Displaying items by tag: Arrows into Sea

5th January 2022

Hook Lighthouse Dawn Arrow Ceremony Signals Start of Brighter Days Ahead

A centuries-old tradition took place on New Year’s Day at the 800-year-old Hook Lighthouse as the Dunbrody Archers took part in a traditional “arrow ceremony”, the ancient tradition which dates back to 1687.

On the coastal narrow road to Hook Lighthouse in Co. Wexford was lined with sea foam as cars arrived on New Year’s Day from 7.30 a.m. for a ceremony that dates back to 1687.

An outcrop of rock behind the 800-year-old Hook Lighthouse was the destination for the Dunbrody Archers, New Ross Municipal District officials and some curious onlookers, all braving the cold to witness a spectacular start to 2022.

The tradition dates from 1687 when the mayor and the corporation of New Ross Town Council claimed their authority over the waters by travelling to Hook and shooting an arrow into the sea from Hook Head Lighthouse.

The Mayor of New Ross, casting the arrow into the sea, symbolises the port of New Ross’s authority over the estuary of the Barrow and the Suir all the way down to Hook Head.

More from the New Ross Standard on the event from the south-east.

Published in Coastal Notes

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Esailing & Virtual Sailing information

The concept of e-sailing, or virtual sailing, is based on a computer game sailing challenge that has been around for more than a decade.

The research and development of software over this time means its popularity has taken off to the extent that it has now become a part of the sailing seascape and now allows people to take an 'active part' in some of the most famous regattas across the world such as the Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, Sydney Hobart, Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup and some Olympic venues too, all from the comfort of their armchair.

The most popular model is the 'eSailing World Championship'. It is an annual esports competition, first held in 2018 and officially recognised by World Sailing, the sports governing body.

The eSailing World Championship is a yearly competition for virtual sailors competing on the Virtual Regatta Inshore game.

The contract to run the event was given to a private company, Virtual Regatta that had amassed tens of thousands of sailors playing offshore sailing routing game following major offshore races in real-time.

In April 2020, the company says on its website that it has 35,000 active players and 500,000 regattas sailed.

Virtual Regatta started in 2010 as a small team of passionate designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs gathered around the idea that virtual sailing sports games can mix with real races and real skippers.