Displaying items by tag: Report Claims

9th February 2021

Cork Harbour Where Wind Energy Can be As big as Pharma, Report Claims

Cork Harbour can build on the maritime and energy infrastructure and capability that already exists, thereby positioning (the natural harbour) as the de facto floating offshore wind hub in the Celtic Sea, its authors claimed

Cork Harbour could see wind energy that would be as transformative as the biopharmaceutical industry, placing the region among the vanguard of Europe's transition to sustainable economies.

That is one of the conclusions of a major new report by a range of organisations and companies around Cork, who called for key policy changes within government, lest the region miss out on its potential as an "unparalleled hub for floating offshore wind energy in the Celtic Sea from 2025".

Firms such as Green Rebel Marine, Mainport, Doyle Shipping Group (DSG), Simply Blue Energy, DP Energy and the Port of Cork joined with Cork Chamber of Commerce and Cobh and Harbour Chamber to produce the Cork Harbour 2025: Ready to Float report.

"Offshore wind is leading the transformation of the global energy system, with a staggering growth rate of 19% — faster than any other industry," the report said.

"Cork Harbour is in the process of being transformed into an offshore renewables hub by the private sector, with circa €200m of investments and plans already underway," it said.

Cork can build on the maritime and energy infrastructure and capability that already exists, thereby positioning Cork Harbour as the de facto floating offshore wind hub in the Celtic Sea, its authors claimed.

Further reading from the Irish Examiner here

Published in Cork Harbour

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The Kingstown to Queenstown Yacht Race or 'K2Q', previously the Fastnet 450

The Organising Authority ("OA") are ISORA & SCORA in association with The National Yacht Club & The Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Kingstown to Queenstown Race (K2Q Race) is a 260-mile offshore race that will start in Dun Laoghaire (formerly Kingstown), around the famous Fastnet Rock and finish in Cork Harbour at Cobh (formerly Queenstown).

The K2Q race follows from the successful inaugural 'Fastnet 450 Race' that ran in 2020 when Ireland was in the middle of the COVID Pandemic. It was run by the National Yacht Club, and the Royal cork Yacht Club were both celebrating significant anniversaries. The clubs combined forces to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Yacht Club and the 300th (Tricentenary) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Of course, this race has some deeper roots. In 1860 the first-ever ocean yacht race on Irish Waters was held from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) to Queenstown (now Cobh).

It is reported that the winner of the race was paid a prize of £15 at the time, and all competing boats got a bursary of 10/6 each. The first race winner was a Schooner Kingfisher owned by Cooper Penrose Esq. The race was held on July 14th 1860, and had sixteen boats racing.

In 2022, the winning boat will be awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a Trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world.

The 2022 race will differ from the original course because it will be via the Fastnet Rock, so it is a c. 260m race, a race distance approved by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club as an AZAB qualifier.

A link to an Afloat article written by WM Nixon for some history on this original race is here.

The aim is to develop the race similarly to the Dun Laoghaire–Dingle Race that runs in alternate years.

Fastnet 450 in 2020

The South Coast of Ireland Racing Association, in association with the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay and the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork, staged the first edition of this race from Dun Laoghaire to Cork Harbour via the Fastnet Rock on August 22nd 2020.

The IRC race started in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, August 22nd 2020. It passed the Muglin, Tuscar, Conningbeg and Fastnet Lighthouses to Starboard before returning to Cork Harbour and passing the Cork Buoy to Port, finishing when Roches's Point bears due East. The course was specifically designed to be of sufficient length to qualify skippers and crew for the RORC Fastnet Race 2021.