Displaying items by tag: Seas

14th August 2011

'Tales of the High Seas' - with Theo Dorgan

The Poet-adventurer Theo Dorgan comes to the RSt. George Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire as an after dinner speaker to discuss his recent book, Time on the Ocean. This is an inspired description of how Dorgan flew to southern Chile and joined the crew of Pelagic Australis, a 70ft single mast yacht, for the voyage to Cape Town. Sailing more than 4,000 miles with 10 strangers involves immense difficulties, but Dorgan conveys with poetic simplicity his joy in facing this extraordinary challenge. The event "Tales of the High Seas" - with Theo Dorgan is a RSGYC Supper event. It's on Wednesday 7th September at the Royal St George and it is open to the public.
at 7.30pm. Tickets are €25 – includes supper – available from www.Paviliontheatre.ie Tel:-01 2312929

Published in RStGYC

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About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour