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Displaying items by tag: Quarter Tonner

The opening race of the 2024 summer sailing season at Schull Harbour Sailing Club in West Cork was staged on Saturday in near-idyllic weather as the mixed cruiser fleet competed for the Rossbrin Boatyard Trophy.

After starting in the inner harbour in a light easterly breeze, the course took the competitors around the Calf Islands and Amelia Buoy.

Peter Duggan's Quarter Tonner Manzanita (IRL 2076) and Tom Newman's Contessa 32, Sittelle (IRL 2323) during Schull Harbour Sailing Club RacingPeter Duggan's Quarter Tonner Manzanita (IRL 2076) and Tom Newman's Contessa 32, Sittelle (IRL 2323) 

Gabby Hogan's Growler led the fleet to take line honours but had to settle for second place in both IRC and Echo, from Peter Duggan's Manzanita, who showed the benefit of a major winter overhaul by winning both divisions.

Michael Moody's 30 Shelly D (IRL148) at the Perch mark during Schull Harbour Sailing Club RacingMichael Murphy's Moody 30 Shelly D (IRL148) at the Perch mark during Schull Harbour Sailing Club Racing

The Murphy family sailing the veteran Shelly D for the 45th consecutive year finished third in both IRC and Echo.

 Winning Manzanita skipper Peter Duggan with crew Daniel Duggan and John Molloy (a former owner of Manzanita) at the Schull Harbour Sailing Club prizegiving for the Rossbrin Boatyard Trophy Winning Manzanita skipper Peter Duggan with crew Daniel Duggan and John Molloy (a former owner of Manzanita) at the Schull Harbour Sailing Club prizegiving for the Rossbrin Boatyard Trophy

Published in West Cork
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The Ker 32 Hijacker was a popular competitor owned by Stuart Cranston of Strangford Lough YC at Whiterock and the nearby Down Cruising club, but he was struggling to get enough regular crew (eight) so downsizing was the answer, and he will move Hijacker on. The replacement boat is the well-known David Thomas designed Quarter Tonner, Purple Haze.

Stuart says she is a more manageable boat. He bought her from Phil Cook last summer in Cardiff, where she has been raced for years. Phil had bought Dave Cullen’s Half Tonner Checkmate so decided to move Purple Haze on to a new home.

The vintage Quarter Tonner Purple Haze racing on Strangford Lough Photo: courtesy Stuart CranstonThe vintage Quarter Tonner Purple Haze racing on Strangford Lough Photo: courtesy Stuart Cranston

Stuart says “We had her towed home back to Strangford Lough. We only require five to sail her competitively which is great... We raced her over the 2023 season and have totally fallen in love with her and found her still to be very quick with her original somewhat tired sails”.

She was built in 1977 as the prototype for the Bolero Quarter Ton and designed by the late David Thomas who was behind some of the great designs that are still prominent today such as the Sigma 33, Impala and Sonata. She is a past winner of the Quarter Ton Cup, The Round the Island Race Gold Roman Bowl, and the Conquers de Elegance QT Cup.

At the end of last year, Purple Haze was towed to the Medina Yard in Cowes for some John Corby love. He swiftly got stuck in a shed with his team, stripping her back to the bare timber structure.

Purple Haze under restoration Photo: courtesy Stuart CranstonPurple Haze under restoration Photo: courtesy Stuart Cranston

Purple Haze in her fully restored state Photo: courtesy Stuart CranstonPurple Haze in her fully restored state Photo: courtesy Stuart Cranston

New North Sails are on order from Maurice ‘Prof’ McConnell for the 2024 season, and John Corby has spent five months over the Winter bringing her back to her former glory. The deck has been glass sheathed and stiffened, new fittings, winches and deck gear installed, along with some new systems to improve sail trim and boat handling. She’s then been given a full respray on the deck as well as eight coats of clear coat sprayed on the topsides to bring back a gorgeous shine to beautiful exposed wood.

It's going to be a busy season for Stuart and his crew. The plan is to head back to Cowes in June for the Quarter Ton Cup 20th Anniversary (25th -27th June). Then to Dublin Bay for the ICRA National Championships at the end of August at the Royal Irish in Dun Laoghaire and the IRC Europeans at the same venue from 12th – 15th September.

Published in Quarter Ton

Conor Phelan's Royal Cork Yacht Club Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge has won Class Three IRC at The Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale.

