Displaying items by tag: Bristow Ireland

16th January 2024

Bristow Ireland Reaches Deal With Irish Coast Guard Air Crew Union for Staff Transfer

The new contractor to provide search and rescue services for the Irish Coast Guard has reached and agreement with the union representing air crew.

As RTÉ News reports, the deal between Bristow Ireland and the union branches representing both coastguard pilots and technical crew, such as winch operators, covers terms of employment and dispute resolution.

The agreement will allow for these employees’ transfer from CHC Ireland to Bristow in 2025 when the new 10-year contract will be fully operational.

Bristow Ireland, which signed the contract in August last year to operate six helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft from bases around the country, remains in negotiations with the union representing engineering staff.

Pilots are represented by the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) branch of Fórsa, and Fórsa represents technical staff including winch crew.

Bristow said it is continuing to engage with the Unite trade union, which represents engineering staff, with further discussions due in early 2024.

A transition plan has been drawn up with Fórsa and IALPA for the date when Bristow takes over the contract in 2025. It is currently held by CHC Ireland which has initiated a court action.

The employees involved will transition to Bristow up to June 2025, in line with the intended transition plan and schedule.

Bristow described the agreement as a key milestone in the successful transition of search and rescue operations.

Bristow Ireland is due to provide six AW189 helicopters from the existing Irish Coast Guard SAR bases in Shannon, Sligo, Waterford, and Dublin.

The new contract will include a fixed-wing aircraft service, with an option for the Air Corps to take over this element.

RTÉ News has more on the story HERE.

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Unions for Irish Coast Guard SAR Bases to Meet Bristow Ireland Over Jobs Later This Month

Unions representing Irish Coast Guard search and rescue (SAR) air crew and engineers are due to meet Bristow Ireland later this month in relation to employment under the new SAR contract.

Trade union Fórsa, representing air crew, and Unite, representing engineers, expect to meet with Bristow representatives in late September in relation to job guarantees.

This follows a statement by Bristow Ireland earlier this week that it has given a commitment to the Department of Transport that “the company supports the principles of TUPE and that we would fully engage with Fórsa and UNITE [unions] as part of the mobilisation phase of the contract”.

“We are fully committed to establishing pathways for personnel currently servicing the existing SAR contract to join Bristow. We look forward to early engagement with both Fórsa and UNITE,” it said.

Under Transfer of Business (TUPE) regulations applying to Ireland, a new employer is legally obliged to take on the existing employees of the business.

The new employer must take on the employees on the same terms and conditions, except for pensions.

CHC Ireland air crew were so concerned about this that they participated in a safety stand-down on September 8th, where each of four SAR bases went “off-line” for an hour at lunchtime.

“Lack of confirmation re continuity of employment, under TUPE Regulations, for CHC staff has led to elevated levels of stress amongst staff and therefore the safety stand down is necessary at this time,” CHC Ireland said.

Over 140 people have been employed by CHC Ireland at four SAR bases over the past 20 years of the current contract.

Separately, CHC Ireland has confirmed that it is continuing its legal challenge over the awarding of the contract by the Department of Transpo

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Bristow Ireland Limited Secures Contract for Irish Coast Guard Aviation Services

The Department of Transport has announced the signing of a new contract with Bristow Ireland Limited for the next Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) Service and Rescue Aviation Service.

The new contract will run for ten years and will provide a range of essential state services, including Maritime and Inland Search and Rescue, Environmental Monitoring, Helicopter Emergency Medical and Air Ambulance Services.

Under the new contract, Bristow Ireland Limited will operate six helicopters from four dedicated bases in Sligo, Shannon, Waterford, and Dublin Weston Airport.

"The Coast Guard's aviation service will also have fixed-wing aircraft capability"

The Coast Guard's aviation service will also have fixed-wing aircraft capability available on a 24/7 basis to support the delivery of these essential services. Two King Air fixed-wing aircraft based at Shannon Airport will provide support for Coast Guard search and rescue operations and environmental monitoring.

The new IRCG aviation service will be introduced by Bristow Ireland Limited gradually on a phased basis and will be fully operational by July 2025. The contract makes provision for the possibility of the Air Corps assuming responsibility for the fixed-wing element of the service after five years.

The Department and the Irish Coast Guard look forward to working closely with Bristow Ireland Limited as it provides these essential state services under the new aviation service contract. The contract is expected to enhance mission control and communication systems, providing a more efficient and effective service to those in need.

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.