Displaying items by tag: Starts May

17th April 2024

Dublin Swift’s Countdown to Dublin-Holyhead High-Speed Craft (HSC) Seasonal Operated Service

Irish Ferries high-speed craft (HSC) Dublin Swift has been tracked by Afloat to Cardiff Docks, south Wales, where the vessel has been wintering, but in a month’s time is to resume seasonal service, writes Jehan Ashmore.

According to the Irish Ferries website, Dublin Swift is to start on 17 May with a Dublin-Holyhead sailing, and this will be in advance of the busier summer months on the Ireland-Wales route, complementing the year-round cruise-ferry-operated route.

Passage times by Dublin Swift are just over 2 hours (135 minutes) on the route on which the HSC represents the only fast ferry operating on the Irish Sea, connecting 'directly' between Ireland and the UK; the only other such craft is the Isle of Man Steam Packet’s Manannan; see yesterday's story.

Dublin Swift takes 900 passengers and drive-through vehicle decks for 200 cars and 16 trailers and provides two sailings daily from each port. On board, there is a club-class lounge, restaurant, cafe, shop, TV lounge, and passengers can avail of free Wi-fi.

The 101-metre Austal Auto-Express craft was built in 2001 by Austal Ship Pty, Fremantle, Western Australia, as the Westpac Express and was chartered through third-party companies to the US Marine Corps as a support vessel until it returned to Austal in 2015.

In the following year, Irish Continental Group (ICG), the parent company of Irish Ferries, acquired the HSC from Austal; however, the craft was chartered to the Sealift Inc. of the USA for use again by US Marine Corps until the charter ended in 2017. This led to the craft laid up in Belfast.

It was not until 2018 when the HSC was renamed Dublin Swift, which made its debut in April of that year for Irish Ferries.

The Cypriot flagged 101.4 metre-long craft and with a beam of 26.65 metres replaced another HSC, the Jonathan Swift, which was sold to interests in the Mediterranean.

Published in Irish Ferries

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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.