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Displaying items by tag: Preserved Tug

#PreservedTUG - Brocklebank, a preserved Liverpool based tug which is still in sea-going condition is to visit Dun Laoghaire Harbour next Monday (8 July), writes Jehan Ashmore.

The tug is to make an afternoon arrival and subject to tides, the vessel will be open to the public while alongside the East Pier jetty from 14.30hrs.

Brocklebank last worked on the Mersey 25 years ago and from where she spent her entire career for Alexandra Towing Company. Fittingly the vessel stills sports the old operator's distinctive yellow, white and black band funnel colours.

In 1964 she was laid down as one of a trio of sisters (Langton and Egerton) ordered from W.J. Harwood & Sons of Great Yarmouth. In the following year she was launched by Lady Pamela Brocklebank.

During the 1960's and 1970'S she served as a ship-handling tug which involved assisting numerous cargo-ships, passenger ships and naval vessels to their berths. On occasions this involved working in Heysham, Larne and Barrow where the tug engaged with ship launches from the Cumbrian port.

The tug was acquired by the Liverpool Maritime Museum in 1989 and since then has been lovingly restored by a group of volunteers at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

She has visited many Irish Sea ports, transited Scotland's Caledonian Canal to reach England's North Sea ports as well France. In addition she is no stranger to Irish ports, having visited Belfast, Dublin, Arklow and Cork.

 

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