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Portrush Lifeboat Announce New Raft Race Sponsor

26th February 2012
Portrush Lifeboat Announce New Raft Race Sponsor

#LIFEBOATS – Portrush Raft Race committee have announced their sponsor for the 2012 Charity Raft Race - 'Victoria Square' in Belfast.

The Raft Race is well established on the tourist calendar for the North Coast but this year it has the added attraction of dovetailing into the Olympic Flame arriving in Portrush coupled with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. This should make for a great weekend in Portrush.

Maryna Wylie Chair of Raft Race 2012 said

"This is a very exciting year for the Raft Race in terms of attracting a major sponsor like Victoria Square and we are delighted to have local Portrush man Hugh Black, the manager of Victoria Square on board, along with Alan Simpson from Radio Ulster, who brings his own style to the event. But to be the lead-in event for the Olympic Flame is a once in a lifetime occasion for our town."

Hugh and Alan met members of the Committee and the volunteer lifeboat crew after their exercise on Sunday to hand over a cheque of £5K sponsorship money.

Alan arrived in style, on his Stand Up Paddle (SUP), confident in the knowledge that the whole Volunteer Portrush Lifeboat Crew were on standby!

Alan commented

'I am delighted to be on board literally to compere the 2012 Charity Raft Race. It's like the wacky races on water and it's been part of my 'Portmagic' world for many a year!'

The Portrush Raft Race regularly attracts upwards of 70 rafts, and has raised approximately £500k for Portrush Lifeboat Station over the last 31 years. The Race is organised by a volunteer committee who start planning the next year's Raft Race immediately after the last one.

Maryna added

"The Committee of volunteers are dedicated to making this a fun and safe event for all the family to enjoy and we'd like to thank all those who turn out on the day to lend a hand. We are indebted to Coleraine Borough Council and the PSNI for their on-going support year in and year out.'

A new development for this year's Raft Race will be a Victoria Square Facebook competition which will set challenges for local celebrities who will be living on a specially constructed island in the middle of Victoria Square, Belfast from April 3rd-5th 2012. This will be known as the ' Square Desert Island' and will be built by a Portrush Construction Firm, Gemini Homes.

Hugh Black Manager of Victoria Square and sponsor said

"I want to bring the fun and craic of the raft race to the centre of Belfast and to raise awareness of the RNLI and the work of the volunteer crews. We have been lucky in attracting some celebrities to live on the island in the middle of Victoria Square and we haven't had to twist arms to get them to do it......well not yet anyway".

Watch this space for more details

The Victoria Square Charity Raft Race in aid of the RNLI takes place on Saturday 2nd June at the Harbour in Portrush. Application forms can be obtained by dialling the Raft Race Hotline -07969814605

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

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