Sir, – Your correspondent (Letters, August 27th) states, "The national ensign defaced with the owner's yacht club colours in foreign ports is a source of regular embarrassment" adding "it is never acceptable to deface the national flag".
However the Mercantile Marine Act states, “The Minister may ... by flag warrant issued to any body of persons, authorise the members of the body to use a flag in lieu of the national flag on specified Irish ships”.
The members of a number of clubs have been granted such warrants and are entitled to wear an ensign specific to their club or body with conditions attached. Indeed as a result of Brexit, members of my own club have been advised to carry a copy of the warrant with them on board.
The use of specific ensigns is a long-standing nautical tradition. The letter writer mentions that you would never see the French tricolour defaced in this manner. However, as an example the ensign of the Yacht Club de France is the French tricolour with a white star in the blue third and a blue star in the white third.
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While nautical flag traditions may seem to belong to a bygone era, for may of us they add to the colour of our sport, and rather then being an embarrassment the wearing of a specific ensign allows us to express pride in our country and our club.
– Yours, etc,
JOE CONWAY,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.