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#BrexitTradeIrelandUK – An Taoiseach Enda Kenny is on a two-day visit to the UK to encourage support from the Irish diaspora to vote 'Remain' in the EU Referendum, when he visits Liverpool and Manchester, this follow’s yesterday Thames flotilla face-off writes Jehan Ashmore.

The opposing sides of the Brexit debate involved rival flotillas from Sir Bob Geldof and Nigel Farage, where the focus centred on the EU Common fisheries policy, one of a plethora of fundamental topics in which the British electorate face. The nation goes to the polls on the EU Referendum this day next week.

Sir Bob Geldof of the ‘Remain’ camp on board the Sarpedon, traded insults with Nigel Farage, UKIP Leader and one of the high-profile campaigners who is advocating for the UK to ‘Leave’ the EU.

Speaking on RTE Radio I’s Ryan Tubridy Show this morning from London was an exasperated Geldof who said, “I think Britain’s going out". On the question of Ireland, he added “I would say they’re going out which means a border between North and South – a police border again, and the consequences of that – the smuggling and everything else.

The ‘Boomtown Rats’ frontman and originally a resident of Blackrock, Co. Dublin, also claimed the trawler vessel Farage was on board, Christina S (72m pelagic trawler) was involved in a £63m fishing fraud.

Geldof also appealed to the 5.5million Irish, both direct descendents and immigrants in the UK to back the ‘Remain’ campaign, given the UK is the 5th largest economy in the world. He also added the benefits of the EU to unite, despite its democratic deficit and against the backdrop of an increasing ‘fragile’ world.

The armada display between both sides involved around 30 fishing vessels of varying sizes, where larger trawlers came alongside the permanently moored HMS Belfast in the Pool of London. Only last week at the same mooring, RMS St. Helena made a unique first time visit to the capital before making a final voyage from the UK to her namesake island in the South Atlantic.

Smaller fishing craft, however headed further upriver, beyond Westminster Bridge to converge off the banks lining The Houses of Parliament. This led to further outbursts by the figures of the debate to coincide with Prime Minister's Questions inside the palace.

Published in Ports & Shipping

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

© Afloat 2020