Displaying items by tag: Irish Institute of Master Mariners

28th March 2022

Sea Scouts Host Master Mariner Seamanship Competition

‘Bravo Zulu’ to the young competitors from Arklow, Malahide, Ringsend, Greystones and Howth Sea Scouts who participated in the annual Master Mariner competition last weekend, hosted at Dublin Port and sponsored by the Irish Institute of Master Mariners.

A huge syllabus covered nautical skills from meteorology to boat maintenance to passage planning at a level often regarded as akin to a second mate’s ticket.

Competitors are examined by professional mariners and yachtsmen to showcase their skills as well as an opportunity to learn tips from the experts.

Getting to grips with the intricacies of knots

The examiner team this year featured members from the RNLI, Naval Reserve, Irish Sailing instructors, a professional shipwright, ocean yacht-masters, experienced sea-kayakers and special guest Linda Hughes from Met Éireann.

Linda joined the examining team for the day to assess the competitors meteorology skills and also provided a very informative talk about Met Éireann’s weather forecasting methods and tools.

The examiners praised all competitors who entered, commenting on the impressive level of nautical skills shown.

The syllabus for the annual Master Mariner competition covers a lot of ground

By the end of the day there were only single-digit points between the top candidates so an absolute credit to their skills and time put into their seamanship training.

Congratulations to Dan Clohessy from Malahide who was crowned Venture Scout Master Mariner, and to Jordan Killen from Malahide who was crowned Rover Scout Master Mariner.

Published in Dublin Port

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11th November 2019

Master Mariners Set A Course for Malahide, Venue of the Irish Annual Marine Ball

The IIMM and the Irish Chamber of Shipping's 2019 Marine Ball is set on course for the social event held in Malahide, Co. Dublin

The Irish Institute of Master Mariners and the Irish Chamber of Shipping's annual Marine Ball is to be held this week on Saturday, 16th November in the Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co. Dublin.

This year's Marine Ball Black Tie evening will provide a great social event to catch up with old friends and also an opportunity to make new friends while networking. A drinks reception begins at 1900hrs followed by music and fine dining with wine sponsored by Martek.

To book tickets for the 2019 Marine Ball click here and for further information email: [email protected]

The Irish Institute of Master Mariners (see IIMM's website) is a non-political organisation promoting safe, efficient & professional maritime operations globally.

The Institute membership consists of seafarers who are professionally qualified ship navigation officers up to and including the rank of Master Mariner, the globally recognised professional qualification required to command large seagoing vessels in international waters.

Published in Ports & Shipping

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18th November 2017

Stronghold of Marine Connections Celebrated at Ball in Arklow

At the Maritime Ball held in Arklow are Michele Roche; Paul Roche President of the Irish Institute of Irish Mariners; Andrew Sheen President of the Irish Chamber of Shipping and Ayshea Sheen.

#MaritimeBall - From around the country over 160 people were treated to some top class hospitality as the Irish Institute of Master Mariners and the Irish Chamber of Shipping held the Marine Ball in the Arklow Bay Hotel, writes The Wickow People.

It's four years since the ball was last held in Arklow and Mary O'Neill, vice president of the Irish Chamber of Shipping, said it is one of the biggest events of the year. 'Arklow has always had a strong connection with the mariners, so it was great to honour the town,' said Mary.

There was several guest of honours at the event, including Commodore Hugh Tully from the Irish Navy; Conor Mowlds, director of the National Maritime College of Ireland; Liam Lacey, director of the Irish Maritime Development Office; and Michael Kingston, Global Maritime Lawyer of the Year 2016.

Speaking at the event, Cllr Tommy Annesley, cathaoirleach of the Arklow Municipal District, congratulated everyone for their hard work and said that it was 'great to see the local Maritime of Ireland branch to get together with the national organisation.'

As previously reported on Afloat last week, Arklow Shipping's newbuild Arklow Clan, a short-sea trader made a brief anchorage call offshore of the shipowners homeport.

Afloat's shipping correspondent, Jehan Ashmore will have more to report on the maritime heritage of the Co. Wicklow town that has strongly shaped the nation's merchant shipping fleet past and present.

Another key date in the Irish merchant marine calendar is tomorrow's (19 Nov.) annual National Commemoration for Irish Seafarers, which takes place at the memorial monument on City Quay, Dublin from 12 noon.

Published in Arklow Shipping

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1st June 2017

Cork Man to Forefront of Polar Shipping Laws

Corkman Micheal Kingston along with the Irish Institute of Master Mariners is working on Ireland becoming an observing member of the Arctic Council.

#PolarCode - A London based Irish lawyer has been to the forefront of a ground-breaking safety forum for ships in the Polar regions.

Former Lloyds Maritime Lawyer of the Year Michael Kingston from Goleen reports the Southern Star has been integral to drawing up the new Polar Code, which protects the two Polar regions – the Arctic and the Antarctic – from maritime risks. It came into force in January.

Mr Kingston became interested in maritime law years after his own father tragically died in the Whiddy Oil disaster in 1979 when the Betelgeuse tanker exploded in Bantry Bay, Co. Cork.

The Polar Code requires ship owners to have in place contingency plans for all aspects of marine operations including safety of navigation, pollution incidents, ship structure requirements, and search and rescue plans.

In parallel, Lloyd’s and Lloyd’s Register have been actively involved in an industry-led, bottom-up approach to help create standards that will mitigate risk and support those underwriters writing marine risk in polar waters.

Kingston has worked with all eight Arctic states, and many other organisations, including the environmental NGOs, to establish a new forum which should prevent operators from ignoring the requirements of the Polar Code.

Kingston liaises closely with the Irish Institute of Master Mariners and is working on Ireland becoming an observing member of the Arctic Council.

As a result, the Irish Institute of Master Mariners, as well as the National Maritime College of Ireland and the Commissioner of Irish Lights, will attend a key dinner at Trinity House in London on June 5th.

For more on the story click here.

Published in Ports & Shipping

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20th August 2014

Irish Institute of Master Mariners to Host Gala Dinner at Inaugural Irish Maritime Forum

#ForumGalaDinner - The Irish Institute of Master Mariners (IIMM) has posted details on their website of their members Annual Marine Ball which will be replaced this year instead by a Gala Dinner to be held at Cork City Hall on Friday 26th September.

The change of the annual event is to facilitate the Gala Dinner in conjunction with the previously reported inaugural Irish Maritime Forum held on the same day in Cork City Hall in which the IIMM is supporting.

Members tickets for the Gala Dinner cost €65 per person and can be purchased by registering online through the IIMM's website HERE and by ticking the box for Gala Dinner. Accommodation can also be booked through the website at registration and for accommodation there is a choice of the Clarion or Gresham Metropole Hotels.

The theme of the forum hosted by the Port of Cork Company is 'Developing the Dynamic Future for Ireland's Maritime Sector' which is to focus on exploring the future of the maritime sector within Ireland. Also to be examined more closely are the challenges and opportunities faced by many within the sector.

In addition to a welcoming address by an Irish Government Minister, there will be lunch and a partner's programme organised. Delegates interested in attending the Irish Maritime Forum 2014 (and exhibition) are asked to register by visiting: www.irishmaritimeforum.ie

Published in Ports & Shipping

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.