Whether you are brand new to sailing, new to model sailing, an old salt, or a championship match-racing sailor, the RC Laser is the boat for you.

Sail almost anywhere – The RC Laser has a 16" keel. So anywhere you find knee-deep water, she will sail. Sail in the ocean, a pond or lake, a river or stream – or in your swimming pool, it makes no difference. The RC Laser sails beautifully in conditions from a zephyr up to 35 knots of wind – no joke!

Pedigree – The RC Laser is the design of world famous sailor and yacht designer Bruce Kirby. Of all his creations, the one-man Laser is the best known. Over 174,000 have been built to date, making the Laser the most popular racing class of all time, and an Olympic Class.

The RC Laser is a quarter scale model of that Laser with certain modifications for model performance – all carefully designed and tested by Bruce Kirby and Jon Elmaleh – another world class sailor.

This means the RC Laser has a pedigree, is proven and tested. It is not a toy designed by a toy company. When you sail this boat, the right things happen. If you make a mistake, it bails you out and keeps on sailing. You don't need to worry about breaking the boat, and you won't be disappointed with how well she sails.

An equal opportunity sailboat – the RC Laser is for kids, for adults, for seniors, even for the physically handicapped. She is the boat of choice for sailing schools and rental fleets because she is practically indestructible and very easy to handle. Plus she is a true one-design for competitive sailors that want to go for the gold.             

RC Laser sailors do have more fun! – it's true. RC Lasers are such reliable boats, you will be sailing when others have their boats ashore for repairs or adjustments. While you sail with the kids, others will be hiding their boat from their kids. Toughness, reliability, simplicity, and all weather capability means more fun!

No add-on expenses – The RC Laser comes complete so there are no hidden expenses. You even get four different color rolls of vinyl tape for your own creative boat markings.

We do offer a few accessories that folks have asked for, like a carrying bag, a folding cradle, and a rechargeable battery system. But the bottom line is, all you really need is 12 AA batteries for your radio control equipment and you are ready to sail right out of the box. Isn't that great?

(The above information courtesy of the Irish RC Laser Class). 

Irish RC Laser Class c/o Roger Bannon, President, Valentia, 36 Castlepark Road, Dalkey, Co. Dublin. Tel: 01 235 1812/087 650 4925, email: [email protected] or [email protected] 

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here 

In March 2009, Afloat's Graham Smith had this to say about the Flying Fifteens: "With the European Championships in Kinsale, it was a big year for the Irish F15 class which represented the bulk of the 56-boat fleet at the south coast venue. Britain’s Steve Goacher won the event with Darren Martin and Simon Murray of Strangford Lough YC the best of the local contingent. Click here for all the latest Flying Fifteen news.

It was a good year for the Whiterock pair who also won the Southern and Northern championships while the SLYC domination was completed with the two other regionals, the Easterns and Westerns, going to clubmates Roger Chamberlain and Brian McKee respectively.

More SLYC success seemed on the cards when the Nationals were held at Whiterock but just to upset the odds, Dave Gorman and Chris Doorly of the National YC stole all the thunder and emerged as the new Irish Champions. Twenty-six boats – up on the previous year – contested the top event from a total national fleet of approximately 160 boats found in 16 clubs and a few other locations around the country.

Next year (2010) is the 40th anniversary of the Dun Laoghaire F15 fleet. National Champion as at March 2009: David Gorman and Chris Doorly, National YC" 

 

A brief history of the Flying Fifteen Fleet within Ireland, courtesy of The Flying Fifteen Association of Ireland

Extracts have been taken from a document called ‘The Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteen Fleet, The First 25 Years 1970–1995’, written by Peter O'Shea in June 1995. Thanks to Sean Nolan for acquiring a copy for the webmaster.

1948 – Three yachts built in quick succession at the Medina Yacht Yard at Cowes. The class was known as Dainty Ducks and changed to Flying Fifteens with the characteristic fortissimo lettering
 
1949 – The Flying Fifteen Association of Great Britain was formed, first secretary Squadron Leader Charles Nance.
 
1949 – Uffa Fox meets Prince Philip HRH Duke of Edinburgh, they became firm friends and frequently sailed together.
 
1950 – The people of Cowes present Prince Philip with his own Flying Fifteen ‘Coweslip’.
 
