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Santa Irene Club de Vela Newsletter - 10th December 2008
It´s been a couple of weeks of very light winds and rain at times, which has kept most of our members off the water. Never the less quite a few of us met up at Garrucha slipway for coffee at the Rincon del Puerto on the last day of November. Then last Sunday, the calm weather was ideal for us to familiarize our selves with the new R.I.B which will be on duty every Club Sailing day, its an expensive piece of equipment and we need to known how it performs and how to look after it.
It was light winds for the November "Garrucha Cruiser Race", some of our members took part in it. The winner was our local chemist Miguel and his Family, sailing their 41ft Yacht "Spinnaker" that´s her name, you can´t miss the Big yellow and black Spinnaker when she is on the water.
The 1st of December was our A.G.M at the Puntazo Hotel, there was a good turn-out. I looked back to 2002 when we had 3 members, youngsters: Marianne, Vanessa and Analisa, who sailed the Oppies. Some of you may remember the Club House!! a Cabin, we had opposite the Indalo Hotel, which mysteriously disappeared one night,"Oh Happy Days".Now we have 30 boats of various shapes and sizes, which includes a good Catamaran Fleet so I´m Happy. What we haven´t got is a permanent home, but we do have the enthusiasm to find one. Who knows, one day we may meet a Sport Councillor, who has the same enthusiasm to see a thriving Sailing Club in this area.
Our "Brief Encounter"(remember the film) with the Cuevas Canal was undoubtedly a success. We had a Club House, with showers and toilets too! During the short period we were there, all our single handers, Oppies, Topper, Europe, Byte, Mirror Dinghy, Kayaks, and my rubber Duck, took to the water at some time. It could be the venue for sailing for the disabled, check-out R.Y.A. Sailability, "Sailing for all"or www.cava1.com and read what our friend Ferran Martinez has to say, (you can translate it into English). Houri and I will visit him in the new year at the Club Adaptada 1, Benalmádina (Malaga). We will certainly be talking to the Management Co. which has taken charge of the Canal and to the Sport Councillor at Cuevas.
Now to those Big Volvo Ocean 70´s and the World Race which started out of Alicante on the 11th of October, we were there. They will leave Kochin, India on the 3rd leg to Singapore on the 13th of December a distance of nearly 2.000 nautical miles. Our favourite "Green Dragon" is in 4th place overall. We hope she can make it on to the podium by the end of the World Race in ST Petersburg, Russia. Remember, they will be in"Galway" on the 1st of June. Now who do we know there ? Of course ! Dermot, we should talk to him.
We wish you Merry Christmas and Happy new year. Hope to meet you at Garrucha Slipway.
Take care
John Talliss
Tel : 950 475 157
Movil: 658 548 790
E-mail johntalliss@gmail.com
Sailing News Sol Times - 10th December 2008
We can´t really grumble about our weather, when you phone the U.K or just look at the weather in Northan Spain. Never the less I´ve been day dreaming about the largest Ocean Rally in the World, that would take us to a tropical Island. Put another log on the fire,switch on the Fairy Lights and sit back, I will tell you about it.
First, we need a reasonably sized cruising boat, say a 10 m. Beneteau enough food to keep us happy to Gibraltar, then South to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, that could be any time in September- October.
We then join with the other 200 or so Cruising Yachts and wait for the largest Atlantic Ocean Rally to start, usually about mid November, that´s the end of the hurricane season in the Caribbean.
Off we sail, with a thousand other sailors waving good bye to Las Palmas, pointing our bows westward to begin the 2.700 nautical mile Cruise to St. Lucia, one of the Windward Islands in the warm Caribbean. When you arrive in Rodney Bay, you will be welcomed with a Basket of fruit and a glass of Rum Punch. Is it a Race? Not for the majority but about 20% will race. This year, the first to arrive was an Open 60, with a multinational crew of 10, it had taken them 14 days, it was light winds most of the way. I would be happy with 24 days, Sailing the 36 ft, Beneteau, I have my eye on! It´s time for me to quote Lao Tzu. "The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step". So! first, we have to persuade Frank! It´s time now for me to close my eyes and carry on dreaming.
On the first of December, we held our A.G.M, I can tell you all the members are working enthusisticly to develop the Club, finding or building our selves a Club House.
We have moved on from sailing 3 Oppies in 2002, to the members and Club owning 30 sail boats.
We are all looking forward to 2009.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Email me, phone me or meet me at Garrucha slipway Sunday morning for coffee.
John Talliss
Tel : 950 475 157
Movil: 658 548 790
E-mail johntalliss@gmail.com
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