Santa's Arrival and Other News

Details: Written by Des Mc Mahon

Last Sunday morning 10-12-2017 as the icy rain fell and the temperatures dropped I looked out my window and could think of nothing I would like to do less than stand on the edge of a lake, in the middle of a woods, in the middle of nowhere and wait for Santa to arrive. I am pretty sure that I was not alone in this thought that morning. However thinking and reality are different things. By three that afternoon there were members up ladders, attaching cables to generators, setting fires and going about changing the appearance of a cold clubhouse and compound. Santas visit is a tradition in Cullaun and even on such a miserable day the helpers volunteered without being asked, turned up with no pressure and just got on with whatever they thought was needed to make it all work. At 4.30 that evening there were six adults standing at the edge off the lake on a beautiful crisp evening watching the sun drop over the hill (and Tom Galvin drift aimlessly towards the other side of the lake) with a sense of anticipation and satisfaction that turning up had been the right decision.

kidswaitingforsanta

The lamps were lit, the fire burned, the children all arrived and after an hour of singing, playing and waiting, lights were seen across the lake and Santa came slowly across the lake to the sound of excited children (and one or two adults) singing jingle bells.
There was food, conversation, laughing and the enjoyment of the sheer daftness of the situation. There was Santa, presents, boats and the sheer daftness of the situation. There were children with torches making there way through a woods at night, there was an arrival on a glowing boat from the depth of darkness on the water and there was the sheer magic of the situation.
I started the day thinking I would rather do anything else and finished it knowing there was nothing else I would rather have been doing.
A huge thank you to all the people (especially Santa) who gave up their time and energy to make this event, and indeed all the clubs events this year, possible. Next year we hope to have a clubhouse in place and our job then will be to ensure that we retain the sense of magic.

The news that we have secured a grant from Leader is a fantastic way to complete the year. This, as I am sure you are all aware, makes the clubhouse a reality and although we are not there regarding fundraising we are in a position to bring the club facilities to the next level without crippling ourselves with debt. Building should begin in Spring as soon as the water levels fall. (more of this at the AGM)
Grants are not given out easily and are the product of tireless work and endless form filling on the one hand and a lot of thought, talk and promotion of the club on the other. These are only possible if there is a belief in what you are doing and why you are doing it. I would like to thank all of those involved in this process but especially Jim O’Sullivan, our rear commodore, who can now perhaps relax and enjoy Christmas.
Although we have managed to make the clubhouse a reality we have not funded it completely as you know and with this in mind we have set up a fundraiser page which we ask you to visit, contribute to, promote, send on etc.

As 2017 draws to a close on another successful and eventful season in Cullaun it is important to stress that this club belongs to its members. Your ideas and aims and aspirations for the club are important to the future development of the club. I will be in contact with you all prior to the AGM in the new year and hope to see you all there. Sailing is at the heart of the club, community and shared goals the driving force and members the engine.
Have a very happy Christmas and a great new year.
Best wishes,
Des

Santas arrival at Cullaun Sailing Club
Santas arrival captured at Cullaun Sailing Club last Sunday.
Posted by Cullaun Sailing-Club on Tuesday, 12 December 2017

Exciting news regarding our New ClubHouse

Details: Written by Jim O Sullivan

Clubhouse Funding Update.

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better be good and im telling you why. Santa Claus has arrived early to Cullaun sailing with a cheque for thirty thousand euro from CLDC and Leader to help us finish our project.

Naughty or Nice list

The little elves and the big ones have been working very dilligently in the background making sure that we were on the nice list. With all of their hard work Santa decided

it was time to reward the members of Cullaun Sailing club with a new clubhouse especially for all the new boys and girls that will be taking up the sport in the near future.

The Commodore got very excited

He wanted to turn the sod straight away but we told him that we have to wait a few more weeks for the flooding in the lake to go down a bit. We were all as excited as him and this is the best Christmas present that a lot of us have had since we were young children.

Building will start in early 2018

all of the ducks are lined up and an awful lot of work has been completed by the building committee. It is great to get this far and we want to thank them for all the work that they have put in to date.

