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Santa Irene Club de Vela Newsletter - 3rd March 2010
Sunday 28th , the last day of February, it started like many of our sailing days this year. No wind, a little rain and lots of cloud. So, we had a hot coffee at our Club house: el Rincon del puerto. Then, enough Blue Sky to make a suit, as my Mother used to say, things were looking better. Time to don our wetsuits .
David, Lyndon and Ian were going to test there skills sailing the “Osprey”, our slim lined 17 ft 6 in. dinghy, she is a beauty. Designed by Ian Proctor, in the early 50´s, this high performance racing dinghy, fast on all points of sailing, not like some modern designes, fast down wind. In 1953, an “Osprey” won the “Round Island Race”(Isle of Wight) against 190 starters from all the Dinghy Casses. It can be sailed with a crew of 2 or 3 with one on the trapeze. Our intrepid trio had to paddle her out of the harbour but then a light breeze arrived and she was moving like a ballerina, in the gusts not more than 8 knots, she was flying. I guess the slim lined crew weight would have been about 34 stone. There is still a few technical problems to sort out but we look to the future when our “Osprey” Champion, Nick arrives to demonstrate her capabilities in a force 3 and 4, plus. She has has a reputation of being a good sea boat, so David, you will be OK out on the trapeze!
Thinking of sea worthy boats, they don´t get any better than the “Wayfarer”, we have one in the Club and there is another locally. I´m hoping it will soon be with us.
If you are interested in dinghy cruising, you should read the adventures of Frank and Margaret Dye in there “Wayfarer”.
In the UK. We have many more dinghy classes than most other countries. I think it´s time we started “Showing off” with the dinghies we have: The “Osprey”, “Wayfarer”, “Phantom”, “Solo”, “Topper”, “Mirror”, ... dinghies which you don´t see at other Spanish Clubs. I´m going to suggest to the Lads and Lasses we have a day out, with a visit to Almeria Sailing Club, on a Saturday, their training day, perhaps, we can also take the “Tideway” and the “Kittiwake” two of our classics.
The dinghies they sail and race at the Almeria Club are the “Optimist”, “Laser” and “Snipe”, I´m sure they would enjoy our company for the day.
This month, at Club de Mar Almeria, there will be a Trophy meeting for the “Laser Radial” on the 18th to the 21st of March.
This is an early reminder , the Extreme Sailing Series Europe, those 40 ft
Catamarans will be racing in Almeria Docks the 9th to 12th of October, it will be the last of the Series. This year, Italy will be involved with the penultimate venue at Trapeni, on the west coast of Sicily where also they will celebrate a Tall Ships Regatta – why not almeria too!!
Hope to see you for coffee at the “Rincon del Puerto” Garrucha.
Take care, John
John Talliss
Tel : 950 475 157
Movil: 658 548 790
E-mail johntalliss@gmail.com
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