As Afloat reported earlier, Quarter Tonners had a grip on the ten-boat fleet since Wednesday's first race. 

Phelan led all the way and ended the regatta with five wins, taking two guns on the final day and discarding a second place.

Another Quarter Tonner, Courtown Sailing Club's Joubert Quarter Tonner, Snoopy (Joanne Hall & Martin Mahon), leapfrogged visiting Welsh Sigma 33 'Partisan' into second overall on Thursday, and that's how things stayed despite two more races on Saturday in some light winds and drizzle.

The 15th edition of the biennial regatta attracted 90 entries across all divisions and ran from 21st to 24th June and incorporated the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Results below.

Read all Afloat's 2023 Sovereign's Cup Regatta coverage in one handy link here

Published in Sovereign's Cup

Quarter Tonners have control of the top of Class Three IRC at The Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale.

Royal Cork Yacht Club Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge continues to lead the ten-boat fleet after four races sailed, but another Quarter Tonner has leapfrogged visiting Welsh Sigma 33 'Partisan' into second overall. Courtown Sailing Club's Joubert Quarter Tonner, Snoopy (Joanne Hall & Martin Mahon), is eight points behind Conor Phelan's leading Farr design.

Phelan's Farr design has an impressive scorecard of 1.0, 2.0, 1.0, and 1.0 over the four round-the-can courses so far in the ten-boat fleet.

Regular Afloat readers will recall Snoopy's 2021 performance. With a statement of her intent delivered at Calves Week in West Cork in August 2021,  'Snoopy' became the ICRA Divison 3 National Champion at the first attempt that September after a superbly sailed series on Dublin Bay.

This is the 15th edition of the biennial regatta, which has attracted 90 entries across all divisions, runs from 21st to 24th June, and incorporates the 1720 European sportsboat Championships.

Southwesterly winds gusting to 30 knots are forecast for Friday's races, with KYC organisers telling competitors tonight: "Due to the current forecast for tomorrow, please keep an eye out for an amendment to the SI’s in the morning as to the location of each start area".

Results below.

Published in Sovereign's Cup

The distinctive black hulled Dublin Bay-based Quarter Tonner Cartoon is for sale. 

Priced at €15,000, the 1986 vintage Fauroux design is described as one of the fastest quarter tonners, especially in light airs.

Built in Antibes using divinycell core technology rather than balsa core. Fauroux's designs are consistently seen at the top of the UK Quarter Ton Fleet.

The boat was optimised for IRC in 2015 by removing the original IOR rig. 

Optimisation included a new Selden mast, boom, standing rigging, running rigging, Jeffa rudder tube, composite rudder and carbon tiller.

The boat has continuously dry sailed since 2013 and sails from the Royal Irish Yacht Club, and comes complete with a road trailer.

Read the full advert on Afloat here

Published in Boat Sales
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21 teams enjoyed nine races on windward-leeward and round the cans courses at Cork Week.

Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner BLT from the Royal Yacht Squadron Cowes scored seven race wins out of ten to rocket to the class title.

Marcus Ryan’s youth team racing J/24 HeadCase is runner-up just five points ahead of Fiona Young’s Royal Cork Albin Express North Star.

Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCaseMarcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase Photo: Bob Bateman

Published in Cork Week
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Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner BLT from the Royal Yacht Squadron made it six straight bullets in the first race on Thursday at Cork Week but came fifth in the second, proving that the team from Cowes is human!

BLT was back on track for the last race taking a seventh win and all but securing the class title. Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase moved up to second place having scored two podium race results today.

After three days of light and complex racing, a sea breeze kicked in on Day Four to spice up the action on the penultimate day

Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCaseMarcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase Photo: Bob Bateman

Dorgan, Marshall & Losty’s Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club, slips to third just two points behind HeadCase.

Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing ClubQuarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club Photo: Bob Bateman

A number of protests are still to be heard so results are provisional.

Published in Cork Week
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Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner BLT from the Royal Yacht Squadron won their fifth race in a row and have a big lead in IRC Three on Wednesday, day three of Cork Week Regatta. 

Dorgan, Marshall & Losty’s Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club was once again second and is five points behind BLT with two days of racing to go.

The third day of Cork Week incorporating the ICRA National Championships was blessed with sunshine and 8-10 knots of breeze from the north. 

Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing ClubQuarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase put in another great race to finish third, just a point behind Illegal.

