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Displaying items by tag: Royal Schelde Group

#NAVY VISITS -HNLMS Evertsen (F805) a Dutch naval frigate with a crew complement of 200 is due to make a weekend courtesy call to Cork City, berthing at J.J. Horgan's Wharf, writes Jehan Ashmore.

She is a sister of HNLMS De Ruyter (F804) which docked in Dublin Port last month, as previously reported in this section. The 144m frigates form two of a total of four De Zeven Provinciën-class air-defence and command frigates (LCF). The class present sharp angular lines (see PHOTO) due to stealth design technology to minimise radar signature detection.

Armament consists of a 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.

They displace 6,050 tonnes and propulsion plant are 2 x Wärtsilä 16 V26 diesel motor engines (13,600 hp total), 2 x Rolls Royce Spey SM 1A gas turbines (52,300 hp total). The class can achieve 30 knots and entered service between, 2001-2005 from the Royal Schelde Group shipyard in Flushing.

Published in Navy

Two Dutch naval frigates, HNLMS Tromp and HNLMS Van Amstel are due to arrive into Dublin Port tomorrow for a courtesy visit over the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS Van Tromp is a De Zeven Provinciën-class air-defence and command frigate (LCF). The class has a striking streamlined visual appearance, through the use of stealth design technology. The stealth design is to minimise the vessels signature as much as possible from the detection of enemy vessels using radar.

At 6,050 tonnes, the stealth frigate is one of five built by the Royal Schelde Group, of Flushing, Netherlands. Spain and Germany also participated during the design stage of the 144-metre class which are powered by gas turbine engines capable of reaching 30 knots.

They are equipped with an Oto Breda 127 mm cannon, vertical launch system (VLS) Mk 41 for Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), Standard Missile and Harpoon Missiles. In addition the frigate has a Goalkeeper (rapid-fire gun), a Oerlikon 20 mm machine gun and a Mk. 46 Torpedo weapon system. The vessel also has the ability to carry a Lynx or NH-90 helicopter.

The second frigate to visit the capital is HNLMS Van Amstel, one of two multi-purpose M-class frigates. The frigate which is also known as the Karel Doorman class can be used for surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. They also have their own air-defence capabilities.

The 122-metre vessels displace 3,300 tonnes and have a two Rolls Royce (Spey 1A) gas turbines delivering 29 knots. The class are equipped with an array of defence / attack armament to includes an Oto Melara 76 mm gun for surface and air targets, a Harpoon weapon system and a NATO Sea Sparrow Vertical Launch weapon system for use against air targets at close range. Like the De Zeven –class the M-class frigate is also capable of carrying a Lynx helicopter.

Published in Dublin Bay

Dublin Bay 21s

An exciting new project to breathe life into six defunct 120-year-old Irish yachts that happen to be the oldest intact one-design keelboat class in the world has captured the imagination of sailors at Ireland's biggest sailing centre. The birthplace of the original Dublin Bay 21 class is getting ready to welcome home the six restored craft after 40 years thanks to an ambitious boat building project was completed on the Shannon Estuary that saved them from completely rotting away.

Dublin Bay 21 FAQs

The Dublin Bay 21 is a vintage one-design wooden yacht designed for sailing in Dublin Bay.

Seven were built between 1903 and 1906.

As of 2020, the yachts are 117 years old.

Alfred Mylne designed the seven yachts.

The total voting population in the Republic's inhabited islands is just over 2,600 people, according to the Department of Housing.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) commissioned the boat to encourage inexpensive one-design racing to recognise the success of the Water Wag one-design dinghy of 1887 and the Colleen keelboat class of 1897.

Estelle built by Hollwey, 1903; Garavogue built by Kelly, 1903; Innisfallen built by Hollwey, 1903.; Maureen built by Hollwey, 1903.; Oola built by Kelly, 1905; Naneen built by Clancy, 1905.

Overall length- 32'-6', Beam- 7'-6", Keel lead- 2 tons Sail area - 600sq.ft

The first race took place on 19 June 1903 in Dublin Bay.