1954 – First hulls built from GRP produced in the UK.
 
1962 – Australian Flying Fifteen Association founded in Western Australia with Tally Hobbs as President and G.J. Sassella as secretary.
 
1963 – ‘Ffolly’ (no. 215), brought to Dublin by David Newmark. DBSC (Dublin Bay Sailing Club) agreed to give a start after much negotiation about  seaworthiness of the Flying Fifteen class. Jack Owens crewed on ‘Ffolly’ for the first three years. The hull was a Tormentor hull, which was the Windibank of the day. This is possibly the first Irish Flying Fifteen.

1968 – Irish Flying Fifteen seen moored alongside the Royal Irish Yacht Club. It appeared to be an all timber, varnished boat, with a turtle deck forward. This was built by Albert Foley, in a joinery works in Phibsboro, in the mid 60s, registered as number 1269, and called ‘Squalus’, to join the fleet in 1970, owned by Timothy Orr.

1969 – A summer of heavy winds in Dublin Bay. Arthur Lavery and Teddy (Bryan S.) Ryan spotted a fleet of Flying Fifteens sailing with comparative ease at Dinghy Week in Baltimore, while other classes were struggling in the inner harbour. Teddy Ryan and Arthur Lavery led the campaign to start a class in Dun Laoghaire, a minimum of 7 boats were required for a DBSC start. Teddy Ryan sailed in a ‘Copland’ Fifteen at Kinsale, which was imported by Bill Godkin. Teddy Ryan bought ‘Little Lady’ (no. 1092) at the agreed price of £634, including sails and trailer. Advertisement appeared in the Irish Times. On seeing the ad, Sean Nolan cancelled an order for a Mermaid in favour of a Flying Fifteen.  Bill Godkin was accepting multiple orders for Flying Fifteens.
Inaugural Meeting of the new Flying Fifteen Fleet in Dun Laoghaire was held on 24th September 1969.

1970 – The Flying Fifteen class started in DBSC as a result of Arthur Lavery's interest in the boat. Bryan S. Ryan agreed to front the start-up. They got the initial owners together as per this picture that appeared in the Irish Independent on 8-January-1970.

1970 – Initial eight boats from the Godkin yard were as follows:
‘Little Lady’, number 1092, owned by Teddy Ryan
‘Siobhan’, number 1257, owned by Arthur Lavery
‘Susele’, number 1258, owned by Michael Halpenny
‘Frankie’, number 1259, owned by Ronnie Kavanagh
‘Ffaoilean’, number 1260, owned by Jack Owens
‘Bonnie’, number 1262, owned by Noel O'Hare
‘Nicjac’, number 1263, owned by Sean Nolan
‘Fferocity’, number 1265, owned by Tony Neiland; and
‘Squalus’, number 1296, owned by Timothy Orr

1970 – First DLFF committee was elected:
Captain - Bryan S Ryan
Vice Captain - Noel O'Hare
Treasurer - Ronnie Kavanagh
Record Keeper - Jack Owens
Secretary - Michael Halpenny
The annual subscription was £1.00 (one pound)

1972 – Fleet trophies were presented: ‘Chase Trophy’ presented by Anthony Kenny; and ‘Flying Fifteen Gun’ presented by Michael Halpenny

1972 – Death of Uffa Fox, aged 74 (1898 - 1972).
 
1979 – ‘Mid Week Cup’ presented by Kevin Blake

1980 to 1990 – A decade of development and tightening of tolerances to achieve a Standard Hull shape based on the designs of the British yacht designer Roy Windebank. This decade also saw the introduction of exotic fibres in yacht construction such as carbon fibre, kevlar and honeycomb cores of nomex.
 
1982 – Sinking of ‘Gaffer’ Eric Colin, sailing ‘Gaffer’ (no. 2383), crewed by John McCambridge was racing in May near Dalkey Island, when they broached and filled the boat with water. ‘Gaffer’ could not be bailed out or righted, and just stayed afloat long enough for Eric and John to step aboard a passing cruiser ‘Nuit St. George’. ‘Gaffer’ was never seen again. Tom O'Connor wrote a 24-verse poem about the incident.

