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Displaying items by tag: 'Ireland' Max Containerships

#IrelandMax - Containerships currently under construction in China of the 'Ireland' Max class for BG Freight Line, a subsidiary of the Peel Ports Group in the UK are due to enter service next year, writes Jehan Ashmore.

BG Diamond is the first of a quartet of named ships as identified by Afloat earlier this year that is to operate on their short-sea hub feeder services linking Ireland, the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Newbuild BG Diamond will along with sisterships be hired under long-term charter to the Dutch owned subsidiary. The other sisterships each with a 1004TEU capacity are the BG Emerald, BG Sapphire and BG Jade which was only christened last month at the Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard.

As previously reported a new weekly container service between Liverpool and Cork has begun and this marked the first time the two ports have been connected directly through lo-lo operations. At the end of the each week, the current containerships on this route also offer services between Belfast, Greenock and Liverpool.

At the time of the route's announcement the ships to operate the service were Thea II (see TV presenter Paxman's Boxboat) along with RMS Veritas. However, from 2018, BG Freight will take delivery of the 'Ireland' Max quartet containerships on the short-sea feeder services of the company’s Irish Sea hub operations. 

Each newbuild of around 11,000 gross tonnage will have 'green' credentials and built to DNV GL standards and will be fitted with state-of-the-art features in order to comply with Emission Control Area (ECA) requirements. In addition to adhereing to BG Freight Line’s navigation and trading needs.

'Ireland' Max class containerships have been developed by BG Freight Line, in conjunction with designers CIMC ORIC and Arkon Shipping. 

Basic specifications of the new 'Ireland' Max containerships:

Containers: 1004 TEU (alternative 488 units 45ft)
Deadweight: 13,250 tonnes (on 8.0m draft)
Length overall: 153m
Reefer plugs: 253
Service Speed: 16 knots
Exhaust cleaning by WET-scrubber

 

Published in Ports & Shipping

About Match Racing

A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.

In yacht racing, it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consisting of 2, 3 or 4 boats compete together in a team race, with their results being combined.

A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other. With effective boat handling and clever use of wind and currents, a trailing boat can escape the grasp of the leader and pass. The leader uses blocking techniques to hold the other boat back. This one-on-one duel is a game of strategy and tactics.

About the World Match Racing Tour

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR). Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors