BEGINNING OF SEASON EVENTS AT THE ‘GEORGE’
On 14th May, Conor O’Leary and Vincent Delany organised a ‘Beginning of Season Event’. Unusually, it was not a race, nor a rally, nor a cruise-in-company. What was it? Firstly, it did offer members an opportunity to take families out on the water, and provide them with an opportunity to see the houses of Sandycove, Bullock and Dalkey from the sea. Surely there was a greater objective than this! Yes, each boat was provided with a literary and historic quiz relating to Dalkey and its environs, which had to be solved before the boats came ashore. In addition, each boat was provided with an empty spreadsheet in which to log the names and interests of the competitors of the other boats.
Interestingly, only one dinghy competed, it was a Mirror Dinghy. sailed by Mark, Emily and Will Hennessy. The average age on board was certainly less than 20. Despite their small vessel, they sailed as far as Sorrento Terrace at Dalkey Sound, before they were recalled by race management due to deteriorating weather, and breaking waves in Killiney Bay. At the prizegiving, their courage, tenacity, and endeavour was commended.
Remarkably, Rose Mary Craig, Patrick, Nora, Michael and Sarah Sheehan, in Glencoe managed to collect nineteen names on their spreadsheet, including the names of some fishermen, before a large wave swept over the cockpit of their Glen, and ‘the knowledge’ was lost forever. Some people might consider this to be a case of ‘The dog ate my homework’. Notwithstanding their bad luck, they were presented with a lovely club neck-towel.
It appears that the 1720 competitors thought that it was a race, and a tight race they had too. So tight that some of them forgot to fill in their spreadsheets. However, Gavan, Margaret Abigail, and Louie Murphy with some support from Hilary Williams managed to sail around more marks than their competition, and were awarded with a club gilet. Ben Cooke and his young team, and Clare Hogan and her team pushed them very hard.
The First 310 Nautigal, manned by Jason, Jean, Alanna and James Crawford, and Brian Darcy’s Moody Piper manned by Siobhan, Jack Tom and Isabelle, and Maibelle crewed by Chris, Sarah, Holly, Conor and Sandra Helme, remained in close company for most of the route, which made their inter-boat communications easier.
By 16.00 everybody was back in the clubhouse, enjoying some sunshine (and the suggestion of a shower)- the children enjoyed a few rounds of sumo-wrestling before they had faces painted with Batman/ Mick Jagger’s tongue/ cats/ dogs/ and various other images.
Rear Commodore Sailing, Peter Bowring, thanked everybody, including the crew of the clubs new committee boat, the rescue crews and the club staff who contributed to making this ‘family day’ a memorable day of adventures for old and young alike.