1982 – The fleet bank account was opened. Previously fleet money was held by the treasurer, in his/her own bank accounts.

1983 – 6 new boats to the fleet. Jack Roy bought ‘Frankie’, Jerry O'Neill bought 1261 now called ‘Bluebell’. Ray Duggan arrived with 1343 ‘Osprey’. David Algeo arrived with 2130 ‘Folklore II’. Some boats were disqualified from racing due to not meeting the safety standards National Yacht Club invests in an Electric Winch, allowing for the boats to come off the moorings and onto the hard for dry sailing and storage.

1984–1985 – Arrival of the Windibank. The National Yacht Club burnt down in 1984. Also seen was the first appearance of the Windibank hull. ‘Frizby’ (no. 2929) bought by Jack Roy and ‘Mary Foo’ (no. 2924) bought by Jerry O'Neill. ‘An Chuileann’ (no. 2937) owned by Maurice Byrne was bought and listed in 1985. Eric Colin and John McCambridge return to the fleet in ‘Ffootless’ (no. 2619), aptly named by the previous owners of ‘Gaffer’.

1984 – Jack Roy and Mal Nolan came 19th overall in the Worlds held in Kinsale. Dermot Baker, who owned ‘Shillelagh’ (no. 2463) presented the ‘Hells Gate’ trophy for the best boat in Olympic courses.

1985 – Computerised results now available for the Fleet events. Teddy Ryan responsible for introducing the system, with Ward Phillips taking over due to his speciality in computing. Westport SC newly formed, with results showing connections. NYC Regatta very rough, with several boats towed back into the harbour.

1985 – This year marked the sad loss of Noel O'Hare, who had stopped sailing since 1982, but had maintained contact with the fleet. Noel had been awarded title of ‘Mr. Personality of the Fleet’, as well as being a top class sailor. Noel was one of the founder members of the fleet.

1986 – Change of direction, under the Captaincy of Jack ‘Bligh’ Roy, shows introduction of Dry Sailing and Olympic Courses. Training course and lectures were setup and taken very seriously. The day of the ‘light hearted event’ had come to an end. Motivation for doing this was the Irish Championship to be held in the National yacht Club. Gerry Dunleavy and Roger Bannon gave freely of their time for tuning help. records indicate Gerry had been doing this since 1979. Roger Bannon and John Davies sailing in ‘Strange Magic’ (no 3037) won the Irish Championship, with Gerry Dunleavy and David O'Brien in ‘The Real Thing’ (no. 3108) coming in 3rd place. This was the last sailing year for Teddy Ryan, sailing in ‘Little Lady II’ (no, 2292). Teddy wanted to move to something bigger and drier. Heineken sponsored the fleet with £1,700. Roger Bannon's ‘Black Magic’ was exhibited at the boat show

1986 – Hurricane Charlie – 25/26 August 1986 brought Hurricane Charlie to the shores of Ireland. Considerable damage occurred to Dun Laoghaire boats, with 6 Flying Fifteens wrecked on the moorings by loose boats running through them. On the 26th the National Yacht Club slip was littered with bits and pieces of boats.

1986 – Flying Fifteen Association of Ireland (FFAI) was formed, with Jim Rodgers from the North as the first president and Jack Roy as Secretary.

1987 – ‘Ramtaffer trophy’ was presented to the fleet by Roddy and Jill. Roddy had retired from work and was re-locating to Scotland to setup a sailing school. Maurice Byrne (Captain during 1987) threw a Captain's party in his house, of such lavishness, complete with a group of four singers. the incoming captain, Ray Duggan, was seen with a very worried look on his face, and was heard enquiring if the Dubliner's would be expensive to hire for the night.

1987 saw the introduction of the ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’ fleets. The intention was for a fair division of the spoils at the prize giving's. This did not stop the grumblings for some of the people.

1988 – Ray Duggan, Captain and author of the very witty fleet newsletters. Gerry Dunleavy becomes the British National Champion, sailing on the Clyde in ‘The Real Thing’ (no. 3108). His crew was David O'Brien. He went on to sail in the World Championship and achieved 9th place overall. Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club hosted the East Coast Championship. Bray Flying Fifteen fleet started. Work continues on the plans to bring the 1992 World Championship to Ireland. Michael Horgan chaired a committee. The event was to be run by the National Yacht Club and not the Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteen fleet. Jack Roy, Mal Nowlan, Paddy Lynch and Martin McCarthy were all heavily involved in planning, publicity, sponsorship and advice.

