The first grand cruise liner, the 109,000 tonne, 290 metre "Grand Princess" with almost 4,000 passengers and crew sailed into Dublin Port at 8am this morning. The ship is the epitome of luxury with a magnificent array of facilities that include swimming pools, whirlpool spas, restaurants, bars and cinemas.

Grand Princess is the first of the grand cruise liners that will form part of the 85 cruise visits that Dublin Port Company has secured for Dublin following its marketing efforts to attract this valuable business. The arrival of these ships will generate a major boost to the city of up to €50 million for the local economy, as the liners will carry almost 130,000 high-spend passengers to the capital this year along with significant numbers of crew who can experience the city during their shore leave.

The Grand Princess is 290 metres long, the equivalent in length of three football pitches and carries almost 3,000 high spend passengers and over 1,000 crew members. The $450 million vessel offers the latest in cruise luxury with over 710 staterooms, on-board shopping mall, cinema, a range of restaurant facilities, casino, swimming pools and even a nine hole golf putting course.

The cruise sector has become a hugely important part of the city's tourism product since Dublin Port Company first targeted this trade in the mid 1990s. It is estimated that cruise liners have contributed over €350 million to the city in the last decade alone so Dublin Port Company is pleased to have played its role in attracting this business for the city.

Mr. Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company said, "Dublin is a great city and a really fantastic destination for visitors. Having the port so close to the centre of Dublin makes it an attractive destination for cruise liner operators who can bring their passengers right to the heart Dublin allowing them to get to its visitor attractions as quickly as possible. We're delighted that Dublin Port Company can play such a major role in bringing this very valuable trade to Dublin."

Ms. Gina Quin, Chief Executive, Dublin Chamber of Commerce said; "The cruise industry has emerged as a significant contributor to the capital's tourism business. Dublin Port Company's ongoing work in attracting the cruise liners to the city provides a welcome boost of up to €50 million annually to Dublin's retailers and other businesses in the city. The 130,000 passengers and crew will no doubt experience the legendary Irish welcome as they visit the city's fabulous tourist attractions as well as the capital's bars and restaurants."

Two mussel dredger-trawlers made a rare transit of Dalkey Sound, last Friday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The sound which is located to the south of Dublin Bay is not used by commercial traffic but is frequented by pleasure-craft, local fishing boats from Dun Laoghaire. In addition to occasional traffic by the Irish Naval Service, Marine Institute research vessel RV Celtic Voyager, the GSI's RV Keary and foreign tall-ships.

The vessels were making a southerly direction as they headed across Dublin Bay towards Dalkey Island. Mytilus lowered a mussel cage bucket into the sound which was dragged on two separate occasions over a short distance running parallel between the island and the coast.

The operation was all too brief as the Mytilus then proceeded into Killiney Bay followed closely astern by Branding. Upon entering the neighbouring bay, both vessels conducted dredging activity before continuing south beyond Bray Head.

Mussel grounds are located throughout certain hotspots in the Irish Sea and earlier this month, it is reported that there was a notable increase in mussel dredgers in Bangor, Northern Ireland. The dredgers were the Mytilus and Branding which berthed at the Co. Down harbour after a lengthy period of relative inactivity.

Mytilus was built in The Netherlands by Scheepwerf Van Os Yerseke B.V. and appeared in an episode of the successful BBC TV series 'Coast'. At the time of the broadcast she was registered at Beaumaris, Anglesey and was seen working in the northern approaches of the Menai Straits. The fishery grounds are ideally suited for the growing processes required in farmed mussel production.

Branding was also built by a Dutch shipyard, Kooieman in 1988 and her design is typical of the mussel dredgers based in Wexford. The market for mussels is mainly from the northern European countries of Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

The SB3s have given a thumbs up to the introdution of the new Thursday night Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) courses and who wouldn't with such a thrilling downwind leg last week? 'So many marks, loads of decisions and loads of mistakes.What fun' is the verdict of Dublin Bay class captain Justin Burke.

The class has regular turnouts of between 9 and 12 boats for the regular one hour evening race. Last Thursday featured a race with gusts up to 25 knots.

