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Displaying items by tag: former Flinter Group cargoship

#ports&shipping - In a break from the norm Arklow Shipping has acquired secondhand tonnage following a splurge of newbuilds delivered over recent years, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The latest addition, Arklow Dawn brings a revised fleet total to 52 multipurpose vessels. This does not include those newbuilds almost completed, among them Arklow Venus as reported recently and now the addition of this former Flinter Group B.V. cargsoship. Likewise of the newbuild, Arklow Dawn revives a vessel name albeit that been of a larger dry-cargo bulker. 

The Flinter Group was one of the largest shipping groups in the Netherlands operating around 50 multipurpose vessels in the shortsea sector. The firm however was forced into bankrupty which led to the business closing in December 2016. A leading creditor ceased funding the Group with the assets in the form of the ships put up for auction.

As for ASL's latest member of the mixed Irish and Dutch flagged fleet, Arklow Dawn flies that of the tricolor from the ship's stern with Arklow as port of registry. 

Arklow Dawn has been issued with a Certification of Classification from international classification society, Bureau Veritas based in Germany.  At 132m long and on a beam of 15m, the general cargoship that cany grain is also certified to carry containers.

The 11,204dwt cargoship has a capacity of 13,008m3 and a speed of 12 knots. The annual survey 1 was carried out earlier this year in Aalborg, Denmark.

Arklow Dawn is currently on passage from Lisbon, Portugal and heading eastbound through the English Channel. The cargoship is off the Contentin Peninsula in Normandy, France from where the ship is to sail upriver on the Seine to the inland port of Rouen.

Published in Arklow Shipping

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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