Displaying items by tag: Regal Princess

14th September 2017

Biggest Cruiseship To Belfast Harbour This Year Makes A Regal Entrance

Regal Princess makes a dawn arrival in Belfast Port this morning. The giant cruiseship at 330m is the longest such ship this season to call to the city.

#cruiseliners - The biggest cruiseship to call to Belfast Harbour this year docked in the port this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The impressive Regal Princess at 330m had berthed at Stormont Wharf Extension which is just 20m longer. The extension to the wharf having taken place in recent years to accommodate such ever increasing sized cruiseships.

On board there are up to 3,600 passenger who had sailed overnight from Greenock, Scotland as part of a 26 day Copenhagen to New York Cruise. The cruise includes visits to locations in Russia, Norway, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

Today's visit by passengers to Belfast and beyond will almost be 8-hours, however in the context of the cruiseship, this is the fourth visit. The inaugural call was in 2003.

By the end of 2017, it is estimated that Belfast Harbour will play host to 150,000 cruise visitors. As the city port is the gateway for international visitors to visit the many sights and attractions of the city and throughout Northern Ireland has to offer.

Asides Princess, the port's cruise clients include other big names such as Celebrity, Silversea, Majestic, Fred Olsen and relative newcomer Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV).

A late afternoon departure is scheduled for Regal Princess which will make an overnight passage through the Irish Sea. The next port of call is Cobh, Cork Harbour.

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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.