Latest news with #Cherbourg
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
COLUMN: New ideas needed to make Cowes Week more relevant
Two weeks ago, Cowes was packed with people of all nationalities crowding into the restaurants and pubs, the bars and the sailing clubs. Next morning, the Solent was crowded with vessels of many sizes as the Centenary Rolex Fastnet Race started. This week, the clubs and bars have been busy again with Cowes Week – the 199th Regatta. Entries are slightly down this year. As the Fastnet Race ends in Cherbourg, many boats are not back yet from the continent. The expense of Cowes Week to the crews is also a factor in play, and perhaps as we approach the bicentenary of the Regatta, it's time for a rethink. To make the event as relevant and fun as we can for the next 100 years. Factors militating against the current format are not only the expense (renting a house for the crew in Cowes now costs thousands for the week), but also the time requirement. Cowes Week really harks back to an age when there were fewer leisure opportunities, much less availability of foreign holidays, and people being in more secure employment. Covid kick-started the introduction of remote working for many office jobs. It's noticeable how much less busy the mainland ferries are with commuters on Mondays and Fridays, as employees now take those days to work from home. So instead of taking a whole week out of your leave allowance, it seems you can now work part of a week with a couple of good excuses. If we had a four-day regatta for the Black Group (bigger boats) starting on Saturday, participants could "work from home" on Monday and take one day off on Tuesday. Then if we have a four-day White Group (small boats) regatta starting on Thursday, their sailors too can take one day paid leave, "work from home" on Friday, and sail over the weekend. The smaller boats are largely local so don't need Sunday to relocate to home ports. This would have two big advantages – a free day on Wednesday to spend in the town, boosting the local economy, and greater availability of younger sailors who can fit the event into their modern working practices. Think what fun we could have in Cowes on Wednesday – a great day for aerial displays and so on. A parade of sail would also be great for spectators. The other factor would be the reduction in costs for participants. Instead of paying the very expensive rate for a week (around £1,000 for most Black Group boats), a four-day regatta is going to come in at a rate competitive with Dartmouth and other events. When you consider that boats competing in Cowes Week usually divide the costs between the crew, reducing the costs of racing, food, and accommodation is going to be a big factor in the number of entries. We forget this at our peril. Like most things in life, times change. Habits and expectations change, and generally, if providers of events don't change with them, the event dies out as participation declines. So maybe it is time for a rethink in Cowes.
Irish Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Stena Line axes Rosslare to Cherbourg ferry service
Stena Line is to cancel its three-day Rosslare-Cherbourg service, the company announced on Monday. The last sailing will depart Cherbourg on September 29th, arriving in Rosslare on September 30th. The ferry operator said the decision was made following a strategic route review. 'These plans have been developed after an extensive review with the intention of strengthening the company's investment in the Irish Sea, whilst delivering the most efficient use of the company's resources,' it said. Stena Line trade director Johan Edelman said it would work with staff to find 'redeployment opportunities'. READ MORE 'Our priority is, as always, the care of our people and customers,' he said. 'We've already met with our colleagues and over this period of consultation we will be working with any individual affected to consider all options, including redeployment opportunities. 'As we work through this change we will continue to support our colleagues at every stage.' [ Bumper cruise season set to make waves at Belfast Harbour Opens in new window ] Mr Edelman said the company's customer service team will be helping customers who have booked travel after September 'to keep any inconvenience to a minimum'. He added that Stena Line would 'continue to strengthen its Irish Sea network'. The group recently announced investments of almost £40 million (€46.8 million) in its Liverpool and Belfast terminals, as well as the upgrading of the Fishguard port infrastructure. He said the group would increase capacity across the Irish Sea with two new freight vessels planned for the Belfast-Heysham route and an additional freight vessel for the Dublin-Liverpool route. 'Our Rosslare-Cherbourg service is one that we will always be proud of, and we will continue to deliver the same high-quality service over the coming months,' he said.
