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24th September 2009

Sigma 33 East Coast Association

History (courtesy of the UK Sigma Association website)

Click here for all the latest Sigma 33 News and Updates.

The Boat
• Designed by David Thomas, well-known for cruiser/racer designs such as Sonata, Impala, Sigma 33 and 38, as well as the Hunter 707.
• The original concept was to design a 35 footer to compete for acceptance at the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 1978 Offshore One-design Conference, which was to select three one-designs to promote in substitution for the then-prevalent IOR system. The three chosen were the Impala, the 101 (designed by Jan Kjaerulff) and Jeremy Rodgers’ OOD 34. Sensing that the 33 foot 101 was too Scandinavian for British tastes, David Thomas decided to scale down to 33 feet. His intention was to design a moderate displacement yacht that would look racy and be competitive under IOR, but be tractable and easy to sail to near optimum speed.
• Initially the class was named the Skua 33, but when a Scottish fleet advised that they were already called Skuas, the name was changed to Sigma 33.
• Built by Marine Projects (Plymouth) Limited in Devon. (Tel: 01752 203888)
• Total number built 364, starting in December 1978 with hull no. A3001 and ending in December 1991 with hull no. A3364 (in addition, approximately 44 Sigma 33Cs were built between November 1981 and April 1985, with hull numbers between A4001 and A4212. These have a shorter, masthead rig and a longer, shallower draft keel.)
• Builder’s Dimensions: LOA 32’ 6” 9.88m; LWL 26’ 3” 8.00m; Beam 10’ 6” 3.20m; Draft 5’ 9” 1.75m; Displacement 9,200lbs 4,182kg
• Construction is straightforward GRP with foam-cored floors and integral bulkheads. Early boats had off-white hull gel coats with either blue or cream decks; later ones had white hulls and decks plus aluminium window frames and go-faster stripes along the coachroof. The interior joinery was also altered.
• Class sails are by Elstrom Sobstad , HYS, Port Hamble, Hamble, Southampton, Hampshire SO31 4NN. Tel: 023 8045 6205, fax: 023 8045 2465. The class has adopted relatively high-tech Genesis Platinum sails which incorporate kevlar fibres.
• Price when new in 1979 was £16,790 plus VAT. By 1990 this had risen to £37,475 plus VAT.

sigmatic1.jpgPictured left: Sigmatic powering their way to first place on the last race of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009 (courtesy Sigma 33 East Coast Association website)

Sigma 33 East Coast Association, c/o Sandra Moore, Honorary Secretary, 49 Bellevue Road, Glenageary, Co. Dublin. Tel: 087 629 1568, fax: [email protected], email: [email protected]

 

In March 2009, Afloat's Graham Smith reported on the Class: "There’s no change in the Sigma 33 class since last year. The fleet remains at 18 and they are all in Dun Laoghaire, while Tim Goodbody continues to dominate the class.

Apart from winning two of the three DBSC series during the season, he and his crew on White Mischief also won the ROYC Superleague, the East Coast Championships and then retained the National title. Just to break the monopoly, Paddy Maguire won the Colman O’Sullivan Trophy, Dermod Baker took the Fireseal Trophy and the Tuesday series was won by Pippa IV, helmed by A. Blake. National Champion 2009: Tim Goodbody, Royal Irish YC." 

