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A Harbour Seal photographed at Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, Ireland. Also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinnipeds, they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Baltic and North seas. Photo: AfloatA photograph of a Harbour Seal taken at Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, Ireland. Also known as the common seal, this species can be found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They are the most widely distributed species of pinnipeds and can be found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Baltic and North Seas. Photo: Afloat

Displaying items by tag: RStGYC

30th March 2021

Larry Martin RIP

One of the most popular longtime sailors in Dublin Bay, former RStGYC Commodore Larry Martin, has died, and our sympathies are with his family and many friends afloat and ashore.

A full appreciation of his generously-lived life appears on Afloat.ie here

Published in RStGYC
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The Royal St George Yacht Club will host an online Zoom table quiz on Friday 26th March to raise funds for Rehab Care in Dun Laoghaire.

Join quizmaster Sarah Mullen-Rackow as she challenges with questions on an evening of fun and prizes that’s not to be missed.

Tables are €40 and the quizzing begins at 8 pm. Places are limited so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment.

For any queries contact Elle Flanagan at reception and marketing on 01 280 1811.

Register here

Published in RStGYC
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The Royal St George Yacht Club is now taking orders for its deluxe Christmas hampers.

Members can surprise their loved ones and friends this Christmas with a fantastic gift from their club, featuring a selection of preserves from Wexford Home Preserves, handmade sweet treats and more.

Hampers are €60 (€75 with a bottle of Prosecco) and are available for collection or delivery. To place your order click HERE.

Published in RStGYC
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Some places remain for the Royal St George Yacht Club’s annual table quiz fundraiser for Dun Laogahire RNLI — this year taking place remotely via Zoom, and open to both club members and the public.

Join quizmaster Sarah Mullen-Rackow and host Mark Ridgway as they boggle your brains in aid of the RNLI from 8pm next Tuesday night 10 November, with fabulous prizes up for grabs.

Under the current Level 5 restrictions, the club will only accept teams of four representing a single household. The entry fee is €40 per team.

The online entry form can be found HERE, and any questions can be directed to Danielle at [email protected]

Published in RStGYC

Summer dinghy parking at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire ended this past Sunday 11 October, and all dinghies were expected to be removed by that date to facilitate the club’s annual lift-out.

A limited number of storage slots are available for those signed up for winter training and/or the DMYC Frostbite racing series, and anyone who has not yet done so is invited to apply HERE.

Temporary space has also been secured in the Old Ferry Terminal until Friday 30 October for boats that do not yet have a winter parking slot. Please note that you will need to bring over your own boat and collect it on the assigned dates.

Optimists are currently exempt from these requirements, but storage space is available — with preference given to those actively sailing, who will get the bottom racks.

Meanwhile, the neighbouring National Yacht Club is now taking applications for dinghy platform parking over the winter.

Dinghies taking part in either the junior training sessions or the Frostbite series must complete this form prior to bringing their boats back on the platform.

Boaters must note that platform parking does not reopen before Saturday 31 October as the boathouse still has to lift many keelboats on trailers and position them on the platform following the main lift-out scheduled for Saturday 24 October.

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Update Friday 18 September: The Irish Laser Masters have been cancelled on the eve of the event after Dublin was moved into Level 3 of coronavirus restrictions. Afloat.ie has more on the story HERE.

The Royal St George Yacht Club welcomes the Laser class to Dun Laoghaire for their Masters Nationals this coming Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the event was one of he first to reschedule in the wake of coronavirus restrictions earlier this year.

And the current climate means that there will be no formal shoreside activities to accompany the weekend of racing.

The club will be making use of its Virtual Race Office, while competitors can connect via an event WhatsApp group, and any protest hearings will be held using the Zoom platform.

There will also be a virtual draw during the regatta for both Standard and Radial sailors, with two £100 vouchers for main sponsor Lennon Racewear up for grabs.

Visiting boats (any not currently on the RStGYC deck) are asked to contact the sailing office — 01 280 1811 ext 3 or [email protected] — in advance of planned arrival to ensure access to club facilities.

In other news, the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions are now available for the Laser Munsters taking place on the weekend of 3-4 October at Kinsale Yacht Club.

Registration is open now, and the list of entrants already confirmed is also online.

Published in Laser
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Howth's Patrick O' Neill and the crew of Mojo were crowned J80 Irish National Champions at the Royal St. George Yacht Club this afternoon after a closely fought seven-race series on Dublin Bay. 

14 boats competed from four different Dublin clubs that represent a building momentum for the Irish J80 class, one of the world's most popular sportboats.

