unique sprint-style racing that sailors would not be accustomed to in their usual fleet events.

The series brings together Waszps, RS Aeros, RS 200s/400s and RS Fevas in a short windward leeward course, with two laps for the Waszps, RS 200s/400s and Aeros and one for the RS Fevas. Thus giving the ability to get in as many races as possible and giving sailors a new challenge.

The Irish National Sailing Club’s Super Series brings together Waszps, RS Aeros, RS 200s/400s and RS Fevas in a short windward leeward courseThe Irish National Sailing Club’s Super Series brings together Waszps, RS Aeros, RS 200s/400s and RS Fevas in a short windward leeward course

The morning started with race officer Kenny Rumball attempting to lay the racecourse out of the harbour; however, strong southerly gusts forced the decision to move the course inside the harbour in the hopes for more shelter.

The first race proved particularly challenging, with strong winds from the South/Southwest coming off the land. It soon proved too much for the RS Feva sailors who were sailing in the event as part of the previously reported Irish National Sailing and Powerboat schools initiative to stem the gap between training courses and racing.

The event started in the morning with 3 RS Aeros, 3 Waszps and 3 RS Fevas, with 1 more RS Aero and 2 Waszp joining after the first race. Shortly after the first race, the weather had different plans dying off, bringing light conditions and proving a real challenge for the Waszps who struggled to get enough speed required to foil. Thankfully as the wind continued to back, it increased again to a lovely 15kts.

The Waszp fleet was enjoying the fast foiling conditionsThe Waszp fleet was enjoying the fast foiling conditions

Roy Van Mannen and Noel Butler swapped 1st, and 2nd place finishes in the Aero Fleet. Sarah Byrne was in 3rd, with Daragh Mc Donagh sailing with the bigger 9 rig in 4th.

The Waszp fleet was enjoying the fast foiling conditions, Max Goodbody was very fast, but the persistent Marty O’Leary was always hot on his heels!

The Aero fleet was primarily sporting the new 6 rig that was developed to bridge the gap between the Aero 5 and the Aero 7. A major selling factor of the Aero is how easy it is to swap in between rig sizes. Sailors who may usually have opted for the slightly larger 7 rig in lighter summer air now have the opportunity to downsize just by a meter for the stronger winter winds. This allows Aero sailors of different sizes, genders, ages and fitness all to race competitively together and have the flexibility to change between rigs within a matter of minutes.

A fantastic day and we look forward to the next two races on Saturday, 12th November, and Saturday, 3rd December. We are happy to accept more entries for the remaining dates.

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Aquaculture Information

Aquaculture is the farming of animals in the water and has been practised for centuries, with the monks farming fish in the middle ages. More recently the technology has progressed and the aquaculture sector is now producing in the region of 50 thousand tonnes annually and provides a valuable food product as well as much needed employment in many rural areas of Ireland.

A typical fish farm involves keeping fish in pens in the water column, caring for them and supplying them with food so they grow to market size. Or for shellfish, containing them in a specialised unit and allowing them to feed on natural plants and materials in the water column until they reach harvestable size. While farming fish has a lower carbon and water footprint to those of land animals, and a very efficient food fed to weight gain ratio compared to beef, pork or chicken, farming does require protein food sources and produces organic waste which is released into the surrounding waters. Finding sustainable food sources, and reducing the environmental impacts are key challenges facing the sector as it continues to grow.

Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.

Aquaculture in Ireland

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties.
  • Irish SMEs and families grow salmon, oysters, mussels and other seafood
  • The sector is worth €150m at the farm gate – 80% in export earnings.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming
  • Aquaculture is a strong, sustainable and popular strategic asset for development and job creation (Foodwise 2025, National Strategic Plan, Seafood
  • Operational Programme 2020, FAO, European Commission, European Investment Bank, Harvesting Our Ocean Wealth, Silicon Republic, CEDRA)
    Ireland has led the world in organically certified farmed fish for over 30 years
  • Fish farm workers include people who have spent over two decades in the business to school-leavers intent on becoming third-generation farmers on their family sites.

Irish Aquaculture FAQs

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants, and involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions- in contrast to commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments and in underwater habitats. Particular kinds of aquaculture include fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming, mariculture, algaculture (such as seaweed farming), and the cultivation of ornamental fish. Particular methods include aquaponics and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, both of which integrate fish farming and plant farming.

About 580 aquatic species are currently farmed all over the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which says it is "practised by both some of the poorest farmers in developing countries and by multinational companies".

Increasing global demand for protein through seafood is driving increasing demand for aquaculture, particularly given the pressures on certain commercially caught wild stocks of fish. The FAO says that "eating fish is part of the cultural tradition of many people and in terms of health benefits, it has an excellent nutritional profile, and "is a good source of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients".