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here   

Published in Classes & Assoc
24th September 2009

Irish Shipman Association

The combination of family- cruiser and racing yacht is possible if not easy to achieve. Many small cruisers are more like floating caravans than yachts and do not always sail well. Accommodation below decks is deemed more important than sleek lines and sailing performance and therefore resulting hybrids are not always easy on the eye.
Of course a sailing yacht should be beautiful and preferably as spacious as a small summer retreat as it is this appeal that makes for sales at boat shows and exhibitions. Racing in Dublin Bay now for many years there is such a boat, the Shipman 28 and with an overall length of 29ft in old money or 8.86 meters and a beam of 8 feet 6 inches or 2.6meters, is just about right for reasonably exciting one design class racing in 'the bay'. Many of the fleet also partake of summer cruising around the coast or even further afield to the UK or beyond, time permitting. With the class having their own Yearbook the annual racing and cruising exploits of the various members can be followed with interest along with other tit bits of generally interesting and useful information.
Originally designed in Sweden by Olle Enderlein as a family cruiser racer for the Baltic Sea, his aim was to produce a yacht that would be sensitive on the helm to windward and easy to hold on course under hard conditions. In port she was to be practical down below with full headroom, five berths, one converting to a double, and a proper galley and comfortable dinette. A separate sea toilet compartment and normally 12hp diesel engine completes the essential fit-out. All this and more was achieved in his resulting design, the Shipman.
In these recessionary times it can be difficult to justify the expenditure of scarce resources on purchasing expensive items such as yachts. How ever, at an average selling price in the region of €10 K to €16K depending on condition, not only will any new owner be joining a great racing class in Dublin Bay, there is also the prospect of summer cruises to the many marinas and harbors within a reasonable distance and the bank will not be broken.
When first launched unto the market in 1970 one particular press cutting wrote 'it is easy to get enthusiastic about the the Shipman. To the yacht lover with a vision of what a yacht should be like it matches many dreams and has many of the qualities and finer points that boat lovers admire. For example well proportioned lines. Nice colors, fine sailing-qualities and comfortable accommodation
Shipman has all this and a little more. The woodwork creates a cosy atmosphere onboard and looks very nice and expensive too. And then to the best thing of all about the Shipman, the sailing qualities. We have never sailed a boat that is more stable on course. In short, this is a super boat.'
The Commodore of the Shipman Class Association in DunLaoghaire is Mr. John Clarke , tel. 01 2895231 E- mail [email protected] and both he and other members of the Class are always available to offer advice and information to prospective Shipman owners or anyone wishing to learn more about the boat and the Association.
Published in Classes & Assoc
24th September 2009

Shannon One Design Association

Courtesy of the Shannon One Design Association:

164newfull.jpgThe Shannon One Design sailboat (known as a 'SOD' or 'Shannon') has a long and colourful history going back to 1920, when it was originally designed by Morgan Giles. Despite its charming looks, the Shannon One Design is a very exciting boat to sail and fleets of SODs have been racing on Loughs Ree and Derg in Ireland since 1922. The racing is very competitive, and the sailing season is filled each year with a wide variety of events. SODA is governed by a committee made up of Shannon One Design owners and sailors.

The Shannon One Design Association (SODA) is the Governing Body for the Shannon One Design Sailing Class. SODA is responsible for fixing the class rules and also for the enforcement of those rules.

 

History

The Shannon One Design (SOD) is an 18 foot boat unique to the lakes of Derg and Ree on the Shannon river in Ireland. On the 29th January 1920 a meeting of delegates from the Lough Derg, Lough Ree and North Shannon Yacht Clubs was held in the Prince of Wales Hotel in Athlone to set about the introduction of a one-design class racing boat on the Shannon. The SOD 'Design 102' by Morgan Giles was based on his Essex One Design both in profile and in sections.

The first Shannon One design trial boat was ordered in 1921 from Walter Levinge by L. Graham (Boy) Toler, and named 'Phyllis' later numbered SOD 43 and renamed 'Red Boat' in 1923. The new class should have commenced numbering at No 1, but this did not happen. Numbering of the following boats began at number 32.

The Shannon One Design began to race in earnest in 1922. New hull and sail specifications were adopted in 1989 to take into consideration emerging marine technologies. There is keen competition in the two major regattas at Lough Derg YC and Lough Ree YC in August. The Shannon One design boat register now exceeds No. 175.

Sailing Shannons has always attracted families, and generations in many cases have been involved in campaigning the same boat down through the years. Indeed many of the same family names that attended that first meeting in 1922 still feature in SOD racing today. 

 

The Boats

The Shannon One Design is a wooden, clinker-built, eighteen-foot (5.49m) racing dinghy, propelled by a single gunter-rigged mainsail of 140 square feet (15.6 sq.m). The boat has a relatively narrow beam of 4 feet 10.5 inches (1.5m), and draws 4 feet (1.23m) with her centreboard down.

With a large sail and comparatively narrow beam, a Shannon One Design is a lively performer, especially in a fresh breeze, and requires a three-person crew for normal sailing. 

