Displaying items by tag: 24mR

2nd July 2023

Britain's Megan Pascoe Tops Irish 2.4mR Championships at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

With four straight wins, Britain's Megan Pascoe won Sunday's Irish 2.4mR Championships 2023 held in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

As Afloat reported previously, Saturday's first day of racing in the one-person keelboat event was lost to strong winds.

The National Yacht Club hosted championships attracted sailors from the UK and Netherlands, including the previous world champion Pascoe.

Second overall at the Irish 2.4mR Championships 2023 held in Dun Laoghaire Harbour was Steve Bullmore from Spinnaker SC (GBR 1039) Photo: Afloat

British sailors also took second and third overall, with Steve Bullmore from Spinnaker Sailing Club winning silver and John Patrick from Blue Circle Cruising & SC taking bronze in the 13-boat fleet.

Sneek sailed by Dutch sailor Pieter Visser (NED 59), competing at the Irish 2.4mR Championships 2023 held in Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Afloat

Results below

Published in National YC

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1st July 2023

First Races of the Irish National 2.4mR Championships are Cancelled Due to Strong Winds

The first day of racing at the Irish National 2.4mR one-person keelboat Championships at Dun Laoghaire Harbour has been cancelled today due to strong winds.

The championships have attracted sailors from the UK and Netherlands, including the previous world champion Megan Pascoe.

"Sailing today has been cancelled due to the high westerly winds, so we are really looking forward to getting out racing tomorrow," regatta organiser Maureen Prendergast told Afloat.

Published in Dun Laoghaire Harbour News

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24mR

29th November 2022

Belfast Lough Sailability Celebrates Successful President’s Cup This Autumn

Belfast Lough Sailability has had a lot to celebrate in recent months with sailors taking part in the 2022 President’s Cup, Hansa Irish Championships and 2.4mR Irish Nationals.

In August, Belfast Lough Sailability hosted the 2022 President’s Cup which incorporated the Hansa Irish Championships and 2.4mR Irish Nationals. The event was organised in partnership with Carrickfergus Sailing Club, with significant planning, sponsorship and organisation required.

The President’s Cup is the only event of its kind where people with disabilities and able-bodied sailors sail together in competition and the helm of each boat must have a disability.

The event has representation from the four provinces across Ireland. Team Ulster consisted of competitors from Belfast Lough Sailability, Foyle Sailability and Lough Erne Sailability.

With favourable weather conditions, the 47 competitors across 25 boats were able to showcase their skills gained through training and delivered a colourful and eventful spectacle for supporters and spectators.

Boats at Carrickfergus Sailing Club which co-hosted the 2022 President’s Cup with Belfast Lough Sailability

Racing was competitive, with Team Ulster successfully retaining the 2022 President’s Cup. The region also hailed success in the Hansa Irish Championships, with Sophie McClenaghan of Belfast Lough Sailability taking the Best Girl Helm (U18) trophy and Willie J Thompson (also Belfast Lough Sailability) the boys’ equivalent. Meanwhile, Belfast Lough’s John Patrick took first place in the 2.4mR Irish Nationals.

David Todd, chair of Belfast Lough Sailability said: “Sailing is an activity that is enjoyed by a variety of people but is not readily accessible to most of the community and certainly not to those members of the community with disabilities.

“Belfast Lough Sailability, based at Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, offers access to the sea to those in the community who would not normally have that opportunity and promotes equality of opportunity by providing education and training to people with disabilities in a safe and enjoyable environment.”

The spokesperson added: “This was a very successful event but it’s not all about winning. The benefits of having the opportunity to participate in an event representing your province or in a national event are far reaching for each participating individual. Competitors — both helms and crew — will benefit from increasing their skills through training and education to sail competitively. This includes significant positive impact on each individual’s confidence and self-esteem.

“They will aspire to represent their club, county, province and country at other levels of competition. They will also inspire others with disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in the healthy sport of sailing; and to undergo training and education to increase their skills.”

Published in Belfast Lough

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13th September 2021

2.4mR Irish Champions are Crowned at the National Yacht Club

John Patrick (left) from Belfast Sailability was the winner of the 2.4mR National Championships held at the National Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the weekend.

A small fleet of five competitors (from a total fleet of eight boats in the country) raced for both Open and Para titles.