Racing at Cork Week continues tomorrow with the penultimate day of racing for the regatta. Five race areas, in and outside Cork Harbour, will be organised by the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Cork Week's Class 3 IRC competitor Panic (David O'Regan) from the Royal Cork YCCork Week's Class 3 IRC competitor Panic (David O'Regan) from the Royal Cork YC Photo: Bob Bateman

Published in Cork Week
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There is no stopping Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner BLT from the Royal Yacht Squadron, who kept their perfect scoreline on day two of Cork Week with an emphatic win in Race Three of the series to lead the class by four points.

Dorgan, Marshall & Losty’s Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club was runner-up in today’s race to move up to second for the regatta.

Fiona Young’s North Star from the Royal Cork YC scored a podium race finish today, moving up to fourth for the series.

Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase was fourth today and is now third for the series, but only on countback.

BLT on her mooring in Crosshaven reveals the Jacques Fauroux-designed Bullit hull. The boat is a previous winner of the 1980 Quarter Ton Cup in New Zealand. In all just seven Bullits were built, three of which won consecutive Quarter Ton Cups in 1978, 1980 and 1981, and they have become increasingly sought-after. Photo: Bob BatemanBLT on her mooring in Crosshaven reveals the Jacques Fauroux-designed Bullit hull. The boat is a previous winner of the 1980 Quarter Ton Cup in New Zealand. In all just seven Bullits were built, three of which won consecutive Quarter Ton Cups in 1978, 1980 and 1981, and they have become increasingly sought-after. Photo: Bob Bateman

Published in Cork Week
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Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner BLT from the Royal Yacht Squadron dominated IRC Three of Volvo Cork Week Regatta today, scoring three straight bullets.

Marcus Ryan’s Irish youth team racing J/24 HeadCase (that won overall in the UK at the weekend) scored three podium race results to end the day in second place in the 22 boat class.

Dorgan, Marshall & Losty’s Quarter Tonner Illegal from Cove Sailing Club finished Day One in third.

“We haven’t sailed Cork Week since we did it on Farr 52 Bob 12 years ago,” commented BLT’s helm Sam Laidlaw. “We have come back because it’s such a great place and with 300 years of history, everybody should be here. Today was a bit light for us, we would prefer more wind, but we will see.”

Class 3 IRC Class after three sailed

1st BLT Fauroux Quarter Ton Sam Laidlaw FRA 8051 Royal Yacht Squadron
2nd HeadCase J24 Marcus Ryan 4247 HYC/MSC/LRYC/BYC
3rd Illegal Quater Ton Farr Dorgan/Marshall/Losty IRL1751

Results here

Published in Cork Week
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About Dublin Port 

Dublin Port is Ireland’s largest and busiest port with approximately 17,000 vessel movements per year. As well as being the country’s largest port, Dublin Port has the highest rate of growth and, in the seven years to 2019, total cargo volumes grew by 36.1%.

The vision of Dublin Port Company is to have the required capacity to service the needs of its customers and the wider economy safely, efficiently and sustainably. Dublin Port will integrate with the City by enhancing the natural and built environments. The Port is being developed in line with Masterplan 2040.

Dublin Port Company is currently investing about €277 million on its Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR), which is due to be complete by 2021. The redevelopment will improve the port's capacity for large ships by deepening and lengthening 3km of its 7km of berths. The ABR is part of a €1bn capital programme up to 2028, which will also include initial work on the Dublin Port’s MP2 Project - a major capital development project proposal for works within the existing port lands in the northeastern part of the port.

Dublin Port has also recently secured planning approval for the development of the next phase of its inland port near Dublin Airport. The latest stage of the inland port will include a site with the capacity to store more than 2,000 shipping containers and infrastructures such as an ESB substation, an office building and gantry crane.

Dublin Port Company recently submitted a planning application for a €320 million project that aims to provide significant additional capacity at the facility within the port in order to cope with increases in trade up to 2040. The scheme will see a new roll-on/roll-off jetty built to handle ferries of up to 240 metres in length, as well as the redevelopment of an oil berth into a deep-water container berth.

Dublin Port FAQ

Dublin was little more than a monastic settlement until the Norse invasion in the 8th and 9th centuries when they selected the Liffey Estuary as their point of entry to the country as it provided relatively easy access to the central plains of Ireland. Trading with England and Europe followed which required port facilities, so the development of Dublin Port is inextricably linked to the development of Dublin City, so it is fair to say the origins of the Port go back over one thousand years. As a result, the modern organisation Dublin Port has a long and remarkable history, dating back over 300 years from 1707.