1990 – Handicap system for Gold/Silver/bronze fleets seemed to work well for championship events.
National Championships held in Westport again, due to the success of the same event the previous year. Heavy weather event was won by Gerry Dunleavy, crewed by Margaret Conway. East Coast Championship, sponsored by Heineken, was another heavy weather event, with Saturday blown out. It also signifies the sinking of another Flying Fifteen in Dublin Bay, by unlike ‘Gaffer’ it was seen again, strewn all over the strand in Sandymount.

1991 – World Championship (in Ireland) just around the corner. Training sessions arranged by special committee under Michael Horgan. Restrictions put in place to avert ‘cheque book’ sailing. Seven qualifying places allocated to Irish Boats

1992 – World Championships held in Ireland. Hosted by the National Yacht Club, the flying fifteen fleet worked hard to organise the event. 75 entrants, some from overseas. Irish National Championships preceded the event.
First Irish boat, sailed by John Lavery (son of Arthur Lavery) came in 20th position. Justin Burke came in 21st position.

1993 – Final introduction of hull measuring templates with reduced tolerances.
 
1993 – SailPower Marine of WA import the Windebank Mould X and commence production.
 
1993 – ‘Ffinally’ (no. 3352), sailed by Eric Cooney and Gabriel Greer, turns turtle in Dublin Bay, when hit by a sudden gust. The mast got stuck in mud, with the keel upright in the air. A passing Glen fired off a flare, alerting the rescue helicopter (already out doing drills) to come and rescue the two boys. Eric and Gabriel were pulled to safety and deposited on the East Pier. A Club launch was hi-jacked and the rescue operation was started. ‘Ffinally’ was discovered, upright, and sailing off on it's own through Dalkey Sound. The boat was sailed back single handed by Eric. The only damage done was a bent mast.

1994 – Death of a much loved Jill Hermon, who sailed with Roddy, and also assisted with fleet social activities.

1995 – 25th Anniversary  of the DLFF fleet. ‘Ffaoilean’ (no. 1260), one of the founding boats still in the fleet. Fleet size is 25 boats. ‘Ffangs’ (no. 3495) is the newest boat, owned by Justin Burke. Gerry Dunleavy has just received a brand new Ovington, unnamed or registered at time of writing.

1997 – 50th Anniversary, celebrated with a World Championships in Cowes, UK.

1998 – Final introduction of keel measurement templates with reduced tolerances.
 
1999 – Twelfth World Championships at Esperance Bay Yacht Club, WA
 
2001 – Flying Fifteen fleets established in South Australia at Goolwa and Adelaide.
 
2006 – Flying Fifteen World Championship held in the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire

Flying Fifteen Association of Ireland

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

 

Flying Fifteen International

History of the Flying Fifteen

Designed by the legendary Uffa Fox, the 6m (20ft) Flying Fifteen has maintained its reputation as an exciting and competitive two-man racing craft. It provides access to sailing at reasonable prices for men and women from 15 to 75 and beyond.

The most famous Flying Fifteen is “Coweslip” presented to the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Elizabeth as a wedding present. Uffa Fox and Prince Philip frequently sailed together at Cowes.

The Flying Fifteen has been modernised over the years with Uffa Fox agreeing to changes towards the end of his life to improve the design specification and sail plan. By this time, the class had established itself in a number of countries and when John Calvert-Jones came from Australia and won the UK championships, the stimulus was provided for the move to seek international status. Under the guidance of Tom Ratcliffe, an International Federation of Flying Fifteen Associations was formed by nine countries from four continents. The first world championships were held in Perth, Australia in 1979 and subsequently have alternated between the Northern and Southern hemispheres biennially. The first European Championship took place in Spain in May 2004

(Above history courtesy of Flying Fifteen International website)

 

Laser SB3 Ireland is the class association for the largest and newest Irish keelboat class. We have over 90 boats in Galway, Lough Derg, Dunmore East, Cork, Kinsale, Belfast Lough, Howth and Dun Laoghaire. We represent the full spectrum of age, (ranging from 20 to 70+) and skill sets (from Olympians to occasional club sailors) playing at all levels for big trophies throughout the country. We have five regional championships each year and vibrant local racing too.

