Displaying items by tag: Lifeboats

12th September 2010

1720 with Broken Forestay Required Baltimore Lifeboat

A yacht suffering equipment damage and in danger of being dismasted prompted a call for assistance to the RNLI today.

The Schull based 1720 sportsboat had been participating in the Irish 1720 National Championships being run out of Baltimore Sailing Club, when the forestay snapped. According to the RNLI 'The boat with 5 persons onboard was in serious peril as the forestay is part of the rigging that holds the mast in place'.

Weather conditions at the time were challenging in the exposed waters near the Calf Islands in West Cork with force 5-6 winds and a 1.5 metre swell.

A race support boat held the stricken yacht head to wind, while the inshore lifeboat under the command of Kieran Collins made its way to the scene. The lifeboat crew of Ronan Sheehy and Micheal Cottrell then took the 1720 under tow and returned her to the safety of Schull Harbour.

Published in 1720

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31st August 2010

Bundoran RNLI Pushes the Boat Out

This Saturday (4 September 2010) Bundoran RNLI lifeboat crew will literally be pushing the boat out to raise funds for the life saving charity. They will be holding a boat push from Ballyshannon to Bundoran in Donegal and want people to turn out and cheer them on during their 9.5km push.

The boat push will start on Donegal Road in Ballyshannon at noon and members of the lifeboat crew will have buckets with them on the route for people to make a donation.

The fundraising drive comes as Bundoran RNLI recently received a new state of the art Atlantic 85 lifeboat. The new lifeboat can carry a fourth crewmember and has more room for casualties. It can also reach speeds of up to 35 knots in responding to an emergency.

Commenting on the fundraiser, lifeboat press officer Colm Hamrogue said, "The lifeboat crew wanted to do something a bit different to raise funds for the station. Many people have done a bed push but not too many people have done a boat push, which makes sense for a lifeboat station. Our volunteer crew count on the generous support of the public to ensure that the RNLI can continue to provide all year search and rescue coverage and we hope to get lots of support on Saturday."

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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31st August 2010

Swimming from Rathlin to Ballycastle for the RNLI

Gary Knox describes himself as a good pool swimmer so why is he swimming from Rathlin to Ballycastle next weekend (weather permitting).....It's all for the RNLI of course. Gary is so impressed by the volunteer commitment of the crews he decided to do the swim to raise funds for the Lifeboats.
Gary explained further 'The swim is from Rathlin to Ballycastle and is planned for the weekend of 4-5 September. I won't be wearing a wetsuit and the swim is approximately 7 miles. Water temperature will be approx. 12 degrees and the challenge isn't so much the distance as the large number of Lions Mane jellyfish which lie between Rathlin and Ballycastle and the very strong and treacherous currents which swirl around the island. I am doing the swim for RNLI in memory of my friend and training partner, Ciaran McGinn who completed the endurance swim in 2007 and raised funds for his charity, Ballycastle RNLI. Training has gone well and I've done a 15K open water swim, Portrush to Portstewart two-way and a swim from Ballycastle to Fairhead in preparation for the event. I've been stung by the jellies and got my body used to the chilly waters. The swim to Fairhead last weekend opened my eyes to the strong currents when I made no progress for 90 mins on way back to Ballycastle and had to jump out onto road and hitch a lift back into town! Hopefully the tides will be kinder to me on day of swim. I'll be accompanied by Portrush kayaker Andrew Bingham who will follow the rib and provide me with an energy drink every hour. In accordance with ILDSA rules, at no time will I be permitted to touch the boat or kayak. Donations can be made online at justgiving.com/gary-knox and there are collection boxes in the shops along the prom in Ballycastle. In the event of bad weather, swim will be rescheduled for mid Sept or October. The swim has a low success rate and is very dependent on conditions and tides on the day'
Gary who is a French teacher, 38, and swimming coach at CAI who took up sea swimming in 2008 and lives in Aghadowey. On Sunday he came down to meet the crew and tell them about the swim.
Judy Barr Lifeboat Press Officer said,
This is an amazing feat for anyone to attempt and we are delighted that Gary is raising funds for our volunteer crews and the Station who depends on donations to keep our two boats available for rescues at sea.'

