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Displaying items by tag: Killybegs, Donegal 2018

#CunardDonegal - Two of the most famous names in British royalty are coming to Donegal - but it’s not members of the royal family; rather, it’s two massive 'Vista' class cruise ships named “Queen Elizabeth” and “Queen Victoria”!

The famous Cunard Line writes Donegal Now, has confirmed that two of its prestige 90,000 gross tonnage cruiseships will visit Killybegs in 2018 as part of two new cruise itineraries.

Both vessels are almost 300 metres long – more than twice the length of Croke Park!

The announcement is yet further evidence that Killybegs is now really making a name for itself as a cruise ship port of call.

“This is a good news story for Killybegs and for Donegal,” commented Anne Dorrian of the Killybegs Tourism Information Centre.

The tourism spin-off is considerable, with many of the passengers going on local tours and taking in attractions such as Slieve League and Glenveagh National Park as well as visiting the likes of Donegal Town.

Meanwhile, the Fred Olsen line has become the first cruise line to enable passengers to embark in Killybegs. In September passengers will be able to go on board the "Boudicca" on the "Rugged and Rural Canada" cruise to Newfoundland, Canada and back.

For details of the cruise and more, Donegal Now has a report here.  

 

 

Published in Cruise Liners

The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.