Displaying items by tag: Torquay

29th May 2022

Blaze Destroys €7m Superyacht and Damages Pier in Torquay Harbour

A €7 million superyacht was sunk on Saturday evening (29 May) after bursting into a “fire ball” in a Devon harbour, as Devon Live reports.

The 85ft Rendezvous, built in 2010 by Princess Yachts, was carrying 2,000 gallons of fuel when the blaze broke out shortly before noon — sending clouds of black smoke across Torquay and causing a hazardous oil slick on the water.

No one was injured in the fire, which completely engulfed the luxury vessel and dealt significant damage to the nearby pier after it broke from its pontoon mooring in the intense heat.

Devon Live has more on the story HERE.

Published in Superyachts

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Solent Puts On A Show For Cowes Torquay Classic Powerboat Race

#powerboat – The Cowes Torquay Powerboat Race is the toughest powerboat race in the world. The stretch of water between the Solent and Devon Coast has long been regarded as one mean piece of water.

It's reputation however for punishing boats and crew, and crushing even the most prepared teams has been somewhat subdued for the last two years as the south west coast of Britain has turned on spectacular weather with much calmer seas and gentler breezes than the racers are used to.

The question on everyone's lips was; 'Who would have thought this was possible?'

South West England provided yet another stonking day, a day suited for fast racing and spectacular viewing. After the recent bad weather the sunshine and clear skies were a welcome relief. We received reports from Torquay that the sea was as flat as a billiard table, and fast times would be possible. Back at Cowes the situation was similar with a light breeze and little wave activity.

Tim Powell, a 29 year veteran organiser of the race fired the canons from the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes at 09:00 sharp this morning, setting the fleet on its way as they raced once more from their historical starting point.

Being close to shore the race start was everything that could be hoped for. The air filled with the sound of well-tuned, high powered engines. The fans turned out in force to experience the full spectacle of sight, sound and smell as the fleet powered away down the Solent.

Peter Dredge and Simon Powell got out to a handy lead in 'Vector Martini' and led all the way to Torquay. They were chased hard out of the Solent by 'Smokin Aces' driven by Chris and Nicholas Dodge and 'Silverline' driven by Drew and Ali Langdon, with the rest of the pack chasing hard.
The Ribs 'Hot Lemon V' (D50) and 'Birretta Due' (B41) chased the leaders fiercely, getting very close as the boats rounded Portland. They in turn were pursued by Team Barwood (C7).

It was great to see Preben Sorensen from Norway racing in his Predator 337 SuperSport. Competing for the first time in the Cowes Torquay he ran well on the unfamiliar course finishing eleventh in the first leg.

Both 'Cube 52' and 'Flyin Falcon' withdrew during the first leg and returned to Cowes.

After winning the race to Torquay Peter Dredge commented, "We had a wonderful run. It's really great to be in Torquay. The Vector Martini Boat is going fantastically well and we have had no problems. We're looking forward to turning around for the run back to Cowes. We'll be going downwind and we might even go flat out on the way back."

On the second leg of the race back to Cowes after a clean start in brilliant Torquay sunshine 'Vector Martini' kept their word and led by one and a quarter nautical miles after clearing the Ore Stone turning buoy at Torbay. By Swanage the lead had grown to 4.62 nautical miles and they were to extend this even further by the end of the race. They were clocked racing into the Solent at 83 knots so it was no wonder 'Vector Martini' crossed the finish line at Cowes to a salvo from the canons at the Royal Yacht Squadron and a cheering crowd.

'Smokin' Aces' took second place on the return journey with 'Team Barwood,' who were competing in their first Cowes Torquay Race, taking a well-deserved third place.

With the tail wind adding to the fast conditions and full on racing on the return journey it was not surprising that two teams made navigational errors on their way back to Cowes. Both Black Ball Racing and Predator 337 SuperSport incurred a one hour time penalty for missing buoys.

After the race Preben Sorensen from Norway commented that it was great race but a bit rougher than they expected. They really enjoyed the hospitality but would need to come back with a bigger boat for next years race.

When congratulated on his double win by Dorian Griffith the Race Director, Peter Dredge of 'Vector Martini' said they had enjoyed the race very much and were delighted with the performance of their boat.

And so concludes another fantastic event on a magnificent summer's day. The crowds came out in their thousands to make the most of the spectacle, lining the vantage points and headlands along the way and visiting the pits at both ends of the race to see the colourful noisy beasts up close. The drivers were once again amazed at the number of spectator boats that made the effort to come out to watch the racing, toot their horns and cheer as the boats went past.

Everyone would have to agree it was magnificent to see the boats racing once more from their historical starting point in the Solent and we look forward to another exciting event from the same place next year.

Provisional Results Leg One

1st - Vector Martini

2nd - Smokin Aces

3rd - Silverline

4th - Hot lemon

5th - Biretta Due

6th - Team Barwood

7th - Black Ball racing

8th - Dry Martini

9th - Fugitive

10th - Grey Ghost

11th - Predator 337 Supersport

12th - HTS Perkins

DNF - Cube 52

DNF - Flyin Falcon

Provisional Results Leg Two

1st - Vector Martini

2nd - Smokin Aces

3rd - Team Barwood

4th - Biretta Due

5th - Hot Lemon V

6th - Dry Martini

7th - Grey Ghost

8th - Fugitive

9th - Silverline

10th - HTS Perkins

11th - Black Ball Racing

12th - Predator 337 Supersport

Published in Powerboat Racing

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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