Displaying items by tag: comment

7th April 2012

Massive Fee Increases Proposed for Harbour Yacht Berths

#IRISH HARBOURS - Yachts berthing at Ireland's main fishing harbours could see their charges hiked by an incredible 800 per cent.

According to The Irish Times, Marine Minister Simon Coveney has announced a mere 21 days for comment and consultation on the draft Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates and Charges) Order 2012. The consultation document is attached to the bottom of this post and available to download as a pdf.

The proposed new charges include an annual fee of €250 per metre for yachts, which could see a 10-metre yacht currently paying €312 a year for a berth shell out as much as €2,500 annually for the same space.

Additional water and electricity costs could even see this bill rise to €3,100 - for berths that come "without proper marina facilities in most cases".

The proposals apply to the State's six fishery centres at Killybegs, Rossaveal, Dingle, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth, only two of which have pontoons suitable for leisure boats.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

Published in Irish Harbours

11th February 2012

Thanks for Your Comments on Afloat.ie, Keep 'em Comin!

Thanks for your feedback. Each Afloat.ie posting has the opportunity to comment at the end of the story and we're delighted so many readers are getting involved. Join us on facebook, debate on the forum or simply leave a comment on a story. Here's a recent selection:

Loop Head Lighthouse Will Open To Public in 2012

Loop Head Lightkeepers House is available to rent as self catering holiday accommodation through the Irish Landmark Trust. This unique holiday cottage was rescued and restored by the Trust and is a wonderful seaside holiday. To view this holiday home http://tinyurl.com/3lvno34 To make a reservation call Karen on 01 6704733 or book online at www.irishlandmark.com

Julie

LE Ciara Returns to Sea after Hull Repairs
As a nation we should preserve at least one - preferably two - examples of our ships when they retire soon. As far as I know, NOT A SINGLE IRISH NAVAL SERVICE SHIP HAS EVER BEEN PRESERVED IN OVER 80 YEARS. All have been scrapped or sold. Incredible! Other countries keep some of their historic vessels. We need to save 2 vessels as museum ships open to the public, say in Cork (home port) and Dublin (large visitor population inc. tourists).

Peter Lynch

Tralee's Sophie Browne is January Sailor of the Month

A well-deserved distinction for all her effort... Good job Sophie!

Lola Resano

'2k' Format Will be New Lease of Life for Team Racing

This is exactly what I plan to organise for the Dragon Class this October, in the South of France or Italy. I already run a Match Race event in Cascais, Portugal in March. But aim to invite up to 10 European Countries to participate in this 2k format. I have enough International Dragon's at my disposal... Any help would be much appreciated...

Martin Payne

Irish Sea Far From 'Dirty, Lifeless' Says New Website

It is another attack on Ireland and the Irish reputation.We all know many a mammal and fish is traveling away from their usual waters to our waters as ours is safest and one of the cleanest.Now all we have to do is protect it from those who would wish to fish and take advantage of it.Like the EU.If they get a hand anymore on our country god help our seas also.I fear for Ireland and its seas and future.They all but fished and decimated their own seas and oceans now trying to attack ours. Ireland need's to protect and block any who would seek to try and take our borders in our sea and land.

Grainne

First Sail for Galway Hooker in Arab Waters

Great to see a galway hooker sailing in Abu Dhabi. The Dhow sailing in galway bay will be a wonderful Site too. Good luck to all involved.

Thomas Taaffe

Dalkey Meeting to Discuss Proposed Oil Drilling

Don't do it - completely against the destruction of a beautiful area. Seán Dublin Bay may no longer be there but we must preserve what's left of Dublin Bay. The SPA must be maintained in this area.

Trish Corbett

Published in Your Say

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15th August 2011

Thanks for YOUR Comments, Keep'em Coming!

Thanks for your feedback. Each Afloat.ie posting has the opportunity to comment at the end of the story and we're keen to get as many people involved as possible. Join us on facebook, debate on the forum or simply leave a comment on a story. Here's a recent selection:

No Medals But Plenty of Confidence for 2012

I bet who ever decided to put up the "take that mr Percy" comment on the afloat Facebook page yesterday looks like a twat now.

Stephen

Jérémie Beyou on BPI wins Dun Laoghaire Leg of Solitaire du Figaro

Congratulations to Jérémie and to all the other sailors who came in this morning. Watched (from my window!) -- quite a spectacular sight and some competitors were so close after such a long race.

Toestrap o'Hike

Coveney Welcomes Funding for New Coast Guard Station in Crosshaven

Hope to have it built by the end of 2012 together with the new Goleen Station. A good year for Cork. Minister Ring will be officially opening our Achill Station on the 3rd of September. Guests welcome.

Chris

Nixon Makes History With Silver at World Junior Rowing Championships

Well done Holly and Paul. This is the result of a lot of hard work, and a successful system of support provided by Rowing Ireland, with funding by the Irish Sports Council and Sport NI.

Gordon Reid

100 Days and Counting to Race Around the World

Hi Guys, Congratulations on your coverage of the VOR, you have more information than the event website which doesn't even mention the SANYA boat.

Cahill's Joie de Vie Sails to Victory at WIORA Series, Clifden

Thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality and good company up in Clifden. Well done to the winners.

Susan Wallace

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26th October 2010

Afloat Magazine. Ireland's Sailing, Boating and Maritime Publication

Afloat now in its 43rd year of production is a vibrant specialist magazine which has continually adapted to the demands of its readership, with an industry insight which is quite simply unique. Edited by David O'Brien (47), a former European and World sailing champion and Olympic sailor from the 2000 Games, it is produced by a group of dedicated watersports enthusiasts and has become essential reading for all those who have more than a passing interest in the development of Irish watersports.

Afloat is the only publication dedicated to serving the needs of the sector, and it does so with a truly independent voice. Afloat's association with the industry's twin governing bodies the ISA and IMF allows it to offer an insider view, but the magazine maintains independent editorial control.

Packaged as a glossy magazine with an emphasis on colour photography, no other specialist magazine in Ireland offers such an impressive range of comment, information and advice in such an attractive format.

Click the links below for more on Ireland's sailing and boating magazine:

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Published in Landing Pages

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.