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Plans to develop a £250m project in the heart of Belfast's historical maritime district have been announced by Belfast Harbour Commissioners. The 'City Quays' project is designed to link the 185-acre Titanic Quarter Development with the City-Centre.The 20-acre scheme is to centre around the Clarendon Dock area. The development is to provide a mix of commercial offices, shops, cafes, restaurants, hotel space and residential accommodation.

In addition there will be educational, arts and cultural space for both residents and visitors. Showcasing the latest advances in 'green' architecture, the project has been master-planned by global award-winning architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, whose projects include the internationally-acclaimed Eden Project in Cornwall.

Belfast Harbour Commissioners chairman, Len O'Hagan, said: "City Quays is an occupier led project to provide high quality waterfront landscape for business, leisure, tourism and the arts. The aim is to help regenerate and reinvigorate the heart of historic Belfast, providing an attractive setting for potential overseas investors.

"City Quays will complement Titanic Quarter, including the Northern Ireland Science Park and Belfast Metropolitan College, linking them to the City Centre through a new cycle and pedestrian bridge.The scheme has generated significant interest and support from a wide range of stakeholders who have been consulted as part of the master-planning process. We will continue to involve and engage with these groups as the scheme develops in terms of layout and uses."

The project also proposes to incorporate a new pedestrian and cycle bridge which will also integrate the City Quays with the first phase of Belfast's new bus-based rapid transit system. Most of the scheme has been set aside for commercial office space, with a further 14% allocated for leisure / hotel uses. An allocation of 6% is for local retail units and 12% is set aside for residential use. Work on site will begin once the planning process has been completed and initial occupiers have been secured.

For further information and on the activities of Belfast Harbour logon to www.belfast-harbour.co.uk

Published in Ports & Shipping

The Half Ton Class was created by the Offshore Racing Council for boats within the racing band not exceeding 22'-0". The ORC decided that the rule should "....permit the development of seaworthy offshore racing yachts...The Council will endeavour to protect the majority of the existing IOR fleet from rapid obsolescence caused by ....developments which produce increased performance without corresponding changes in ratings..."

When first introduced the IOR rule was perfectly adequate for rating boats in existence at that time. However yacht designers naturally examined the rule to seize upon any advantage they could find, the most noticeable of which has been a reduction in displacement and a return to fractional rigs.

After 1993, when the IOR Mk.III rule reached it termination due to lack of people building new boats, the rule was replaced by the CHS (Channel) Handicap system which in turn developed into the IRC system now used.

The IRC handicap system operates by a secret formula which tries to develop boats which are 'Cruising type' of relatively heavy boats with good internal accommodation. It tends to penalise boats with excessive stability or excessive sail area.

Competitions

The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium. 

At A Glance – Half Ton Classics Cup Winners

  • 2017 – Kinsale – Swuzzlebubble – Phil Plumtree – Farr 1977
  • 2016 – Falmouth – Swuzzlebubble – Greg Peck – Farr 1977
  • 2015 – Nieuwport – Checkmate XV – David Cullen – Humphreys 1985
  • 2014 – St Quay Portrieux – Swuzzlebubble – Peter Morton – Farr 1977
  • 2013 – Boulogne – Checkmate XV – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1985
  • 2011 – Cowes – Chimp – Michael Kershaw – Berret 1978
  • 2009 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978
  • 2007 – Dun Laoghaire – Henri-Lloyd Harmony – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1980~
  • 2005 – Dinard – Gingko – Patrick Lobrichon – Mauric 1968
  • 2003 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978

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