It is probably why Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta has had such an enthusiastic reception from the sportsboat class. 28 SB3s are entered already and the view is there could be as many as 40, a number big enough for the class to host a pre-regatta reception on July 7th.

So far there has not been the same take up for next weekend's Royal Alfred YC Baily Bowl but Burke remains hopeful the class will enbrace the long standing fixture. The enthusiastic captain is also putting Howth Yacht Club's Lambay Race on 11th. June out as another option.

Although the next big Irish fixture is the southern championships at Tralee Bay Sailing Club in Fenit, Co. Kerry on June 4th and 5th there will be interest in the Irish team results at this weeks's World championships in Torbay in the UK. There are 11 Irish entries in this week's 119-boat championship fleet.

Grainne and Sean O'Shea's Gung Ho from the Royal Irish Yacht Club repeated last Saturday's Cruisers III success with another win in blustery conditions on the Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) course this afternoon writes our Dublin Bay Correspondent.

The Superseal 26–foot design topped the Club's biggest class of 35 sailing cruisers for the second Saturday on the trot, this time in west north west winds gusting to 25 knots.

The O'Shea's beat the DMYC Sonata Asterix (Counihan/Meredith/Bushell) and John Barnard's Hydro 28 Hyflyer for first place on IRC Handicap. The results were repeated on the local ECHO handicap too.

In Cruisers one,  Colin Byrne's top performing X-34 Xtravagance, also from the Royal Irish, emreged as a winner. Second was John Hall's J109 Something Else.

The north westerly wind direction gave the combined 200-boat fleet the greatest use of the capital's waters for some great racing in 15 knot but very gusty conditions.

Courses were set across 40 square miles, extending from Salthill and Seapoint on the western side of Bay to the Burford Bank on the east.

Keelboats reached right along the southern shore across Dun Laoghaire harbour mouth and Scotsman's Bay down to Dalkey island.

The Royal Alfred's Baily Bowl competition for the J109s, 31.7.s' and Sigma 33 was race for this morning over two windward leeward courses and followed by the DBSC class race. All three races counted for the Baily Bowl.

In the one designs the Royal St. George's Diane ll (Bruce Carswell) handled the spinnaker leg well in the Ruffian 23 fleet to win from David Meeke's Alias. Third was former Flying fifteen sailor Lorcan Balfe sailing Cresendo.

In the Shipman class the Royal St. George's Christine Heath was the winner from the National Yacht Club's Curraglass (John Masterson).

Full DUBLIN PORT Dublin Bay Sailing Club Results for 14 MAY 2011 are below:

BENETEAU 31.7 Echo- 1. Kernach (Eoin O'Driscoll), 2. Bluefin Two (M & B Bryson), 3. Violet Flame (B.Murphy/L.Osbourne)

BENETEAU 31.7 - 1. Prospect (Chris Johnston), 2. Magic (D.O'Sullivan/D.Espey), 3. Bluefin Two (M & B Bryson)

CRUISERS 1 Echo - 1. Contango (Barry Cunningham), 2. Xtravagance (Colin Byrne), 3. Gringo (Tony Fox)

CRUISERS 1 - 1. Xtravagance (Colin Byrne), 2. Something Else (J.Hall et al)

CRUISERS 2 Echo - 1. Jester (Declan Curtin), 2. Smile (O'Connell/Healy/O'Sullivan), 3. Dick Dastardly (B.Cusack et al)

CRUISERS 2 - 1. Jester (Declan Curtin), 2. Dick Dastardly (B.Cusack et al), 3. Smile (O'Connell/Healy/O'Sullivan)

CRUISERS 3 Echo - 1. Gung Ho (G & S O'Shea), 2. Asterix (Counihan/Meredith/Bushell), 3. Hyflyer (John Barnard)

CRUISERS 3 - 1. Gung Ho (G & S O'Shea), 2. Asterix (Counihan/Meredith/Bushell), 3. Hyflyer (John Barnard)

DRAGON - 1. Phantom (D.Williams/P.Bowring), 2. Aphrodite (Michael Doorly et al)

FLYING FIFTEEN - 1. Deranged (C.Doorly), 2. Frequent Flyer (D Mulvin), 3. Snow White (Frank Burgess)