In a show of strength for Howth Yacht Club entries, four of the top five places were taken by the North Dublin visitors but O'Neill's overall victory was ultimately only by the slender margin of half a point from host club runner up Jonny O'Dowd. In third place overall was 1996 Olympian Dan O'Grady sailing Jammy.

Four race wins on Saturday put O'Neill in a strong position overnight and even two protests in the final racers on Sunday could not stop the Mojo challenge.

1st Mojo IRL 1551 Howth Yacht Club Patrick O' Neill1st Mojo IRL 1551 Howth Yacht Club Patrick O' Neill

2nd JABS IRL 1609 Royal St George Yacht Club Jonny O' Dowd 2nd JABS IRL 1609 Royal St George Yacht Club Jonny O' Dowd 

J80 National Championships 2020 Results at the Royal St. George Yacht Club (Top Five)

1st Mojo IRL 1551 Howth Yacht Club Patrick O' Neill
2nd JABS IRL 1609 Royal St George Yacht Club Jonny O' Dowd 
3rd Jammy IRL 1097 Howth Yacht Club Dan O' Grady
4th Red Cloud 985 Howth Yacht Club Darragh O' Connor 
5th Headcase 1651 HYC, MSC, BYC, LRYC Ryan Glynn 

Full results are here

Published in J80
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The SB20 class were overwhelmed by an enthusiastic response from Techworks Marine to sponsor this first event of the season, for which the class are very appreciative, and the marine data company were represented on the water by CEO, Charlotte O’Kelly helming the only all-girl team this weekend.

Team George with Sailing Manager Ronan Adams, Darius in the boathouse and Jamie in the dining room, smoothly facilitated the first COVID event in the club this year.

We are living in a different world now with online registration, Covid declarations, updated SOPs and a virtual briefing. SB20 veteran RO Barry O’Neill did the honours with his ‘pod’ team and RSGYC mark layers. The George managed a thoroughly enjoyable event, while ensuring safety protocols were observed both afloat and ashore.

Saturday’s forecast had us all armed with factor 50 and water as we headed out to the race area, near the anchorage as we competed for space with DBSC racing and the Fireball Nationals. A breeze of 5-7 knots, occasionally gusting 10, and a strong flooding tide proved challenging, and although the day was warm, with wind direction fairly consistent from a NE direction, sadly no sea breeze developed.

The first two races of the WW/LW course became drag races out to the right, but the fleet split in the slack tide for the final race of the day. There was just one general recall, with the fleet consistently on the line, battling for spots all weekend. After racing, we withdrew to the balcony for post mortem and drinks before a delicious dinner in the dining room.

As Afloat reported previously, overnight there were just two points separating the top three boats Ted, SoBlue and Bád, so umpires Ailbe and Eunice stepped up to ensure the lead boats behaved. Racing was closer to the harbour, and a stronger breeze split the fleet across the race area both up and downwind.

SoBlue NYC won the first race on Sunday, and Bád the second. With one more race to go, the top three boats were on just 7 points apiece.

The final two lap race had CM Provident with John Malone, Emmet Sheridan and Luke Johnson from LRYC led the fleet around the weather mark, followed by TED, Bád in fourth and SoBlue lying 6th. Ted took the lead down the run with an 8 boat lead over Bád in second up the second beat.

A 25-degree shift up the second beat brought Doran’s LoFly back into contention and Bád sneaking ahead of Ted at the WW mark. A nip and tuck down the last run of the weekend, resulted in SoBlue now chasing hard and lying fourth behind LoFly. Bád held onto their lead of about 3 boat lengths with a split at the final gate. SoBlue headed for the left gate and Ted and Soblue went for the right.

With just a 300m beat to the finish, Bád tacked to cover, while Ted and SoBlue benefited from more breeze on the left side of the short leg to the finish. A tacking duel ensued between Bád and Ted but Bád had enough in the bag to cross one boat length ahead of Ted, taking the title by a point, SoBlue took fourth place in the race, just 2 or 3 boat lengths behind, securing third place overall.

Provident CRM took the Silver fleet trophy home to Lough Ree.

In a competitive fleet where one error can cost so dearly, the two additions to the fleet (Bango from a burgeoning fleet in LRYC and Tiger Light from the RIYC) were doing well to keep in sight of the pack at all, and showed promise in the mix at times.

A socially distanced prize giving took place on the balcony with RSGYC Commodore Peter Bowring doing the honours and a short speech regarding the 2023 Worlds coming to the NYC by SB20 Council World President, Jerry Dowling.

The next SB20 event is in NYC on the 5/6th September and the SB20 Nationals will take place in Lough Ree on 18-20th September.

