Displaying items by tag: Schools Initiative

9th January 2013

Port Of Cork Schools Initiative Focuses On The Gathering For 2013

Calling all 5th Class Teachers – Win a Free Boat Trip around Cork Harbour for your class

The Port of Cork has launched their Schools Initiative for 2013 and is calling on all 5th class primary school teachers to get their class involved. This year's theme 'The Gathering 2013 – Cork Harbour – Ireland's Maritime Gateway to the World' is celebrating The Gathering and Cork Harbour's strong links with Irish diaspora, both as a tourism hub today and as a departure point for Irish emigrants in the past.

The Port of Cork Schools Initiative aims to teach 5th class primary school children about the rich history of Cork Harbour and its uses today as a natural harbour, commercial port and excellent leisure amenity. All participating 5th classes who take part in the Port of Cork Schools Initiative will be treated to a boat trip around Cork harbour, compliments of the Port of Cork and each class will also receive a certificate of participation. In addition to the overall prize, awards will also be given for the best artwork piece and best photograph. The overall best project will receive a tour on board one of the many large cruise liners visiting Cork during the summer of 2013.

Speaking about the 2013 theme, Port of Cork Chief Executive Brendan Keating said: "As 2013 is the year of 'The Gathering', we are encouraging classes to think about Cork Harbour and its role as Ireland's maritime gateway to the world both as a departure point for emigrants in the past and as a gathering point for tourists today. Cork Harbour has a long association as the departure point for many Irish emigrants in the 1800s and in the 1900s. Now thousands of visitors come into our spectacular harbour on passenger ferries and on cruise liners from all over the world. For many of these tourists, their visit also provides them with the opportunity to see the place that their Irish ancestors departed from so many years ago."

Projects are to be presented in artwork format using paintings, models or photographs. Submitted projects will go on public display in Customs House before the winner is announced in April 2013. Closing date for entries is 29th March 2013.

For more information on this year's schools project and how to get involved, please contact Sinead Kavanagh, Tel: +21 4625375 or email [email protected].

Published in Port of Cork

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Gonzaga College Win Leinster School Sailing Championships

Dublin's Gonzaga College beat Rathdown School to win the Lenister Schools Team Racing Championships after a thrilling 45 rounds of competition. Third overall were Kilkenny College from an entry of ten schools.

The inaugural event was run in fair weather last Saturday by the Royal St George Yacht Club whose Club Firefly dinghies were chartered for the event.

Some competitors were slightly rusty team racers at the beginning but within 10 races the young sailors had mastered the game with lots of one-on-one match racing and all starts bang on the line. The spirit of the event was of competitive fun with a bunch of very well mannered sailors enjoying the banter in the ribs and on the change-over vessel when not competing in the schedule of 45 rapid succession races.

The rapid skill progress was clear demonstration of the effectiveness of team racing in skill development.

Post sailing all agreed this is the start of more schools activity. This year sees the inauguration of Leinster Schools Team Sailing as an ad-hoc committee set up by Chris Craig and David Williams, both of whom have sons in St Michael's College who own boats, and ran this event.

There was 3 Wednesday afternoon coaching sessions leading up to the event, with teams of two competing. These were sailed in competitors' own Fevas with the NYC also providing their Fevas FOC. Gonzaga, the event winners, dominated the coaching. More coaching events are planned.

In other countries local authorities facilitate schools sailing but in Ireland it's up to Clubs and volunteers to service this growing and fertile market, for the general good of the Sport and Schools.

The top four teams qualify for the Nationals Schools Team Racing Championships to be run by David Harte in Schull - April 21st/22nd.

The final result is as follows :-

2012 LEINSTER SCHOOL TEAM SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS - RESULTS

1. Gonzaga College

2. Rathdown

3. Kilkenny

4. Belvedere College

5. St Andrews College

6. Mount Anville A

7. Mount Anville B

8. Loreto College

9. St Gerards

10. Loreto Dalkey

Published in Team Racing

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Port of Cork Calling all 5th Class Teachers!

The Schools Initiative for 2011 has been launched by the Port of Cork, which is calling upon all 5th-class primary school teachers to become involved. This year's initiative is based on the theme 'Making Cork Harbour a Green Energy Hub for our Future' and encourages school children to look at Cork harbour as an energy hub now and into the future.

School-children will be able to earn about the harbour and how it could be used to harness energy such as wind, wave, gas, electricity and other forms of energy. In addition it will provide an opportunity for the participants to be creative and futuristic about Cork harbour. Children can also look at the importance of green energy in their home and school.

The projects are to be presented in artwork format using paintings, models or photographs. Submitted projects will go on public display in the Cork Customs House for six weeks before the winner is announced in April 2011.

All 5th classes who take part in the Port of Cork Schools Initiative are treated to a boat trip around Cork harbour and each class will receive a certificate of participation. Prizes will be given for the best artwork piece and best photograph.

The overall winner of the Schools Initiative project will receive a tour onboard one of the many cruise liners that are to visit Cork Harbour next summer.

Closing date for entries is 18th March 2011. For further information on this year's schools project and how to get involved you can contact Captain Pat Murphy Tel: 021 4625312 or by Email [email protected] and by logging on to www.portofcork.ie

In addition you can view below a video depicting liners of yesteryear and the cruiseships that visit Cork Harbour, the world's second largest natural harbour.

Published in Port of Cork

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Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro.

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race.

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind.

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

It starts in June or July from a French port.
The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
Since 1990, all boats are of one design.