Aquaculture now accounts for 50 per cent of the world's fish consumed for food, and is the fastest-growing good sector.

China provides over 60 per cent of the world's farmed fish. In Europe, Norway and Scotland are leading producers of finfish, principally farmed salmon.

For farmed salmon, the feed conversion ratio, which is the measurement of how much feed it takes to produce the protein, is 1.1, as in one pound of feed producing one pound of protein, compared to rates of between 2.2 and 10 for beef, pork and chicken. However, scientists have also pointed out that certain farmed fish and shrimp requiring higher levels of protein and calories in feed compared to chickens, pigs, and cattle.

Tilapia farming which originated in the Middle East and Africa has now become the most profitable business in most countries. Tilapia has become the second most popular seafood after crab, due to which its farming is flourishing. It has entered the list of best selling species like shrimp and salmon.

There are 278 aquaculture production units in Ireland, according to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) *, producing 38,000 tonnes of finfish and shellfish in 2019 and with a total value of €172 million

There are currently almost 2,000 people directly employed in Irish aquaculture in the Republic, according to BIM.

BIM figures for 2019 recorded farmed salmon at almost 12,000 tonnes, valued at €110 million; rock oysters reached 10,300 tonnes at a value of €44 million; rope mussels at 10,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; seabed cultured mussels at 4,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; "other" finfish reached 600 tonnes, valued at €2 million and "other" shellfish reached 300 tonnes, valued at €2 million

Irish aquaculture products are exported to Europe, US and Asia, with salmon exported to France, Germany, Belgium and the US. Oysters are exported to France, with developing sales to markets in Hong Kong and China. France is Ireland's largest export for mussels, while there have been increased sales in the domestic and British markets.

The value of the Irish farmed finfish sector fell by five per cent in volume and seven per cent in value in 2019, mainly due to a fall on salmon production, but this was partially offset by a seven per cent increased in farmed shellfish to a value of 60 million euro. Delays in issuing State licenses have hampered further growth of the sector, according to industry representatives.

Fish and shellfish farmers must be licensed, and must comply with regulations and inspections conducted by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute. Food labelling is a function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. There is a long backlog of license approvals in the finfish sector, while the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine says it is working to reduce the backlog in the shellfish sector.

The department says it is working through the backlog, but notes that an application for a marine finfish aquaculture licence must be accompanied by either an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). As of October 2020, over two-thirds of applications on hand had an EIS outstanding, it said.

The EU requires member states to have marine spatial plans by 2021, and Ireland has assigned responsibility to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). Legislation has been drawn up to underpin this, and to provide a "one stop shop" for marine planning, ranging from fish farms to offshore energy – as in Marine Planning and Development Management Bill. However, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine confirmed last year that it intends to retain responsibility for aquaculture and sea-fisheries related development – meaning fish and shellfish farmers won't be able to avail of the "one stop shop" for marine planning.

Fish and shellfish health is a challenge, with naturally occurring blooms, jellyfish and the risk of disease. There are also issues with a perception that the sector causes environmental problems.

The industry has been on a steep learning curve, particularly in finfish farming, since it was hailed as a new future for Irish coastal communities from the 1970s – with the State's Electricity Supply Board being an early pioneer, and tobacco company Carrolls also becoming involved for a time. Nutrient build up, which occurs when there is a high density of fish in one area, waste production and its impact on depleting oxygen in water, creating algal blooms and "dead zones", and farmers' use of antibiotics to prevent disease have all been concerns, and anglers have also been worried about the impact of escaped farmed salmon on wild fish populations. Sea lice from salmon farmers were also blamed for declines in sea trout and wild salmon in Irish estuaries and rivers.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

Yes, as it is considered to have better potential for controlling environmental impacts, but it is expensive. As of October 2020, the department was handling over 20 land-based aquaculture applications.

The Irish Farmers' Association has represented fish and shellfish farmers for many years, with its chief executive Richie Flynn, who died in 2018, tirelessly championing the sector. His successor, Teresa Morrissey, is an equally forceful advocate, having worked previously in the Marine Institute in providing regulatory advice on fish health matters, scientific research on emerging aquatic diseases and management of the National Reference Laboratory for crustacean diseases.

BIM provides training in the national vocational certificate in aquaculture at its National Fisheries College, Castletownbere, Co Cork. It also trains divers to work in the industry. The Institute of Technology Carlow has also developed a higher diploma in aqua business at its campus in Wexford, in collaboration with BIM and IFA Aquaculture, the representative association for fish and shellfish farming.

© Afloat 2020

At A Glance - Irish Aquaculture

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties
  • Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. 
  • In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming

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