Displaying items by tag: winds

13th February 2016

Doyle Best Single Sculler at Head of the River in Belfast

#Rowing: Philip Doyle of Queen’s University won the battle of the senior single scullers at the Lagan Scullers’ Head of the River in Belfast. He had just over 17 seconds to spare over Portadown’s Sam McKeown. The fastest crew on the day was the Queen’s University senior men’s quadruple. The event was run in strong winds, but coming from the east, they did not prove to be seriously disruptive. The organisers were pleased that the Ireland under-23 women's group took part and that some junior scullers could compete, as their trials had been cancelled.

Lagan Scullers’ Head of the River, Belfast, Saturday (Selected Results):

Race One

Overall: 1 Queen’s Univ (P Doyle, senior single sculls) 11 minutes 56.2 seconds. 2 Portadown (S McKeown, senior single) 12:13.3, 3 Queen’s (T Oliver, senior single) 12:15.9.

Men – Sculling, Quadruple – Jun 15, coxed: Portora 12:40.5

Double – Jun 16: Portora 13:04. Masters: City of Derry 13:29.8.

Single – Senior: Queen’s (Doyle) 11:56.2. Jun 18A: Methody (C Macrae) 12:47.2

Women – Sculling – Quadruple – Masters: Lagan Scullers/Belfast BC 15:01.8.

Double – Jun 18A: Bann 12:55.8.

Single – Intermediate: Belfast BC (O Blundell) 14:09.3. Club Two: Queen’s (R Brown) 15:01.1. Jun 16: Belfast RC (A Hall) 16:05.8.

Race Two

Overall: 1 Queen’s men’s senior quadruple (Roy) 10:43.6, 2 RBAI men’s sen quad 11:14.1, 3 Queen’s men’s sen quad (Evans) 11:31.0.

Men – Sculling, Quadruple – Senior: Queen’s (Roy) 10.43.6. Jun 16, coxed: Methody 11:56.5.

Double – Jun 18A: Bann 11:51.

Single – Intermediate: Portora (C Laughlin) 12:33.7. Club Two: Belfast RC (T McCaughtry) 12:51.4. Novice: RBAI (T Lyons) 14:57.3. Jun 15: Portora (O Donaghy) 13:59.4.

Women – Quadruple – Jun 16, coxed: Portora 13:44.4. Jun 15, coxed: Bann 14:10.8.

Double – Seniors: Fermoy/Belfast BC 12:53.7.

Single – Jun 18A: Bann (H Scott) 13:45.2. Masters: Belfast BC (U Purdy) 15:15.6.

Race Three

Overall: 1 Methody junior 18A quadruple 10:43.1, 2 Queen’s senior double 10:57.4, 3 Belfast BC, Portadown 11:18.4.

Men, Quadruple – Jun 18A: Methody 10:43.1. Jun 18B, coxed: Methody 12:18.5.

Double – Senior: Queen’s 10:57.4.

Single – Jun 16: Portora (N Timoney) 13:40.1. Masters: Portora (D Murphy) 13:40.8.

Women, Quadruple – Jun 18A: Methody 12:48.6

Double – Jun 16: Bann 14:50.9.

Mixed Quad – Portadown 13:40.2.

Published in Rowing

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28th December 2012

Public Warned To Avoid Coastal Areas As Storm Force Winds Sweep In

#Weather - The Irish Coast Guard has warned the public to stay away from coastal areas today (Friday 28 December) as high winds are expected to reach speeds of as much as 140km per hour in some exposed areas.

It marks the third weather warning for gale force winds this week, as Met Éireann advises of south to south-west winds developing during the day with gusts of 90-100km per hour.

Exposed parts of Connacht and Donegal are set to face the worst of the storm-force winds, with severe gusts of storm force 10 - 100-140km per hour - expected between 6pm and 9pm on the coast from Slyne Head to Erris Head to Malin Head.

Speaking to The Irish Times, meteorologist John Eagleton suggested the possibility of trees coming down and electrical poles falling as the winds strengthen over the course of the day.

"We will get a blast around the evening time," he said, "and I wouldn't like to be sailing a boat along the west coast during those hours."

Published in Weather

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6th April 2012

UK Laser Sailors in £50K Irish Sea Crossing Challenge

#LASER - A pair of British sailors are set to embark on an intrepid crossing of the Irish Sea using just two single-handed Laser dingies.

David Summerville and Steve Cockerill had originally planned to make the crossing in September last year, but those plans were scuppered by 50-knot gale force winds and a 12-foot tidal swell, according to Incentive Travel.

