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Displaying items by tag: Status Red

#Ophelia - Met Éireann has issued a Status Red wind warning for southern and western counties as the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia are set to bring gusts of more than 130kmh this Monday 16 October.

Mean wind speeds in excess of 80kmh have the potential for causing structural damage and disruption in Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork and Kerry, with dangerous marine conditions off the South and West Coasts from Monday morning till the small hours of Tuesday 17 October.

A Status Orange weather warning is in effect for the rest of the country with means winds between 65 and 80kmh, particularly in coastal counties.

Dun Laoghaire Marina has already issues a caution to its berthholders to ensure sufficient fendering and strong mooring warps are in place at the country’s largest marina.

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The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.