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Displaying items by tag: St Michael's Head of the River

#Rowing: St Michael’s Head of the River, scheduled for Saturday (February 25th) has been cancelled. The forecast for O’Brien’s Bridge was not good.

The organisers hope to reschedule the head for March 18th, the date vacated by Galway Head of the River.

The Domestic Events Committee of Rowing Ireland will make the decision.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The St Michael’s Head of the River, set for this Saturday, March 12th, has been cancelled because of increased water levels at O’Brien’s Bridge. This event was rescheduled, after an earlier cancellation.

 The Dublin Head of the River, scheduled for March 26th, has also been cancelled. The organisers say that conditions on the weir at Islandbridge would not be safe. Offaly head, on this date, will accept entries for all standard grades except eights.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The St Michael’s Head of the River, due to be held on Saturday, February 20th, has been cancelled. The club announced that “due to the recent severe weather we have to announce the cancellation of this years’ Head of the River event at O’Briensbridge, County Clare. We hope to stage the event on an alternative date this year. We apologise for this cancellation. However weather conditions has made the staging of the event on  February 20th unsafe."

Published in Rowing

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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