Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: LiveStreaming@ Sea

RV Celtic Voyager of the Marine Institute, Ireland's national agency for marine research, development and innovation, has been working in south Dublin Bay this week, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 31.4m ship to be replaced next year by a Spanish newbuild, to be named the RV Tom Crean (52.8m), has since the start of this week carried out ship-based training albeit for 'land-based' marine biology students given the lock-down restrictions.

Despite that, Dr. Simon Berrow and Mr. John Boyd of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) have been 'live-streaming' from on board the RV Celtic Voyager to their students at home.

According to a tweet on the M.I. website, the work has been an excellent run down of what's involved in offshore surveys. As close as the real thing as you can get, less the swell and the rain! 

The scene was observed by Afloat as the RV Celtic Voyager was in a south Dublin Bay prior to returning to the temporary base of Dun Laoghaire Harbour this afternoon. According to Met.ie, gale force 8-9 winds forecast tonight on the Irish Sea and Storm Force 10 off Wicklow Head and further south. 

Already in port at Carlisle Pier, the UK registered, Spanish owned trawler Magan D which had been adrift that arrived at the weekend. Also berthed but since yesterday, Dublin Array's proposed wind-farm project related ship, Fugro Mercator having been busy on geophysical surveys.

The GMIT has a Marine and Freshwater Research Centre where among the specialist research staff is Dr Simon Berrow, responsible for Marine mammals, seabirds and Environmental impact. Also on board, Mr. John Boyd's specialising in fisheries, seagoing operations and maritime training.

The vessels six day (at 'sea') training programme is scheduled to end this Saturday.

While today, the M.I. other larger research vessel, RV Celtic Explorer (65.5m) is working in waters considerably further offshore in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Afloat tracked RV Celtic Explorer some 400 nautical miles offshore of the western seaboard to the ship's homeport of Galway.

The deployment of the vessel is to support an Ocean & Climate survey across south Rockall Trough with the vessel due back to its homeport in around a month's time.

Published in Marine Science

Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat

For the first time in sailing's Olympic history, a Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat event will be on the slate at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition.

The Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat will join kiteboarding, windsurfing, multihulls, singlehanded and doublehanded dinghies and skiffs, promoting the diversity of the sport. This, in turn, will support World Sailing's desire to promote and grow universality in all disciplines and increase female participation with gender-equal medals and athletes.

Offshore sailing is the ultimate test of endurance, skill, discipline, navigation and critical decision making.

Embracing a major part of sailing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will enable new stars of the sport to come to the forefront.

Qualification

Offshore sailing is a universal discipline that every World Sailing Member National Authority (MNA) can participate in.

Up to 20 nations will be on the start line at Paris 2024 and sailors from every continent will be represented. To qualify for the Olympic Games, continental qualification events will be held and competition for a spot will be hotly contested.

Equipment

For qualification events, World Sailing will approve a list of one-design boats that are already regionally available and can be accessed as a charter boat. Boats will be equalised to ensure fair competition.

For Paris 2024, World Sailing's Council will select a list of different Equipment it considers to meet the key criteria by 31 December 2020 and then make a decision on the Equipment, selecting from the list, no later than 31 December 2023.

MNAs, Class Associations and Manufacturers have all been invited to propose Equipment for the list and a World Sailing Working Party will evaluate each proposal. A recommended list will be presented to Council for approval in November 2020.

This recommended Equipment list will ensure that event organisers, MNAs and the sailors have opportunities to train and compete in Equipment that is readily available and affordable within their continent and country. It will also ensure each MNA has a fair opportunity to prepare for qualification events and eventually, Paris 2024.

Format

Starting and finishing in Marseille, the Mixed Offshore event is expected to last for either three days and two nights or four days and three nights off the French coastline and whoever crosses the finish line first will be declared Olympic champion.

The race course and length will be announced in the lead up to the start so the competition can take advantage of the latest weather forecast. Current options proposed include long and short courses heading towards the West and East of France.

Safety and Security

The French Navy and Mediterranean forces have extensive experience of supporting major oceanic sailing races. They will provide safety and security at Paris 2024.