The National's Ed Totterdell was the Race Officer with four races sailed on Saturday and two on Sunday, all inside the harbour.

The open event was won by John Patrick from Belfast Sailability with Patrick Hassett in second and Oisin Putt in third place both from NYC.

The Para event was won by Patrick with Oisin second.

John Patrick (right) from Belfast Sailability was the winner of the Open Division of the 2.4mR Nationals held at Dun Laoghaire Harbour and receives his prize from National Yacht Club Commodore Conor O’Regan

Patrick Hassett (right) is congratulated by National Yacht Club Commodore Conor O’Regan for his overall win of the 2.4mR Nationals (Para division) at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Published in National YC

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22nd September 2019

British Sailors Dominate International 2.4mR Open Championships at Kinsale

Katherine Hedley leads Adam Billany followed by John Patrick in Race one of the International 2.4mR Open Championships at Kinsale Scroll down for photo gallery

Ireland was outclassed as British boats took the podium places at the International 2.4mR one-person keelboat Irish Open Championships at Kinsale Yacht Club today.

Megan Pascoe, a past World and European champion in the class, dominated the four-race event with four straight wins and was followed by Katherine Hedley with four seconds. Brian Harding was third. The top Irish sailor was John Patrick in sixth place overall.

Five UK visitors travelled to Kinsale for the championships.

With Saturday's racing washed out as Afloat reported here, the pressure was on to complete all racing today in the ten-boat fleet.

It is the first time the event was held on the south coast with last year's championships held on Carlingford Lough.

Sunday dawned with a flat calm but racing soon got underway with London 2012 Olympic Race Officer Jack Roy in charge.

Races were each of 40 minutes duration in the 10-knot winds from the northwest.

At the first start, the wind took a big shift moving from NW more into the north and so Roy abandoned that start to allow the course be moved.

Results are here.

The boat is primarily used for racing and the class holds highly competitive national events in many countries. In some countries, it features mainly as a class for sailors with a disability.

The 2.4mR is ideal for adapted sailing since the sailor does not move in the boat, and everything is adjustable from right in front of the sailor. Both hand-steering and foot-steering are possible.

Scroll down for photo gallery by Bob Bateman

2.4mR Kinsale2 Top Irish sailor John Patrick against the backdrop of Charles Fort

2.4mR Kinsale2 Adam Billany

2.4mR Kinsale2 Katherine HadleySunlight and shadows

2.4mR Kinsale2 Adam Billany

2.4mR Kinsale2 Katherine Hadley

2.4mR Kinsale2 Adam Billany

2.4mR Kinsale2 Georgina Griffin

2.4mR Kinsale2 Patrick Hassett

2.4mR Kinsale2

2.4mR Kinsale2 Winner Megan Pascoe

2.4mR Kinsale2 Brian Harding and Adam Billamy

2.4mR Kinsale2 Gina Griffin

2.4mR Kinsale2

2.4mR Kinsale2 A group of GBR visitors with Donal Hickey

2.4mR Kinsale2 Sailability Leader in Kinsale Donal HickeyThe Race team Jack and Rosemary Roy, Commodore David O’Sullivan and Mel McIlwaite

Published in Kinsale

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About The Middle Sea Race

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney–Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a 'must do' race. The Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club co-founded the race in 1968 and 2007 was the 28th Edition. Save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been run annually attracting 25–30 yachts. In recent years, the number of entries has rissen sharply to 68 boats thanks to a new Organising Committee who managed to bring Rolex on board as title sponsor for the Middle Sea Race.

The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as "the most beautiful race course in the world".

Apart from Turner, famous competitors have included Eric Tabarly, Cino Ricci, Herbert von Karajan, Jim Dolan, Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Francis Chichester (fresh from his round the world adventure). High profile boats from the world's top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record – competing yachts include the extreme Open 60s, Riviera di Rimini and Shining; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV and Sagamore; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer and the DK46, Fidessa Fastwave.

In 2006, Mike Sanderson and Seb Josse on board ABN Amro, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, the super Maxis; Alfa Romeo and Maximus and the 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner, Hasso Platner on board his MaxZ86, Morning Glory.