Published in Sea Swim

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29th August 2010

Dun Laoghaire Lifeboats Assist Swamped Yacht

Both lifeboats at Dun Laoghaire RNLI station were launched this afternoon when a 20 foot yacht with two persons on board got into difficulty close to a rocky shoreline on Dublin Bay.

The incident occurred around 5pm when the Flying 15 keelboat became swamped by the choppy conditions in the area known as Scotman's Bay between Dun Laoghaire and Sandycove. A sea-angling boat, the Brandon Lisa and a local rigid inflatable (RIB) went to the assistance of the casualty.

Volunteer crews of both lifeboats were paged by the Irish Coastguard service's 'MRCC Dublin' at 5.08pm and launched 12 minutes later.

Arriving at the nearby scene, the two occupants were trying to drop the sails and secure their equipment. Both were wearing buoyancy aids and were
uninjured.

The inshore lifeboat assisted preparing the casualty vessel for towing by the RIB while the All-weather lifeboat 'Anna Livia' provided an escort to the inner-coal harbour in Dun Laoghaire where the boat was brought ashore.

IMGP0245

Both lifeboats from Dun Laoghaire RNLI's assisted two sailors in difficulty on Scotsman's Bay near Dun Laoghaire when their Flying 15 became swamped in fresh winds. A local RIB towed the boat to safety under escort from the lifeboats. Nobody was injured in the incident that occurred shortly after 5pm. Photo credit: Dun Laoghaire RNLI

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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26th August 2010

Sheep Rescued by RNLI

A lifeboat crew rescued a sheep and a seal pup in two separate incidents off Anglesey on the far side of the Irish Sea last week.
Moelfre RNLI lifeboat crew helped the sheep after it fell 20ft from cliffs onto an isolated island and became marooned for up to two days near Bull Bay. The full report from the Holyhead Mail is HERE.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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16th August 2010

Lifeboat Rescues Two Near Old Head of Kinsale

Sunday was one of the busiest sailing days of the summer, with very crowded seas. The distressed craft did not have a radio on board. Their only means of contact with shore was a weak mobile phone signal. Thankfully conditions were flat and visibility good, so helmsman Temba Jere and crew members Mark Lewis and Ian Fitzgerald were able to locate the boat and tow it back to the safety of Kinsale Harbour within 40 minutes.

The RNLI offers a free SEA Check service to all boat users which will help you make sure you have all the right safety equipment on board. Call freefone 1800 789 589 and the RNLI team will be happy to advise you.

The Kinsale RNLI Lifeboat was launched at 5.15 pm on Sunday afternoon to go to the aid of a 17ft Mastercraft, with two passengers on board, which had lost power and was anchored one mile east off the Old Head of Kinsale.
Sunday was one of the busiest sailing days of the summer, with very crowded seas. The distressed craft did not have a radio on board. Their only means of contact with shore was a weak mobile phone signal. Thankfully conditions were flat and visibility good, so helmsman Temba Jere and crew members Mark Lewis and Ian Fitzgerald were able to locate the boat and tow it back to the safety of Kinsale Harbour within 40 minutes.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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9th August 2010

Tamar-Class Lifeboat Visits Irish Waters

The Tamar-class lifeboat is the latest in a series of high-tech craft within the RNLI lifeboat fleet and in use throughout the UK. The class is named after the River Tamar, Cornwall and like other lifeboats, they are named after large rivers, writes Jehan Ashmore.

To date 17 Tamar-class boats have been commissioned for the lifesaving institution. Some of the Tamar class fleet are constructed exclusively for the purposes of providing relief-duties across the extensive network of stations. One of these relief lifeboats, RNLB Frank and Ann Wilkinson (16-06) arrived at Dun Laoghaire on 17 July. The relief Tamar's transit took two-days to reach the harbour from the RNLI's headquarters based at Poole. The lifeboat called at Plymouth for bunkers and made an overnight stay at Penlee prior to arriving at Dun Laoghaire, where another fuel-stop was undertaken.

The craft carried-out training exercises in Dublin Bay, which included a couple of trainees from the Dun Laoghaire lifeboat crew. The Tamar class lifeboat was in Irish waters primarly to cater for other station crews within the divisional staff training programme. There are no Tamar-class lifeboats operating in Irish waters, at present, though the RNLI have plans to introduce the class.

