Displaying items by tag: Motorboat

12th July 2020

Cork Harbour's First Motorboat Race: Those Men in Their Floating Machines

July 12, 1903 was also a Sunday, but it was not the sound of Orange bands marching that dominated the River Lee from Cobh to Cork City, but that of powerboat engines competing for what had been envisaged as the “America’s Cup” of motorboating.

Irish-born newspaper mogul Alfred Charles Harmsworth, Viscount Northcliffe, had organised what is known as “the first motorboat race.”

The trophy was the Harmsworth Cup, envisioned by Northcliffe as “a contest between nations rather than between boats and individuals.”

The course was from Cobh (then Queenstown) to Cork City. It was officiated by the Automobile Club of Great Britain and the Royal Cork Yacht Club for boats, as the rule of the race declared “designed and built entirely by residents of the country they represented.”

Photos from Vincent Delany's new book on the history of motoboating in Ireland

As reported by Cork newspapers: “A large number of spectators viewed the first mile from the promenade of the yacht club at Queenstown and several thousand people were at both sides of the river at Cork City to see the finish.”

The race was won by a woman – Dorothy Levitt, travelling at nineteen-and-a-half-miles an hour, regarded as an “extraordinary speed for motorboats” in those days.

She was described as “a remarkable sportswoman who had the first proper motorboat designed for high speed, to the specifications of an Australia, Selywn Edge” In later years she would set the world’s first water speed record at 19.3 miles per hour (31.1km/h).

This fascinating story is told by yachting historian Vincent Delany in his book about ‘”The Motor Yacht Club of Ireland, founded four years after the Harmsworth Cup race, in 1907. Dedicated to “the memory of those men in their floating machines,” in 44 pages it details, with historic photographs, the progress of motorboating in Irish waters.

It had been intended to stage an International Power Boat Festival in Cork Harbour this past weekend (July 11/12) as part of the RCYC Cork 300 celebrations but that was prevented by the Covid 19 pandemic.

For this week’s Podcast I’ve been talking to author Vincent Delany, starting by asking him why Cork was the location for the first motorboat race:

This week’s Podcast here

Afloat.ie · Cork Harbour's First Motorboat Race

Published in Tom MacSweeney

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23rd August 2016

Arcadia Sherpa 55 – A Glimpse at the Future of Motorboat Design?

What about this for a day cruiser, a shadow boat, a support vessel or even as a fishing boat? The Italian built Arcadia Sherpa 55 from Naples has an extremely short foredeck and expansive cockpit behind the superstructures. The most striking feature is its tug–style bow extending up to the upper deck.

The first of these boats for sale came with two spacious cabins, although three will be possible on future models. From the deck saloon there is a magnificent view through the large windows to aft over the cockpit that is located a level above the 13 m² tender garage. The flybridge with its breezy outside helm station can be fully enclosed with windows, be it to defy inclement weather or to provide protection from heat with the aid of the air conditioner.

Two Volvo Penta IPS 600 drives deliver a top speed of 25 knots.

Published in Boat Sales

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24th February 2014

Powerboat Adventurer to Address Kerry Motorboat Weekend

#motorboat – A fun filled weekend to enjoy boating in one of the most picturesque locations in Western Europe that's how Dromquinna Manor is billing its 2014 Motor Boat Weekend that takes place on the May Bank Holiday Weekend, May 2nd-5th.

The free event offers a host of activities from renowned guest speakers to adventure challenges all in the company of fellow boaters.

Alan Priddy, the powerboat adventurer, who has set several boating world records will talk about his circumnavigation of the world by RIB.

Schedule below:

Saturday May 3rd

11am
Lets Talk Engines
With Kevin from Marine Motors Cork.

12pm
Safety at sea
Use of flares and safety equipment.

1.30pm
Briefing

2pm
Treasure Hunt and Poker Run on Kenmare Bay

8pm
Boaters Evening at Shutters on the Pier Dromquinna

Presentation and talk with Alan Priddy
Alan is a British power boat sailor and adventurer who has set several boating world records. Alan circumnavigated the world in a rigid-hulled inflatable boat and is currently spearheading the first Great Britain Vs USA Powerboat World Record Circumnavigation.

9pm
Waterfront screening of Perfect Storm
Fork Supper and film €30
Proceeds to Derrynane Inshore Rescue

Sunday May 4th

10.30am Bull Run Briefing

11am
The Bull Run for Fun
The Annual Bull Run for Fun departs to the Bull Rock. The 74 nautical mile cruise to the famous landmark in the Atlantic is the highlight of the weekend and a real adventure for all. The majestic rock awaits in all its glory and leaves lasting memories of a day/weekend of true boating enjoyment.

7.30pm
Party & Prize giving at Shutters on the Pier

Published in Powerboat Racing

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17th April 2013

Dromquinna Manor Hosts Motorboat Weekend

Hugo Montgomery Swan, the editor of Powerboat & Rib Magazine is part of the line up at Dromquinna Manor's Motor Boat Weekend this May bank Holiday at Kenmare, Co. Kerry. Dromquinna's John Brennan promises a weekend 'filled with adventure and activities' dedicated to motor boat enthusiasts on Kenmare Bay. The weekend format is below. A pdf flyer is also available for download below.

Friday

7pm Welcome Reception at Dromquinna Manor

Speaker Hugo Montgomery Swan Editor of Powerboat & Rib Magazine Organiser of Round Ireland Challenge 2013

9pm Tom Crean Restaurant - Explorer Dinner

Hosted by Tom Crean's grandaughter who will tell of his epic voyages following
dinner. €35 Reservations 064 6641589.

Saturday

10am Navigation Workshop

11am Mechanical Workshop with Marine Motors Cork

12pm Basic Safety Demonstration

1pm Launch of 'The Men's Shed' Curragh

Blessing of the Boats

2pm Treasure Hunt on Kenmare Bay

A leisurely fun filled excursion on Kenmare Bay

6pm Helens Bar Kilmackillogue

Optional night cruise back to Kenmare

Sunday

7-9am Refuelling

10am Bull Run for Fun

The famous annual outing to The Bull Rock

Lunch in Portmagee at own expense

Afternoon Cruise to The Skellig Rocks

Return to Dromquinna Manor

Total distance 120 miles

7pm BBQ at Dromquinna Manor

€20. Reservations 064 6642888

Monday

Wash down and depart

Published in Powerboat Racing

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21st April 2012

Family Boating Fun in this Aquador 28 Motorboat for Sale at €99,0000

#BOATS FOR SALE – A 2005 version of an Aquador 28 sports cruiser is on the market through Fitzgerald Marine of Kinsale in Co. Cork. This Finnish made boat is a popular model in Ireland thanks to the pionneering efforts of distributors MGM Boats who showed off the boats suitability of the robust hull to rough Irish waters when they first imported the Scandinavian craft more than a decade ago.

The Fitzgerald marine boat at €99,000 is less than half the price of a new boat. The 28 is the largest hard top boat in the Aquador range and a bigger example of the 26 Hard Top. Aquador always make a big play about the feeling of space below deck and while this is true it is the practicality of the all weather hard top, the proven hull and wide walk-around decks that makes the Aquador 28 so safe for family use and thus so appealing for Irish boaters. Full advert here.

See all our motorboats for sale on the Afloat Boats for Sale site

Published in Boat Sales

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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.