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Santa Irene Club de Vela Newsletter - 29th September 2008
"Rain drops are falling on my head", not sure why I remembered that except I left two of my "Oppies" out on Thursday and they were half full of lovely rain water on Friday morning. I just hope it will be dry when Houri and I visit the "Volvo Ocean Race Village" at Alicante, soaking up the atmosphere and talking to as many people as possible and perhaps visit one of those Volvo Open 70´s.
I did send them an email to say we would be there. 20000 people gathered to celebrate the opening of the Village on the 19th of September with a grand firework display, music, dancing etc. I don´t recall viewing any of it on T.V. We are looking forward to seeing the Volvo Open 70 Yachts competing in the "In Port Race" there are 8 of them.
All this before the Start of the Round the World Race on Saturday the 4th of October. The Race has changed quite a bit since the days of "The Whitbread" now the Stop-Overs have increased from 6 to 11 counting Alicante as number 1. The 1st leg is to Cape Town, then Kochi (India), Singapore, Qingdao (China), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Boston, Galway, Gothenburg (Swe), Stockholm (Swe), ST Petersburg (Russia), what a great geography lesson, you should get your Atlas out.
The round trip is approximately 3700 nautical miles taking about 9 months for the 80 crew members of the 8 Volvo Open 70`s. I´ll be telling you more about the Crews and Boats as they progress around the world. We wish them Fair Winds and Safe Sailing!
Now, back to our 7ft 6in Oppies! Pastinaca´s and Hobie Cats, we all had a great day on Sunday the 21st with Oppies etc. on the water at Garrucha and the Cats on the Playa del Cantal, all together there were 10 boats sailing.
Unfortunately we are still unable to use the Cuevas Canal (Lake), I hope to have some good news by Mid October, it’s a facility that must be used for Water Sports.
Why is it the U.K has been Top Nation in dinghy sailing for many years? Because we have so many Sailing Clubs and the R.Y.A has a good coaching system. This week-end the 27th - 28th of August more than 1000 young hopefuls will be racing in "Zone Championships" organized by the R.Y.A and supported by the Clubs.
We need to see much more enthusiasm from Schools, Town Halls... to encourage youngsters into this sport, just imagine if every Embalse (reservoir) had a Sailing Club!! They do in the U.K.
I wonder what the "Yacht Club" of Alicante do for their Dinghy sailors, we will find out this week-end. I can tell you Club de Mar, Almeria do a good job, providing the facility's that Dinghy sailors need. I would guess at a price but we are all willing to pay for our Dinghy parking space.
I´ll be back "Banging the Drum" on Sunday, October the 12 at Garrucha slipway, hope to see you there. For news of the Hobie Cats, phone me, or Victor on 950529399.
Take care
John Talliss
Tel : 950 475 157
Movil: 658 548 790
E-mail johntalliss@gmail.com
Sailing News Sol Times - 29th September 2008
I hope you have been enjoying your selves "Singing in the rain",happy to say we have been sailing on the dry days. Sunday the 21th was a good day, 15 of us at Garrucha with Oppies for Harriet and Catherine, the "Tideway"- yes Trevor and Dave are back with us, the 2 Pastinac´s, with Jim, George, Houri and me in one and José and his Family in the other. Gary and Jane sailing their "Mirror", the "Topper" was on the water too. Lyndon had deserted us to sail his "Europe" off the Playa del Cantal along with the Hobie Cats. David and Dermot (sounds like a double act) did a good job "parking" us as we returned to the slipway – Oh! The "parking" came from the youngsters, it´s not a nautical term.
A sailing Regatta which has slipped through our net has just been completed at the Real Club Roquetas de Mar, the date 27th and 28th of September. It was " The Women's Snipe World Championships". One lady Helm was Ann Tunicliffe, if you are from the U.S.A you will recognize the name. She was the Gold Medallist in the Laser Radial Class at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Back in 1936 the "Snipe" class was the worlds largest racing class, yes, I remember it well.
With a length of 15 ft 6 in, a high boom, no spinnaker to worry about, with crew of two it´s a very good racing Dinghy. They are still sailing through-out the world. Would I like one? Yes.
The other Big Event on our door step is the Volvo Ocean World Race, starting on Saturday October the 4th from Alicante. Houri and I will be there to see it all happen and talk to as many people as we can. There is an "In Port" Race for the 8 competing Volvo Open 70´s, before they set off around the World. I ´ll be back in time to meet up with you at the Garrucha slipway on Sunday the 12th of October.
Take care
John Talliss
Tel : 950 475 157
Movil: 658 548 790
E-mail johntalliss@gmail.com
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