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Displaying items by tag: Lorcan Tighe

Lorcan Tighe of Dun Laoghaire makes such a broadly-based contribution to Irish sailing as a sailor, an instructor and a race officer, that you’d assume he was somebody with many years of experience under his belt. But he’s only 17 – a Sixth Form schoolboy, to be precise. Yet his sailing CV is already formidable.

He was the bowman when only 16 on the demanding Reflex 38 Lynx, which Kenneth Rumball of the Irish National Sailing School raced to tenth overall, and winner of the Sailing Schools Division, in the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016.

And this year, young Lorcan was to be found in all roles – including helming – when the INSS’s J/109 Jedi won Class IRC 3B outright, and the Roger Justice Trophy for Sailing Schools, in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2017.

All this was only revealed during September, when the Roger Justice Trophy finally found its rightful home for 2017. But by that time, Lorcan Tighe was back at school, while instructing at the INSS during his free hours. And when the highly individual RS600 class were experiencing difficulties in finding a club and a race officer to run their Irish Open Nationals in September, it was Lorcan Tighe and the Irish National Sailing Club who willingly stepped up to the plate.

Seldom have we had a junior award winner whose contribution to our sport manifests itself in so many positive ways. Lorcan Tighe, the Afloat.ie Junior Sailor of the Month for September, is an inspiration for us all.

Published in Sailor of the Month
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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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