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Displaying items by tag: De Zeven Provincien class frogate

The Dutch Navy's HNLMS De Ruyter (F804), one of four De Zeven Provinciën-class air-defence and command frigates (LCF) docked in Dublin Port this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Displacing 6,050 tonnes the 144m frigate is on a weekend visit to the capital. She has a striking angular lines, this is due to her stealth design technology. Armament consists the bow-mounted Oto Breda 127 mm cannon, vertical launch systems for various missile types, a 'goalkeeper' rapid-fire gun, an Oerlikon 20mm machine gun and a Mk. 46 Torpedo weapon system. At the stern she can carry a Lynx or NH-90 helicopter.

The class have two roles, to command operations and deployment of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Netherlands Maritime Force (NLMARFOR). In addition they are equipped for air-defence tasks and must be capable of providing protection for an entire fleet.

This dual-role task is the reason that the ships are known as air-defence and command frigates (LCF). The frigates all entered service between 2001-2005 and were built by the Royal Schelde Group, of Flushing, Netherlands. The design also involved participated from Spain and Germany.

Published in Navy

About Match Racing

A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.

In yacht racing, it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consisting of 2, 3 or 4 boats compete together in a team race, with their results being combined.

A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other. With effective boat handling and clever use of wind and currents, a trailing boat can escape the grasp of the leader and pass. The leader uses blocking techniques to hold the other boat back. This one-on-one duel is a game of strategy and tactics.

About the World Match Racing Tour

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR). Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors