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Displaying items by tag: WhiteTailed Eagle

#MarineWildlife - The remains of a sea eagle – or white-tailed eagle – have been found in Connemara, and experts say the bird was poisoned.

RTÉ News reports on the discovery earlier this month of the female eagle, which was "within days" of laying eggs.

She was one of a pair that settled in the Roundstone area of Galway after her release in Killarney six years ago. Last year the pair laid eggs but they did not hatch.

The gruesome find marks the 13th poisoning of a sea eagle since they were reintroduced to the wild, and comes just weeks after the remains of another white-tailed eagle were found in Fermanagh.

Published in Marine Wildlife

#MarineWildlife - "A sad end to a beautiful bird" is how the Golden Eagle Trust described the news that remains of a white-tailed eagle were found near Lower Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh earlier this month.

As RTÉ News reports, Ingar was released in Killarney National Park in 2011 as part of a reintroduction programme for the species, also known as the sea eagle.

That same programme saw the introduction of Ireland's first breeding pair of white-tailed eagles in over a century.

Saoirse and Caimin reared their first chicks in 2013, and the birds of prey have proven very popular in Lough Derg, where they relocated from Killarney in 2011.

Ingar's GPS transmitter showed that he had flown to different climes further north, spending the majority of last year on Lough Erne - though it stopped transmitting in December.

Published in Marine Wildlife

SB20 (formerly Laser SB3) information

Designed by Tony Castro, the SB20 is a British-built strict one-design 6.15m keelboat conceived as a wide appeal, affordable, competitive sportsboat for teams of three or four sailors. It is also, arguably, the most successful sportsboat in the world with 800 owners competing regularly in a programme of exciting local, national and international events.

Originally known as the Laser SB3, the SB20 continues to deliver on its pioneering promise: a boat that is fun, fast and easy to sail by anyone of any age; the best value-for-money sportsboat in the market.

The Laser SB3 was designed by Castro and launched in 2002. In 2007 the Laser SB3 was awarded ISAF Recognised Status and the first World Championships were held in Ireland in 2008. In 2012, Tony Castro appointed a new builder, Sportsboat World. At this time, the Laser SB3 was renamed the SB20 and building was returned to the UK from Malaysia. The ethos of the class continues.

The boat is a strict one-design class, economic to buy and campaign, easy to sail with a simple deck layout and electric downwind performance delivered by the generous sail plan. The boat has a lifting keel, can easily be launched from a slipway and towed behind a family car.

Previous SB20 World Champions

2008 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Roger Gilbert, Roz Allen & Sarah Allan

Host National Yacht Club, Dun laoghaire, Ireland

2009 GBR: Craig Burlton, Stephen White, Adam Heeley

Host Clube Naval de Cascais, Cascais, Portugal

2010 GBR: Jerry Hill, Grant Rollerson, Joe Llewellyn

Host Circolo Vela Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy

2011 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Andy Ramus, Ian Mills & Emma Clarke

Host Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Torquay, UK

2012 GBR: Geoff Carveth, Lesley Dhonau, Roger Hudson & Asenathi Jim

Host Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Queensland, Australia

2013 GRB: Craig Burlton, Stephen White, Adam Heley Host COYCH Club, Hyeres, France