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Displaying items by tag: St George's Channel

A family in Waterford got a big surprise at the weekend when they learned a football they’d lost in the water was found on the Welsh coast.

As the Irish Examiner reports, Aline Denton was walking on the shore near her Llanrhystud home when she spotted the ball bearing the distinctive GAA logo and the name Aoife Ní Niocaill.

After posting the discovery on her Facebook page, it took on a life of its own — and within hours Aoife’s father has spotted the image and got in touch.

He informed her how the ball had been lost as the tide turned off Woodstown beach on Sunday 10 January.

In the days since, it turns out it had been carried across St George’s Channel and the Irish Sea to the shores of Cardigan Bay.

The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

Published in News Update

#Kayaking - Four friends are currently padding across St George’s Channel by kayak in an effort to turn the tide on suicide.

According to Independent.ie, the group comprising hotelier Liam Griffin and Defence Force members Stephan Happe, Araon Kearney and David Feehan was scheduled to leave Wexford this morning (Saturday 23 June) for the crossing to St David’s Head in South Wales.

The 100km route is expected to take over 13 hours to complete by this evening — a challenge and a half but one the foursome, who have trained with solo kayak record-breaker Mick O’Meara, are more than capable of handling.

Independent.ie has more on the story HERE.

Published in Kayaking
Tagged under

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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