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Santa Irene Club de Vela Newsletter - 7th June 2006
Sad News – from the Volvo Ocean Race, Dutchman Han Horrevoets was swept overboard from ABN AMRO 2, in heavy seas, it was 2am and she was 1,300 miles from Landsend. Although the crew were able to find and recover him, within 40 minutes, they were unable to resuscitate him. Hans at 32 was the oldest member of the crew – the only one married, with an infant daughter. The skipper is a 30 year old French man, Sebastion Josse, navigator Simon Fisher at 27, the remaining crew are younger and known to the Volvo fleet as the “kids”. The skipper had this to say about his young crew, “I would like to stress that throughout the whole man over board procedure, the crew handled themselves calmly, professionally and with the up most maturity, it is with deep regret that we were unable to resuscitate Hans.” The last death in this Ocean Race was 1989. ABN AMRO 1 won Leg 7, New York to Portsmouth, crossing the finish line after 9 days.
I am writing this on the last day of May, during last week the winds were mostly from the North, Force 5-6 and forecast 7-8, a number of yachts came into Garrucha to shelter for a few days.
One was an 11 metre Motor Yacht with Val and David Evernden on board. They arrived in the Med via the French Canal system, staying in the centre of Paris for three weeks. If you would like to know more about the adventures of Val and David check their website www.evernden.org.uk it was a trip I was going to make 30 years ago – but didn’t have the time. How does that poem go – “What is this life if, full of care” – perhaps you’ll let me know. The canal system in Europe is vast, you can enter it from the English Channel and exit via the River Danube into the black sea. So! Who’s up for it – if ‘you’ve been there, done that ‘, I would like to hear from you.
A couple of weeks ago the weather was idyllic – well for some of us. There were 7 helmsmen on the water with 7 boats. Vic and Tim on the Hobie 16, Lisa and Salvador on the Patin, then single-handed the 470,topper, Lark, Pastinaca and me in an Optimist, it went very well too.
There are still 2 Cats on the Playa one 10ft, one 14ft waiting to be rigged. We don’t always have the ideal launching conditions, in fact the weather hasn’t been kind to us this year. When it is everything could be on the water – remember, you used to dream about the Mediterranean Sea back in the UK, so come and join us. Last Sunday – no wind but it was BBQ day, so a good chat about boats we may have in the future. There will be a new Macgregor 26 with us soon, if you want to know more ask Dona. We hope to see her on most Sundays from now on.
Thanks to Lucy for bringing your parents along, and nice
to meet Ron and his wife. Oh! Remember Lea and Les, they came back from the
Canary Islands on the Tall ship “Thalassa” last March. They have
another crewing job this time on a 41ft “Oceanlord” she will leave
Aguadulce in 2 weeks time bound for …… I’ll leave that until
next time – but there could be a clue!
Hope to meet up with you - Sunday on the Playa del Cantal, opposite Mr UK.
Arrivederci
John Talliss
Tel : 950 475 157
Movil: 658 548 790
E-mail John@Sailrway.com
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