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Displaying items by tag: Investors Port Upgrade

#RosslarePort - The Wexford People writes that up to €40 million is sought from investors to commit in a major upgrade of Rosslare Europort that will equip it to handle the ships of the future.

Iarnród Éireann, the Port Authority for Rosslare Europort, announced to port staff last week that it is to undertake an assessment of market interest in a concession with a third party to operate the Port.

The assessment follows a study by Indecon Consultants for the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport which examined strategic options for the future of the Europort, to maximise its potential and address future investment requirements.

The report recommended that the Europort remain in the ownership of Iarnród Éireann, but with a long term concession with a third party.

Iarnród Éireann briefed all 73 employees at the port and will now commence the process of consulting with the market to assess interest and evaluate opportunities from a concession structure, which would be commonplace in ports in the EU and beyond.

Rosslare Europort is Ireland's second busiest in terms of ship visits and unitised freight, and is designated as one of only five ports of national significance in the National Ports Policy.

The Port has recorded growth of four per cent in freight units in 2015 to date, on top of a two per cent growth in 2014.

For more on this story, click here.

Published in Rosslare Europort

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.