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Displaying items by tag: Storm Brigid

#StormBrigid - Two canoeists in trouble off Spiddal Pier were attended by lifeboats from Galway the Aran Islands yesterday afternoon (Saturday 1 February) as Storm Brigid made for an inauspicious start to spring.

The worst of the weather was experienced in Limerick, with hundreds evacuated from their homes as the River Shannon burst its banks, and images of the city under many feet of water broadcast worldwide.

The Irish Independent puts the cost of damage from this weekend's weather at 'millions'.

In Galway – which suffered from another spate of flooding as high tides and storm-force winds assaulted the West coast – volunteer lifeboat crews from Galway RNLI and Aran Islands RNLI, along with the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, were tasked to Spiddal Pier but stood down when the two canoeists managed to make it ashore.

RTÉ News reports of further structural damage on islands in Galway Bay, as well as severe flooding in parts of Co Kerry.

And an investigation has been opened after a grim discovery this morning on a beach in Clifden, Co Galway, where a local person found a human skull washed up after the storm.

The East coast wasn't spared the extreme conditions, either, with Clontarf in North Dublin seeing giant sandbags placed along the seafront to hold back floodwaters from homes and shopfronts.

The wooden bridge to the Bull Wall was also closed by Gardaí and Dublin City Council.

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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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