AIVP, the worldwide network of port cities, is organising a series of webinars titled Port City Talks to continue to debate, to build the port city of tomorrow and to keep in touch with its members.

The next AIVP webinar will be held this Wednesday 28 October 2020 at 1pm Irish time, moderated by Carola Hein, professor and head of the History of Architecture and Urban Planning Chair at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Participants include Jyoti Hosagrahar, deputy director of Unesco’s World Heritage Centre, and Lar Joye, port heritage director with the Dublin Port Company.

These webinars are exclusively for AIVP members, but those who wish to attend or want to learn more can visit the AIVP website HERE.

Royal St George Yacht Club members are invited to join Peter Pearson as he takes a journey back in time with an engaging talk about the history of the Dun Laoghaire Waterfront club.

Peter is a native of Dun Laoghaire and has had a long association with the town and harbour, producing well-known local history books such as Dun Laoghaire: Kingstown and The Forty Foot: A Monument to Sea Bathing.

The special online talk will be hosted on the Zoom platform this Thursday evening 18 June from 7.30pm. Club members can register via the link on the Facebook post HERE.

Yacht designer Mark Mills is the latest speaker in the Royal Irish Yacht Club’s special series of online talks tonight, Wednesday 10 June.

Mark Mills started Mills Design in 1995 with an order from Peter Beamish for the 31ft Aztec, built in Malahide by Mizzen Marine.

Building on her success, his custom designs have won numerous titles including the 100ft Wallycento Tango, the Maxi72 World Champion Alegre 3, multiple IRC Championship winners Mariners Cove and Tiamat, and the 69ft IMA Mini-Maxi Champion Alegre.

Equally his production designs such as the IC 37 for the NYYC, double ORC World Champion Landmark 43, C&C30, Cape 31, King 40 and DK 46 are well known worldwide.

Originally from California, Mills studied yacht design at the Southampton Institute while racing with some of the best teams in the UK.

He won with the Seahorse Sailor of the Month in December 2014, the 2009 Irish Sailor of the Year award, was named the Asian Marine & Boating Best Designer of 2010 and 2015, and recognised closer to home with Wicklow Sailing Club’s Irish Holly trophy.

Most recently, he won first prize at the premiere edition of the MDO Montecarlo prize for the Wallycento Tango.

A member of the RORC Technical Committee and an advisor to both the US and Irish IRC owners groups, Mills has spoken around the world on yacht design and rating rules for events such as IBEX both in the US and Europe, the International Yacht Forum, and regularly at ICRA meetings.

He was one of the initial HPR Committee members who helped draft the High Performance Rule for the NYYC, and subsequently joined the Sailing Yacht Research Foundation (SYRF) Advisory Board.

This evening, he follows the likes of Julian Everitt in the RIYC’s special series of talks with some of the world most renowned yacht designers. RIYC members should contact [email protected] to attend this talk, which starts at 7.30pm this evening, Wednesday 10 June, via the Zoom platform.

A Motorways of the Sea (MoS) webinar "Shaping the Policy of a European Maritime Space – The Future of Motorways of the Sea" is to take place on Wednesday 1st July 2020 (09h30 – 11h15).

The Motorways of the Sea (MoS) concept launched in 2001, is the maritime pillar of the trans-European network (TEN-T). It consists of short-sea routes, ports, associated maritime infrastructures, equipment, facilities and relevant administrative formalities.

MoS contributes towards the achievement of a European Maritime Transport Space without barriers, connecting Core Network Corridors by integrating maritime links with hinterland. In doing so, it aims at providing more efficient, commercially viable and sustainable alternatives to road-only transport.

To registrar for the webinar, fill in the form by clicking here.

Below is a draft agenda of the Webinar

The Webinar beginning at 0930hrs will be introduced by Prof. Kurt Bodewig, European Coordinator

09h35 The new priorities of the MoS Detailed Implementation Plan 2020 and the results of its underlying study

10h00 The state of play of the CEF maritime portfolio

10h10 Round table discussion: Shaping the policy of a sustainable, smart and seamless
European Maritime Space

Topics:
• The view of a core port
• The view of a comprehensive port
• The view of a shipping line
• The view of a terminal operator

11h10 Conclusions & outlook by Prof. Kurt Bodewig, European Coordinator

End of Webinar

For much more about the MoS click their website homepage here.

The Royal Irish Yacht Club welcomes acclaimed yacht designer Julian Everitt as the latest speaker in its members-only series of online talks tomorrow evening, Wednesday 27 May.

First inspired to become a yacht designer when he saw Sceptre leaving Poole Harbour in 1958 in training for the America’s Cup, Julian Everitt produced his first full design with an RORC Rule half-tonner in 1968.

His first IOR design, for Bantam Yachts, provided the basis for a string of successful half-tonnes, then quarter-, three-quarter- and one-tonners.

