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Displaying items by tag: outboard engines

Visitors to the Suzuki booth at this weekend's RYA online dinghy show will find out more about why this brand of outboard engine is proving so popular for use on club safety boats, coaching/chase boats and, of course, leisure craft – including as auxiliary power for larger cruising dinghies and sailboats.

Suzuki will be 'exhibiting' its entire range of four-stroke outboards, which spans from the lightweight and portable DF2.5 to the awesome power of the award-winning DF350A.

Viking Marine and O'Sullivan's Marine are among the Suzuki outboard range dealers in Ireland.

Published in Outboard Engines
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Over the last 18 months there has been a significant increase in the number of small outboard engines reported stolen to An Garda Síochána nationwide. Most of these engines are stolen while unattended at remote locations on the main Rivers and Lakes of Ireland.

A number of these engines have been recovered by Gardaí in the hands of local and in some cases foreign criminal gangs. These gangs appear to have a good working knowledge of engines and carry with them the necessary tools to remove the engines from their boats.

In some cases they are using boats to access Marinas and loading boat engines onto the boat making good their escape to another part of the Waterways.

The criminal gangs use vans or trailers to carry the stolen boat engines away. Some of these engines have been exported to Europe and beyond. This trend appears to be happening all over Western Europe.

One of the many problems Gardaí have encountered when engines have been recovered is trying to establish the owners.

Unfortunately, when some victims report their property stolen to the Gardai they cannot provide any unique serial number which can be recorded on the Database. This causes difficulties when an engine is recovered. e.g. Gardaí recovered a Yamaha outboard engine with a serial number still visible. However when the serial number was search on the stolen database there was no match. There were, however, over 100 Yamaha engines listed as stolen (described as Yamaha engine). The Gardai never found the owner.

If a unique serial number or other identifying feature is provided to the Gardaí by the owner(s) the property can be identified quickly and returned to its rightful owner. More importantly any suspects caught in possession of the stolen property can be prosecuted.

Garda advise to all owners of boat engines no matter what size is:

Take a note of the engine/serial number and keep it safe. In the event your property is stolen you can provide those details to the Gardaí.

Mark your boat engine with a unique serial number (for e.g. your d.o.b. 10122009). Fix an electronic chip on the engine. There are a number of Companies who can supply electronic chips at very reasonable prices. If possible lock and secure your engine in a lock up or shed. Do not leave it attached to the boat if at all possible.

Your local Crime Prevention Officer can assist with more detailed advice.

Gardai would appeal to members of the public to report any suspcicous activity, no matter how trivial, to local Gardai or the Garda Confidential no. 1800 666 111.

Published in Power
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Suzuki says it has achieved the highest market share in the four stroke outboard sector in Europe last year. It's a proud boast for the engine manufacturer that is also mirrored at home with growing Irish sales.

Sales of Suzuki marine engines in Ireland has been growing year on year for the last six years, according to Suzuki Ireland's Declan Maguire. 'We are not surprised that we are the number one choice for boaters across Europe, as our reliability and fuel efficiency records speak for themselves'.

Maguire says 'with our sustained growth in Ireland, combined with our competitive pricing, we hope to be the number one choice for Irish boaters in the next three years'

From the lightweight and portable DF2.5 to the award-winning power of the DF300AP, Suzuki says they have an outboard for every purpose and to match any transom, so customers really do have a great choice. 

The manufacturer launched several new models this year, the most recent being the DF200AP which is the first outboard in the world to feature a keyless start system.

George Cheeseman, Sales & Marketing Manager for Suzuki GB’s Marine Division, said, “We are incredibly proud of this achievement and we congratulate our colleagues at the factory for producing such fantastic outboard motors. We, as a team, are driven to provide our customers with the ultimate in outboard power and with more and more people choosing Suzuki, the team’s tireless efforts really are paying off.” He concludes, “We are looking forward to the remainder of this season and pushing forward with even more exciting products and initiatives.”

Suzuki Marine are exhibiting at the Southampton Boat Show from this morning to the 20th September.

Suzuki’s Four stroke market share in 2014: 
Sales results: 44,613 
Market share: 28.5% 
Source: ICOMMIA 

 

Published in Marketplace
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#joystick – Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced that it has a new Joystick Control System in development. The announcement was made earlier this month at the 2013 Japan International Boat Show in Yokohama.
The new joystick system is meant to integrate seamlessly with Suzuki's proprietary drive-by-wire system that is available on the Suzuki DF250AP and flagship DF300AP outboard engine models.
During the Japan International Boat Show, the company showed a prototype joystick control as well as concept drawings of the system and its components.(See above)
According to Suzuki, this new system will provide increased confidence to skippers as they manoeuvre their boats in close quarters and will increase the appeal of boating to a 'younger, more tech-savvy demographic'.

