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Displaying items by tag: Dingle Harbour's largest ship

#PortAward - The Scottish south-west Port of Ayr, (south of Troon, see ferry report) part of the large UK ports owned group, ABP, won the top accolade at this year’s company chairman’s awards, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The award is the ‘Oscars’ for staff of the ABP (Associated British Ports), which operates 21 ports across Scotland, England and Wales. Among cargoes handled are aggregates, animal feed, salt, sand and forest products. In this trade alone around 200,000 tonnes are handled annually.

An example of a general cargoship using the Ayrshire port is shown in the above photo of Wilson Gdynia (2,506grt) operated by Norwegian based Wilson Group. The vessel berthed at North Quay, on the River Ayr. A fleetmate, Wilson Dublin (2,452grt) became the largest ship to dock in Dingle Harbour, where it loaded sandstone from west Kerry last year for use in UK roads construction.

The Port of Ayr not only won the Customer Service Award in the UK-wide port network, but took the Group Award as well, the biggest honour at the ceremony.

The group were nominated by port manager Stuart Cresswell who praised his team for their focus on continuing operational improvement and, in particular, for their service to fertiliser specialist Yara.

Yara operates from seven locations in the UK, including the Port of Ayr which it ranked as its top port in 2015 in terms of customer service. Simon Barley, Supply Chain Operations Manager for Yara UK and Ireland, said: “Ayr comes out on top as Yara’s best import terminal in the 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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