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#Cruiseliners -Discovery not only has the distinction of becoming the first cruise caller to Dublin Port in 2013 but also under the brand of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 700 passenger capacity vessel docked today at Ocean Pier having departed her homeport of Avonmouth yesterday for the start of this year's cruise season.

Discovery of 20,000 tonnes and built in 1972 will be followed by fleetmate Marco Polo with a call on Friday to Dublin Port where the port is to welcome another record-breaking season with around 100 calls, with the Gathering being a major visitor draw.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie the giant 2010 built $547m MSC Magnifica of 95,000 tonnes which has more than 1,500 cabins accommodating a maximum 3,223 passengers, is to make her maiden 'Irish' call in late May.

The 294m 'Musica' class vessel is a larger fleetmate of Mediterranean Shipping Company's MSC Lirica, which last year also made a debut docking to Dublin Port and Cobh.

Other large callers to Dublin Port are Caribbean Princess, Celebrity Infinity and Queen Elizabeth which made her inaugural Irish call in 2011.

In addition The World, which also makes a return to the capital following her first ever call to Galway Harbour with an 'anchorage' call in early July.

Last year approximately 90 individual cruise calls were made to the capital which welcomed 100,000 passengers and brought between them €35-50m to the local economy.

With the increase in calls during 2013, the Dublin Port Company is to address future demand through its Masterplan 2012-2040, with a proposed new dedicated cruise terminal completed by 2015.

The facility would be sited along North Wall Quay Extension close to the East Link Bridge.

 

Published in Dublin Port

The GP14 is a popular sailing dinghy, with well over 14,000 boats built.

The class is active in the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and parts of north-eastern USA, and the GP14 can be used for both racing and cruising. 

Designed by Jack Holt in 1949, with the assistance of the Dovey Yacht Club in Aberdyfi. The idea behind the design was to build a General Purpose (GP) 14-foot dinghy which could be sailed or rowed, capable of also being powered effectively by a small outboard motor, able to be towed behind a small family car and able to be launched and recovered reasonably easily, and stable enough to be able to lie to moorings or anchor when required. Racing soon followed, initially with some degree of opposition from Yachting World, who had commissioned the design, and the boat soon turned out to be an outstanding racing design also.

The boat was initially designed with a main and small jib as a comfortable family dinghy. In a design philosophy that is both practical and highly redolent of social attitudes of the day the intention was that she should accommodate a family comprising parents plus two children, and specifically that the jib should be modest enough for "Mum" or older children to handle, while she should perform well enough to give "Dad" some excitement when not taking the family out. While this rig is still available, and can be useful when using the boat to teach sailing, or for family sailing, and has some popularity for cruising, the boat is more commonly seen with the full modern rig of a mainsail, genoa and spinnaker. Australian boats also routinely use trapezes.

GP14 Ireland Event Dates 2023

  • O'Tiarnaigh (Apr 22-23) Blessington Sailing Club
  • Ulsters (May 20-21) East Antrim Boat Club
  • Munsters (Jun 17-18) Tralee Bay Sailing Club
  • Leinsters (Jul 7-9) Dun Laoghaire Regatta
  • SOYC (Aug 19-20) Rush Sailing Club
  • Nationals (Sep 1-3) Sutton Dinghy Club
  • Hot Toddy (Sep 30-Oct 1) Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

 

At A Glance – GP14 Dinghy Specifications

Crew 2
Draft 1,200 mm (47 in)
Hull weight 132.9 kg
LOA 4.27 m (14 ft)
Beam 1.54 m
Spinnaker area 8.4 m2
Upwind sail area 12.85 m2

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