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John Power's Beneteau 31.7 Levante from the National Yacht Club was the winner of DBSC's final Thursday night AIB Summer Series 2023 race on Dublin Bay on August 31st. 

The overall series leader, Chris Johnston's Prospect, was second in an eight-boat fleet, with a third NYC boat, Michael Bryson's Bluefin Two, third. 

Colin Byrne's XP33 Bon Exemple won Thursday's race 18 in the IRC One division in a corrected time of 44 minutes and 40 seconds from John Maybury's Joker 2 (0:45:13 corrected). Third was the Mills 31 Raptor
skipped by Fintan Cairns (0:47:28 corr).

In the last race before the class national championships this weekend on Belfast Lough, Philip Lawton's Puffling won the Flying Fifteen race with only two finishers. Niall Coleman in Flyer was second. 

All DBSC results are below.

 

 

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UK Sailmakers Ireland celebrates One Design sailing success this season with a stunning 1,2,3 at the 1720 European Championships at Cork Week in July.

The loft is also celebrating title wins in July's Ruffian National Championships and August's Beneteau 31.7s National Championships, both held on Dublin Bay. 

1720 

Congratulations to Ross McDonald, David Kenefick and Robert Dix, who all sailed with complete sets of UK sails to fill the podium at the 1720 European Championships.

Robert Dix's 1720 Photo: Deirdre HorganRobert Dix's 1720 Photo: Deirdre Horgan

These boats all have the McWilliam Superkote 75 Asymmetric, which are proven race winners.

They also have our upgraded XD07BP X Drive Carbon racing upwind sails, including main and headsail upgrades.

Ruffian 23 

With two national championship wins in a row for Ann Kirwan and Brian Cullen in Bandit on Dublin Bay, the change in racing Dacron to 280AP HTP Dacron material is proving unstoppable.

Ann Kirwan and Brian Cullen's Ruffian 23 BanditAnn Kirwan and Brian Cullen's Ruffian 23 Bandit Photo: Afloat

Our racing-winning designs, which I developed in Hong Kong over 14 years of Ruffian sailing, have been given further tweaks for Irish waters.

First 31.7s 

Chris Johnson's XD sails won the day for his First 31.7 Prospect crew at last weekend's 2022 National Championships on Dublin Bay.

Chris Johnston's First 31.7 ProspectChris Johnston's First 31.7 Prospect Photo: Afloat

The latest designs in XD 07BP XD Carbon also gave Nick Holman's First 31.7 a massive boost to take him to second place overall.

Busy Loft

Fairing Asymmetric kite seams at the busy UK Sailmakers Ireland loft this summerFairing Asymmetric kite seams at the busy UK Sailmakers Ireland loft this summer

We were busy building sails all summer. We built eight 1720 spinnakers in time for Cork Week, Dublin Bay Mermaid Sails, Howth 17 sails, and lots more, all in time for each national championship.

As sailmakers, we do not just design sails for boats. We design and build sails for your boat. Our extensive and versatile product line allows us to produce sails to suit your requirements and expectations. Call us for a quote.

The new loft Sheltie puppy, Bert, keeps an eye on spinnaker productionThe new loft Sheltie puppy, Bert, keeps an eye on spinnaker production

Read more about UK Sailmakers Ireland on their new website here

Published in UK Sailmakers Ireland
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Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

© Afloat 2020