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Displaying items by tag: AntiSubmarine Frigate

#navalvisits - A French Navy frigate docked in Cork city at the weekend having sailed from Cherbourg, Normandy though the ship is based at Brest Naval Base in neighbouring Brittany, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 1,250 tonnes full displacement Commandant L'Herminier (F 791) according to the Port of Cork website remains berthed this morning at the city-centre’s South Quays. A crew compliment totalling almost 90 personnel consists of 7 senior officer ranks, 58 secondary officer mariners and 24 cadets.

Commandant L'Herminier is an Aviso type A69 / d'Estienne d'Orves ship that was commissioned into the French Navy having made a debut more than three decades in 1986. The 80m long class vessel designed for anti-submarine duties also carries out high sea escort missions and various other tasks.

Among the principle weaponary of the class are Exocet sea missiles and the ability to launch torpedoes. In addition equipment such as a drone that form part of a suite of surveillance operations.

A maximum 15 day duration period is available when operating in an autonomous mode. The ship's service speed is 24 knots.

Published in Naval Visits

#FrenchFrigate - Dublin Port is to welcome La Motte-Picquet (D645) a French Navy frigate capable of 30 knots and a crew of more than 230 when she visits the capital next weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Displaceming 4,010 tonnes the anti-submarine Type F70 frigate of the Georges Leygues class is to berth at Ocean Pier during her four-day call.

The 139m long frigate completed in 1985 at the Brest Naval Dockyard, has a comprehensive armament in addition to carrying 2x Lynx Mk 4 helicopters.

 

Published in Naval Visits

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

© Afloat 2020