Finance update

We are very grateful to all of the members that have made donations to help us to get to where we are today and at the moment we are twenty thousand short of our target. We hope that the members that are contributing on a monthly basis will continue to do so.

We also know that there are a lot of people out there on this mailing list that haven't been given the opportunity to make a donation and so we are now opening this up to everyone and hoping that they may make a donation and share it on their social media pages. We have set up a fundraising page that will allow you to make a donation to us. if it is a large amount we would prefer if you would contact us as we would rather not pay the commission on these transactions. To help us reach our final target then please click here or on the link below
If you Donate 25 Euro we will give you a T-Shirt and if you donate 250 Euro then we will inscribe your name on a wall in the building. Other amounts are also welcome. Please contact us and we will give you our bank details or alternatively you can send us a cheque.

Have a Happy Christmas

Jim O Sullivan

Laying up Supper Results

Details: Written by Jim O Sullivan

layingupsupper
Cullaun Sailing Club End of Season Laying up supper and Awards ceremony 2017.
Best Juniors :
1. Iarlaith Caffrey.
2. Niamh Edwards and Aoife Ward
Spring Series
1:Margaret Hynes / Mike Hayes : 2:Hugh and Colm Ward : 3:Jim O Sullivan / Kevin Donlon.
May
1.Margaret Hynes / Mike Hayes : 2.Hugh + Colm Ward : 3.Bran Park/ Mike Logan
June
1. Des Mac Mahon / Pat Biesty. 2.Jim O Sullivan / Kevin Donlon 3. Iarlaith Caffrey.
July
1. Sean Hynes /Luke O Sullivan 2. Tommy Scott / Mick Laffan 3. Billy o Mahony /Damien Hawkins
August
1. Chris Caher / Rachel Caher 2. Tom mc Hugh /Lelia 3. Eamon Benfredji
Cooler
Margaret Hynes / Mike Hayes

Race Results 22nd Oct 2017. Cooler Races 3&4

Details: Written by Jim O Sullivan

Hi All,

We started Sunday happy that Ophelia had passed over the boat yard without much interference the previous week.

The junior members were already hard at work on their Senior instructor course and storm Brian had cleared off a little earlier than expected. Leaving dry mild and relatively calm conditions on Cullaun lake.

Even the EXPENSIVE looking HELLY HANSEN jacket that was FOUND at the compound from the pervious week was still there. Contact Jim O'Sullivan if it's yours - or it will be used as 1st price for the Cooler !!!

A course was set out based on leaving the windward mark in place for the Senior instructor course. With a triangle, sausage, one triangle and beat to finish. The OOD judged that placing the leeward mark in the vicinity of some reeds would add something to the starts - and was (probably) safe give the high water level.

Both races got off to very good starts with several boats getting over the line within half a dozen seconds of the horn.

In the first race Chris led most of the way only to be pipped by Margaret and Iarlaith on second half of the final beat. Hugh Ward also swapped places on the final lap with Jim O'Sullivan to pip him on the line by a fraction of a second. The PY will tell a different story of course.

In the final race there was a good bit of role swapping. Iarlaith and George staging mutinies to taking over the tiller on their respective boats. Again there was a very good start by everyone. Jim and Kevin took a little while extra to get acroos but good things come to those who wait and they managed to take over most all of the field by the time the course was complete coming in a very respectable second to the Cahers - Chris and Rachael. George also put in a very respectable performance on the tiller in the GP14.

All in all a great days sailing.

Regards
Billy, OOD.

Cooler Report

Details: Written by Jim O Sullivan

Hi All,

the winds on Sunday gave a gentle re-introduction to sailing after our Regatta and September cruise.

Great to see so many boats on the water and juniors staying on after their practice time to try out the racing - we aim to keep up the extended opening for the remainder of the Autumn.

Thanks to Mike & Sarah Byrt for the OOD duties.