GLEN - 1. Glenshesk (L.Faulkner et al), 2. Glencorel (B.Waldock/K.Malcolm), 3. Glendun (B.Denham et al)

RUFFIAN 23 - 1. Diane ll (Bruce Carswell), 2. Alias (D.Meeke/M.McCarthy), 3. Cresendo (L Balfe)

SHIPMAN - 1. Gusto (C Heath), 2. Curraglas (John Masterson), 3. Malindi (B.Smith/A.Gray)

SIGMA 33 - 1. White Mischief (Timothy Goodbody), 2. Rupert (R.Lovegrove/P.Varian), 3. Elandra (R.Hance et al)

SQUIB - 1. Femme Fatale (Joe O'Byrne), 2. Little Demon (Marie Dee)

WHITE SAIL CRUISERS Echo - 1. Calypso (Howard Knott), 2. The Great Escape (P & D Rigney), 3. Arwen (Philip O'Dwyer)

WHITE SAIL CRUISERS - 1. Calypso (Howard Knott), 2. Arwen (Philip O'Dwyer), 3. Windshift (R O'Flynn et al)

Deadlines for entry in to a number of this season's key sailing regattas are looming. Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's significantly reduced early bird entry rate for the July 7th event will end on Monday and offshore racers intending to race in June 11th's 320-mile Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race must enter by next Friday 20th. The ICRA Cruiser Championships in Crosshaven takes place from the 17th to 19th June, a fixture that suits those boats intending to compete in the Dingle race. Race details can be downloaded below.

Barry Cunningham's well sailed Corby 33 Contango excelled on a long spinnaker run on Dublin Bay tonight to produce a fine win in class one IRC.

With 15 knots from the west gusting up to 25, rarely are conditions more perfect for a Thursday night yacht race than those that greeted the large Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) fleet tonight.

The fleet responded in force with great turnouts in many of the 17 classes.

Second in class one was the offshore racer, the J109 Jedi (Sarratt/Austin/McGuinness) and third was another J109, John Maybury's Joker.

There are no results issued for class zero and in class two the elderly half tonner Dick Dastardly (Brian Cusack) beat the relatively new J80 Jester (Declan Curtin) on IRC handicap.

Race officers set long courses both in the northern race area and south eastern bay area from the Mac Lir and Spirit of Irish Committee Boats respectively.

Cruiser classes got either 'N1' or 'N2' courses - westerly race track configurations that featured no less than six turning marks giving the cruisers long reaching legs in the excellent conditions and plenty of boat handling practise.

On the one design course the 'sight of the night' was the blistering speed of the SB3s who reached across Scotsman's bay from harbour mark to Dalkey island mark. Andrew Algeo's Flutter set an impressive pace (16 knots plus?) drawing out a lead of 20 boat lengths or more from 2010 overall winner Sin bin (Barry O'Neill). Alas not all the SB3s managed the tricky reach so well. White Noise in particular taking several minutes to recover from a serious broach at the tail end of the 12 boat fleet.

There was a great turnout in the Flying fifteens with Frank Burgess taking another win in the 12 boat fleet. Glassilaun (D O'Neill) won the Squibs but it was disappointing that only three of the nine boats flew kites.

Few of the many shoreline spectators would have noticed though such was the volume of boats filling Scotsmans bay at 8pm tonight.

Full results below:

DUBLIN PORT Dublin Bay Sailing Club Results for 12 MAY 2011

BENETEAU 31.7 ECHO- 1. Prospect (Chris Johnston), 2. Prima Nocte (Patrick Burke), 3. Magic (D.O'Sullivan/D.Espey)

BENETEAU 31.7 - 1. Prospect (Chris Johnston), 2. Prima Nocte (Patrick Burke), 3. Bluefin Two (M & B Bryson)

CRUISERS 1 - 1. Contango (Barry Cunningham), 2. Jedi (Sarratt/Austin/McGuinness), 3. Xtravagance (Colin Byrne)

CRUISERS 1 ECHO - 1. Contango (Barry Cunningham), 2. Jedi (Sarratt/Austin/McGuinness), 3. Joker 11 (John Maybury)

CRUISERS 2 ECHO - 1. Dick Dastardly (B.Cusack et al), 2. Jester (Declan Curtin), 3. Cor Baby (Keith Kiernan et al)

