Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Fireworks

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - The skies of Galway will explode with colour tonight with a spectacular 4th of July fireworks display to coincide with the Volvo Ocean Race finale.

The event only adds to the celebratory atmosphere in the City of the Tribes after Damian Foxall's Groupama team crossed the finish line with an unassailable lead in the overall points table - marking the first Volvo Ocean Race win for the Kerryman after four attempts.

The Independence Day event is being organised by the US Embassy in Dublin, and will include a parade through the city from Eyre Square to the Global Village at 7pm.

The eight-minute pyrotechnic and musical extravaganza will commence after dark at 10.45pm on Mutton Island, just south of The Claddagh, and will be visible throughout the city - though the prime viewing spits will be South Park, Grattan Road, Dr Colohan Road and anywhere in Salthill. 

Published in Ocean Race
This weekend's Tall Ships Races in Waterford could bring in up to €35 million to the local economy, according to Fáilte Ireland.
Gerry Breen of Fáilte Ireland also told The Irish Times that the event would complement the new Viking Triangle development in the city, which is hoped to be a major tourist attraction.
Des Whelan, chairman of the Waterford Tall Ships Race 2011, said the official website had registered nearly 200,000 hits, and hotels in the city are almost completely booked out.
Opening the weekend's festivties this evening are a fashion show on board the Russian sailing ship Mir, and a special concert by Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry.
The first of three impressive fireworks displays will also light up Waterford's skies at 10.30pm tonight.

This weekend's Tall Ships Races in Waterford could bring in up to €35 million to the local economy, according to Fáilte Ireland.

Gerry Breen of Fáilte Ireland also told The Irish Times that the event would complement the new Viking Triangle development in the city, which is hoped to be a major tourist attraction.

Des Whelan, chairman of the Waterford Tall Ships Race 2011, said the official website had registered nearly 200,000 hits, and hotels in the city are almost completely booked out.

Opening the weekend's festivties this evening are a fashion show on board the Russian sailing ship Mir, and a special concert by Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry.

The first of three impressive fireworks displays will also light up Waterford's skies at 10.30pm tonight.

Published in Tall Ships

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

Featured Sailing School

INSS sidebutton

Featured Clubs

dbsc mainbutton
Howth Yacht Club
Kinsale Yacht Club
National Yacht Club
Royal Cork Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht club
Royal Saint George Yacht Club

Featured Brokers

leinster sidebutton

Featured Webcams

Featured Associations

ISA sidebutton
ICRA
isora sidebutton

Featured Marinas

dlmarina sidebutton

Featured Sailmakers

northsails sidebutton
uksails sidebutton
quantum sidebutton
watson sidebutton

Featured Chandleries

CHMarine Afloat logo
https://afloat.ie/resources/marine-industry-news/viking-marine

Featured Blogs

W M Nixon - Sailing on Saturday
podcast sidebutton
BSB sidebutton
wavelengths sidebutton
 

Please show your support for Afloat by donating