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Displaying items by tag: LE James Joyce 'twinned'

#OPVtwinning - L.É. James Joyce (P62) the Naval Service’s newest OPV90 / 'Beckett' class was twinned with the City of Waterford last Sunday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Port of Waterford was host to the event which saw Waterford City and County Council twin the L.É. James Joyce with the south-eastern maritime city. The €50 million newbuild was commissioned in September 2015 and replaced L.É. Aoife (P22) which too was twinned with the city and also from where she was decommissioned last year.

The morning twinning ceremony of L.É. James Joyce took place at the Frank Cassin Wharf on the City Quays, where the offshore patrol vessels career will be the focus of attention of the council and people.

Following the twinning, Mayor John Cummins hosted a ceremony at City Hall where among the attendees where Minister for Defence Simon Coveney, Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellet, Officer Commanding the L.E. James Joyce, Lieutenant Commander Brian Dempsey and crew of 44 personnel along with family members.

The twinning also consolidated an existing fundraising relationship between the Naval Service and staff from the Paediatric Ward at University Hospital Waterford, who also attended the ceremony.

During the weekend, the OPV was open to the public with tours of the newbuild built by Babcock Marine & Technology, Appledore Devon. This is where the final of three OPV90 class sisters, L.É. William Butler Yeats is under construction.

Published in Navy

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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