Displaying items by tag: Port of Ayr

22nd January 2019

Scottish South-West Port of Ayr Invests £2.2m In New Agri-Bulk Terminal

Among the short-sea traders docked in the Port of Ayr (foreground on right) AFLOAT adds is Ayress, operated by Coast Lines Shipping of Midleton, Co. Cork. On the quayside is round timber (logs) a typical cargo of the 1,713grt ship.

#ports - The Scottish south-west Port of Ayr, operated by Associated British Ports (ABP) has announced a £2.2m investment in a new state-of-the-art warehouse which will improve its customer offering.

Work on the new 4,000 sqm agribulk terminal according to ABP began in 2018 to support the region's growing agricultural sector. The new facility will be located on the west side of Griffin Dock at the port.

Commenting on the latest investment news, Andrew Harston, ABP Short Sea Ports Director, said: “We are proud to announce another major investment in our Scottish ports to ensure that we can continue to offer our customers the best infrastructure available to help their businesses grow.

“As the UK's leading company in our sector, we are committed to an extensive investment plan focusing on the Ports of Ayr and Troon and we would actively encourage Scottish businesses in need of first class port facilities in the West of Scotland to come and talk to us.”

The contract for building the warehouse has been awarded to a Scottish family-owned company, 3b construction, in line with ABP’s “buy local” strategy, which aims to support local businesses.

Stuart Cresswell, ABP’s Port Manager at Ayr and Troon, said: “Following other recent investments in warehousing, cranes and a new pilot boat, the development of another major agribulk terminal in Ayr is a huge vote of confidence in both our Scottish Ports and our local workforce.

“I strongly believe that the facilities we are developing at Ayr and Troon offer a beacon of hope for the many Scottish voices calling for a renaissance of maritime-related industry and shipping on the Clyde.”

Published in Ports & Shipping

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The Kingstown to Queenstown Yacht Race or 'K2Q', previously the Fastnet 450

The Organising Authority ("OA") are ISORA & SCORA in association with The National Yacht Club & The Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Kingstown to Queenstown Race (K2Q Race) is a 260-mile offshore race that will start in Dun Laoghaire (formerly Kingstown), around the famous Fastnet Rock and finish in Cork Harbour at Cobh (formerly Queenstown).

The K2Q race follows from the successful inaugural 'Fastnet 450 Race' that ran in 2020 when Ireland was in the middle of the COVID Pandemic. It was run by the National Yacht Club, and the Royal cork Yacht Club were both celebrating significant anniversaries. The clubs combined forces to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Yacht Club and the 300th (Tricentenary) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Of course, this race has some deeper roots. In 1860 the first-ever ocean yacht race on Irish Waters was held from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) to Queenstown (now Cobh).

It is reported that the winner of the race was paid a prize of £15 at the time, and all competing boats got a bursary of 10/6 each. The first race winner was a Schooner Kingfisher owned by Cooper Penrose Esq. The race was held on July 14th 1860, and had sixteen boats racing.

In 2022, the winning boat will be awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a Trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world.

The 2022 race will differ from the original course because it will be via the Fastnet Rock, so it is a c. 260m race, a race distance approved by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club as an AZAB qualifier.

A link to an Afloat article written by WM Nixon for some history on this original race is here.

The aim is to develop the race similarly to the Dun Laoghaire–Dingle Race that runs in alternate years.

Fastnet 450 in 2020

The South Coast of Ireland Racing Association, in association with the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay and the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork, staged the first edition of this race from Dun Laoghaire to Cork Harbour via the Fastnet Rock on August 22nd 2020.

The IRC race started in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, August 22nd 2020. It passed the Muglin, Tuscar, Conningbeg and Fastnet Lighthouses to Starboard before returning to Cork Harbour and passing the Cork Buoy to Port, finishing when Roches's Point bears due East. The course was specifically designed to be of sufficient length to qualify skippers and crew for the RORC Fastnet Race 2021.