Published in SB20
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This week the Royal St George Yacht Club is running its 1720 Sportsboat clinic starting tomorrow, Tuesday 4 August.

The four-day clinic will run from 9am-12pm each morning until Friday and is geared at introducing the excitement of big boat sailing, and helping sailors transition from dinghies into keelboat sailing.

Sailors must be at an ‘improving skills’ level and should be comfortable with tacks, gybes, beats and runs and be able to efficiently sail a course in a dinghy.

The training will have a heavy focus on basic keelboat theory, kite work, rigging, and racing tactics/strategy. The coaches will be on board to help give a full experience.

The clinic fee is €175 per person and bookings can be made online HERE.

Places are also available for next week’s team racing clinic (five mornings from Monday 10 August, €175) and the weekly Sea Tigers for ages eight and up (10am-1pm weekdays, €160 with own boat, plus €200 to rent boat and gear inc deposit).

Published in RStGYC
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Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs are preparing for their long-awaited reopening to members this week after the latest relaxing of coronavirus restrictions.

The National Yacht Club will throw open its doors to members from tomorrow, Tuesday 30 June, with revised opening and closing times to adhere to Government guidelines.

The clubhouse will be closed on Mondays but will be open from 10 am to 10 pm Tuesday to Saturday, with the clubhouse closing at 6pm on a Sunday.

Tea, coffee and scones will be available Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am. Food service will run all day from 12pm to 8pm Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday lunch will be served from 12pm to 4pm.

Members will need to reserve a table by phoning the club on 01 280 5725 or by email to [email protected] [email protected] or [email protected]

The dining room will operate a strict two-metre social distancing regime which will be reflected in a maximum capacity of 50 persons.

The Bar will operate strictly in compliance with current regulations while the JB room will cater for pods and smaller group and also with a maximum capacity overall of 50 persons.

Once you enter the club you will be greeted and asked to sanitise your hands and to sign in (only the lead member of the booking need sign in), with an optional temperature check. You will then be shown to your table.

Alcohol will be strictly to table bookings only. There is no alcohol permitted in the Snooker Room, again in line with Government regulations.

Each table will be cleaned down and sanitised after use, and surfaces throughout will be sanitised, with bathrooms cleaned four times per hour.

Royal St George Yacht Club

Meanwhile, the Royal St George Yacht Club reopens its clubhouse for lunch at 12.30pm this Wednesday 1 July.

The club will comply with current guidelines regarding social distancing, contact tracing and an enhanced hygiene regime. A simple ‘one way’ circulation system will be in operation.

And as with the NYC, alcohol will only be served with meals, and bookings must be made in advance (up to 11am on day of booking). For full details see the RStGYC website HERE.

Published in National YC
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For all you need on the Marine Environment - covering the latest news and updates on marine science and wildlife, weather and climate, power from the sea and Ireland's coastal regions and communities - the place to be is Afloat.ie.

Coastal Notes

The Coastal Notes category covers a broad range of stories, events and developments that have an impact on Ireland's coastal regions and communities, whose lives and livelihoods are directly linked with the sea and Ireland's coastal waters.

Topics covered in Coastal Notes can be as varied as the rare finding of sea-life creatures, an historic shipwreck with secrets to tell, or even a trawler's net caught hauling much more than just fish.

Other angles focusing the attention of Coastal Notes are Ireland's maritime museums, which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of our nautical heritage, and those who harvest the sea using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety pose an issue, plying their trade along the rugged wild western seaboard.

Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied as the environment they come from, and which shape people's interaction with the natural world and our relationship with the sea.

Marine Wildlife

One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with Marine Wildlife. It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. And as boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify, even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat. Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse, it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to our location in the North Atlantic, there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe. From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals, the Marine Wildlife category documents the most interesting accounts around our shores. And we're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and video clips, too!

Also valuable is the unique perspective of all those who go afloat, from coastal sailing to sea angling to inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing, as what they encounter can be of great importance to organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). Thanks to their work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. But as impressive as the list is, the experts believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves, keep a sharp look out!

Weather

As an island in the North Atlantic, Ireland's fate is decided by Weather more so than many other European countries. When storm-force winds race across the Irish Sea, ferry and shipping services are cut off, disrupting our economy. When swollen waves crash on our shores, communities are flooded and fishermen brace for impact - both to their vessels and to their livelihoods.

Keeping abreast of the weather, therefore, is as important to leisure cruisers and fishing crews alike - for whom a small craft warning can mean the difference between life and death - as it is to the communities lining the coast, where timely weather alerts can help protect homes and lives.

Weather affects us all, and Afloat.ie will keep you informed on the hows and the whys.

