#RivalSisters – Wind Surf, the one part sailing yacht and one part upscale cruise ship departed Dun Laoghaire Harbour this evening, her rival sister, Club Med 2 is due to call to neighbouring Dublin Port tomorrow, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The largest ship in the Windstar Cruises fleet at 14,746 tonnes represented the final of four cruise callers to Dun Laoghaire this season. Since the harbour re-launched the cruise business in 2011, Wind Surf has been the most regular visitor, today marked her fourth time berthing at Carlisle Pier.

Next year, Dun Laoghaire is to welcome a record 23 cruiseships, including considerably larger callers and as previously reported newbuilds, notably P&O Cruises giant 141,000 tonnes Brittania. Her call in her inaugural season is a major coup for the harbour, as she is the largest ever cruiseship built for the UK market.

Combined these callers are to bring 66,000 passengers to Dun Laoghaire, a figure that surpasses for the first time ever to those visiting Dublin of around 60,000 visitors.

Wind Surf was launched for Club Med at a shipyard in Le Havre as their Club Med 1. This evening the Bahamas flagged vessel is on a course along the eastern Leinster seaboard. She is bound for an anchorage call off Dunmore East tomorrow.

Her former fleetmate sister, Club Med 2, which has a slightly larger tonnage of 14,983 is this evening off the Mull of Kintyre bound for Dublin. She is registered in Mata-Utu, the capital of Wallis and Futuna which is an overseas 'collectivity' of France. She will dock along Ocean Pier.

The 187m (637ft) sisters have five masts each and seven triangular self-furling, computer operated sails, which make for an impressive sight. They are known for luxurious amenities and for reaching to unique ports of call, taking some 310 guests and almost 200 crew.