Published in RIBs

Irish Olympic Sailing Team

Ireland has a proud representation in sailing at the Olympics dating back to 1948. Today there is a modern governing structure surrounding the selection of sailors the Olympic Regatta

Irish Olympic Sailing FAQs

Ireland’s representation in sailing at the Olympics dates back to 1948, when a team consisting of Jimmy Mooney (Firefly), Alf Delany and Hugh Allen (Swallow) competed in that year’s Summer Games in London (sailing off Torquay). Except for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Ireland has sent at least one sailor to every Summer Games since then.

  • 1948 – London (Torquay) — Firefly: Jimmy Mooney; Swallow: Alf Delany, Hugh Allen
  • 1952 – Helsinki — Finn: Alf Delany * 1956 – Melbourne — Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1960 – Rome — Flying Dutchman: Johnny Hooper, Peter Gray; Dragon: Jimmy Mooney, David Ryder, Robin Benson; Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1964 – Tokyo — Dragon: Eddie Kelliher, Harry Maguire, Rob Dalton; Finn: Johnny Hooper 
  • 1972 – Munich (Kiel) — Tempest: David Wilkins, Sean Whitaker; Dragon: Robin Hennessy, Harry Byrne, Owen Delany; Finn: Kevin McLaverty; Flying Dutchman: Harold Cudmore, Richard O’Shea
  • 1976 – Montreal (Kingston) — 470: Robert Dix, Peter Dix; Flying Dutchman: Barry O’Neill, Jamie Wilkinson; Tempest: David Wilkins, Derek Jago
  • 1980 – Moscow (Tallinn) — Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson (Silver medalists) * 1984 – Los Angeles — Finn: Bill O’Hara
  • 1988 – Seoul (Pusan) — Finn: Bill O’Hara; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; 470 (Women): Cathy MacAleavy, Aisling Byrne
  • 1992 – Barcelona — Europe: Denise Lyttle; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; Star: Mark Mansfield, Tom McWilliam
  • 1996 – Atlanta (Savannah) — Laser: Mark Lyttle; Europe: Aisling Bowman (Byrne); Finn: John Driscoll; Star: Mark Mansfield, David Burrows; 470 (Women): Denise Lyttle, Louise Cole; Soling: Marshall King, Dan O’Grady, Garrett Connolly
  • 2000 – Sydney — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, David O'Brien
  • 2004 – Athens — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, Killian Collins; 49er: Tom Fitzpatrick, Fraser Brown; 470: Gerald Owens, Ross Killian; Laser: Rory Fitzpatrick
  • 2008 – Beijing (Qingdao) — Star: Peter O’Leary, Stephen Milne; Finn: Tim Goodbody; Laser Radial: Ciara Peelo; 470: Gerald Owens, Phil Lawton
  • 2012 – London (Weymouth) — Star: Peter O’Leary, David Burrows; 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; Laser Radial: Annalise Murphy; Laser: James Espey; 470: Gerald Owens, Scott Flanigan
  • 2016 – Rio — Laser Radial (Women): Annalise Murphy (Silver medalist); 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; 49erFX: Andrea Brewster, Saskia Tidey; Laser: Finn Lynch; Paralympic Sonar: John Twomey, Ian Costello & Austin O’Carroll

Ireland has won two Olympics medals in sailing events, both silver: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson in the Flying Dutchman at Moscow 1980, and Annalise Murphy in the Laser Radial at Rio 2016.

The current team, as of December 2020, consists of Laser sailors Finn Lynch, Liam Glynn and Ewan McMahon, 49er pairs Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle, and Sean Waddilove and Robert Dickson, as well as Laser Radial sailors Annalise Murphy and Aoife Hopkins.

Irish Sailing is the National Governing Body for sailing in Ireland.

Irish Sailing’s Performance division is responsible for selecting and nurturing Olympic contenders as part of its Performance Pathway.

The Performance Pathway is Irish Sailing’s Olympic talent pipeline. The Performance Pathway counts over 70 sailors from 11 years up in its programme.The Performance Pathway is made up of Junior, Youth, Academy, Development and Olympic squads. It provides young, talented and ambitious Irish sailors with opportunities to move up through the ranks from an early age. With up to 100 young athletes training with the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway, every aspect of their performance is planned and closely monitored while strong relationships are simultaneously built with the sailors and their families

Rory Fitzpatrick is the head coach of Irish Sailing Performance. He is a graduate of University College Dublin and was an Athens 2004 Olympian in the Laser class.

The Performance Director of Irish Sailing is James O’Callaghan. Since 2006 James has been responsible for the development and delivery of athlete-focused, coach-led, performance-measured programmes across the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway. A Business & Economics graduate of Trinity College Dublin, he is a Level 3 Qualified Coach and Level 2 Coach Tutor. He has coached at five Olympic Games and numerous European and World Championship events across multiple Olympic classes. He is also a member of the Irish Sailing Foundation board.

Annalise Murphy is by far and away the biggest Irish sailing star. Her fourth in London 2012 when she came so agonisingly close to a bronze medal followed by her superb silver medal performance four years later at Rio won the hearts of Ireland. Murphy is aiming to go one better in Tokyo 2021. 

Under head coach Rory Fitzpatrick, the coaching staff consists of Laser Radial Academy coach Sean Evans, Olympic Laser coach Vasilij Zbogar and 49er team coach Matt McGovern.

The Irish Government provides funding to Irish Sailing. These funds are exclusively for the benefit of the Performance Pathway. However, this falls short of the amount required to fund the Performance Pathway in order to allow Ireland compete at the highest level. As a result the Performance Pathway programme currently receives around €850,000 per annum from Sport Ireland and €150,000 from sponsorship. A further €2 million per annum is needed to have a major impact at the highest level. The Irish Sailing Foundation was established to bridge the financial gap through securing philanthropic donations, corporate giving and sponsorship.

The vision of the Irish Sailing Foundation is to generate the required financial resources for Ireland to scale-up and execute its world-class sailing programme. Irish Sailing works tirelessly to promote sailing in Ireland and abroad and has been successful in securing funding of 1 million euro from Sport Ireland. However, to compete on a par with other nations, a further €2 million is required annually to realise the ambitions of our talented sailors. For this reason, the Irish Sailing Foundation was formed to seek philanthropic donations. Led by a Board of Directors and Head of Development Kathryn Grace, the foundation lads a campaign to bridge the financial gap to provide the Performance Pathway with the funds necessary to increase coaching hours, upgrade equipment and provide world class sport science support to a greater number of high-potential Irish sailors.

The Senior and Academy teams of the Performance Pathway are supported with the provision of a coach, vehicle, coach boat and boats. Even with this level of subsidy there is still a large financial burden on individual families due to travel costs, entry fees and accommodation. There are often compromises made on the amount of days a coach can be hired for and on many occasions it is necessary to opt out of major competitions outside Europe due to cost. Money raised by the Irish Sailing Foundation will go towards increased quality coaching time, world-class equipment, and subsiding entry fees and travel-related costs. It also goes towards broadening the base of talented sailors that can consider campaigning by removing financial hurdles, and the Performance HQ in Dublin to increase efficiency and reduce logistical issues.

The ethos of the Performance Pathway is progression. At each stage international performance benchmarks are utilised to ensure the sailors are meeting expectations set. The size of a sailor will generally dictate which boat they sail. The classes selected on the pathway have been identified as the best feeder classes for progression. Currently the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway consists of the following groups: * Pathway (U15) Optimist and Topper * Youth Academy (U19) Laser 4.7, Laser Radial and 420 * Development Academy (U23) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX * Team IRL (direct-funded athletes) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX

The Irish Sailing performance director produces a detailed annual budget for the programme which is presented to Sport Ireland, Irish Sailing and the Foundation for detailed discussion and analysis of the programme, where each item of expenditure is reviewed and approved. Each year, the performance director drafts a Performance Plan and Budget designed to meet the objectives of Irish Performance Sailing based on an annual review of the Pathway Programmes from Junior to Olympic level. The plan is then presented to the Olympic Steering Group (OSG) where it is independently assessed and the budget is agreed. The OSG closely monitors the delivery of the plan ensuring it meets the agreed strategy, is within budget and in line with operational plans. The performance director communicates on an ongoing basis with the OSG throughout the year, reporting formally on a quarterly basis.

Due to the specialised nature of Performance Sport, Irish Sailing established an expert sub-committee which is referred to as the Olympic Steering Group (OSG). The OSG is chaired by Patrick Coveney and its objective is centred around winning Olympic medals so it oversees the delivery of the Irish Sailing’s Performance plan.

At Junior level (U15) sailors learn not only to be a sailor but also an athlete. They develop the discipline required to keep a training log while undertaking fitness programmes, attending coaching sessions and travelling to competitions. During the winter Regional Squads take place and then in spring the National Squads are selected for Summer Competitions. As sailors move into Youth level (U19) there is an exhaustive selection matrix used when considering a sailor for entry into the Performance Academy. Completion of club training programmes, attendance at the performance seminars, physical suitability and also progress at Junior and Youth competitions are assessed and reviewed. Once invited in to the Performance Academy, sailors are given a six-month trial before a final decision is made on their selection. Sailors in the Academy are very closely monitored and engage in a very well planned out sailing, training and competition programme. There are also defined international benchmarks which these sailors are required to meet by a certain age. Biannual reviews are conducted transparently with the sailors so they know exactly where they are performing well and they are made aware of where they may need to improve before the next review.

©Afloat 2020