Displaying items by tag: interview

23rd May 2011

Best Ever Surfing Winter for Ferg and Tom

Surfing magazine MagicSeaweed recently caught up with waveriders Fergal Smith and Tom Lowe to get the lowdown on winter surfing on the Emerald Isle.

The pair describe how flat surf after last November's 'big freeze' gave way to a run of big waves from January to March. For UK pro Lowe in particular it was his best ever season - but also one that left him spent.

"The finisher for me was that Mully morning session [off Mullaghmore]," he told MagicSeaweed. "Ferg towed me into the best wave of my life that morning; sounds wet but I was drained emotionally and physically by it."

For 'Ferg' Smith, the highlight was the paddle session at the Pampa wave near Bundoran.

"I grew up surfing Pampa so I know the wave well but I have never surfed it as big and perfect at that," he said.

MagicSeaweed has more insights from Tom and Ferg HERE.

http://magicseaweed.com/Ferg-&-Tom-A-Winters-Tale-Content/3167/

Surfing magazine MagicSeaweed recently caught up with waveriders Fergal Smith and Tom Lowe to get the lowdown on winter surfing on the Emerald Isle.

For 'Ferg' Smith, the highlight was the paddle session at the Pampa wave near Bundoran.

"I grew up surfing Pampa so I know the wave well but I have never surfed it as big and perfect at that," he said.

MagicSeaweed has more insights from Tom and Ferg HERE.

Published in Surfing

Tagged under

Expansion Is The Only Way Says Dublin Port Chief

Trade at Dublin Port is set to more than double over the next 30 years, according to its chief executive Eamonn O'Reilly.

In an interview with The Irish Times last week, O'Reilly elaborated on the new 'master plan' for the port, which is based on an estimated trade growth to 60 million tonnes (or 2.5% annually) by 2040.

“Last year’s growth [of 6.1%] suggests to me that we need to get our planning caps on and get a solid and robust master plan in place,” said O’Reilly.

The master plan, according to the Dubin Port chief, will require expansion of the existing port by reclaiming up to 40 hectares, as well as a greater integration with bordering areas.

Previous attempts to expand have faced much opposition from conservation groups and local residents for a number of years.

O’Reilly stressed that the local community will be engaged on the issues involved before Dublin Port produces a final proposal at the end of the year.

But he also insisted that "there’s no project [that hee knows of] for port expansion that doesn’t involve reclamation", despite proposals to establish a new port at Bremore.

Read more of The Irish Times intreview with Eamonn O'Reilly HERE.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2011/0408/1224294213196.html

Trade at Dublin Port is set to more than double over the next 30 years, according to its chief executive Eamonn O'Reilly.

In an interview with The Irish Times last week, O'Reilly elaborated on the new 'master plan' for the port, which is based on an estimated trade growth to 60 million tonnes (or 2.5% annually) by 2040.

“Last year’s growth [of 6.1%] suggests to me that we need to get our planning caps on and get a solid and robust master plan in place,” said O’Reilly.

The master plan, according to the Dubin Port chief, will require expansion of the existing port by reclaiming up to 40 hectares, as well as a greater integration with bordering areas.

Previous attempts to expand have faced much opposition from conservation groups and local residents for a number of years.

O’Reilly stressed that the local community will be engaged on the issues involved before Dublin Port produces a final proposal at the end of the year.

But he also insisted that "there’s no project [that hee knows of] for port expansion that doesn’t involve reclamation", despite proposals to establish a new port at Bremore.

Published in Ports & Shipping

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About the 29er Skiff Dinghy

The 29er is a one-design double-handed, single trapeze skiff for youth sailors.

There is an active class in Ireland, just one of the 38-countries from across all continents now racing the high-performance skiff.

The 29er is one of the latest dinghy classes to arrive in Ireland and has a 50/50 split between boys and girls.

The class like to describe the boat as "The most popular skiff for sailors who want to go fast!".

Derived from the Olympic class 49er class and designed by Julian Bethwaite the 29er was first produced in 1998.

Two sailors sail the 29er, one on trapeze.

The 6.25-metre high rig features a fractional asymmetrical spinnaker; a self-tacking jib decreases the workload of the crew, making manoeuvres more efficient and freeing the crew to take the mainsheet upwind and on two-sail reaches.

The 15.00 m2 spinnaker rigging set-up challenges crews to be fit and coordinated, and manoeuvres in the boat require athleticism due to its lack of inherent stability and the high speed with which the fully battened mainsail and jib power up.

The 74kg weight hull is constructed of fibreglass-reinforced polyester in a foam sandwich layout.

The fully battened mainsail and jib are made from a transparent Mylar laminate with orange or red Dacron trimming, while the spinnaker is manufactured from ripstop Nylon.

The mast is in three parts - an aluminium bottom and middle section, with a polyester-fibreglass composite tip to increase mast bend and decrease both overall weights, and the capsizing moment a heavy mast tip can generate. Foils are aluminium or fibreglass.

About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):

ILCA 4: sail of 4.70m2

ILCA 6: sail of 5.76 m2

ILCA 7: sail of 7.06 m2