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Santa Irene Club de Vela Newsletter - 19th July 2006
Surpresa, Surpresa! John was able to “fix it” for Rosie and Ken
Rosie had phoned me to say it was soon to be Ken’s birthday and she had always been able to surprise him with a gift, in the past he had been up in the air or horse riding etc. Did I think I could get him sailing, he was an GP14 sailor, but hadn’t been on a boat for years, no problem!
On Saturday 8th, we met for the first time on the quay side in Garrucha, where I keep Dos Amigos, a 21ft Drascombe, pity it was such a calm day, but Ken was able to find the breeze so off we sailed to Mojacar. Did the Garrucha Club know it was a special day? Because out they came too, it was a cruiser race. Ken was doing well leading the fleet after some time we turned and sailed back through the fleet, showing the flag, you can’t miss us with the tan sails. After a superb manoeuvre, thanks Ken, we were back in our berth. A cool drink at the Rincon, where we chatted about bygone days – Ken and I speak the same language - both from Birmingham.
Then a surprise for me, Elisa, who I thought was in Alcoy was there too. So was an old friend Nickalas from Murcia, who five years ago had learned to sail in a 13ft Pastinaca – yes I have one of those too. Now he has a 32ft Beneteau and had been out with the cruiser fleet. So it was a grand day for me too – thanks Rosie and Ken.
Now if you want to see Youth in Action, visit the “Cruz Roja” or Red Cross Station on the Playa, don’t go empty handed, leave a few euros. You may not be aware of it, but the Red Cross on the coast do the same job as the RNLI in the UK. They are all volunteers and need voluntary contributions to keep it going as do the RNLI.
Recently, thanks to Martin who operates the nautical sports on the Playa, near the Red Cross Station, we called on the help of these young people. A catamaran had capsized, not normally a problem, unfortunately one hull had been taking in water, so the crew was unable to right it. The Cat was heavy and it took the efforts of our safety boat plus a Red Cross Jet Ski to tow it ashore. I can’t say the Jet skis were ever a favourite of mine, but as a fast response boat in inshore waters and in the hands of experts, which these young people are, you couldn’t do better. I was more than happy on Monday morning to visit the Red Cross Station and meet with Jauna, Filipe and their young supports to hand them a donation, to look over the jet skis and say thank you. From now on we will be collecting for them as we did for the RNLI back in the UK.
We’ve been frustrated by the lack of wind, but no lack of wind at the inaugural “Pico” National Championships at Gurnard S C. one squall of up to 27knots flattened most of the fleet, but a “Pico” will pop upright very quickly. It’s an ideal fun boat, but can be raced very seriously. A mono hull class, I would like to see here, it’s a fun class with bright coloured hulls- remember the name “Laser Pico”
So the club will close for a few weeks, I’m off to the UK, first to see my sister in law, Nell, then to visit some clubs in the Midlands. Over to Ireland to meet up with Dermot at the Royal Cork Yacht Club, where he tells me he’s the commodore – not sure I believe that! There is a Drascombe meeting in Baltimore with the best Irish Craic guaranteed – they say. Then when I have recovered from that, back to the UK, where I hope to go down south to see my dear friends Ann and Robin, who I hope will transport me to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, the venue for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Events.
I’ll keep in touch with you by email to tell you how lovely and cool it is! Better send my love to Ann and Robin, he puts this on my website.
Take care
John Talliss
Tel : 950 475 157
Movil: 658 548 790
E-mail John@Sailrway.com
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