Lastest News
Santa Irene Club de Vela Newsletter - 16th October 2007
Here I am in the English Mildlands (Halesowen) making daily visits to Selly Oak hospital. I´m pleased to say my elderly relative is making good progress, so I will be returning home this weekend 20th-21st but making a detour to the South of England. Hope to see you on Garrucha´s slip-way on Sunday the 28th. Remember to put your clocks back on the 27th and have that extra hour in bed.
Vic tells me Sunday the 14th was a good sailing day for the ´Cats´ going off the Playa at San Juan with some new sailors, who I hope will join us. Remember to drop by, you are always welcome. Sailing out of Garrucha was Paul, Lynn, David, Alan and Jim, so I guess that was the Laser 4000, Wayfarer and Solo. Next week expect to see the Drascombe, Tideway and Phantom.
I expect many of you were glued to the “Box” on Saturday to watch the lads, with Johnny Wilkinson,overcome the French. The Sunday papers were full of it and rightly so. But they will have to beat the Springboks to get their “World” title. Time for me to get on my “soap box”, our lads and lass´s are picking up “world” titles and gold medals almost every month and not a “Dickie Bird” in the national sports pages.
The “Topper” worlds at Lake Garda, Italy, 173 boats, a week of racing – not 80 min and young Mike Wood of Draycote Water S.C. was crowned “World Champion”. Draycote is where our own Paul sails when he is in the UK. Then in the same week the “Fire Ball” World Championships with 96 sailors from all over the world raced at the St. Mority S.C. in the “Silvplana Lake”.
The lake is beautifully situated 1,850m up in the Alps, another place for me to visit in the future. After five days of racing who were “World Champions”? Richard Estaugh and crew from the UK.
And there´s more – this is only in the last couple of months. Let me tell you about 21 year old Ben Paton from Pennington. I know it well. A young sailor of incredible talent (well they all are) from The Royal Lymington Y.C. He´s not just been crowned “World and European Champion” facing his “Laser Radial” , he now has an Olympic dream and is campaigning a “49er” a real flyer for the 2012 Games. He will be training at Portland with 23 year old Johnny Clegg a 49er crew. The “Laser Radial” is the new Olympic womens singlehander. Who will be our “Lady Sailor” for the 2012 Games? I´ll let you know.
Now where would we all like to be on the 11th October, next year 2008? In Alicante to see the start of The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009. The route is around the world, visiting possibly 12 ports and finishing at the Russian Port of St. Petersburg. A distance of 37,000 nautical miles – the ports of call havn´t been announced yet, I guess it´s where they want to boost their sales, I´ve always fancied a “Volvo Estate”.
The weather here – it’s a nice, bright sunny day – but the first for two weeks! I´m looking forward to getting home.
Take Care
John Talliss
Tel : 950 475 157
Movil: 658 548 790
E-mail John@Sailrway.com
Archived Newsletters