Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: LinerTender

#ClassicShip – It won't be all about vessels under sail as the veteran T.S.M.V. Cill Airne, which served as a trans-Atlantic passenger liner tender in Cobh, will be open to the public as part of the inaugural Dublin Port River Festival (1-3 June), writes Jehan Ashmore.

Throughout the three-day festival, the Cill Airne will have an Open Day between 11am to 6pm.

Since 2006, the Cill Airne has been moored as a static restaurant and bar venue along Dublin's North Wall Quay.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie,  last year she celebrated a major milestone, having been built 50 years ago at the nearby old Liffey Dockyard.

To celebrate her half-century, the Irish branch of the World Ship Society (WSS) based in Cobh held a special luncheon on board in the beautiful timber surroundings of the Quay 16 Restaurant.

The 500 tonnes vessel is also unique in that she is the last ship built from the yard.

Research has indicated that she along with her sister Blarna were built with rivetted hulls, this was a political one, designed to ensure employment of the last riveting crews at the dockyard.

This made Cill Airne unique to Dublin's maritime industrial heritage but also significant in that this outdated shipbuilding technique was still in practise in a European shipyard.

Why not come on board during the festival and explore this rare example of a surviving Irish built vessel.

In addition the upper decks will provide an opportunity to gain a higher elevation of the myriad of boating traffic and with Tallships berthed either side along the quays.

On Saturday the Howth 17's, the world's oldest one-design keelboat class still racing will indeed be doing just that!...and on Sunday the Old Gaffers 'Parade of Sail'.

Published in Historic Boats

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