What about the boat?
It’s as much fun you can have at 16 miles an hour. The SB3 is fast, furious and fun – but surprisingly stable and easy to sail. In the light stuff it sails upwind beautifully and is tactical downwind, in the heavy it’s a beast uphill and a roaring pleasure the other way. It’s truly one design – the best sailors always win, which, perhaps, is not so good for the rest of us – but the fun makes up for it. It’s added value, to most, is that is can be rigged quickly, towed by a normal family car, has a great price point and, finally, it can be both slip and crane launched.

What to do and who to talk to?
If you are interested in getting involved we can help. Contact your local fleet captain from the list on the contact page page and they can organise a test drive, recommend second hand boats and generally tell you all about it. If you’re new, selected members of the class will also help you get started with tips and tricks sessions.

We’ll see you on the water!

Laser SB3 Ireland, c/o Joseph Hughes, Class Chairman, 4 Clanbrassil Terrace, Dublin 8. Tel. 087 747 8883, email: [email protected]

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

First raced in 1946 and now fitted with a trapeze and spinnaker, the two-person IDRA 14 remains one of the most popular adult dinghy classes in Dublin Bay. ISA affiliated

# LOA: 14Ft
# SA: 110 SQ. FT
# Spinnaker: 140 SQ FT
# Hull Wt: 325lbs (min) 

 

Afloat's Graham Smith wrote about the IDRA 14 in March 2009: "The same clubs in three locations also actively promote the classic clinker-built IDRA14 and 34 boats continue to enjoy their racing at club and open meeting level. Two boats, built in 1947 and 1950 respectively, rejoined the class in 2008 after remarkable restoration work by their owners.

Despite being a Dublin-based class, it does like to travel and last year saw a dozen boats head to Carlingford for the Northerns where Pat O’Neill and Rick Morris of Clontarf took the title.

Almost twice that number – 65% of the national fleet – were attracted to Sligo for the National Championships where Sutton’s Alan Carr and Aoibhin de Burca took the honours in the Gold Fleet and clubmates Gordon Kelly and Mark Masterson headed the Silver Fleet.

Carr and de Burca also won the October Series and Gerry O’Hanlon and Paul McNally sailed their beautifully re-built Charmain to victory in the IDRA Open at Clontarf. The IDRAs’ sister class in the UK, the Dragonflies, celebrates its 60th anniversary next year and a contingent of the 14s will travel to Suffolk to help mark the occasion. National Champions (2009): Alan Carr and Aobhin de Burca, Sutton DC."

 

IDRA 14 Class Association, IDRA 14 Class Commodore, c/o 126 Ballinteer Close, Dublin 16. Tel: 086 155 8632, email: [email protected]

or

Jennifer Byrne, Secretary, 2 Spencer Villas, Glenageary, Co Dublin. Tel: 01 2802131, email: [email protected]

 

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

Left: Irish U–12 Squad at UK Optimist Nationals

Galway Bay Sailing Club is based in Renville Oranmore, approximately 7 miles from Galway City. The club is renowned for the warm welcome it extends to its members and visitors alike. It organises and facilitates the racing and sailing of dinghies, cruisers and multihulls for adults and junior members. The club also offers training and instruction to adults, juniors and non-members.

The clubhouse with bar and catering facilities opens on Sundays afternoons and also Tuesday and Wednesday nights from April to September to facilitate the various racing fleets During the remaining months it opens on Sundays for dinghy racing and on Wednesday nights for talks and social events. The club has played host to many successful Regional and National Regattas with racing taking place against the backdrop of beautiful Galway Bay.

Galway Bay Sailing Club (GBSC), Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway

(Details and image courtesy of Galway Bay Sailing Club) 

Have we got your club details? Click here to get involved

Spoiled for Choice

There’s no shortage of one-design classes from which to choose and each gives its enthusiasts great competition, fun and camaraderie, writes Graham Smith in this review of the classes. A profile of each active class in Ireland is supplied below; just click on the title link (in bold) or the Class Association link to go directly to the information.

