Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Red Bull Storm Chase

Force 10 winds forecast for this weekend will attract eight of the world’s more fearless windsurfers to Ireland’s Atlantic coast for a competition three years in the making.

As BreakingNews.ie reports, the precise date and venue for the Red Bull Storm Chase along the Wild Atlantic Way have not yet been decided, being influenced by where the squalls currently tracking towards Ireland ahead of two major storm systems will make landfall.

But if conditions prove optimal, the brave boarders will take to the big waves — judged on the size of their high-flying jumps, their artistry in the air and their overall style amid winds in excess of 100kmh.

BreakingNews.ie has more on the story HERE.

Published in Surfing

#Windsurfing - Mission 2 of the Red Bull Storm Chase to Galicia has been abandoned at the last minute due to an unstable weather forecast for the coast of northern Spain.

It's a big blow to the six waveriders who qualified for the second-stage of the global windsurfing challenge after three rounds of exciting competition in Brandon Bay less than two months ago.

The storm-force winds that swept the Kerry coast at the end of January provided the perfect conditions to test the mettle of the brave sailboarders who took to the water at the 'Dumps' ad 'Hell's Gate'.

Of the ten-strong field, six survived to advance to the second round - Marcilio Browne, Dany Bruch, Victor Fernandez, Robby Swift, Julien Taboulet and Thomas Traversa.

And Red Bull have posted a video compilation of highlights of all the action from Mission 1 in Kerry, which you can see below:

Published in Surfing

#redbull – The organisers of Red Bull Storm Chasers have scrambled all their crews and teams who had 48hrs to travel from across the globe to Ireland for the first "Mission" on the 3 mission challenge writes Brian Carlin.

Today saw the majority of the country hit with storm force winds. It's results included debris filled roads, heavy traffic, structural damage to buildings and generally unwanted among the most of the country.

Well, not quite the same could be said if you were standing on the back beach in Castlegregory, Co.Kerry locally known as "Dumps" this morning.

It's simple, Red Bull Storm Chase set a 4 month challenge where they require 3 "missions" to be completed. There is 7 possible locations, United States, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, France, Tasmania and Japan.

The conditions seemed just right for the organisers who pulled the trigger Saturday, a logistically nightmare to get the gear, teams, TV crews, helicopters to Ireland.

The first session of the day kicked off in Dumps, Co.Kerry at 7am. A dark morning that quickly brightened by mid-morning. There was a small gathering, massively understated as I read the event is "Windsurfing's Most Challenging Contest". It wasn't long before I understood the attitude, these guys were interested in the sport, they didn't care about hitting news headlines or making the papers, they spoke and were friendly but it was obvious the feeling was focused on the event and nothing else. Serious dedication. In fact I spoke with a competitor who told me his opposition flew in from Maui at 1.30am Monday to Dublin airport. He jumped straight into a car drove through the night. Had his breakfast and showered, then proceeded to suit up for the days challenge.

The crowds did begin to grow and by 12pm about 100 spectators looked on. The winds increased with gusts recorded over 50 knots. As the wind slightly shifted from south west to west south west the organisers decided to move the camp and head to "Hell's Gate". You couldn't build what seemed to be the God's natural Amphitheatre for this event. A little rocky cove that backed onto the North Atlantic, slightly sheltered which made launch and recovery much easier. The cliffs were lined with a variety of young and old, even the local farmers stopped traffic in their tractors to what must have been a rather unusual sight, Red Bull cars and vans, a low flying helicopter and handful of windsurfers who seemed to spend as much time in the air as in the water.

Six sailors now advance to the next mission, where and when? only the weather can decide the time and date.

Published in Surfing

#Windsurfing - Due to 2012's calm storm season, organisers of the Red Bull Storm Chase recently extended the competition into this year - and competitors are currently racing to Ireland for the first mission of the contest.

Brandon Bay in Kerry was decided as the spot early this morning, and the competition is scheduled to begin just after sunrise tomorrow (Monday 28 January) when stormy weather conditions are expected to be at their peak.

The Red Bull Storm Chase website has live updates from competitors making their way to Kerry from as far away as the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Ten windsurfers chosen by community vote will take part in the first mission, with the top six going on to the second mission some time before 22 March at any one of seven possible destinations around the world, most of which have not before taken centre stage on the windsurfing scene.

Sadly no Irish windsurfers will be competing this time round, but names the likes of Timo Mullen and Dan Gardner on the shortlist will surely be keeping an eye on the competition as they get set to chase the ride of their lives.

Published in Surfing

#WINDSURFING - Ireland's windsurfers have been set with the challenge - find the strongest storm conditions for the ride of their lives.

The Red Bull Storm Chase 2012 will see 10 of the world’s best windsurfers take part in what the energy drinks brand describes as the most challenging windsurfing contest of all time, as they sail willingly into force 10 winds and monster surf to match.

Suggestions for venues opened on 1 May at redbullstormchase.com - and no doubt the incredible storm surges off Mullaghmore Head will be at the top of Irish lists.

Come July, amateurs and professionals alike from around can register to take part, with a community vote deciding the 10 finalists. Then from August to November, the global hunt for the storms begins, with the field gradually narrowing down to determine the victor.

"Red Bull Storm Chase gives us a dream contest," said PWA World Tour head judge head judge Duncan Coombs. "We’ll travel to the storm instead of waiting for it to find us. We can expect to pull off a competition in the most extreme wind and wave conditions, in new found places.

"We will do our best to push the boundaries of competition and to explore the world’s most radical conditions."

Published in Surfing

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