George David on board Rambler (ex-Alfa Romeo) managed a new course record in 2007 and in 2008, Thierry Bouchard on Spirit of Ad Hoc won the Rolex Middle Sea Race on board a Beneteau 40.7

The largest number of entries was 78 established in 2008.

Middle Sea Race History

IN THE BEGINNING

The Middle Sea Race was conceived as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Paul and John Ripard and an Englishman residing in Malta called Jimmy White, all members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. In the early fifties, it was mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta who competitively raced. Even the boats had a military connection, since they were old German training boats captured by the British during the war. At the time, the RMYC only had a few Maltese members, amongst who were Paul and John Ripard.

So it was in the early sixties that Paul and Jimmy, together with a mutual friend, Alan Green (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), set out to map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in Maltese coastal waters. They also decided the course would be slightly longer than the RORC's longest race, the Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today.

Ted Turner, CEO of Turner Communications (CNN) has written that the Middle Sea Race "must be the most beautiful race course in the world. What other event has an active volcano as a mark of the course?"

In all of its editions since it was first run in 1968 – won by Paul Ripard's brother John, the Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted many prestigious names in yachting. Some of these have gone on to greater things in life and have actually left their imprint on the world at large. Amongst these one finds the late Raul Gardini who won line honours in 1979 on Rumegal, and who spearheaded the 1992 Italian Challenge for the America's Cup with Moro di Venezia.

Another former line honours winner (1971) who has passed away since was Frenchman Eric Tabarly winner of round the world and transatlantic races on Penduik. Before his death, he was in Malta again for the novel Around Europe Open UAP Race involving monohulls, catamarans and trimarans. The guest list for the Middle Sea Race has included VIP's of the likes of Sir Francis Chichester, who in 1966 was the first man to sail around the world single-handedly, making only one stop.

The list of top yachting names includes many Italians. It is, after all a premier race around their largest island. These include Navy Admiral Tino Straulino, Olympic gold medallist in the star class and Cino Ricci, well known yachting TV commentator. And it is also an Italian who in 1999 finally beat the course record set by Mistress Quickly in 1978. Top racing skipper Andrea Scarabelli beat it so resoundingly, he knocked off over six hours from the time that had stood unbeaten for 20 years.

World famous round the world race winners with a Middle Sea Race connection include yachting journalist Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Les Williams, both from the UK.

The Maxi Class has long had a long and loving relationship with the Middle Sea Race. Right from the early days personalities such as Germany's Herbert Von Karajan, famous orchestra conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philarmoniker, competing with his maxi Helisara IV. Later came Marvin Greene Jr, CEO of Reeves Communications Corporation and owner of the well known Nirvana (line honours in 1982) and Jim Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, whose Sagamore was back in 1999 to try and emulate the line honours she won in 1997.

THE COURSE RECORD

The course record was held by the San Francisco based, Robert McNeil on board his Maxi Turbo Sled Zephyrus IV when in 2000, he smashed the Course record which now stands at 64 hrs 49 mins 57 secs. Zephyrus IV is a Rechiel-Pugh design. In recent years, various maxis such as Alfa Romeo, Nokia, Maximus and Morning Glory have all tried to break this course record, but the wind Gods have never played along. Even the VOR winner, ABN AMro tried, but all failed in 2006.

However, George David came along on board Rambler in 2007 and demolished the course record established by Zephyrus IV in 2000. This now stands at 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.

At A Glance - Middle Sea Race 2024

First held: 1968

Organising Authority: Royal Malta Yacht Club

Start

The 45th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 19 October 2024.

Grand Harbour, Valletta: seven separate starts, at 10-minute intervals, from 11:00 CEST Saturday, 21 October 2024

Start Line: between the Saluting Battery, Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) and Fort St Angelo (Birgu)

Various vantage points all around the Grand Harbour, high up on the bastions or at water level. Harbour access for spectator boats is restricted during the period of the start.

Course

Set in the heart of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It starts and finishes in Malta, passes two active volcanoes and takes in the deep azure waters surrounding Sicily, and the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as lonelier outposts of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both closer to the African continent than Europe.

Length: 606 nautical miles (1,122km)

Outright Race Record: 33h 29m 28s, Argo, United States, Jason Carroll

Monohull Race Record: 40h 17m 50s, Comanche, Cayman Is, Mitch Booth