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Displaying items by tag: Solo Sailer Tom Doran

#Lecture - "2016 Offshore Racing in France-A Steep Learning Curve" -An illustrated lecture by Solo Offshore Sailor Tom Dolan is to take place on Thursday 16 February at 20:00hrs.

The venue for the Glenua & Friends organised lecture series as usual is at the Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club, Ringsend, Dublin 4. There will be an entry fee of €5 in aid of the RNLI.

What a year 2016 was for Tom Dolan!

About this time last year on a wet and windy Thursday night in Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club, he gave a short presentation to Glenua members and friends on his experiences in the Mini Transat 2015. As promised, he is back in Poolbeg after a much more successful season where learning from mistakes was crucial.

Tom spent the winter preparing a new boat from scratch. His first outing with the new machine led him to his first (and Ireland’s first) victory in the class when he won the 500 Mile "Mini en Mai".

A month later another win in the Trophée MAP and he set his sights firmly on the SAS,a singlehanded race from Les Sables d'Olonne to The Azores and back for which he was named favourite. He arrived in Horta in second place but disaster struck in the return leg. He arrived back in France in 11th place!

Tom promises to share, warts and all, this and other learning experiences in his presentation in video and slide formats.

A rapid progression by Tom in the Glenans Irish Sailing School from volunteer to sailing instructor, to sailing centre manager in Ireland and France and passion for the sea, earned him an enviable reputation in the sail training world. However, below the radar, so to speak, was talent and increasing engagement with the challenges of ocean racing.

Published in News Update

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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