Marine Science

Perhaps it's the work of the Irish research vessels RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager out in the Atlantic Ocean that best highlights the essential nature of Marine Science for the future growth of Ireland's emerging 'blue economy'.

From marine research to development and sustainable management, Ireland is developing a strong and well-deserved reputation as an emerging centre of excellence. Whether it's Wavebob ocean energy technology to aquaculture to weather buoys and oil exploration, the Marine Science category documents the work of Irish marine scientists and researchers and how they have secured prominent roles in many European and international marine science bodies.

Power From The Sea

The message from the experts is clear: offshore wind and wave energy is the future. And as Ireland looks towards the potential of the renewable energy sector, generating Power From The Sea will become a greater priority in the State's 'blue growth' strategy.

Developments and activities in existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector, and those of the energy exploration industry, point to the future of energy requirements for the whole world, not just in Ireland. And that's not to mention the supplementary industries that sea power projects can support in coastal communities.

Irish ports are already in a good position to capitalise on investments in offshore renewable energy services. And Power From The Sea can even be good for marine wildlife if done properly.

Aside from the green sector, our coastal waters also hold a wealth of oil and gas resources that numerous prospectors are hoping to exploit, even if people in coastal and island areas are as yet unsure of the potential benefits or pitfalls for their communities.

Changing Ocean Climate

Our ocean and climate are inextricably linked - the ocean plays a crucial role in the global climate system in a number of ways. These include absorbing excess heat from the atmosphere and absorbing 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by human activity. But our marine ecosystems are coming under increasing pressure due to climate change.

The Marine Institute, with its national and international partners, works to observe and understand how our ocean is changing and analyses, models and projects the impacts of our changing oceans. Advice and forecasting projections of our changing oceans and climate are essential to create effective policies and management decisions to safeguard our ocean.

Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute, said, “Our ocean is fundamental to life on earth and affects so many facets of our everyday activities. One of the greatest challenges we face as a society is that of our changing climate. The strong international collaborations that the Marine Institute has built up over decades facilitates a shared focusing on our changing ocean climate and developing new and enhanced ways of monitoring it and tracking changes over time.

“Our knowledge and services help us to observe these patterns of change and identify the steps to safeguard our marine ecosystems for future generations.”

The Marine Institute’s annual ocean climate research survey, which has been running since 2004, facilitates long term monitoring of the deep water environment to the west of Ireland. This repeat survey, which takes place on board RV Celtic Explorer, enables scientists to establish baseline oceanic conditions in Irish waters that can be used as a benchmark for future changes.

Scientists collect data on temperature, salinity, water currents, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the Atlantic Ocean. This high quality oceanographic data contributes to the Atlantic Ocean Observing System. Physical oceanographic data from the survey is submitted to the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and, in addition, the survey contributes to national research such as the VOCAB ocean acidification and biogeochemistry project, the ‘Clean Atlantic’ project on marine litter and the A4 marine climate change project.

Dr Caroline Cusack, who co-ordinates scientific activities on board the RV Celtic Explorer for the annual survey, said, “The generation of long-term series to monitor ocean climate is vital to allow us understand the likely impact of future changes in ocean climate on ecosystems and other marine resources.”

Other activities during the survey in 2019 included the deployment of oceanographic gliders, two Argo floats (Ireland’s contribution to EuroArgo) and four surface drifters (Interreg Atlantic Area Clean Atlantic project). The new Argo floats have the capacity to measure dissolved ocean and biogeochemical parameters from the ocean surface down to a depth of 2,000 metres continuously for up to four years, providing important information as to the health of our oceans.

During the 2019 survey, the RV Celtic Explorer retrieved a string of oceanographic sensors from the deep ocean at an adjacent subsurface moored station and deployed a replacement M6 weather buoy, as part of the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network (IMDBON).

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the IMDBON is managed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with Met Éireann and is designed to improve weather forecasts and safety at sea around Ireland. The data buoys have instruments which collect weather and ocean data including wind speed and direction, pressure, air and sea surface temperature and wave statistics. This data provides vital information for weather forecasts, shipping bulletins, gale and swell warnings as well as data for general public information and research.

“It is only in the last 20 years, meteorologists and climatologists have really began to understood the pivotal role the ocean plays in determining our climate and weather,” said Evelyn Cusack, Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann. “The real-time information provided by the Irish data buoy network is particularly important for our mariners and rescue services. The M6 data buoy in the Atlantic provides vital information on swell waves generated by Atlantic storms. Even though the weather and winds may be calm around our shores, there could be some very high swells coming in from Atlantic storms.”