But the duo is now planning to try again, with the backing of the Ramada Plaza Southport.

“David and Steve will be covering 115 nautical miles during the challenge," said Ramada Plaza general manager Enda Rylands. "They will set off from my own home town of Dublin and finish in Southport, aiming to raise £50,000 for mental health charity Mind and the John Merricks Sailing Trust."

Summerville, a 53-year-old grandfather of two who runs a boat repair business, said the date of the challenge would again depend on weather and tidal conditions, and that the pair is ready to depart any time from mid-April to mid-September.

It's not the first time that an Irish Sea crossing has been done in a Laser as Tiffany Brien achieved the feat in 2010, sailing single-handedly the 30 miles from Portpatrick in Scotland to Belfast Lough.

But Summerville and Cockerill's ambitious undertaking, at more than three times that distance, would surely get them a place in the record books - provided the weather goes their way!

Published in Laser

28th December 2011

Gale, Flood Warning In Effect for Ireland Today

#WEATHER - Met Éireann is warning that more gale force winds will affect many parts of Ireland and the Irish Sea today (28 December).

According to the forecaster, stormy conditions over Connacht, Ulster and parts of north Leinster will see gale force westerly winds with gusts of between 100 and 130 km/h.

The worst winds are expected in exposed coastal and hilly areas of Ulster and Connacht. There is also an increased risk of flooding as a result of high astronomical tides combined with very high seas.

Published in Weather

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15th December 2011

Cornish Surfer Rides Ireland's Record Biggest Wave

#SURFING - British surfer Jayce Robinson wasn't about to let the largest wave ever recorded off Ireland's shores go by without giving it a shot.

And as Sky News Online reports, he was captured doing exactly that on Tuesday afternoon.

The Cornish surfing pro told the website: "It was definitely the biggest barrell I've ever surfed.

"I was a little nervous but I didn't have time to think about it - it's almost like a car crash, you don't know what's happening."

Robinson rode the giant wave for 20 seconds before the lip crashed down and knocked him off his board.

His surfing partner Lyndon Wake, who towed him to the swell at Mullaghmore Head, said: "It's always a worst case scenario when your tow partner wipes out. Lucky he managed to come out the other side OK."

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, storm force winds off the coast of Donegal produced monster rollers of over 20 metres (over 60 feet) in height detected in Donegal Bay.

Mullaghmore Head will once again welcome the world's top big wave surfers for the second annual Tow-In Surf Session in the New Year.

Published in Surfing

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11th September 2011

Expected Strong Winds Lead to Ferry Cancellations

Some ferry sailings have been cancelled in advance of the high winds caused by the tail end of a hurricane crossing the Atlantic.

Storm force winds are expected across the country later on this evening and into tomorrow.

Met Éireann has warned of gale to storm force winds tonight with speeds of up to 130km/h, strongest in the northwest.

Extremely high waves are expected on southwest, west and north coasts.

Irish Ferries has cancelled a number of its Swift sailings between Dublin and Holyhead because of forecasts for the Irish Sea.

P&O's scheduled sailings between Larne and Cairnryan this afternoon have been cancelled, as have this evening's sailings between Larne and Troon.

Published in Ferry

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7th November 2010

Coastal Areas Braced for Flood Risk Tonight

A combination of high tides, high winds and low pressure increase the possibility of coastal flooding, particularly at high tide around midnight on Sunday 7 November and midday on Monday 8 November.

A deep low pressure centre is expected to move down across Ireland tonight, clearing away slowly during Monday. This weather system has the potential to bring some severe weather to Ireland. Rainfall totals are likely to reach 25mm - 30mm in places during Sunday and Monday. While not excessive, this rain may lead to some localised flooding on roads. The strongest winds associated with this weather system are likely to be well to the west of Ireland; however if the track of the low pressure is further east than currently expected, then these very strong winds may possibly affect our west coast.

The principal dangers from this weather system will be due to very high seas off the southwest and west coast (waves approaching 9m) and coastal flooding due to a combination of high tides, very low pressure, storm surge and onshore winds. The danger period extends through Sunday night and, for the east coast, much of Monday also. Valid from: 12hrs Sunday Nov 7th To: 06hrs Tuesday Nov 9th.

Householders, property owners, motorists and pedestrians are warned that there is a risk of coastal flooding in Dublin in the next 36 hours according to a Dublin city council update issued last night.

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.