One-design racing is where it all starts. It is, after all, where all the top sailors earned their stripes, battling away for line honours without a thought for a handicapper’s calculator wiping away a hard-fought victory!

Indeed, you could count on less than one hand the number of top Irish sailors who didn’t cut their teeth in a one-design dinghy! Just think of Cudmore, Barrington, Watson, Wilkins, Hennessy and Dix to name a few and you realise that they honed their skills in everything from Enterprises to Lasers and a lot in between.

At present count, there are a little over 30 one-design classes in Ireland, split almost evenly between dinghies and keelboats, a statistic which might raise a few eyebrows. They range from the long-established Mermaids, IDRA14s and Dragons to the newer additions like Fevas, Topaz and RS Elite. They all fill a particular need and give their owners and crews considerable enjoyment.

Many have attracted their World or European Championships to Irish waters over the years and while 2009 is notable for a lack of such events here, the following year will see the Etchells Worlds at Howth and perhaps a few other international regattas too.

In addition to the review, we asked each class to complete a questionnaire giving details of their fleet numbers, whether they were on a growth pattern or holding their own, so we could highlight those ‘on the up’ and those remaining static in terms of numbers. The older traditional designs, as you might imagine, fall into the latter category, although that’s not a negative!

 

CLASS REVIEW  The State of the Classes – League Table (as at February 2009)

S = Static; U = Up/growing

275     Optimist   U

200+   Laser   S

189     Mermaid   S

160     Flying Fifteen   S

130     RS Feva   U

115     Shannon One Design    U

100+   Mirror   S

100+   Topper   U

99       Topaz   U

94       Laser SB3   U

87       GP14   U

85       Squib   S

70       Fireball   S

70       Ruffian   S

60       J24   S

60       Shipman   S

52       Dragon   S

50       RS400/200   S

50       420    U

43       Multihulls    U

42       Dragon    S

40       Water Wags    U

40       Wayfarer    S

34       IDRA14    U

33       Puppeteer    U

28       Etchells    S

27       E-Boat    U

26       Glen    S

25       Enterprise    S

18       Sigma 33    S

18       Howth 17    U

13       RS Elite    U

Welcome to the CRYC web site which we hope will be of interest to members and visitors alike. Established in 1864, the CRYC is one of the oldest inland waterway clubs in the British Isles. Located in the centre of Galway City it continues to provide facilities for water-based recreational activity for almost 300 members.

Corrib Rowing & Yachting Club, Earls’ Island, Distillery Road, Newcastle, Galway. Tel: 091 564560, email: [email protected]

(Details courtesy of Corrib Rowing & Yachting Club) 

Have we got your club details? Click here to get involved

The North Coast Personal Water Craft (NCPWC) Club is the first Jet ski club and the first RYA Affiliated jetski club in Ireland. It is a non-profit making club ran run by 'jet-skiers' for 'jet-skiers' to ensure the continuation of the sport along the North Coast of Ireland and inland water of the River Bann and Lough Neagh. It was formed at the end of the 2005 by jet skiers.

Our aim is to promote the use of personal watercraft (jet-bikes and jet-skis) along the North Coast of Ireland, the River Bann and Lough Neagh by ensuring that all club members abide to local bye-laws, maritime laws and current legislation. We will allow our members to use our website to arrange 'meets' and social gatherings.

By promoting our sport as being safe and fun we will develop facilities for our members in conjunction with local authorities. We can provide training courses for PWC', thus promoting safety through a qualified RYA instructor.

All members are encouraged to attain a PWC certificate and must hold a valid certificate of insurance at all times prior to using the beach, River Bann or Lough Shore at Antrim for launching personal watercraft.

The North Coast PWC Club has and will continue to work closely with Limavady; Antrim & Coleraine Borough Council’s and will also work with any other organisations or bodies that have a valid interest in the use of Benone Beach, River Bann and Lough Neagh where we are active as a club.

(Details courtesy of North Coast Personal Watercraft Club) 

North Coast Personal Watercraft Club

Have we got your club details? Click here to get involved
 

The Heritage Boat Association’s aspiration is to protect, promote and celebrate the floating heritage on the inland waterways of Ireland. What's remaining of our Floating Heritage provides us with a direct link to the past and includes both commercial and pleasure craft that plied the inland waterways through the different eras of the canal, lake and river systems.

