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Displaying items by tag: County Mayo

28th July 2009

Mayo Sailing Club

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Established in 1976 to promote sailing in Clew Bay and the West of Ireland, Mayo Sailing Club (MSC) has earned a solid reputation in both cruising and racing. There are currently more than 250 members taking part in various on- the-water activities during the season. Activities include a youth sail training programme, dinghy racing, cruising boat racing, and cruising. On the competitive racing front, members have taken part and performed at the top of class in open events along the west coast and beyond, including the Round Ireland Race and the World Student Yachting Championships. On the cruising front, many members actively cruise the challenging waters of the West coast, while more adventurous souls venture to Europe, across the Atlantic, around the world, and even to the remote regions of the Arctic and Antarctic. Training on these local waters of the wild Atlantic prepares intrepid MSC sailors to sail anywhere.

With a beautiful clubhouse that has stunning views on the shores of Westport Bay, MSC offers sheltered moorings, a pontoon laid on with water and electricity, a slipway and hardstand, boat shed for storing outboards and other equipment, a secure area for stowing dinghies, bar and social room open on race days, comfortable changing rooms with toilets and showers, as well as three rescue boats and one race committee boat. Located just 10 minutes from Westport town.

Since its establishment Mayo Sailing Club has earned a good reputation in both cruising and racing.

There are currently 250+ members, with 33 cruiser/racers, five adult dinghies and 25 junior dinghies all taking part in activities during the season.

From regular summer cruising along the west coast and its islands, to wilderness expeditions to the Antarctic and Artic, members have demonstrated their enthusiasm for sailing. On the racing front members have been to the fore in open events along the west coast arising from the very competitive club racing which has evolved at home at MSC

Activities

MSC moved to Rosmoney in 1983, and from 2008 can offer its members during the season (April to September, except for adult dinghies which starts in January):
– A beautiful new Clubhouse
– Junior sail training and racing each summer
– Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 cruiser racing Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons (Five Race Series)
– White Sail Fun Races
– Pursuit Races
– Introduction to sailing courses Tuesdays in May
–Flotilla cruise to Boffin August Bank Holiday, and various cruises and rallies during season,
– Annual club regatta August with Commodores Mid-Summer Ball [Black Tie]
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Club facilities at Rosmoney

– Comfortable changing rooms, toilets and showers
– Bar and social room
– Boat shed for storing outboards, etc. (strictly controlled)
– Club slipway and hard stand berthage
– Access to moorings
– Three rescue boats and one race committee boat
– A fleet of junior sailing dinghies for use on the very popular junior sailing courses include four Mirror sailing dinghies and two Optimist sailing dinghies

 

Contacts

Damien Cashin, Commodore – 087 245 0123 – [email protected]
Paul Murphy, Vice Commodore – 086 839 0581 – [email protected]
Donagh Waldron, Hon. Secretary – 087 2474811 – [email protected]
Mary Walsh, Hon. Treasurer – 086 837 1669 – [email protected]
Cathal Geoghan, Hon. Sailing Sec – 087 797 5627 – [email protected]
Peter Quigley, Junior Organiser – 087 638 9010 – [email protected]
Gerry Daly, Rear Commodore – 085 174 1942 – [email protected]
Paddy Alyward – 087 236 4833     
David Baird – 087 236 2124     
Boyd Gale – 086 226 3319     
Hugh O'Donnell – 086 069 6159     
Una Quigley – 087 245 2921     
Declan Ruddy – 087 272 6616     
James Fitzsimons – 087 230 4331     
John O’Brien – 087 241 5664     

(The above details and images courtesy of Mayo Sailing Club)

Mayo Sailing Club, Rosmoney, Co. Mayo

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Published in Clubs

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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