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Displaying items by tag: Defence Forces Review

#NewsUpdate - The Defence Forces Review 2018, in association with the School of Political Science and Sociology will be held in NUI Galway next week, on Thursday 22 November.

The event is also been held with the Irish Centre for Human Rights, at the National University of Galway. The Review entilted Peacekeeping & Peacemaking Interventions, is open to the public and free of charge to attend (registration at 9pm) for event starting at 10am in the college's Aula Maxima. 

2018 represents the 60th Anniversary of when in 1958 Irish troops were first deployed on a UN mission since the foundation of the State as Military Observers (UNMOs) in Lebanon. It is also the 40th Anniversary of an Irish Infantry Battalion being deployed to UNIFIL in South Lebanon, where the Defence Forces maintains a significant presence.

It is therefore fitting that this years edition of the DF Review should examine a key debate for our times, namely the evolution, development and indeed relevance of Peacekeeping and Peacemaking Interventions; a debate never more focused in view of the continuing catastrophic conflict in Syria and the ripple effects of same including the ongoing refugee crisis.

For further reading on the Review (incl. previous years to download) in addition for the event's full programme click the (pdf) to include list of speakers.

Published in News Update

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