Cullaun Regatta 2018 Report + Results
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Details
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Written by Des Mac Mahon
WindGuru is a tricky thing. Coming up to regatta weekends it consumes a lot of your time, checking and rechecking the app, hoping that Friday’s forecast will move to Saturday but that Sundays will stay where it is. Those of you who sail on Cullaun and use windguru will be only to aware that when they say it will be 10 gusting 18 it usually translates in 5 gusting 10, so when the forecast for the first day of the regatta says it will be 1 gusting 2, you have to be forgiven for hoping that they have just got it totally wrong. Friday evening saw the boats begin to arrive and Saturday morning saw the compound and the public slipway fill to capacity by 10.30. The OOD set a starboard course and the first race started at twelve. Two races were run in exceptionally light winds and blazing sunshine, but frustrating as this may be for some of us there are people out there who excel in these conditions and at the end of the day Brian Parks was showing the fleet that you should never write off an enterprise. There was talk of a third race but after twenty minutes without so much as a puff of wind, the days racing was abandoned.
Some of us cooled down with a bottle of Cider in the car park as the wayfarers had their fleet AGM and then all retired to Gallaghers for the BBQ where an exceptional spread was provided. The weather intervened once again as the evening heat prompted the crowd back to Hayes’ house to sit, drink and chat in their back garden til the early hours. The next day delivered wind (not as much as was promised but enough to run some good tight races). Four races were run with the fleet close in all of them and the lead changing from race to race. It is always a good sign of the level of competition when the competitors themselves don’t know the outcome of the regatta until the prize giving. We experienced all kinds of weather over the weekend from blazing sunshine to torrential rain and from heavy gusts to flat calm, from beats that turned into reaches to runs that turned into beats, but that is the nature of sailing and the fun of racing. Congratulations to the prize winners (listed below) and thanks to all the competitors It’s difficult to remember all the people who need to be thanked for their contribution to last weekends regatta and although I attempted it at the prize giving, I am sure there were some omissions. My apologies to those I left out ( George for the excellent design work and Gallaghers for their hospitality throughout the year spring to mind) Regattas take a huge effort from a lot of people and the time, skills and energy given voluntarily are what makes an event a success. I must also mention the hospitality shown to our visitors which is as important to their continued support and enjoyment of the regatta as the racing itself. Many thanks to Mike and Maureen and Emmet and Samantha for this. Traveling to a regatta takes effort. It means derigging , packing trailers, spending the weekend away from home and then packing it all back up again at the end.
It is however incredibly rewarding. You get to sail on different waters, with different sailors. You get to socialize in other clubs and build bonds and friendships that will stand to you over the years. You also develop as a sailor and you get to be a part of the broader sailing community on this island. Our thanks to those from East Down, Greystones, Lough Ramor, The national and Killaloe who attended the regatta. It would be great to see some more of our boats traveling to events and flying the flag for Cullaun S.C and continuing to develop links with other clubs,( the wayfarer worlds next year in greystones would be as good a place to start as any). Finally, I would like to thank East Down Yacht club for their generous (and unsolicited) donation to our building fund. A hugely appreciated show of support from one club to another.
Thanks to, OOD - Tom McHugh Committee Boat - Leila and Roisin Rescue
Photography- Michael and Emmett, Fergal and Dave, Samanta
Race results - Billy Food - Leila and Tom (and all who supplied salads and desserts and scones), Gallaghers Bar Design work - George Thanks again Des mac Mahon - Commodore Winners / Overall - Gordon Jess / Rachel Bevan - EDYC 2nd - John Turner / Barry Owen - Ramor 3rd - Monica Schafer / Ned McSherry Donnellan Cup / Chris and Rachel Caher - Cullaun Sailing Club 1st feva - Orla Imhoff / Mila Le Mignon - Killaloe Sailing Club RS 200 Thomas Dryaton / Tadhg OMeara - Killaloe Sailing Club Winner for most dramitic rescue of a bag of Tayto overboard - Laura Collins REMINDER - No sailing this thursday 6th and open Try sailing day on Sunday 16th Cooler series starts Sunday 23rd September A few places left on the Setember Cruise 20th of September to the 23rd 2018 deposit here http://shop.cullaunsailingclub.com/index.php/september-cruise-12.html
