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The Irish Coast Guard has released statistics revealing a busy summer period and a significant increase certain types of search and rescue incidents.
Most notable is the increase in incidents involving leisure activities such as surfing, diving, and canoeing.
There was also an increase in the number of merchant vessels requiring assistance, which was up approximately 50% on 2010 figures.
Irish Coast Guard director Chris Reynolds said: "We began our safety awareness campaign in May, which was aimed at holidaymakers and members of the public who were planning water sports, enjoying cliff walks or engaging in coastal activities throughout Ireland. We also targeted walkers and climbers.
"Despite the advice and information provided, we have seen a significant increase in requests for assistance for some incidents over this summer (particularly leisure-based water-activities) and a 20% increase in taskings of our helicopters and crews."
However, Reynolds added that while the total number of incidents has remained broadly the same as last year, there was a 75% increase in lives saved so far in 2011 "which demonstrates that the Coast Guard safety message is getting through".

The Irish Coast Guard has released statistics revealing a busy summer period and a significant increase certain types of search and rescue incidents.

Most notable is the increase in incidents involving leisure activities such as surfing, diving, and canoeing.

There was also an increase in the number of merchant vessels requiring assistance, which was up approximately 50% on 2010 figures. 

Irish Coast Guard director Chris Reynolds said: "We began our safety awareness campaign in May, which was aimed at holidaymakers and members of the public who were planning water sports, enjoying cliff walks or engaging in coastal activities throughout Ireland. We also targeted walkers and climbers.  

"Despite the advice and information provided, we have seen a significant increase in requests for assistance for some incidents over this summer (particularly leisure-based water-activities) and a 20% increase in taskings of our helicopters and crews."

However, Reynolds added that while the total number of incidents has remained broadly the same as last year, there was a 75% increase in lives saved so far in 2011 "which demonstrates that the Coast Guard safety message is getting through".

Published in Coastguard
The Irish Underwater Council (ICU) says injuries in sports diving are increasing, the Irish Examiner reports.
Some 12 of a total of 61 registered incidents last year caused injury to divers. Other incidents included near-misses between boats, divers going missing, air shortages and rapid ascent.
ICU national diving officer Martin Kiely said the figures did not necessarily show that more incidents were occurring, but rather that more were being reported.
The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

The Irish Underwater Council (ICU) says injuries in sports diving are increasing, the Irish Examiner reports.

Some 12 of a total of 61 registered incidents last year caused injury to divers. Other incidents included near-misses between boats, divers going missing, air shortages and rapid ascent.

ICU national diving officer Martin Kiely said the figures did not necessarily show that more incidents were occurring, but rather that more were being reported. 

The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

Published in Diving

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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