Displaying items by tag: Lockdown

31st March 2021

Government's Lockdown Easing Provides Little Clarity for Sailing

Although the summer sailing season draws closer and anticipation builds around a returning to training and competition, there was little concrete for sailing in the cautious government easing of COVID restrictions announced last night.

On Dublin Bay, Ireland's boating capital, the calendar says boats will lift-in at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on April 10th to be followed by the first ISORA Coastal Race on April 17 and for DBSC to start its summer season on April 24.

It's certainly a nice idea and a lot better than staring at the four walls. Or watching Dun Laoghaire pier strollers, cyclists and sea swimmers all currently partaking of the sea air in their droves. With our knowledge of how safe sailing can be from 2020, the view is that organised sailing, training or even racing can't be far behind. Surely?

Sailing is not the enemy at the gate. On the contrary, it is a low risk, non-contact outdoors activity which is what the Government's Sport Expert Group has been told through the Federation of Irish Sport submissions.

Even though we know that there is little difference between sailing in training and racing modes, the sport is reliant on the not so small matter of lockdown measures easing from Level Five to Level Two (when racing is permitted) but, as widely anticipated, this did not materialise in last night's announcement.

It certainly doesn’t look like organised sailing can be underway anytime before April 26 at best and only then if sailing is categorised as a 'distance sport' like golf and tennis that were specifically mentioned by the Taoiseach last night.

Obviously, club administrators will take time to chew over what this easing can mean for Irish sailing but reaction gathered by Afloat after the easing announcement ranged from shoulder-shrugging to a need for more action: "Nothing new as far as I can see", "Not sure", "Could start in May, depends on interpretation", "Sailing needs to be linked to Golf"!

The Government has announced the phased easing of some Covid-19 restrictions during the month of April.

They plan to continue this cautious approach, gradually easing restrictions, while a substantial level of the population are vaccinated during April, May and June, after which, it should be safe to reopen society more widely.

The Government has announced that from April 12 people will be allowed to travel within their county or within 20 km of residence if crossing county borders.

The Taoiseach said from April 19 some additional high-performance training will be allowed, including senior inter-county GAA training to facilitate national league competitions starting in May.

He said training for high performing athletes approved by Sport Ireland will also be allowed.

Mr Martin said from April 26 outdoor sports training for under 18 can begin again.

Some training will be allowed in May but competition will not be permitted initially.

He said golf and outdoor tennis can be played and there will be a return to 'distanced sport'.

But it remains unclear as to how sailing will be categorised in all of this.

2021 Regatta programmes

For regatta organisers who are keen to finalise programmes, there still remains a lack of clarity. Likewise for club leagues which are the backbone of the scene. Ann Kirwan Commodore of DBSC told Afloat, "Despite the lack of clarity in the Government announcement, DBSC is still hopeful that we may begin our season in some form before mid-May".

It is anticipated that bars and restaurants will not open till July, creating a problem for the shoreside segments of any events scheduled prior to that.

Logistics

Certainly in Dun Laoghaire, boat owners boats who live outside five km of the harbour will not be able to return to boats until April 12 under the new restrictions, two days after the scheduled lift in.

Marine industry suppliers are also caught between a rock and hard place. Sailmakers, for example, are currently closed, so sails left in for winter servicing or repair may yet not be back on boats. Will sailmakers for example we be allowed to open and deliver these sails?

Trades and chandlers are providing the regular pre-season service against the odds and battling COVID restrictions and slow delivery of spare parts due to Brexit in a bid to be ready.

Even though we may now have to defer some early racing dates, these are easily moveable and there's a logic in originally setting them. As Peter Ryan of ISORA told Afloat recently, "it's important to put a date down for people to aim for". He's right. Without dates, the risk is the racing calendar will drift and the early season be lost altogether.

Published in Coronavirus and Boating

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Offshore Islands of Ireland go Into Lockdown in Bid to Beat Coronavirus

A passenger ferry approaches one of the Aran Islands offshore of the west coast of Ireland

A number of offshore islands have gone into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic with tourists and holiday home owners being discouraged from travelling there.

Ferry companies serving the three Aran Islands (Inis Mór: see story) and Inishbofin have agreed to discourage tourists from travelling during the crisis.

Island leaders have stressed that there are many vulnerable people living offshore and that logistically they may not have the same access to testing and care as people living on the mainland.

For more click the Irish Examiner here

Published in Coronavirus and Boating

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National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

At A Glance - National Yacht Club 2024 Events