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Displaying items by tag: Lightning

Twitter user Roger McMorrow captured an incredible video of lightning striking the iconic chimneys of the Poolbeg power station during a thunderstorm over Dublin Bay on Tuesday (19 July).

The clinical director and consultant anaesthetist at the National Maternity Hospital got the shot of a lifetime from the vantage of St Vincent’s Hospital in the south of the city.

Explaining his technique, Roger said: “For all those asking this was taken with an iPhone 12 on Slowmo propped up on a window sill.”

He added with modesty: “Just a lucky opportunistic shot”

Roger’s clip quickly went viral on social media — as did another photo purporting to show the same phenomenon from a different angle. But browsers beware, as the breathtaking shot appears to have been altered for dramatic effect.

Published in Dublin Bay
Tagged under

A shocking video shows the moment when a sailboat moored in a US harbour was struck by lightning.

The dramatic flash was caught on camera by a passer-by at the marina in South Boston as stormy weather rolled through the state of Massachusetts last Saturday 6 July.

While the boat took a serious hit — its sail bursting into flames as the bolt crackled through its mast — the owner was lucky enough not to be on board at the time, and CNN reports that no one was hurt in the incident.

Published in Weather
Tagged under

Waszp sailing

The Waszp project was conceived in 2010 by Andrew McDougall, designer of the world-beating Mach 2 foiling Moth. 

The Waszp was created as a strict one-design foiler, where, as the class says “the true test when raced is between crews and not boats and equipment”.

The objective of the class rules is to ensure that this concept is maintained. Keeping possible modifications to a minimum ensures fair racing across the fleet, helps to reduce the overall cost to the sailor and reduces the amount of time in the workshop. 

The popularity of the WASZP has proven that the boat and the concept work. In October 2021, 1237 boats had been sold to over 45 countries. 

The top speed recorded on the foiling dinghy is 26.7 knots. 

60-95kgs+ is a weight range competitive across varied conditions with rigs knowns as ‘8.2’ and ‘6.9’.

The cost of a Moth dinghy in Europe is €14,400 inc VAT + shipping according to the manufacturers in October 2021.