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Displaying items by tag: O'Caoimh

Wakeboard history has just been made by our two most talented Irish Team Wakeboard Riders. Against the very best Wakeboard Riders in the World and also against fierce international competition for these prestigious invitations, the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation World Cup Selectors have invited Sian Hurst (Belfast) and David O'Caoimh (Dublin) to take part in the World Cup Series for the very first time. Congratulations to Sian and David on this major international recognition.

In the coming days, Sian and David will board their long haul flights from Dublin for Kuching City in Sarawak, Borneo. This will be the 31st World Cup Stop in this very successful Series. To date, it has travelled through London, Moscow, Alexandria, Singapore, Beijing, Doha, Chuncheon, Liuzhou and many other exotic venues, including Enniskillen ! The Series will finish this year in Linyi City in China immediately after the Sarawak Stop.

wakeboard girl

Sian

Sian and David have shown enormous progress in recent times. Their World Cup selection is very well deserved. They will join the current World Wakeboard Open Champions, Harley Clifford AUS and Raimi Merrit USA and will compete against a star studded line-up of 30 athletes from 20 countries. This will be by far the biggest challenge ever for any Irish Team Rider and they are well prepared for this extraordinary test.

wakeboard ireland

Sian and David

Twenty one year old Sian Hurst recently took the Gold Medal at Chill & Ride Challenge in Germany, the Silver Medal in the World Championships in 2007 and the Bronze Medal at the European Championships in 2008. She has been the Irish National Wakeboard Champions from 2007 to 2011, in spite of a knee injury last year. Seventeen year old David O'Caoimh is the reigning Irish National Wakeboard Champion, and this year alone has taken the Gold Medal at UK Wakestock and a Silver Medal at the World Championships in Italy.

David Wakeboard

David

The Kuching City World Cup Stop will be a very special experience. It will form an important part of the historical Sarawak Regatta founded in 1872. Over 400 elaborate canoes, dragon boats and long boats will have 6,000 paddlers on board ! There will be a LIVE Webcast and for those who want to share in the thrills and performances of Sian and David, here is the Link to bookmark for Saturday and Sunday, September 17th/18th. Sarawak is GMT +8hrs.

http://247.tv/waterski/freestream/2011-sarawak-wakeboard-world-cup/ <http://247.tv/waterski/freestream/2011-sarawak-wakeboard-world-cup/>

One of the organisers is Irish Waterski & Wakeboard Federation President, Des Burke-Kennedy, and he will be reporting back here throughout the World Cup Series as usual.

After Sarawak, David has also been invited to move on to Linyi City in China for the final World Cup Stop of the year. Sian may yet get an invitation there if anybody falls off that Entry List.

Congratulations to both Sian and David - and good luck in this amazing World Cup experience.

Published in Waterskiing

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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