September Cruise Report

Details: Written by Damian Hawkins

Wow what a weekend

Well it’s true I am no Roddy Doyle or Sebastian Barry, by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know it would be hard for me or even the best writers in the world to describe what an absolutely amazing cruise we had last weekend.

Not only was this my first September Cruise with Cullaun Sailing club, and a novice Sailor at that, but being someone who is more familiar with the wilds of Connemara than those of West Cork this was always going to be a highly anticipated adventure for me personally. It wasn’t until we set sail out of Baltimore Bay on Friday morning that I could actually let myself believe this adventure was really happening.

One of the two boats that we rented from Con Minihan and Baltimore Yacht Charters.

Before arriving in Baltimore we stopped off at an old boat yard to visit the Ilin Boat. It has been in restoration for some time. Mick was like a child in a sweet shop and very proud of his involvement to date with the restoration project, as I’m sure many more are too. The Skipper, his mentor and the novice ‘Cabin Boy’ were really setting the scene for the weekend ahead and we still hadn’t even reached the boat in Baltimore.
But following some fantastic preparatory work by Jim O’Sullivan to recruit and coordinate the twelve sailors for this cruise, including lining up the booking with Con at Baltimore Yacht Charter , this trip was always going to be a success. It’s no wonder the club have a great relationship with Con and we will no doubt continue with this into the future as attention to detail in the planning of these trips shows the professionalism of the club and not to mention makes the September Cruise a most enjoyable experience for not only the novice sailor like myself but also the more experienced sailors.
With some good planning around balancing the experience within the group the twelve sailors were split into two crews of six with Billy Mahoney and Des McMahon as first-time cruise skippers and ably mentored by Mick Laffan and Jim O’Sullivan. Following a thorough handover from Con to the skippers and their mentors it’s fair to say the two Cullaun Crews would do any club proud sailing out of Baltimore on the Friday morning with a perfect mix of experience and youth, age and beauty and ready to take on their well-earned adventures that lied ahead.

Whoever the Gods were on this particular weekend they certainly delivered on the weather for this group of Cullaun Sailors. Weather Forecast for the weekend was bang-on accurate with consistently fresh North winds blowing for most of the weekend at speeds of Force 4 and 5 on Friday tailing off to Force 2 or 3 on Saturday and Sunday. This made planning routes easier. On Sunday you could be forgiven for thinking we were on a Greek Islands cruise with swimming in Horse Show Bay under a backdrop of a clear blue sky. The weather made for perfect conditions to progress any wild ideas for the 2^nd Annual Jolly Roger Cup.

Sailing out of Baltimore Bay on the Friday morning, having left behind the beautiful setting of the Baltimore Harbour, was an exciting moment for all as we progressed West out of the Bay with Bantry Bay set as our final destination. Both crews opted for the North Passage out of Baltimore which tested the navigation skills of both skippers and their crews. Trying to get a handle on the elements, while the crew settled into their new environment, including distractions from seals having their breakfast on the rocks, and the beautiful scenery of the Sherkin and Clear Islands to the South we ventured North West from Baltimore Bay toward Mizen Head with Fastnet to the South West. We managed some beautiful sailing as we rotated the role of helm and with Wind speeds of with occasional gusts of 20 knots speed and tidal swells with high waves rounding the Mizen certainly posed a tough challenge at times for both crews.

