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Displaying items by tag: Helicopters

#Coastguard - The Sligo-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter will have completed more than 300 search and rescue missions in 2015 by the end of this month, setting a new record.

And as Helicopter Investor reports, Rescue 118 and the rest of the Sikorsky S-92 fleet based at Shannon, Dublin and Waterford will have completed at least 877 missions between them by year's end.

"We have invested heavily in our four bases in Ireland so that we can offer a safe, reliable service with the highest levels of availability,” said Chris Hodson of CHC Helicopter, contracted to provide coastguard SAR services in Ireland since 2010.

Published in Coastguard

#Coastguard - Shannon-based Rescue 115's "milestone" year has been highlighted by the operator of Ireland's coastguard helicopter fleet.

In an interview with Aviation Today, CHC general operations manager Chris Hodson said 2014's "significant number of missions" was down to the introduction of state-of-the-art, long-range Sikorsky S92 helicopters across Ireland's four bases.

And in particular, the 310 missions flown by the Shannon chopper for the Irish Coast Guard were "quite an accomplishment for the crew".

Hodson said it was "a real milestone to have one aircraft on one base complete so many missions out into the North Atlantic."

This year, meanwhile, the focus is on providing the helicopters in Shannon, Dublin, Waterford and Sligo with night vision capabilities to enhance rescue efforts under cover of darkness.

Aviation Today has more on the story HERE.

Published in Coastguard

The Round Britain & Ireland Race

The 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race will feature a wide variety of yachts racing under the IRC rating rule as well as one design and open classes, such as IMOCA, Class40 and Multihulls. The majority of the fleet will race fully crewed, but with the popularity of the Two-Handed class in recent years, the race is expected to have a record entry.

The Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race starts on Sunday 7th August 2022 from Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK.

The 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is organised by The Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with The Royal Yacht Squadron.

It is run every four years. There have been nine editions of the Round Britain and Ireland Race which started in 1976 Sevenstar has sponsored the race four times - 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and has committed to a longterm partnership with the RORC

The 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is a fully crewed non-stop race covering 1,805 nautical miles and is open to IRC, IRC Two Handed, IMOCA 60s, Class40s, Volvo 65s and Multihulls that will race around Britain and Ireland, starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes on the Isle of Wight starting after Cowes Week on Sunday 7 August 2022

The last edition of the race in 2018 attracted 28 teams with crews from 18 nations. Giles Redpath's British Lombard 46 saw over victory and Phil Sharp's Class40 Imerys Clean Energy established a new world record for 40ft and under, completing the course in 8 days 4 hrs 14 mins 49 secs.

The 1,805nm course will take competitors around some of the busiest and most tactically challenging sailing waters in the world. It attracts a diverse range of yachts and crew, most of which are enticed by the challenge it offers as well as the diversity and beauty of the route around Britain and Ireland with spectacular scenery and wildlife.

Most sailors agree that this race is one of the toughest tests as it is nearly as long as an Atlantic crossing, but the changes of direction at headlands will mean constant breaks in the watch system for sail changes and sail trim

Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race Records:

  • Outright - OMA07 Musandam-Oman Sail, MOD 70, Sidney Gavignet, 2014: 3 days 03:32:36
  • Monohull - Azzam Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, VO 65, Ian Walker, 2014: 4 days 13:10:28
  • Monohull All-Female - Team SCA, VO 65, Samantha Davies, 2014: 4 days 21:00:39
  • Monohull 60ft or less - Artemis Team Endeavour, IMOCA 60, Brian Thompson/Artemis Ocean Racing, 2014: 5 days 14:00:54
  • Monohull 40ft or less – Imerys Clean Energy, Class40, Phil Sharp, 2018: 8 days 4:14:49