The original Port of Dublin was situated upriver, a few miles from its current location near the modern Civic Offices at Wood Quay and close to Christchurch Cathedral. The Port remained close to that area until the new Custom House opened in the 1790s. In medieval times Dublin shipped cattle hides to Britain and the continent, and the returning ships carried wine, pottery and other goods.

510 acres. The modern Dublin Port is located either side of the River Liffey, out to its mouth. On the north side of the river, the central part (205 hectares or 510 acres) of the Port lies at the end of East Wall and North Wall, from Alexandra Quay.

Dublin Port Company is a State-owned commercial company responsible for operating and developing Dublin Port.

Dublin Port Company is a self-financing, and profitable private limited company wholly-owned by the State, whose business is to manage Dublin Port, Ireland's premier Port. Established as a corporate entity in 1997, Dublin Port Company is responsible for the management, control, operation and development of the Port.

Captain William Bligh (of Mutiny of the Bounty fame) was a visitor to Dublin in 1800, and his visit to the capital had a lasting effect on the Port. Bligh's study of the currents in Dublin Bay provided the basis for the construction of the North Wall. This undertaking led to the growth of Bull Island to its present size.

Yes. Dublin Port is the largest freight and passenger port in Ireland. It handles almost 50% of all trade in the Republic of Ireland.

All cargo handling activities being carried out by private sector companies operating in intensely competitive markets within the Port. Dublin Port Company provides world-class facilities, services, accommodation and lands in the harbour for ships, goods and passengers.

Eamonn O'Reilly is the Dublin Port Chief Executive.

Capt. Michael McKenna is the Dublin Port Harbour Master

In 2019, 1,949,229 people came through the Port.

In 2019, there were 158 cruise liner visits.

In 2019, 9.4 million gross tonnes of exports were handled by Dublin Port.

In 2019, there were 7,898 ship arrivals.

In 2019, there was a gross tonnage of 38.1 million.

In 2019, there were 559,506 tourist vehicles.

There were 98,897 lorries in 2019

Boats can navigate the River Liffey into Dublin by using the navigational guidelines. Find the guidelines on this page here.

VHF channel 12. Commercial vessels using Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire Port typically have a qualified pilot or certified master with proven local knowledge on board. They "listen out" on VHF channel 12 when in Dublin Port's jurisdiction.

A Dublin Bay webcam showing the south of the Bay at Dun Laoghaire and a distant view of Dublin Port Shipping is here
Dublin Port is creating a distributed museum on its lands in Dublin City.
 A Liffey Tolka Project cycle and pedestrian way is the key to link the elements of this distributed museum together.  The distributed museum starts at the Diving Bell and, over the course of 6.3km, will give Dubliners a real sense of the City, the Port and the Bay.  For visitors, it will be a unique eye-opening stroll and vista through and alongside one of Europe’s busiest ports:  Diving Bell along Sir John Rogerson’s Quay over the Samuel Beckett Bridge, past the Scherzer Bridge and down the North Wall Quay campshire to Berth 18 - 1.2 km.   Liffey Tolka Project - Tree-lined pedestrian and cycle route between the River Liffey and the Tolka Estuary - 1.4 km with a 300-metre spur along Alexandra Road to The Pumphouse (to be completed by Q1 2021) and another 200 metres to The Flour Mill.   Tolka Estuary Greenway - Construction of Phase 1 (1.9 km) starts in December 2020 and will be completed by Spring 2022.  Phase 2 (1.3 km) will be delivered within the following five years.  The Pumphouse is a heritage zone being created as part of the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project.  The first phase of 1.6 acres will be completed in early 2021 and will include historical port equipment and buildings and a large open space for exhibitions and performances.  It will be expanded in a subsequent phase to incorporate the Victorian Graving Dock No. 1 which will be excavated and revealed. 
 The largest component of the distributed museum will be The Flour Mill.  This involves the redevelopment of the former Odlums Flour Mill on Alexandra Road based on a masterplan completed by Grafton Architects to provide a mix of port operational uses, a National Maritime Archive, two 300 seat performance venues, working and studio spaces for artists and exhibition spaces.   The Flour Mill will be developed in stages over the remaining twenty years of Masterplan 2040 alongside major port infrastructure projects.

Source: Dublin Port Company ©Afloat 2020.