There has long been a strong boat-building tradition on Loughs Derg and Ree, and almost all Shannon One Designs have come from the yards of skilled local craftsmen.

The boats are unique to the river Shannon and are actively raced in both Lough Ree Yacht Club and in Lough Derg Yacht Club.

Shannon sailing attracts a wide range of sailors from far and wide, not simply limited to Shannon riverside dwellers. At the two main events each year, the week-long regattas at Ballyglass on Lough Ree and Dromineer on Lough Derg, up to 55 SODs have been counted. These will be sailed by a mixture of local sailors and others based in Dublin or elsewhere (as far away as the USA), most of whom return year on year to compete.

Above all, the Shannon One Design class is a lot of fun, in which conviviality, wit, character and friendship are on a par with the high quality of the racing. Individual boats seem to develop their own idiosyncrasies to complement the eccentricities of those privileged to sail them. There is a strong and growing presence of young people alongside the older sailors, and new boats are joining the fleet every season.

 

Shannon One Design Association, c/o Damian Maloney, Honorary Secretary, 35 Littlewood, Stepaside, Dublin 18. Email: [email protected]

 

In March 2009, Graham Smith profiled the class for Afloat magazine as follows: "As one of the traditional clinker-built boats, you could be excused for thinking that the venerable SOD would be a static class on the numbers front, but you would be very wrong indeed. The number of clubs racing SODs remains at three but with 115 boats on the books, it ranks as a top five class.

That figure represents a 4% increase on the previous year, as new boats are built each year, although the increase is not reflected in numbers racing in the various regional championships during the summer when turn-outs were disappointingly low (the average in four events was around a dozen).

A feature of the year was the wide variety of venues, not restricted to the usual Lough Ree or Derg Yacht Clubs but with events in Kilgarvan, Cong, Mountshannon and Lanesborough, representing four different counties. It also saw four different winners, with Damian Maloney, Mark McCormick, John and Stephen O’Driscoll and Eoin Carroll winning the Easterns, Westerns, Southerns and Northerns respectively.
The Nationals saw a marked improvement in numbers with 26 boats competing at Lough Ree YC, where local hot-shot David Dickson added to his list of successes.
National Champion: David Dickson, Lough Ree YC 

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

Published in Classes & Assoc
24th September 2009

Irish Ruffian Association

Courtesy of the irish Ruffian Association website:

story.jpg The Ruffian 23 is a 23 foot keelboat which was designed and built by brothers Dickie and Billy Brown of Portaferry, Co. Down, 35 years ago. The Ruffian 23 is a great one design racing boat, an extremely family-friendly boat, and despite its size, the Ruffian 23 has cruised waters around Ireland, the UK, and further afield. Approximately 200 Ruffians were built and many are still raced regularly in Dun Laoghaire, Wicklow, Skerries, Baltimore, Carrickfergus, Strangford Lough, around the Clyde, the Isle of Man, and even as far afield as Hong Kong and Uruguay.

An annual feature of the Irish Ruffian calendar is the North v. South Team Racing event which is held alternately in Carrickfergus and in Dun Laoghaire.

The Dun Laoghaire Ruffians also hold an annual inter-club team racing event with the most recent event being contested by the National Yacht Club, the Royal St. George Yacht Club, the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, and Wicklow Sailing Club. It was held on June 29th and the holders, the National Yacht Club, retained the title.

The Irish Ruffian 23 National Championships took place over the weekend June 12–14 2009, hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club. Over 16 boats competed in a 7-race series over the 3 days.
 
Regional events take place each year – the Northern Championships hosted by Carrickfergus Sailing Club, the South East Coast Regatta hosted by Wicklow Sailing Club, and the South Coast Championships hosted by Baltimore Sailing Club.

A good fleet of Ruffians competes in the annual Lambay race, and a Ruffian, Shannagh, was the proud winner of the Lambay Lady trophy in 2004.

The original Ruffian was a 33ft Ocean Racer designed and built by brothers Billy & Dickie Brown in 1969/70. Such was her success that the brothers set up Weatherly Yachts and went into production with a smaller 23ft model.
 

