Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Arklow's Latest Launch

#ArklowsLastestLaunch – Arklow Breeze had the honour of been launched as the newest and final newbuild of six cargoships from a Dutch yard last Friday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The ceremony for Yard No. (Nb) 414 saw a successfull sideways launch at the Westerbroek yard of Ferus Smit. The same Dutch yard having completed all of the previous bulk oriented general cargoships of 8,660dwt for Arklow Shipping. She joins the company's Dutch division based in Rotterdam, Arklow Shipping Netherland N.V.

A 119m long hull form without a bulb-less bow design has given the series 'green' credentials. This is to improve operating efficiency by reducing wave resistance in varying sea-state conditions without compromising on cargo-loads.

The bulb-less concept, instead features a straight-stemmed bow to allow a slender hull entry to slice into the waves. While at the same time taking into account various loading drafts. Total performance of this bow design will also be better than that of a bulb optimised for one single-draft and flat water only conditions.

Almost a year ago, Arklow Bay was also given a spectacular launch, see VIDEO. As for Arklow Breeze she is due to enter service next month.

She follows Arklow Brave which called to Dublin Port this month and whose agents are the Burke Shipping Group which invested in new port infrastructure late last year.

The new cargoship had loaded scrap metal elsewhere in the port alongside the Hammond Lane Metal Company. She departed laden with the cargo bound for Leixoes in Portugal.

The sisters will be mainly employed in the shipment of wheat, corn and other bulk commodities in European waters.

Published in Arklow Shipping

About the Melges 15 Dinghy

The Melges 15 was designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges.

The design prioritises stability, comfort, ease of use, and performance. 

The Melges 15 is built to be sailed by everyone from friends and couples to families and kids. The design offers performance, comfort, and stability in one sleek package.

The Melges 15’s stable hull shape and ergonomic cockpit make it a suitable layout for adult racing and educational sailing. Easy conversion from a club configuration (non-spinnaker) to a one-design setup, provides more versatility to club programs and options for individual owners.

“The Melges 15 creates a clear pathway for junior sailors to get started and stay excited about sailing while also being comfortable and accessible enough for adults to learn, race, or cross-train,” according to Harry Melges III.

With the main design goals focused on stability and performance in various conditions, the boat features a narrow overall beam and a flat cross-section shape for stability, righting moment, and ease of planing. For a more forgiving feel upwind and to navigate larger sea states, the Melges 15 has just the right amount of fore and aft rocker.

Melges conducted extensive research and product testing to produce this layout factoring in cockpit depth, backbone height, and floor plan. The result, they say, is a comfortable environment for both the skipper and crew. The deeper cockpit takes the load off the sailor’s knees helping them feel locked into the boat while the high boom and gnav vang system work together to make the boat easier to manoeuvre.

The asymmetric spinnaker offers an additional performance element, while the single-pull launch and retrieval system makes handling the sail easy and fast.

 

At a Glance - Melges 15 Specifications

  • LENGTH 15 ft 
    BEAM 5 ft 6 in
    DRAFT 2 ft 7 in 
    HULL WEIGHT 230 lbs
  • SAIL AREA
    MAIN 93.6 sq ft 
    JIB 39.8 sq ft 
    ASYMMETRICAL SPINNAKER 156 sq ft 
  • CREW 2

Featured Sailing School

INSS sidebutton

Featured Clubs

dbsc mainbutton
Howth Yacht Club
Kinsale Yacht Club
National Yacht Club
Royal Cork Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht club
Royal Saint George Yacht Club

Featured Brokers

leinster sidebutton

Featured Webcams

Featured Associations

ISA sidebutton
ICRA
isora sidebutton

Featured Marinas

dlmarina sidebutton

Featured Chandleries

CHMarine Afloat logo
https://afloat.ie/resources/marine-industry-news/viking-marine

Featured Sailmakers

northsails sidebutton
uksails sidebutton
watson sidebutton

Featured Blogs

W M Nixon - Sailing on Saturday
podcast sidebutton
BSB sidebutton
wavelengths sidebutton
 

Please show your support for Afloat by donating