BreakingNews.ie
27-06-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Former war correspondent awarded €17,500 for 'harrowing experience' on Irish Ferries
Former NBC war correspondent Susan Burt has been awarded €17,500 damages against Irish Ferries for what was described in court as 'a hideous and harrowing experience' on the high seas. Burt (75) told the Circuit Civil Court she feared she was going to die when Irish Ferries vessel MV Epsilon had been tossed around, once lurching to an angle of 33 degrees, in Storm Imogen almost 10 years ago during a sailing from Cherbourg to Dublin. Advertisement The court heard that conditions had been so bad the Epsilon had been unable to risk docking anywhere or dropping anchor and had to sail back and forth for 18 hours in what coastal shelter it could find until the storm abated. 'The vessel lurched so violently that people were screaming,' Burt had told Judge Christopher Callan, who had reserved judgment until Friday. 'Things were flying through the air, dishes were smashing, and furniture sliding up and down decks and cabin floors, and when the ship would roll, we had to crawl.' Three children and four other adults, including Ms Burt's partner Chris Sawyer, had earlier accepted settlements ranging from €14,500 in the case of the children to €23,000 in Mr Sawyer's claim. He had been physically injured during the storm. Advertisement Ms Burt told her barrister, John Wilde Crosbie, who appeared with Evan O'Dwyer of O'Dwyer Solicitors, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, that she had lived through a horrific nightmare. She said the ship would turn over so far after having been hit by huge waves that passengers felt it would capsize. The Epsilon had docked a day late on February 9th, 2016. Ms Burt and her partner had been travelling to visit friends in Co Mayo. Ireland Court throws out damages case brought over wheelba... Read More Judge Callan said that while Ms Burt had not, according to psychiatric reports, reached the threshold of having suffered from PTSD, she had nevertheless been exposed to sustained and continuous shock, an experience she should not have had to endure. 'I thought I was going to die. I felt 'this is it',' she had said. 'We were being thrown about and our car was absolutely squashed as vehicles criss-crossed the car deck.' Advertisement When barrister Roisin Haughey, counsel for Irish Ferries, had raised an issue on the amount of legal costs Ms Burt should be awarded, considering the lower award for damages in her €60,000 claim, Judge Callan said he felt she should receive full Circuit Court costs. 'In fairness to the plaintiff, these unusual proceedings have been going on for quite a long time, and the court was impressed with her evidence,' Judge Callan said. 'She did not in any way exaggerate what had happened to her.'
BBC News
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Large cargo ship towed to Guernsey after breakdown
A large cargo ship had to be towed to Guernsey harbour after suffering an engine breakdown, according to the Coastguard said the 64m [210ft] general cargo vessel MV Bonita requested assistance at 05:20 BST on Friday, five miles north of the island. The fault could not be fixed at sea and a French emergency towing vessel was sent from Cherbourg to assist. A tug later dispatched from the south coast of England was used to tow the ship to St Peter Port harbour, arriving at 03:15 on Saturday. The coastguard said the MV Bonita had been on its way from The Netherlands to St Sampson's, Guernsey, with a cargo of sand when it broke said there were no injuries and no pollution was caused.
BreakingNews.ie
04-06-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Former war correspondent felt she would die during 'harrowing' Irish Ferries journey
A former war zone correspondent for NBC has told a judge she feared she was going to die in raging seas when Irish Ferries vessel MV Epsilon was dramatically tossed around during Storm Imogen almost 10 years ago. Retired journalist Susan Burt (75) said in the Circuit Civil Court on Wednesday that she, her partner Chris Sawyer and seven passengers from Co Mayo had felt they were not going to survive during what she described as a horrific nightmare over three days when the Epsilon had been unable to dock anywhere during a three-day journey from Cherbourg to Dublin. Advertisement Barrister John Wilde Crosbie, counsel for Ms Burt told Judge Christopher Callan the vessel had been forced to sail back and forth during the storm until the weather improved and it could continue to Dublin. It had set out on February 7th, 2016 and had not docked in Dublin a day late on the 9th. 'The vessel lurched so violently that people were screaming,' Burt, who lives in England and Brussels, told the court. 'Things were flying through the air, dishes were smashing and furniture sliding up and down decks and cabin floors. As the ship would roll we had to crawl.' She said the ship would turn over so far after being hit by huge waves that passengers felt it would capsize. It seemed to go on forever. 'It was a very long drawn out harrowing and awful experience,' she told Mr Crosbie, who appeared with Evan O'Dwyer of O'Dwyer Solicitors, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo. Advertisement 'I thought I was going to die. I felt 'this is it,'' she said. 'We were being thrown about and our car was absolutely squashed as vehicles criss-crossed the car deck.' In 2023 Noel Rowland, of Bridgemount, Belcarra, Castlebar, Co Mayo, his wife, and three children, Florence, Beau and Jude, now all resident in Brussels; Chris Sawyer, also Brussels, and two other passengers also living in Brussels but with Irish connections, settled their claims against Irish Ferries. Ireland Man released without charge after death of woman o... Read More At that time the court approved settlement offers of €14,500 each for the three Rowland children. Other settlements were not disclosed. Ms Burt's claim was put back until today for full trial. Cross-examined by defence barrister Roisin Haughey, who appeared with Noble shipping Law Solicitors for Irish Ferries, Ms Burt said she had not developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and had not been physically injured during the harrowing experience. Advertisement Psychological experts for both parties put the absence of PTSD and her not having a requirement for medication down to her stoic attitude and impressive personal coping ability. Her counsel said she had nevertheless suffered psychological damage as a result of her experience. Judge Callan reserved judgment on his assessment of damages in a case in which Irish Ferries had conceded liability.