Graham Smith wrote, in Afloat's March 2009 issue: "2008 marked the 35th anniversary of the Ruffians and the class celebrated by taking to the water in locations as far afield as Wicklow, Carrickfergus, Strangford Lough, Baltimore, Schull, the Isle of Man, Uruguay and Hong Kong! The Dublin Bay fleet assembled in a cruise-in-company in Dalkey Sound for some revelry to mark the occasion.   

In Ireland, there are 70 boats on the Ruffian books and while that figure is static, the fact that Schull has become a new venue is obviously a positive feature for the class enthusiasts. They will lose one enthusiast for next season though, with veteran Sean Murray retiring after 20 years of racing and extensively cruising his boat Icicle which will doubtless remain on the scene.

The highlight of the Ruffian competitive year is the National Championships and Derek Mitchell and the crew of Ruff Nuff from the Royal St George YC made it three wins in a row, finishing ahead of Robbie Keys from Skerries (who won the Traveller’s Trophy for his efforts) and 19 other boats. Next year, a team of 24 Ruffian sailors will travel to Hong Kong on St Patrick’s weekend for a team racing event against their Far East hosts. National Champion 2009: Derek Mitchell, Royal St George YC."

Irish Ruffian Association, c/o Cathy Booth, Secretary, 20 Highfield Grove, Rathgar, Dublin 6. Tel 01 496 2365, email: [email protected]

or

Bruce Carswell, Class Captain, email: [email protected] 

or

Alan Claffey, Hon. Secretary, tel: 087 818 0077, email: [email protected]

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here 

Published in Classes & Assoc
24th September 2009

Irish RS Class Association

New to Ireland, the RS is the fastest growing dinghy fleet in the country. RS's are high performance asymmetric spinnakered dinghies. The 13ft RS200 and the larger 14ft 10in RS400 combine to provide high performance racing for all crew weights and abilities. Class members range from mid teens to mid fifties and compete together. Asymmetrical sailing provides a unique challenge to sailors who want to learn new skills, with tactical fleet racing downwind as well as upwind. The performance will attract the adrenalin junkies!

 
The RS Class in Ireland

The Irish RS Dinghy Class Association was formed in 2003 to promote the RS class in Ireland. The Association has adopted two dinghies, the RS200 and the RS400 to suit all crew combinations. Both are modern asymmetric spinnakered boats, providing an unparalleled blend of performance, ease of handling and tactical racing.

The RS fleet in Ireland is testiment to both of the dinghy's popularity. With an average growth rate of almost 10 boats per annum, the class is already the leading asymmetric class in the country and rivals most conventional classes in numbers.

The Irish RS National Championship now in its seventh year, forms part of a European circuit with events in the UK, France, Holland, and Italy. The Eurocup event not only attracts International standard racing to local waters but provides an easy avenue for Irish sailors keen to compete abroad.

 

The Irish RS Association

The Irish RS Dinghy Class Association was set up in 2003 to promote the RS Class in Ireland.

In just a short period of time, the RS class has become the largest asymmetric class in Ireland, with over 40 RS dinghies regularly sailing today. Interest in the class continues to grow as racing asymmetrics dinghies attracts sailors from traditional classes looking for the added tactical challenges and new skills that asymmetrics provide.

The Irish National Championships held annually, form part of the RS European Circuit, drawing competition of the highest calibre from abroad to race in Ireland. For the Irish sailor, this not only brings international racing to home waters, but also presents a ready made international circuit for those who want to race further afield.

Adopting both the RS200 and RS400 dinghies means that sailors of all ages, sizes and abilities are catered for. The RS class currently has sailors ranging from mid teens to mid fifties, both male and female competing against each other.

Irish RS Class Association, c/o Richard Moran, Secretary, 34 Delgany Court, Delgany Park. Tel: 087 234 7157, email: [email protected]

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here 

Published in Classes & Assoc
24th September 2009

RS Feva Ireland Association

The following information courtesy of Killaloe Sailing Club:

Introduction to the RS Feva for Junior Sailing

RS Feva DinghyThe RS Feva/XL is a solid and roomy two-person dinghy constructed in polyethylene. The dinghy can be rigged with a gennaker and is an exiting and safe introduction to gennaker-sailing. The hull material is less fragile and does not require as much maintenance as fibreglass. Encapsulated buoyancy in the foam layer makes the RS Feva unsinkable. The mast is divided into two parts and can be stored along with boom in the length of the boat for easy transport.