If you are interested in Irish barges, canal boats, lighters, old wooden boats, steam tugs, steam yachts, sailing barges, historic boats that have ended up on the Irish inland waterways or our work, do contact us.
 
So - what is so interesting about Heritage Boats?

A Heritage Boat is described as being consistent with the provisions of the Heritage Act 1995, to mean a boat over 25 years old which is of significance because of it’s intrinsic construction or because of it’s association with the commercial, cultural, economic, industrial, military, political, social or other history of the country. 

'Celebrating Ireland's Floating Heritage'

Heritage Boat Association  

Professional Association of Diving Instructors – PADI

PADI is the world’s leading scuba diving training organisation.

With more than forty years experience and 5,300 dive shops and resorts worldwide, PADI training materials and services let you experience scuba diving from nearly anywhere.

Scuba diving with PADI Instructors, Dive Centers and Resorts can help transform your life through education, experience, equipment and environmental conservation.

The PADI Story – Two Friends, a Bottle of Scotch and an Idea

It’s hard to believe that the world’s largest scuba diving training organisation was dreamt up by two friends in Illinois over a bottle of Johnny Walker in 1966.

PADI Co-Founders, John Cronin, a scuba equipment salesman for US Divers, and Ralph Ericson, an educator and swimming instructor, were concerned about the scuba diving industry. They felt that the current scuba certification agencies were unprofessional, didn’t use state of the art instruction and made it unnecessarily difficult for people to enter the sport. John and Ralph knew there had to be a safer, easy way for people to learn to breathe underwater.

In 1966, John brought a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label and thirty dollars to Ralph’s Illinois apartment in Morton Grove. They decided it was time to start a scuba training organization. John insisted that the word ‘professional’ be in the name of the company. Ralph wanted an ‘association of diving instructors.’ After a few drinks, the acronym PADI was born.

The goal: Give more people a chance to enjoy the underwater world by offering relevant, instructionally-valid scuba diving training to create confident scuba divers who dive regularly.

In the early years, PADI grew slowly. By the late 1960s, PADI had 400 members and it was still a struggling entity. John Cronin had been promoted to Sales Manager at US Divers and had moved the family to Huntington Beach, California.

Cronin went to a huge National Sporting Goods Association show in New York City. While he was there, he met with Paul Tzimoulis, who later became the editor of Skin Diver Magazine. Paul suggested that PADI put the diver’s picture on the certification card. That was a strategic move that helped PADI’s eventual global recognition.

Cronin and Erikson hired Nick Icorn from US Divers’ engineering team, who worked with Erickson to develop a modular training program for the PADI Open Water Diver course. It started to catch on.

In the late 1970s and early 80s PADI began creating its own integrated, multi-media student and instructor educational materials for each course. This development spawned an incredible growth period for PADI and made it unique from other agencies.

By the late 1980s PADI was the leading scuba diving training organization in the world. With so many new people introduced to the activity, PADI felt a responsibility to teach divers about their interactions with the underwater environment. PADI had worked very hard over the years to keep the scuba diving industry as free from legislation as possible. Cronin knew the organization had a responsibility to protect the marine environment or risk the government doing so. John Cronin said: "We want to feel that our children, their children and generations to come will be able to enjoy the underwater world that has given us so much. There are so many significant problems facing mankind, but as divers, this is truly our cause. If scuba divers do not take an active role in preserving the aquatic realm, who will?"

Out of a true concern for the environment, the Project AWARE Foundation was formed.

PADI co-founder John Cronin passed away in 2003. His friend and PADI co-founder, Ralph Erickson, also passed away three years later. They proudly carried PADI’s torch for many years before they confidently put it in the hands of today’s generation, who continue to introduce the world to scuba diving.

PADI has issued more than millions of scuba certifications worldwide. There are more than 5,700 PADI Dive Shops and Resorts worldwide.

With close to 400 employees in PADI corporate offices around the world, PADI works hard to be the best partner to its members and is committed to:

1 Safe and responsible diver acquisition and retention
2 Quality member acquisition and retention
3 Financial prosperity
4 Worldwide alignment in message, products, systems and procedures

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

Professional Association of Diving Instructors – PADI