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Displaying items by tag: New Freight Record

#DublinPort - A major operator in Dublin Port, Stena Line has set a new company record for freight on its service to Holyhead, carrying a total of over 250,000 units in 2018.

The milestone was achieved today, when Patrick van der Vijver from Hannon Transport completed the 08.10 hrs crossing from Dublin to Holyhead.

Patrick had the honour of transporting the freight unit on the Stena Adventurer. To celebrate the record-breaking achievement on the Irish Sea, he was presented with a bottle of champagne and free car + 2 crossing on the route by Stena Line’s Onboard Services Receptionist Rob Owen and Onboard Services Manager Sharon Kelly as pictured above.

Ian Davies, Stena Line Trade Director (Irish Sea South) said: “Achieving over a quarter of a million freight units on our Dublin-Holyhead service is a major business achievement for our region. Dublin – Holyhead is a crucial trading link between Ireland and Britain as evidenced by this record volume of freight traffic in 2018. Stena Line has worked hard over the last number of years to develop this service".

"We have striven to improve service levels, reliability and punctuality, working with our valued freight customers to optimise our respective businesses. We are also investing in the future with the Dublin – Holyhead route being chosen by Stena Line as the first European route to take delivery of the first of its new generation ferries, current under construction, in early 2020. Crucially, the new vessel will offer over 3 000 lane meters of freight capacity, a 50% increase on the vessel it will take over from.”

The company is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, running services between Ireland and the UK in addition to Ireland and France, that together total 238 weekly sailings.

Published in Dublin Port

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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