CRUISERS 2 - 1. Dick Dastardly (B.Cusack et al), 2. Jawesome 11 (V.Kennedy/M.Dyke), 3. Peridot (Jim McCann et al)

CRUISERS 3 - 1. Asterix (Counihan/Meredith/Bushell), 2. Janx Spirit (T McGrath), 3. Papytoo (M.Walsh/F.Guilfoyle)

CRUISERS 3 ECHO - 1. Small Wonder (Hugh Kelly), 2. Taiscealai (Brian Richardson et al), 3. Papytoo (M.Walsh/F.Guilfoyle)

DRAGON - 1. Diva (R.Johnson/R.Goodbody), 2. Phantom (D.Williams/P.Bowring), 3. Zu (P.Dee et al)

FLYING FIFTEEN - 1. Snow White (Frank Burgess), 2. Mellifluence (Tom Leonard), 3. Fflogger (Alan Dooley)

GLEN - 1. Glenmarissa (F.Elmes/W.Higgins), 2. Glenshane (P Hogan), 3. Glendun (B.Denham et al)

RUFFIAN 23 - 1. Ruff N Ready (Ann Kirwan et al), 2. Carmen (Michael Hinkson et al), 3. Shannagh (S.Gill/P.MacDiarmada)

SB3s - 1. Flutter (Andrew Algeo), 2. Sin Bin (Barry O'Neill), 3. Defiant (R.Hudson/J.Hooper)

SHIPMAN - 1. Jo Slim (J.Clarke et al), 2. Euphanzel lll (Louis McSherry et al), 3. Gusto (C Heath)

SIGMA 33 - 1. White Mischief (Timothy Goodbody), 2. Rupert (R.Lovegrove/P.Varian), 3. Gwili Two (D.Clarke/P.Maguire)

SQUIB - 1. Glassilaun (D O'Neill), 2. Pintail (M Muldoon & B Stevens), 3. Lola (Frank Whelan)

WHITE SAIL CRUISERS ECHO - 1. Act Two (Michael O'Leary et al), 2. Calypso (Howard Knott), 3. Edenpark (Liam Farmer)

WHITE SAIL CRUISERS - 1. Act Two (Michael O'Leary et al), 2. Calypso (Howard Knott), 3. Arwen (Philip O'Dwyer)

Elaine 'Shooter' Alexander's epic challenge to become the first woman from Northern Ireland to circumnavigate Ireland by kayak is approaching Dublin's coastline.

The challenge will involve a solo voyage of 1000 miles battling tides, headlands, cliffs, not to mention unpredictable weather.

Elaine is just one week into her challenge having taken on a constant barrage of strong head winds en route to Dublin. She is currently just north of Drogheda and weather pending hopes to be in North Dublin (Skerries, Howth) tomorrow, passing Dublin Bay Friday, and South Dublin (Bray and Greystones) Saturday.

She is camping on route and would really appreciate somewhere to shower, store her boat etc close to the sea. You can see exactly where she is by scrolling down this post.

 

Jay Bourke's Etchell, Northside Dragon was the winner of tonight's Howth Yacht Club scratch race for the keelboat class. Second was Fetching, Quinn/O'Flaherty and third Simon Knowles' Jabberwocky. In the SB3s Gareth May's Investwise was first, Shane Murphy's Dinghy Supplies sceond and third was Shockwave (E.Quinlan).

HOWTH YACHT CLUB.  TUE + SAT  SERIES 1  10/05/2011   17 Footer  SCRATCH:  1, Deilginis Deilginis Group;  2, Leila R Cooper;  3, Isobel B & C Turvey  TUESDAY SERIES 1   Puppeteer  SCRATCH:  1, Gold Dust Walls/Browne;  2, Mojo Stanley/Callen;  3, Enigma D Butler;  Puppeteer  HPH: 1, Gold Dust Walls/Browne;  2, Flycatcher D Wright;  3, Enigma D Butler; Squib  SCRATCH:  1, Shadowfax P Merry;  2, Puffin E Harte;  3, Wasabi C & N Penlerick;  Squib  HPH:  1, Pegasus Smyth+Friends;  2, Shadowfax P Merry;  3, Puffin E Harte;  Etchells  SCRATCH:  1, Northside Dragon J Bourke;  2, Fetching Quinn/O"Flaherty;  3, Jabberwocky S Knowles;  SB3  SCRATCH:  1, Investwise G May;  2, Dinghy Supplies S Murphy;  3, Shockwave E Quinlan