A Big cockpit and high boom make the Feva really comfortable for youngsters and adults. The Feva is the perfect size and has rig options that allow easy handling by one sailor, family crews or friends. Her high volume hull makes light work of heavy sailors. Not only confidence inspiring and very easy to sail, the Feva is also the fastest of her type. A strict one design means no hidden costs, evenly matched performance and highly tactical racing.

In March 2005 the RYA annouced that the RS Feva was to become becomes a recognised junior class. The RS Feva has been recognised due to the boats popularity and the need to engage sailors through a modern dinghy. The class runs a comprehensive training programme and is highly attractive to young children.

Because it is handy on ground and joyful on the waves, the RS Feva is a first rate choice for clubs. RS Feva is also the dinghy for those parents who want to go sailing with their child.

Irish Feva Association, c/o Chris Craig, President, Beechfield, Monkstown Road, Monkstown, Co. Dublin. Email:[email protected]

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here  

Published in Classes & Assoc
24th September 2009

Puppeteer Class Association

puppeters_nationals042.jpgIn Afloat's March 2009 issue, Graham Smith wrote the following: "Essentially an indigenous racer, the Puppeteer has records of 53 boats being built over the years, with 31 of them based in Howth where they regularly get 20 out for club races. It has tried in recent years to make it a strict one-design, but with northern boats racing under IRC, there are considerable differences between the boats so travelling north isn’t worth it! Click here for all the latest Puppeteer news and updates.

The Nationals, therefore, are held in Howth and 2008 saw 19 boats contest the event. The names usually found at the head of the fleet – Clarke, Stanley, May – were the pre-race favourites as usual and it was Garrett May and his crew who made the most of the circumstances to emerge as overall winners. National Champion 2009: Garrett May, Howth YC."

 

Puppeteer Class Association, c/o Noel Davidson, President, 'Haven', 59 St. Peter's Terrace, Howth, Co Dublin. Tel: 086 25 99 531, email: [email protected]

 
There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here   

Published in Classes & Assoc
24th September 2009

Irish Multihull Association

Cat Classes Sailed in Ireland

Racing Classes

Dart 18 – Blessington SC, Ballyholme YC, Swords S&BC

Dart 16 – Blessington SC, Ballyholme YC, Galway Bay SC, Swords S&BC, Mullingar SC

The Dart 16 and Dart 18 performance catamarans are raced in Irish Clubs by crews of all ages and are also ideal for fun 'off the beach' sailing. The Dart 16, with its furling jib and quickly reefed mainsail, is perfect for safe fun sailing. 

Irish International Dart Association, c/o Marjorie Mangan, Secretary, 47 Willington Crescent, Templeogue, Dublin 6w. Tel: 01 456 5060, email: [email protected]

 
Hurricane 5.9 – Swords S&BC, Blessington SC, Ballyholme YC

 

dart_hawk.jpgLeft: A Dart Hawk

Formula 18 – Dart Hawk, Blessington SC; and Hobie Tiger, Royal Cork YC, Galway Bay SC, Blessington SC

Spitfire – Blessington SC, Ballyholme YC

Shadow – Blessington SC,  Galway Bay SC

A-Class – Royal Cork YC

Hobie 18 and Hobie 16 – Blessington SC, Ballyholme YC, Swords S&BC, Galway Bay SC

Hobie have something to suit everyone, from youth to Adults, beginners to high performance racing – a double-handed and single-handed class for the more adventurous. Racing is available at home and there's a strong International circuit in Europe. Cruising, the class have been known to make the occasional coastal voyage from Cork to Glandore and Cong to Galway. Cruising around Belfast Lough

Irish Hobie Class Association, c/o Yvonne Sheehan, Secretary, Avonmore, Cork Road, Mallow, Co Cork. Fax: 087 747 6051, email: [email protected]

 

Multihull Cruisers – Racers

Catamarans and Trimarans over 20ft (6m)

In the mid-80s there was a growing fleet of Cruiser-Racers between 22ft and 35ft. These catamarans and trimarans raced at Multihull events with the smaller racing catamarans, usually racing on a longer offshore course.

