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Displaying items by tag: US Coastguard Tallship

#TallshipPublicTours - The United States Coast Guard Cutter trainee tallship USCGC Eagle sailed into Dublin Port this morning following the maiden Irish port of call of cruiseship Disney Magic.

The USS Eagle is on a summer tour training schedule and the last port of call was New London, Connecticut – Fort Trumbull. The barque is on a five day visit to Dublin before heading to London.

According to the US Embassy, the tallship is to moor upriver at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and be open for free public tours on the following dates and times:

Thursday, May 26th: 3:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, May 27th: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday, May 28th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 29th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Monday, May 30th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

At 90 meters (295ft) in length, Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in United States government service.

Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as Horst Wessell by the German Navy, Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II. The vessel is a three-masted barque with more than 6797 square meters (22,300 sqFt) of sail and 9.7 kilometers (6-mi) of rigging.

Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the Coast Guard Academy curriculum. During this sail, Eagle also hosts cadets from the Royal Malaysian, and Honduran Navies who, after they graduate with a 4-year degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, will return to their respective countries to share the lessons learned with their services.

The last time Eagle visited Dublin, Ireland was 1996. After 20 years, Eagle is crossing the North Atlantic to visit this historical city again. After departing Dublin, Eagle will set her course for London, England.

For a continuous stream of information about Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, including port cities, tour schedules, current events and cadet and active duty crew-member photographs, follow the “U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle” Facebook page. All U.S. Coast Guard imagery is public domain and can be shared widely.

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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