The National Yacht Club Trapper 300, Grasshopper II, (Kevin and John Glynn) – one of two Trapper's racing on Dublin Bay this year – made light work of the scratch First 28 Chouskikou (R.Sheehan/R.Hickey) and the Sonata 28 Asterix (Counihan/Meredith/Bushell) to be first home tonight in Dublin Bay Sailing Club's (DBSC) Class Three Tuesday race. The breeze on Dublin Bay was 8-10 knots from the west and this – combined with an ebb tide – produced flat seas, a contrast to the comparatively big waves of the past two weeks.

On the dinghy course in Scotsman's bay Frank Miller's Fireball Blind Squirrel was first home from Marguerite O'Rourke's Samphire. Third was Neil Colin's Elevation, tonight's race being the first since the Leinster championships on Carlingford lough at the weekend. Full results for DUBLIN PORT Dublin Bay Sailing Club Results for 10 MAY 2011 below:

CRUISERS 2 - 1. Cor Baby (Keith Kiernan et al), 2. Free Spirit (John O'Reilly)

CRUISERS 3 - 1. Grasshopper 2 (K & J Glynn), 2. Chouskikou (R.Sheehan/R.Hickey), 3. Asterix (Counihan/Meredith/Bushell)

FIREBALL - 1. Blind Squirrel (Frank Miller), 2. Samphire (Marguerite O'Rourke), 3. Elevation (N.Colin/M.Casey)

GLEN - 1. Glenshane (P Hogan), 2. Glencorel (B.Waldock/K.Malcolm)

IDRA 14 FOOT - 1. Dunmoanin (Frank Hamilton), 2. Doody (J.Fitzgerald/J.Byrne), 3. Squalls (Stephen Harrison)

MERMAID - 1. Kim (D Cassidy), 2. Sallywake (Tony O'Rourke)

PY CLASS - 1. E Ryan (RS400), 2. F.Heath (Laser 1)

RUFFIAN 23 - 1. Alias (D.Meeke/M.McCarthy), 2. Diane ll (Bruce Carswell), 3. Different Drummer (Catherine Hallinan)

Click for the latest Dublin Bay Sailing Club news and results

The French mega-yacht cruiseship Le Boréal docked at Dublin Port this morning on for her first visit to an Irish port, having sailed from Caen, writes Jehan Ashmore.

At 142m long she was built by the Italian Fincantieri shipyard and can take 264 guests in 132 luxury cabins and in public spaces the interior has a distinctly French flair from the hand of designer Jean-Philippe Nuel. She is flagged in the Wallis Futuna Islands in the Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific.

The vessel has a cruising speed of 16 knots and a crew of 139 look after her guests throughout six decks. On the top deck named Le Paris Deck an open-air bar is located aft and forward is a sun deck area. Below on Le France Deck there is a swimming pool, grill restaurant, internet station, library panoramic lounge and an adjoining open-decked forward facing terrace sited above the bridge.

On the Le Normandie DecK there is a fitness beauty corner, a massage, hair salon, leisure area and an image & photo desk in partnership with Philippe Plisson, synonymous for his dramatic scenes of Breton lighthouses. The photographer is based in La Trinité sur Mer for more click here.

The next deck is the Le Lafayette Deck which is predominately occupied by 35 Prestige staterooms each featuring private balconies and located aft is the theatre. Going down another deck is the Le Champollian Deck where there is the main lounge, shop, reception desk, excursion desk and a medical center. Finally we reach Le Liberté Deck where guests can dine at the gastronomic restaurant, the Marina.

Twenty three years ago Compagnie du Ponant was founded by her owners the CMA CGM Group, the world's third largest container shipping group. The cruise company is an integral part of French maritime heritage and owes its origins to the renowned Compagnie Générale Transatlantique French Line.