Some were damaged in Hurricane Charlie and the fleet dispersed in the late eighties. There are quite a few of the larger catamarans and trimarans in clubs around the Country.

We would like to establish contact with the owners of these Multihulls with a view to keeping a database of these boats and hopefully, organising some events, maybe in conjunction with one of the events on the Catamaran Racing Calendar. This could take the format of a Rally, perhaps with some handicap racing.

If you have a Cruising or Racing Multihull over twenty feet in length, based in Ireland, please email us at [email protected] or telephone 353 1 4565060.

If you have stories and photos of your cruises and trips around Ireland or abroad, we will print them on this page.

We hope for a good response and we will keep our website page updated.

(Above information courtesy of the Irish Multihull Association)
 

Graham Smith wrote, in Afloat's March 2009 issue: "There are 43 multihulls – comprising various catamaran types – racing actively in Ireland in six locations, statistics which confirm that there has been a small increase over the past year and underlining the ongoing passion which the multihullers have for their particular branch of the sport.

Almost half of them made it on average to the five regional events held during the season, which saw four different winners. Andrew Gallagher of Royal Cork ended up as National Champion in a 25-strong fleet on his home territory, having also won the Easterns on Dublin Bay with crew Jimmy Nyhan.

Clubmate Rob Doyle won the Southerns (also at RCYC) and Blessington’s Simon Kearns took the Western title, but 2008 was otherwise the year of the Ballyholme pairing of Adrian and Mike Allen. Together they won the Northerns and Inlands but also had the distinction of topping the leaderboard at the Brightlingsea Open British Hurricane 5.9 event. National Champion: Andrew Gallagher and Jimmy Nyhan, Royal Cork YC"

Irish Multihull Association, c/o Yvonne Sheehan, Secretary, 'Avonmore', Cork Road, Mallow, Co. Cork. Tel: 087 7476051

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here   

Published in Classes & Assoc
23rd September 2009

Mermaid Sailing Association

The Dublin Bay Mermaid class was designed by JB Kearney in 1932 and still going strong today. From the oldest Amy (No. 1) to the youngest Azeezy (No. 189), this 17ft clinker built wooden dinghy provides challenging and exciting sailing for three person crews in all weathers. Click here for the latest Mermaid news and updates.

Mermaids can be found in Dun Laoghaire, Clontarf, Skerries, Rush, Wexford, Foynes and Sligo.

Mermaid Sailing Association, c/o Paddy Archer, President, Sandy Lane, Rush, Co Dublin. Tel: 01 843 7089

or

R. Galbraith, Hon. Sec., email: [email protected]

or, if you have any photos or other material for the Mermaid website, contact Peter Scallan at [email protected]

(Above details courtesy of Mermaid Sailing Association)

 

Graham Smith, in Afloat's March 2009 issue, wrote: "Not too many new Mermaids are built these days but while the class might be categorised under the heading ‘static’, with 189 boats on the register, it’s a very healthy static!

Although turnouts at regional events only manage the mid-teens, the National Championships generally sees a big effort from all the Mermaid clubs. Last year even saw an increase on 2007, possibly because Rush in north county Dublin is more convenient for more sailors than Tralee the previous year. Niall McGrotty of Skerries, who won that championship for the first time, retained his title from 33 other Mermaid crews.

On the regional front, Jonathan O’Rourke of NYC won the Southerns in Foynes and Wexford’s Derek Joyce took the Easterns at Skerries. National Champion: Niall McGrotty, Skerries SC." 

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

Published in Classes & Assoc
23rd September 2009

Howth 17 Footer Class Association

March 2009 and Afloat's Graham Smith wrote: "Static yet still thriving best describes the Howth 17 Footers but with an 18th boat currently being built and due for completion this winter, the class will, for the first time in its 110-year history, consist of more than 17 boats. A TV documentary is being made next year to tell the story behind this classic gaff-rigged boat, following the Class through its winter preparations, the 2009 season and the new boat construction.

On the water this year, the National (World!) Championships were again won by Peter Courtney and his crew of Oona, a boat which celebrates its centenary next year and is still considered one of the babies of the class! The Championship attracted 14 of the 17 boats, one better than the previous year. National Champion: Peter Courtney, Howth YC."

