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Displaying items by tag: Dutch Navy trainee visitor

#RoyalNavieS – The UK’s Royal Navy Faslane-based mine hunter HMS Ramsey has returned Scottish home waters this week, after a successful term of deployment as part of Standing Mine Counter Measures Group 1 (MCM1) NATO flotilla which Afloat adds visited the capital in April.

The Helensburgh Advertiser writes that crew seven from the MCM1, have most recently been operating the ‘Sandown’ Class vessel. The activity came after the visit to Dublin where the crew of HMS Ramsey hosted His Excellency the British Ambassador to Ireland, Dominick Chilcott.

The vessel trained alongside the Irish Navy when the NATO task group (incl. The Netherlands) sailed in the company of OPV90 LÉ James Joyce. She is second ‘Samuel-Beckett’ class off-shore patrol vessel and Afloat adds is a sister of LÉ William Butler Yeats that is to begin builder’s trials in early July. Also reported today is a new ‘fourth’ sister has been ordered by the Irish Government.

A Dutch Navy auxiliary ship, HNLMS Van Kinsbergen is next to call to Dublin Port with an arrival on Saturday. The small stout looking training ship of only 40m has an extra bridge fully equipped to enable trainees to work the 528 gross tonnage vessel.

Published in Naval Visits

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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