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Displaying items by tag: Nick Bendon

CH Marine who took over the official LaserPerformance dealership in the Republic of Ireland in June have been appointed Northern Ireland agents too. The aim, says CH Marine Managing director Nick Bendon, is to increase support for sailors in the region and attract a new wave of sailors into the sport. The new arrangements come into place next month.

Bendon reports an excellent first few months with LaserPerformance in the Republic and the Munster firm looks forward to promoting the same service in Northern Ireland from its Newtownards branch.

CH Marine is a dedicated resource in the marine industry and has demonstrated decades of high level service for their customers. An already established presence in Southern Ireland provides them with the experience to be a strong leader in the Northern Ireland small boat community.

'The Northern Ireland Laser market has been well catered for in the past and we hope to continue the excellent standards, says Bendon. CH Marine has a known reputation for customer service and we are committed to holding comprehensive stocks of boats, sails, spars and parts at our Newtonards depot, to provide the best delivery times and support, he adds.

“CH Marine has been offering the best products, service and insight to customers in Ireland for the past 45 years and was appointed as our Dealer for Southern Ireland earlier this year. We are excited by the prospects of being able to work closer with the sailing community in Northern Ireland in a bid to get more sailors on the water moving forward.” Dan Smithers, Vice President of LaserPerformance.

This is an exciting and positive step forward for the community in Northern Ireland. The talent synergies of LaserPerformance and CH Marine will provide sailors in the region with the best of both worlds in customer service and product selection.

We look forward to advancing the vision for LaserPerformance with CH Marine. Our close working relationship will accelerate the momentum that both brands have built to promote dinghy sailing and the local sailing communities, clubs and programs in Ireland.

LaserPerformance is the world’s largest manufacturer of small sailboats and proudly promotes the sailing community. LaserPerformance boats are designed and built to meet the needs of all sailors. LaserPerformance proudly manufactures many iconic sailboats including: Laser, Sunfish, Laser Pico, and more. As a lifestyle brand, it distributes water sport related products.

Published in Marine Trade

#magblade – Leading Irish marine supplier Nick Bendon, well known to Afloat.ie readers through his CH Marine brand, launched MagBlade™ marine propellers at last week's international Marine Trade fair, Mets, in Amsterdam.

The South African venture, where Bendon is a Sales Director, aims to improve on propellor design. MagBlade™, says Bendon takes propulsion design to a new level with unique features like improved fuel efficiency and superior hydrodynamic efficiency.

Designed using a lightweight aerospace technology, MagBlade™ provides a blade surface which claims to be seven times stronger than stainless steel, seven times more rigid than the most hardened steel, and four times more impact absorbent than aluminium.

More in the company vid below:

 

Published in Marine Trade

Ireland's Sailor of the Year Awards

Created in 1996, the Afloat Sailor of the Year Awards represent all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene.

Since it began 25 years ago, the awards have recognised over 500 monthly award winners in the pages of Ireland's sailing magazine Afloat, and these have been made to both amateur and professional sailors. The first-ever Sailor of the Year was dinghy sailor Mark Lyttle, a race winner at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

And since then it's gone on to read like a who's who of Irish sailing.

The national award is specially designed to salute the achievements of Ireland's sailing's elite. After two decades the awards has developed into a premier awards ceremony for water sports.

The overall national award will be announced each January to the person who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to, Irish sailing in the previous year.

A review of the first 25 years of the Irish Sailor the Year Awards is here

Irish Sailor of the Year Award FAQs

The Irish Sailor of the Year Awards is a scheme designed by Afloat magazine to represent all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene..

The Irish Sailor of the Year Awards began in 1996.

The awards are administered by Afloat, Ireland's boating magazine.

  • 1996 Mark Lyttle
  • 1997 Tom Roche
  • 1998 Tom Fitzpatrick & David McHugh
  • 1999 Mark Mansfield
  • 2000 David Burrows
  • 2001 Maria Coleman
  • 2002 Eric Lisson
  • 2003 Noel Butler & Stephen Campion
  • 2004 Eamonn Crosbie
  • 2005 Paddy Barry & Jarlath Cunnane
  • 2006 Justin Slattery
  • 2007 Ger O'Rourke
  • 2008 Damian Foxall
  • 2009 Mark Mills
  • 2010 Anthony O'Leary
  • 2011 George Kenefick
  • 2012 Annalise Murphy
  • 2013 David Kenefick
  • 2014 Anthony O'Leary
  • 2015 Liam Shanahan
  • 2016 Annalise Murphy
  • 2017 Conor Fogerty
  • 2018 Robert Dickson & Sean Waddilove
  • 2019 Paul O'Higgins

Yes. The boating public and maritime community can have their say to help guide judges in deciding who should be crowned Ireland's Sailor of the Year by using an Afloat online poll). The judges welcome the traditional huge level of public interest in helping them make their decision but firmly retain their right to make the ultimate decision for the final choice while taking voting trends into account. By voting for your favourite nominee, you are creating additional awareness of their nomination and highlighting their success.

Anthony O'Leary of Crosshaven and Annalise Murphy of Dun Laoghaire are the only contenders to be Afloat.ie "Sailors of the Year" twice – himself in 2010 and 2014, and herself in 2012 and 2016.

In its 25 year history, there have been wins for 15, offshore or IRC achievements, nine dinghy and one designs accomplishments and one for adventure sailing.

Annually, generally in January or February of the following year.

In 2003 Her Royal Highness Princess Anne presented the Awards.

©Afloat 2020