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Displaying items by tag: Tall Ships Parade of Sail

#PARADE OF SAIL – In preparation for this Sunday's Tall Ships climax of the 'Parade of Sail', a rehearsal 21 Gun Salute will take place today at 14.00hrs at the East Pier Battery, in Dun Loaghaire Harbour, writes Jehan Ashmore.

After the four-day festival ends on Sunday, the tallships are to depart from Dublin Port at 11am, led by the Naval Service LE Emer (P21) with the three hour long 'Parade of Sail' into Dublin Bay. The 40-plus fleet will set a course along a corridor bound for Dun Laoghaire Harbour before turning around and steering for the Baily Lighthouse on Howth.

To mark the sailing spectacle, the battery in Dun Laoghaire Harbour will perform the 21 Gun Salute at approximately 11.45hrs. The criss-crossing of the Parade of Sail route will provide great shore-based spectator vantage points along both east and west piers of the harbour and on Howth Peninsula.

Gun salutes are, by nature, a noise hazard and the public are advised to keep 'well clear of the area' during the time of rehearsal and the gun salute. Blank ammunition will be fired for both the rehearsal and the gun salute.

The battery is equipped with 12-pounder naval guns and they have traditionally been, and remain, the responsibility of the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, McKee Barracks, in Dublin.

Published in Tall Ships

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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