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Displaying items by tag: Black Sea Sochi

#FerryBreakers – In 2011, Afloat.ie reported on a trio of Irish Sea Larne-Fleetwood (since closed) ro-ro freight vessels which Stena Line sold to Russian interests in the Black Sea and understood for use in the recently held Winter Olympics in Sochi, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The sisters Stena Seafarer, Stena Leader and Stena Pioneer, the latter which as Bison between 1989-1993 served B&I Line on joint service with P&O's freight division, Pandoro between Dublin-Liverpool.

At the time of the vessels sale, they departed Belfast Lough in mid-June. They were understood to be bound for to Sevastopol in the Ukraine and placed under the Moldovan flag and with a port of registry in Giurgiulesti.

For much more on this story, Ships Monthly reports of the German-built sisters which spent more than 30 years on Irish Sea freight services originally for P&O before their most recent spells with Russian operator Antship. They fittingly ended their days together after arriving at Aliaga, Turkey for scrapping during February.

 

Published in Ferry

About Pamela Lee, Irish Offshore Sailor

Ireland has produced some of the world’s most dedicated offshore sailors, and Pamela Lee of Greystones is one of them. She has made a name for herself in the sailing world, having worked as a mate on a charter Super-yacht for two and a half years. After coming ashore, she has been fully committed to her offshore sailing ambitions since 2019.

Lee has raced in various craft, including Figaro 3s, Class 40, Tp 52s, and multihulls, and has eight transatlantic crossings under her belt. In partnership with Kenny Rumball, Lee supported Rumball’s La Solitaire du Figaro sailing campaign to secure the Irish berth in the proposed Mixed Offshore Keelboat event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

One of Lee’s stated main aims is to promote female empowerment in sport, and she set out to establish a double-handed Round Ireland speed record with Englishwoman Cat Hunt in the winter of 2020. This campaign gained much publicity, and Lee expressed pride in bringing sailing and offshore sailing, in particular, into the conversation for 2020.

To further her offshore sailing career, Lee moved to France, where she has recently secured a place to skipper a yacht in the Transat Jacques Vabre Challenge in October 2023. Lee’s passion and dedication to offshore sailing are inspiring, and her achievements are a testament to her hard work and perseverance.