Howth 17 Footer Class Association, c/o Brian Turvey, Secretary, Howth Yacht Club, Harbour Road, Howth, Co. Dublin

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

Published in Classes & Assoc
Page 5 of 9

Ireland's Offshore Renewable Energy

Because of Ireland's location at the Atlantic edge of the EU, it has more offshore energy potential than most other countries in Europe. The conditions are suitable for the development of the full range of current offshore renewable energy technologies.

Offshore Renewable Energy FAQs

Offshore renewable energy draws on the natural energy provided by wind, wave and tide to convert it into electricity for industry and domestic consumption.

Offshore wind is the most advanced technology, using fixed wind turbines in coastal areas, while floating wind is a developing technology more suited to deeper water. In 2018, offshore wind provided a tiny fraction of global electricity supply, but it is set to expand strongly in the coming decades into a USD 1 trillion business, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It says that turbines are growing in size and in power capacity, which in turn is "delivering major performance and cost improvements for offshore wind farms".

The global offshore wind market grew nearly 30% per year between 2010 and 2018, according to the IEA, due to rapid technology improvements, It calculated that about 150 new offshore wind projects are in active development around the world. Europe in particular has fostered the technology's development, led by Britain, Germany and Denmark, but China added more capacity than any other country in 2018.

A report for the Irish Wind Energy Assocation (IWEA) by the Carbon Trust – a British government-backed limited company established to accelerate Britain's move to a low carbon economy - says there are currently 14 fixed-bottom wind energy projects, four floating wind projects and one project that has yet to choose a technology at some stage of development in Irish waters. Some of these projects are aiming to build before 2030 to contribute to the 5GW target set by the Irish government, and others are expected to build after 2030. These projects have to secure planning permission, obtain a grid connection and also be successful in a competitive auction in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS).

The electricity generated by each turbine is collected by an offshore electricity substation located within the wind farm. Seabed cables connect the offshore substation to an onshore substation on the coast. These cables transport the electricity to land from where it will be used to power homes, farms and businesses around Ireland. The offshore developer works with EirGrid, which operates the national grid, to identify how best to do this and where exactly on the grid the project should connect.

The new Marine Planning and Development Management Bill will create a new streamlined system for planning permission for activity or infrastructure in Irish waters or on the seabed, including offshore wind farms. It is due to be published before the end of 2020 and enacted in 2021.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE. Is there scope for community involvement in offshore wind? The IWEA says that from the early stages of a project, the wind farm developer "should be engaging with the local community to inform them about the project, answer their questions and listen to their concerns". It says this provides the community with "the opportunity to work with the developer to help shape the final layout and design of the project". Listening to fishing industry concerns, and how fishermen may be affected by survey works, construction and eventual operation of a project is "of particular concern to developers", the IWEA says. It says there will also be a community benefit fund put in place for each project. It says the final details of this will be addressed in the design of the RESS (see below) for offshore wind but it has the potential to be "tens of millions of euro over the 15 years of the RESS contract". The Government is also considering the possibility that communities will be enabled to invest in offshore wind farms though there is "no clarity yet on how this would work", the IWEA says.

Based on current plans, it would amount to around 12 GW of offshore wind energy. However, the IWEA points out that is unlikely that all of the projects planned will be completed. The industry says there is even more significant potential for floating offshore wind off Ireland's west coast and the Programme for Government contains a commitment to develop a long-term plan for at least 30 GW of floating offshore wind in our deeper waters.

There are many different models of turbines. The larger a turbine, the more efficient it is in producing electricity at a good price. In choosing a turbine model the developer will be conscious of this ,but also has to be aware the impact of the turbine on the environment, marine life, biodiversity and visual impact. As a broad rule an offshore wind turbine will have a tip-height of between 165m and 215m tall. However, turbine technology is evolving at a rapid rate with larger more efficient turbines anticipated on the market in the coming years.

 

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme is designed to support the development of renewable energy projects in Ireland. Under the scheme wind farms and solar farms compete against each other in an auction with the projects which offer power at the lowest price awarded contracts. These contracts provide them with a guaranteed price for their power for 15 years. If they obtain a better price for their electricity on the wholesale market they must return the difference to the consumer.

Yes. The first auction for offshore renewable energy projects is expected to take place in late 2021.

Cost is one difference, and technology is another. Floating wind farm technology is relatively new, but allows use of deeper water. Ireland's 50-metre contour line is the limit for traditional bottom-fixed wind farms, and it is also very close to population centres, which makes visibility of large turbines an issue - hence the attraction of floating structures Do offshore wind farms pose a navigational hazard to shipping? Inshore fishermen do have valid concerns. One of the first steps in identifying a site as a potential location for an offshore wind farm is to identify and assess the level of existing marine activity in the area and this particularly includes shipping. The National Marine Planning Framework aims to create, for the first time, a plan to balance the various kinds of offshore activity with the protection of the Irish marine environment. This is expected to be published before the end of 2020, and will set out clearly where is suitable for offshore renewable energy development and where it is not - due, for example, to shipping movements and safe navigation.

YEnvironmental organisations are concerned about the impact of turbines on bird populations, particularly migrating birds. A Danish scientific study published in 2019 found evidence that larger birds were tending to avoid turbine blades, but said it didn't have sufficient evidence for smaller birds – and cautioned that the cumulative effect of farms could still have an impact on bird movements. A full environmental impact assessment has to be carried out before a developer can apply for planning permission to develop an offshore wind farm. This would include desk-based studies as well as extensive surveys of the population and movements of birds and marine mammals, as well as fish and seabed habitats. If a potential environmental impact is identified the developer must, as part of the planning application, show how the project will be designed in such a way as to avoid the impact or to mitigate against it.

A typical 500 MW offshore wind farm would require an operations and maintenance base which would be on the nearby coast. Such a project would generally create between 80-100 fulltime jobs, according to the IWEA. There would also be a substantial increase to in-direct employment and associated socio-economic benefit to the surrounding area where the operation and maintenance hub is located.

The recent Carbon Trust report for the IWEA, entitled Harnessing our potential, identified significant skills shortages for offshore wind in Ireland across the areas of engineering financial services and logistics. The IWEA says that as Ireland is a relatively new entrant to the offshore wind market, there are "opportunities to develop and implement strategies to address the skills shortages for delivering offshore wind and for Ireland to be a net exporter of human capital and skills to the highly competitive global offshore wind supply chain". Offshore wind requires a diverse workforce with jobs in both transferable (for example from the oil and gas sector) and specialist disciplines across apprenticeships and higher education. IWEA have a training network called the Green Tech Skillnet that facilitates training and networking opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

It is expected that developing the 3.5 GW of offshore wind energy identified in the Government's Climate Action Plan would create around 2,500 jobs in construction and development and around 700 permanent operations and maintenance jobs. The Programme for Government published in 2020 has an enhanced target of 5 GW of offshore wind which would create even more employment. The industry says that in the initial stages, the development of offshore wind energy would create employment in conducting environmental surveys, community engagement and development applications for planning. As a site moves to construction, people with backgrounds in various types of engineering, marine construction and marine transport would be recruited. Once the site is up and running , a project requires a team of turbine technicians, engineers and administrators to ensure the wind farm is fully and properly maintained, as well as crew for the crew transfer vessels transporting workers from shore to the turbines.

The IEA says that today's offshore wind market "doesn't even come close to tapping the full potential – with high-quality resources available in most major markets". It estimates that offshore wind has the potential to generate more than 420 000 Terawatt hours per year (TWh/yr) worldwide – as in more than 18 times the current global electricity demand. One Terawatt is 114 megawatts, and to put it in context, Scotland it has a population a little over 5 million and requires 25 TWh/yr of electrical energy.

Not as advanced as wind, with anchoring a big challenge – given that the most effective wave energy has to be in the most energetic locations, such as the Irish west coast. Britain, Ireland and Portugal are regarded as most advanced in developing wave energy technology. The prize is significant, the industry says, as there are forecasts that varying between 4000TWh/yr to 29500TWh/yr. Europe consumes around 3000TWh/year.

The industry has two main umbrella organisations – the Irish Wind Energy Association, which represents both onshore and offshore wind, and the Marine Renewables Industry Association, which focuses on all types of renewable in the marine environment.

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