Tamar

Tamar-class relief lifeboat RNLI Frank and Ann Wilkinson (16-06) nearing Dun Laoghaire. Photo © Jehan Ashmore/ShipSNAPS

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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7th August 2010

Cold Swimmer Rescued in Portrush Harbour

A teenager was rescued from Portrush Harbour after a very cold swim out to a moored boat to collect some fishing gear.

After swimming across the harbour to the moored boat the teenager called for help. Belfast Coastguard co-ordinated the rescue and sent the Portrush ILB Lifeboat and the Coleraine Coastguard Rescue team to the scene.

The Portrush lifeboat took the teenager from the boat to the pontoon where he received first aid from the Coastguard Rescue team before being transferred to hospital by ambulance.

Belfast Coastguard Watch Manager Alan Pritchard said:
"It may be summer but the sea is chilly and the cold can seriously affect swimmers.
"If you are going to take a dip please know you're limits and remember cold water shock can be dangerous, even if you're young and fit and think you're able."

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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5th August 2010

Fenit Lifeboat Recover Injured Woman from Great Blasket Island

At 03.41 this morning (Thursday 5 August 2010) Fenit RNLI lifeboat crew were requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard to go to the assistance of a woman injured on the Great Blasket Island. The woman had fallen and sustained injuries to her leg and the Fenit RNLI all weather lifeboat was launched to recover her from the island and bring her ashore to Dingle to a waiting ambulance.

With no slipway or pier on the island and extremely shallow water at the landing point, the only way for the lifeboat crew to access the island was by launching the XP boat (a small inflatable boat carried onboard the lifeboat)

Four crew members went onto the island and made their way to the woman's house which was almost half a mile in and about 600 feet above sea level. The task was made more difficult due to the fact that the ground was extremely wet and slippery.

The woman was placed on a stretcher and carried back down the hill by the RNLI Fenit Lifeboat crew members. The stretcher was then placed across the xp boat and transferred to the lifeboat by the crew.

Commenting on the incident JP Brick of Fenit RNLI said, " This was a challenging callout for the lifeboat crew. The remote location made it difficult to access the island. The lifeboat crew needed to take a stretcher with them for the casualty and then return down the slippery terrain to the waiting XP boat. From there they travelled out to the waiting lifeboat and transferred the casualty onboard. This is where lifeboat crew training and equipment comes to the fore and the medivac was completed successfully."

On medical advice the casualty was brought to Dingle Marina where she was collected by ambulance and transferred to Tralee General Hospital

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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28th July 2010

Sea Safety Team To Offer Advice in Dun Laoghaire this Weekend

Visitors to RNLI at Dun Laoghaire will be able to view the new inshore lifeboat (ILB) that recently arrived when the station holds its annual open day on Saturday 31st July 2010 (11am to 5pm).

For the first time, the recently-formed Sea Safety team will also be on hand to offer advice to visitors on how best to prepare for trips afloat and boating activities.

Equipment demonstrations and model boat displays will also be part of the attractions including the station's All-Weather lifeboat (ALB). Crew-members, who operate on a fully-voluntary basis will be demonstrating various items of rescue equipment and the ALB " Anna Livia" will be alongside offering close-up views of this €2 million rescue craft.

There are two lifeboats at Dun Laoghaire, a Trent class ALB and a D-Class ILB (Inshore lifeboat) of the new IB1-type that was recently delivered to the 207-year old station and is based in the nearby historic boathouse at the East Pier. This lifeboat, named 'Realt Na Mara' , was funded by the genorisity of a family in Dublin. The station's shop selling souvenirs and other lifeboat-related items will also be open, helping to raise funds for the voluntary service.

The Sea Safety team, part of the RNLI's stated aim of improving safety at sea through education and information can also take bookings for the free 'Sea Check' service that assists boat-owners. The Dun Laoghaire RNLI station is one of 43 based in the Ireland division that operate 55 lifeboats that launched on 976 occasions and rescued 1,008 people in 2009.

Dun Laoghaire is regularly amongst the busiest and last year launched on 68 occasions and rescued 92 people. For more information, please visit http://www.dunlaoghaire-lifeboat.ie

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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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