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Displaying items by tag: Italian Navy

Italian tallship Amerigo Vespucci, once described by US sailors as the most beautiful in the world, (on Monday) docked at Dublin Port.

As The Irish Times reported, Amerigo Vespucci is a training vessel for Italian Navy cadets who sail for three months at the end of their first year at the Livorno Naval Academy. The period on the ship is intended to give the trainees the skills and world experience needed to become successful mariners.

They spend three or four days in each town or city in which they moor. While in Dublin, they plan on visiting Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse and the Google building. The trainees sleep in hammocks while on board and there are four rooms below deck for the male cadets, and one for female cadets.

Federica Bellina (19), one of the 133 cadets on the ship, among 35 women, said she had wanted to join the navy since she was very young.

“We are able to open the sails and use the wind in order to navigate,” said Ms Bellina. “It’s a wonderful experience because we are on the masts and we can see the ocean, we can see the sea and we are an active part of the ship.”

They use “nautical observation” to determine the location of the ship relative to the stars and sun. They take care of the ships, train physically — often stopping to row in boats — and monitor the sea for targets or other ships.

Ms Bellina is training as a coast guard, which will see her study for five years in the academy.

For more on the recent visit click here as Afloat adds this morning the tallship departed the capital and is next bound for Bergen in Norway. 

Published in Navy

Irish Sailing

The Irish Sailing Association, also known as Irish Sailing, is the national governing body for sailing, powerboating and windsurfing in Ireland.

Founded in 1945 as the Irish Dinghy Racing Association, it became the Irish Yachting Association in 1964 and the Irish Sailing Association in 1992.

Irish Sailing is a Member National Authority (MNA) of World Sailing and a member of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

The Association is governed by a volunteer board, elected by the member clubs. Policy Groups provide the link with members and stakeholders while advising the Board on specialist areas. There is a professional administration and performance staff, based at the headquarters in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Core functions include the regulation of sailing education, administering racing and selection of Irish sailors for international competition. It is the body recognised by the Olympic Federation of Ireland for nominating Irish qualified sailors to be considered for selection to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games. Irish sailors have medalled twice at the Olympics – David Wilkins and Jamie Wikinson at the 1980 games, and Annalise Murphy at the 2016 games.

The Association, through its network of clubs and centres, offers curriculum-based training in the various sailing, windsurfing and powerboating disciplines. Irish Sailing qualifications are recognised by Irish and European Authorities. Most prominent of these are the Yachtmaster and the International Certificate of Competency.

It runs the annual All-Ireland Championships (formerly the Helmsman’s Championship) for senior and junior sailors.

The Association has been led by leading lights in the sailing and business communities. These include Douglas Heard, Clayton Love Junior, John Burke and Robert Dix.

Close to 100 sailors have represented Ireland at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Membership of Irish Sailing is either by direct application or through membership of an affiliated organisation. The annual membership fee ranges from €75 for families, down to €20 for Seniors and Juniors.