With both cruiser’s main sails reefed and their jibs tightened for much of the Bantry Bay leg and with Whity Island to the Starboard side and low tide beckoning into the new Bantry Marina on Friday night, the beef stew dinners were a welcome feast after a challenging but most enjoyable ten hours of sailing and this was just day one! Great credit most go to the two skippers, Des and Billy, and to their mentors, Mick and Jim, for the route planning and Navigation as the sailing experience was something that will be hard top and certainly raises the bar for future sailing trips.
Day two Saturday was much of the same as Friday with fantastic sailing weather with both crews well fed and geared up and ready to continue exploring the beautiful coastline of West Cork. Des’s crew took the route into Bare Island for lunch where rumour has it they may have picked up a winning Euro Millions ticket in Murphy’s post office while Billy’s crew aimed to get into Barley Cove before the tide changed at 4pm giving a lovely smooth sail around Mizen Head and into Barley Cove. Leaving Barley Cove we came across a small pod of Dolphins. We weren’t sure were they challenging us to a race or were they just enjoying surfing the waves at the bow of the boat but at 7 knots speed over land they managed to keep up for about 10 minutes or so before giving in to the might of the 40 foot Inis Ceim and heading on their merry way. Great excitement. On board the other boat their were unconfirmed reports of a whale sighting which may or may not have been the effects of a misspent youth or perhaps the shadows of one’s former self from the night before. Ina ny case there was plenty of scenery and wildlife for all sailors alike to observe.
As the night closed in on Saturday evening and with a close eye on the Rainfall Radar over Ireland through most of Saturday and the clouds darkening in the distance as we approached Clear Island we managed to avoid any rainfall while it appears most of the rest of the country were drowned in heavy rainfall for most of the day. Take note Greek Island Sailors. Clear Island pier is currently under construction but we still managed to moor both boats for the night and join in the craic in the local where we surprised the youthful Mr. Mick Lafin with a birthday cake and celebrated the sailing endeavours with many creamy pints and a Hendriks or two for good measure.
The Sunday morning rise at Clear Island Pier under the clear blue sky and a beaming sun rise certainly set us up for our final day with a sweet fresh sea breeze blowing along the cliff face at the pier. Some early-rising sailors managed to stretch their legs by taking a stroll around the island to the South Harbour. This for me will definitely be a place to revisit in the future and clearly already a favourite with some of the more seasoned Cullaun Sailors. Tom Galvin even knew where to pick the rare Clear Island Fushia. Gorgeous.

Sunday brought a visit to Horse Shoe Bay after sailing through the Gascanane Sounds where both boats moored for lunch and the Jolly Roger Cup rules of engagement could be discussed and agreed upon. I could not give justice to The 2017 The Jolly Roger here and hence I am suggesting here that another report be written specifically on the race alone. If not the details will be passed on no doubt in full through no bad ilk from the loosing team as the team building and the level of social skills which the race brings to the September Cruise is an achievement in its own right.
Leaving Horse Shoe Bay we took on some Mackerel Fishing to the background sound of the Mayo v Dublin All-Ireland Final on the radio. and some nice cruising around Sherkin and Clear islands before the return leg of our September Cruise back into Baltimore Bay which was a hive of activity with all kinds of water sports including the Baltimore Sailing Club racing with over 20 boats participating. A beautiful sight on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
I have to say without any doubt and I think all would agree that this Sailing adventure has been unbelievable and for me personally probably one of the most memorable experiences in my life. I have the Cullaun Sailing Club and its fantastic members to thank for this and in particular for this adventure Billy Mahoney, Des McMahon, Jim O’Sullivan and Mick Laffan. The September Cruise is an adventure which I have already put into my diary for next year and the planning permission application is already in train with the planning authority in the Hawkins household in Quin. Well done again to Billy and Des for skippering and a fine job you did.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Cullaun in due course.

Damian Hawkins.

Thanks Damian for your comprehensive report. Dont Forget cooler sailing is starting this weekend with junior training taking place from 12:00 all of our pictures are here

September Regatta Short Results

Details: Written by Jim O Sullivan

Class: PY

Series: SeptRegatta2017

Rank	Sail No	Type	Helm	Crew	Hcap	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Race 7	Nt Pts
1	10018	WAYFARER	John Turner	Barrie Owen	1102	4	2	2	1	2	(5)	1	12
2	10596	WAYFARER	Gordon Jess	Rachel Bevan	1102	2	1	3	(24/DNF)	3	1	3	13
3	8669	WAYFARER	Chris Caher	Rachael Caher	1102	3	3	4	2	6	(11)	7	25
4	10935	WAYFARER	Margie Crawford	Keith Maxwell	1102	8	8	(9)	3	4	4	4	31
5	938	RS 200	Thomas Drayton	Tadgh O'Meara	1047	1	4	1	8	9	(14)	9	32