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Displaying items by tag: Joan & Pauline Collins

#SeaFilm - Time of Their Lives, the latest film to star Dame Joan Collins saw the actress sail on a UK-France ferry looking to find love, adventure and true friendship.

In the film, Collins is joined by co-star Pauline Collins which sees the superstar actresses on board Brittany Ferries cruiseferry Mont St. Michel from Portsmouth to Caen, Normandy. The scenes were shot on board the cruiseferry last summer, to the delight of 500 passengers and French Captain Bertrand Cuvillier who hosted the stars for breakfast during the crossing.

On arrival of Mont-St.Michel in the French port, the film sees the pair head south in a Citroen 2CV. Love interest comes en-route courtesy of Italian heartthrob Franco Nero, before a dramatic finale on the beautiful island of Ȋle de Ré.

The Atlantic Ocean setting of Ȋle de Ré, Afloat adds is where one of the island harbour's Saint-Martin-de-Ré is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island is reached not by sea but a bridge connecting to the mainland near La Rochelle, the capital of the Charentes-Maritime department.

Accompanying the actresses were a 40 strong film crew, that shot scenes in the cruiseferry’s bar, on deck and from the port. All these scenes cinema-goers will see on the big screen.

The film premiered on Wednesday this week and advanced screenings took place on board the Brittany Ferries fleet on Thursday. This was followed by general release on Friday, both in the UK and Ireland. To see a trailer click here. 

To celebrate the launch of The Time of Their Lives, Brittany Ferries has put together a three-night sail-and-stay break (albeit only available from the operators UK ferryports). For example on the Portsmouth-Caen route that replicates the character's voyage of discovery. 

The offer includes two nights on the idyllic and glamorous Ȋle de Ré island, home to the rich and famous. The offer is available up until 30 June 2017.

Brittany Ferries which also operate a seasonal Ireland-France (Cork-Roscoff) route begins at the end of this month with Pont-Aven. The flagship is scheduled to make an inward bound crossing from France on 31 March.

On the following day, Pont-Aven departs Cork on 1 April to make the debut outward crossing to Roscoff. The overnight French route at 14 hours is the shortest and fastest crossing between Ireland and the continent.

Published in Ferry

The Half Ton Class was created by the Offshore Racing Council for boats within the racing band not exceeding 22'-0". The ORC decided that the rule should "....permit the development of seaworthy offshore racing yachts...The Council will endeavour to protect the majority of the existing IOR fleet from rapid obsolescence caused by ....developments which produce increased performance without corresponding changes in ratings..."

When first introduced the IOR rule was perfectly adequate for rating boats in existence at that time. However yacht designers naturally examined the rule to seize upon any advantage they could find, the most noticeable of which has been a reduction in displacement and a return to fractional rigs.

After 1993, when the IOR Mk.III rule reached it termination due to lack of people building new boats, the rule was replaced by the CHS (Channel) Handicap system which in turn developed into the IRC system now used.

The IRC handicap system operates by a secret formula which tries to develop boats which are 'Cruising type' of relatively heavy boats with good internal accommodation. It tends to penalise boats with excessive stability or excessive sail area.

Competitions

The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium. 

At A Glance – Half Ton Classics Cup Winners

  • 2017 – Kinsale – Swuzzlebubble – Phil Plumtree – Farr 1977
  • 2016 – Falmouth – Swuzzlebubble – Greg Peck – Farr 1977
  • 2015 – Nieuwport – Checkmate XV – David Cullen – Humphreys 1985
  • 2014 – St Quay Portrieux – Swuzzlebubble – Peter Morton – Farr 1977
  • 2013 – Boulogne – Checkmate XV – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1985
  • 2011 – Cowes – Chimp – Michael Kershaw – Berret 1978
  • 2009 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978
  • 2007 – Dun Laoghaire – Henri-Lloyd Harmony – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1980~
  • 2005 – Dinard – Gingko – Patrick Lobrichon – Mauric 1968
  • 2003 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978

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