Displaying items by tag: Irish Seafood Festivals

7th July 2011

Sun, Sand and Sail at the Kilmore Quay Seafood Festival

The Kilmore Quay Seafood Festival starts this evening, now in its 42nd year, the four-day festival is surrounded by the culinary delights of locally caught fresh seafood, writes Jehan Ashmore.

In addition festival-goers can take part in the varied programme which caters for all age-groups. At 7.30pm tonight is the opening Grand Festival Parade featuring a 'Visitors From the Deep' float and Wexford's Community Samba Band 'Bloco de Fud Este'.

The festival will include a Seafood Platter Prize Competition, a children's creative art-workshop making 'Fish Kite-Windsocks', a Friday Fish Market with reduced prices and chefs cooking culinary dishes for sample-tastings and a Beach Band Barbecue.

On both the Saturday and Sunday there is the Tuskar Marine Modellors with their model boats and ships exhibition held in the Stella Maris Centre
and the Quay Times exhibition. Also throughout the weekend the Festival Arts Exhibition will be open in the RNLI Lifeboat House, noting Kilmore Quay is the first Irish lifeboat station to have the new Tamar-class lifeboat, the RNLB Killarney which can be viewed at its moorings.

On Saturday starting at 2.30pm is the "The Celtic Link Challenge" - Yacht Race when boats leave the marina at 3pm and return two hours later. The winners trophy will be presented in the Bird Rock Cafe at 6pm. If adverse weather conditions prevail the race will be re-scheduled for 2.30pm on the Sunday - weather permitting! For more information contact 086 2576862 and www.kilmorequayboatclub.com

To view the complete list of the festival programme, noting certain events and activities require an admission charge click HERE

Published in Maritime Festivals

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Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro.

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race.

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind.

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

It starts in June or July from a French port.
The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
Since 1990, all boats are of one design.