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Displaying items by tag: RC Laser Class

#MODEL YACHTS – A large turnout is expected at the RC Laser Sailing Club racing this Sunday from 2pm at the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire. Eight boats are already signed up for the model racing fixture that starts from the club pontoon.

Published in Racing
Tagged under
23rd July 2009

Irish RC Laser Class

Whether you are brand new to sailing, new to model sailing, an old salt, or a championship match-racing sailor, the RC Laser is the boat for you.

Sail almost anywhere – The RC Laser has a 16" keel. So anywhere you find knee-deep water, she will sail. Sail in the ocean, a pond or lake, a river or stream – or in your swimming pool, it makes no difference. The RC Laser sails beautifully in conditions from a zephyr up to 35 knots of wind – no joke!

Pedigree – The RC Laser is the design of world famous sailor and yacht designer Bruce Kirby. Of all his creations, the one-man Laser is the best known. Over 174,000 have been built to date, making the Laser the most popular racing class of all time, and an Olympic Class.

The RC Laser is a quarter scale model of that Laser with certain modifications for model performance – all carefully designed and tested by Bruce Kirby and Jon Elmaleh – another world class sailor.

This means the RC Laser has a pedigree, is proven and tested. It is not a toy designed by a toy company. When you sail this boat, the right things happen. If you make a mistake, it bails you out and keeps on sailing. You don't need to worry about breaking the boat, and you won't be disappointed with how well she sails.

An equal opportunity sailboat – the RC Laser is for kids, for adults, for seniors, even for the physically handicapped. She is the boat of choice for sailing schools and rental fleets because she is practically indestructible and very easy to handle. Plus she is a true one-design for competitive sailors that want to go for the gold.             

RC Laser sailors do have more fun! – it's true. RC Lasers are such reliable boats, you will be sailing when others have their boats ashore for repairs or adjustments. While you sail with the kids, others will be hiding their boat from their kids. Toughness, reliability, simplicity, and all weather capability means more fun!

No add-on expenses – The RC Laser comes complete so there are no hidden expenses. You even get four different color rolls of vinyl tape for your own creative boat markings.

We do offer a few accessories that folks have asked for, like a carrying bag, a folding cradle, and a rechargeable battery system. But the bottom line is, all you really need is 12 AA batteries for your radio control equipment and you are ready to sail right out of the box. Isn't that great?

(The above information courtesy of the Irish RC Laser Class). 

Irish RC Laser Class c/o Roger Bannon, President, Valentia, 36 Castlepark Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin. Tel: 01 235 1812/087 650 4925, email: [email protected] or [email protected] 

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here 

Published in Classes & Assoc

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.

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