Then came the E-Boat, designed in 1974 to the IOR, of which over 250 were built; the Mirador, a 20ft lifting keel yacht in collaboration with the Daily Mirror newspaper; and the radical Wavetrain, which currently sails out of Greystones.

Julian also edited Seahorse Magazine between 1970 and 1975, and has contributed to many sailing magazines and journals over the years — so expect strong views, such as his position on how ratings systems shape yacht design, and not always for the best.

Julian Everitt’s talk is part of the mini-series on yacht design that kicked off two weeks ago with Ron Holland. Only RIYC members can attend via the Zoom platform from 7.30pm on Wednesday 27 May. Contact [email protected] for details on how to attend.

‘Cruising Scandinavia’ is the subject of this evening’s (Wednesday 20 May) online talk presented by Prof Andrew Curtain and hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

The Nordic region provides a huge variety of sailing opportunities and a single presentation could be devoted to just a small region.

This talk by Prof Curtain, RIYC member and Roving Rear Commodore for the Ocean Cruising Club, will offer a pictorial view — a virtual cruise, if you will — of three of the most popular areas and two never before visited by an Irish yacht.

These include the Norwegian fjords, Sweden’s west coast archipelago, the Gota Canal system, travel through a Russian canal to the Finnish lakes, and a cruise up the Bay of Bothnia to near the Arctic Circle in Lapland, with a surprise ending.

The Zoom talk begins at 7.30pm this evening. Get in touch with the RIYC for details.

The latest in Royal Cork Yacht Club’s ‘Stay@Home’ webinar series is a free tactics and strategy session (for members only) this Sunday 17 May with two of the most renowned coaches in the sailing world.

Gonzalo ‘Bocha’ Pollitzer and Fernando Gwozdz, from Argentina, have an impressive haul of world and national championships to their names, from Optimists to J24s.

Many will remember Fernando as resident coach in the Royal Cork for five years in the late 2000s, coaching the likes of Richie Harrington and Séafra Guilfoyle to success in the Optimist, 420 and Laser classes.

Now Fernando and Bocha have agreed to come on board to develop youth sailing in the Royal Cork.

This first session is open to all club members, coaches and instructors — sailor or non-sailor, young or old.

And the club says pending the success of the session, there will be tailored webinar series by class in the pipeline which will supplement Ireland’s upcoming return to sailing.

For more details on the strategy seminar this Sunday evening at 7pm, see the RCYC website HERE.

This week’s slot in the Royal Irish Yacht Club’s ‘Home Together’ series of online talks sees yacht designer Ron Holland headline a new mini-series featuring some of the best known names in international yacht design.

Julian Everitt, Mark Mills and John Corby are some of the other legendary figures who will give their own virtual talks over the coming weeks, following Holland’s introductory talk tomorrow evening (Wednesday 13 May)

And what’s more, Holland will be joined on this panel by Ireland’s own veteran sailing superstar Harold Cudmore.

For over 50 years, Ron Holland’s innovative designs have repeatedly shaken up the world of sailing.

Renowned as one of the most successful and sought-after designers in the highly competitive world of international ocean racing, he later brought his influence to — and continues his success in — the superyacht industry.

Holland’s online talk is set for 6.30pm on Wednesday 13 May. Contact [email protected] to register to attend.

The latest in the Royal Irish Yacht Club’s ‘Home Together’ series of online talks will see Hal Sisk recount a brilliant season with Peggy Bawn in classic events across the Atlantic from Maine to New York.

Many members are familiar with images and tales of classic regattas in the Med, but New England is a different prospect.

Hal will describe a very special campaign in the classic regattas of New England in his historic cutter Peggy Bawn and the cruising in between such venues as Newport, Camden, Castine and Stonington.

The illustrated adventure will also include a professionally made short film of Clare Francis racing Peggy Bawn in Cowes in 2018. Clare was the first woman to race singlehanded across the Atlantic in 1973 and skippered a Swan 65 in the Round the World race in 1977.

Be sure to tune in from 7.30pm tomorrow evening, Wednesday 6 May. RIYC members should have their invite emails but contact the Club Secretary if there are any issues.

Upcoming talks include acclaimed yacht designer Ron Holland (13 May), Bobby Kerr on climbing Point Burnaby in the Alps (15 May) and Prof Andrew Curtain on cruising Scandivanva (20 May).

Want to know how to optimise your J/111?

Join North Sails experts Seadon Wijsen, Jack Orr, Jeremy Smart and Allan Terhune for a full hour of J/111 performance tips this evening, Tuesday 5 May.

The panel will also be taking questions in a Q&A session after their presentation in the special Zoom webinar from 8pm IST/BST.

For details of how to sign up for this webinar, click HERE.