They may be the oldest intact class of racing keelboat yacht in the world. Sailing together in a fleet, they are one of the loveliest sights to be seen on any sailing waters in the world, according to many Dublin Bay aficionados.

In 1964, some of the owners thought that the boats were outdated, and needed a new breath of fresh air. After extensive discussions between all the owners, the gaff rig and timber mast was abandoned in favour of a more fashionable Bermudan rig with an aluminium mast. Unfortunately, this rig put previously unseen loads on the hulls, resulting in some permanent damage.

The fleet was taken out of the water in 1986 after Hurricane Charlie ruined active Dublin Bay 21 fleet racing in August of that year. Two 21s sank in the storm, suffering the same fate as their sister ship Estelle four years earlier. The class then became defunct. In 1988, master shipwright Jack Tyrrell of Arklow inspected the fleet and considered the state of the hulls as vulnerable, describing them as 'still restorable even if some would need a virtual rebuild'. The fleet then lay rotting in a farmyard in Arklow until 2019 and the pioneering project of Dun Laoghaire sailors Fionan De Barra and Hal Sisk who decided to bring them back to their former glory.

Hurricane Charlie finally ruined active Dublin Bay 21 fleet racing in August 1986. Two 21s sank in the storm, suffering the same fate as a sister ship four years earlier; Estelle sank twice, once on her moorings and once in a near-tragic downwind capsize. Despite their collective salvage from the sea bed, the class decided the ancient boats should not be allowed suffer anymore. To avoid further deterioration and risk to the rare craft all seven 21s were put into storage in 1989 under the direction of the naval architect Jack Tyrrell at his yard in Arklow.

While two of the fleet, Garavogue and Geraldine sailed to their current home, the other five, in various states of disrepair, were carried the 50-odd miles to Arklow by road.

To revive the legendary Dublin Bay 21 class, the famous Mylne design of 1902-03. Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra are developing ideas to retain the class's spirit while making the boats more appropriate to today's needs in Dun Laoghaire harbour, with its many other rival sailing attractions. The Dublin Bay 21-foot class's fate represents far more than the loss of a single class; it is bad news for the Bay's yachting heritage at large. Although Dún Laoghaire turned a blind eye to the plight of the oldest intact one-design keelboat fleet in the world for 30 years or more they are now fully restored.

The Dublin Bay 21 Restoration team includes Steve Morris, James Madigan, Hal Sisk, Fionan de Barra, Fintan Ryan and Dan Mill.

Retaining the pure Mylne-designed hull was essential, but the project has new laminated cold-moulded hulls which are being built inverted but will, when finished and upright, be fitted on the original ballast keels, thereby maintaining the boat’s continuity of existence, the presence of the true spirit of the ship.

It will be a gunter-rigged sloop. It was decided a simpler yet clearly vintage rig was needed for the time-constrained sailors of the 21st Century. So, far from bringing the original and almost-mythical gaff cutter rig with jackyard topsail back to life above a traditionally-constructed hull, the project is content to have an attractive gunter-rigged sloop – “American gaff” some would call it.

The first DB 21 to get the treatment was Naneen, originally built in 1905 by Clancy of Dun Laoghaire for T. Cosby Burrowes, a serial boat owner from Cavan.

On Dublin Bay. Dublin Bay Sailing Club granted a racing start for 2020 Tuesday evening racing starting in 2020, but it was deferred due to COVID-19.
Initially, two Dublin Bay 21s will race then three as the boat building project based in Kilrush on the Shannon Estuary completes the six-boat project.
The restored boats will be welcomed back to the Bay in a special DBSC gun salute from committee boat Mac Lir at the start of the season.
In a recollection for Afloat, well known Dun Laoghaire one-design sailor Roger Bannon said: "They were complete bitches of boats to sail, over-canvassed and fundamentally badly balanced. Their construction and design was also seriously flawed which meant that they constantly leaked and required endless expensive maintenance. They suffered from unbelievable lee helm which led to regular swamping's and indeed several sinkings.

©Afloat 2020