Christmas Ebb and Flow - 2012 - Cushendall Sailing and Boating Club

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Sailing Review 2012—from the Sailing Secretary—Andy Hillan My other hobby is farming. I bought a herd of Aberdeen Angus heifers now all heavily pregnant with their second calves. I have spent many’s a morning at 5am in sub zero temperatures, separating one out from the rest for artificial insemination before I travel to the airport or Newry. At this point, I often think why I am I doing this? And I comfort myself in the thought of the pleasure I will get watching them grazing in the fields and meadows in summer with little calves skipping behind them. Joan nags at me – “Have you not enough to be doing without running after them coo’s (she is developing a thick Ballymena accent). I remind her of the calm summer scene that awaits us, of shiny black coated cows grazing lush summer pasture. For the last 2 summers I have driven up the lane after work and watched the cows and calves trying to get shelter behind the ditches as the biting easterly wind from Slemish drives the horizontal rain at them. The fields are saturated and getting into a terrible trampled mess. This is stress! At this point I often think of the pleasure I will get in the winter time when I am “AI”ing cows in the early morning in sub zero temperatures and the lovely warm feeling on your frosted hand when it is inserted into the bovine rectum to direct the insemination gun.....well you just have to keep thinking that the best is yet to come. It is the same with boats and sailing. The best is yet to come...... we keep telling ourselves that anyway, and only one or two good sails is enough to prevent us from visiting Apolloduck come the Autumn. Just one good weekend is enough to bring us back for another season. 2012 was bad, but we got those good weekends and events and so already we are thinking of launch dates. This year we got lots of easterly winds – sore on the cows and sore on the moored boats in Redbay. Lots of late evening dashes to the refuge of Glenarm or Ballycastle – with the boats, not the cows. For the first year I can remember on one occasion, so many boats were looking for shelter that these safe havens could not accept any more visitors – they were like sardines. We also got plenty of becalmed Tuesday and Saturday evenings . Here is how the season unfolded, and it wasn’t all bad. The opening race was scheduled for May 8 th (I have given up on April starts ....... but feel inclined to try it again for 2013). It didn’t take place until 2 weeks later and the Tuesday series never really got going until well into the month. Osprey was, at this time, having varnish applied externally between the downpours – not good varnish conditions (at this point I think of the pleasure I will get when I have it all scraped and sanded off again) ; she didn’t hit the water until June. The Tuesday series was superbly supported as ususal by Red Alert, Wardance and Aurora. Gunsmoke also deserves credit for turning up week after week – the rest of us were intermittent attendees on the line but big Red and Wardance were always going to be close at the finish – after 6 or 7 races out of a scheduled 17, Red Alert took the honours. Campbeltown away was scheduled for June 16/17 – I cancelled it on the Wednesday and just as well – Easterly gales battered the North Channel that weekend. The McAlister Cup of the following weekend was postponed as we all headed to Ballycastle for the first Ballycastle regatta. The weather was not good – boats rounding Fair Head on the Friday had big winds and big seas to navigate and Saturday racing was a mixture of light airs between the squalls of 35mph winds. But it was a great event and congratulations and credit to Moyle DC, in particular John Morton for having the foresight to host it with our assistance. Some very nice prizes were taken back to Redbay and Red Alert, the star of the show made a
Great sailing—lots of cruisers and dinghies on the water! full half colour page in the Belfast Telegraph. Gunsmoke also did very well in the high handicap section. The Jimmy Clerkin was next on the agenda – on the last day of June - Marc had a frustrating season with Saracen, in terms of available crew and work commitments but this was his finest hour and he came through in first place after a very competitive race in brisk winds. Into July already, and we hosted Campbeltown on July 7/8. Light airs were forecast, and light airs became the reality with the race abandoned after 3 legs – the Redbay round of the North Channel Shield is always our best performance, so a no-race result meant CSBC were sucking the hind tit and it was advantage Campbeltown for the 2012 trophy. Disappointing racing, but as always the après sail is always good with our Kintyre cousins. The following weekend was the scheduled RBB Offshore to Islay. Paul Lowry has been trying to house train me into prompt race starts for years, so in a cooperative spirit I stayed on board Osprey the night before the 7am start. Too much Lagavulin I am afraid, and as crew arrived from as far away as Cullybackey, I slept on oblivious to the time. We got away at 0720, somewhat of a record early warning signal and this was the sail and the weekend that would bring us all back for 2013. We sailed all the way to the finish at Otterard Rock, a very close race that came down to seconds between the fast boats (only seconds separated the slow boats also – hint for Tom to supply a second trophy The young bucks on Aurora seemed to think that they had won it and popped champagne on the deck that night ....... they were right they did win it and deservedly so. They carry celebratory liquor every where they go and win lose or draw, they know how to enjoy themselves. Oisin joined us from her travels further North, and quite a few of us headed to Gigha the next day and enjoyed a beautiful night at anchor in Ardminish bay. July 21/22 was the turn of EABC to host their regatta – Osprey did not make it. We took a break from cows and boats and headed to Mayo to climb Croagh Patrick and cycle ridiculously long journeys through the spectacular scenery of the wild west. The easterly on-shore winds of the east coast obliged by backing westerly as we hit the west coast – so our weather beaten tan was in no danger of fading. At home, EABC Regatta had strong winds and the lads took a pounding on passage around the Garron. July 28 Sports Day – horizontal torrential rain but we had a picnic on Cushendun beach.... it is amazing how much better you feel when you give up hope!! August 11 th was RNLI day – it was cancelled due to no wind and the fine summer’s day had us all kerfuffled and discombobulated (look it up in the dictionary). A few yachts with tenders in tow motored to Cushendun for a few pints in Randal’s – we sat outside along the river supping pints - it could have been a scene from the Riviera - this was how it was meant to be for Sports Day, but no matter - we always take it when it is going. RNLI was rescheduled for the following week – we raised £100 for the charity and Wardance took the pendant.. The regatta followed – another excellent event with a strong show of EABC boats – Bambi was fast and very expertly skippered and crewed. A number of home bred vessels suffered gear failure into Sunday, leaving a reduced field to thrash it out for the silverware – Insider always one for the big events eventually winning the Day, but no matter - we always take it when it is going. RNLI was rescheduled for the following week – we raised £100 for the charity and Wardance took the pendant. JB Wilson and the event overall in the fast section. Wardance was a mere 3 corrected seconds behind in the JBW – another very competitive event that makes all the effort worthwhile. Gunsmoke took the chequered flag in the slow boat section, but only because Osprey was injured. Skippy will take issue with this unbiased opinion!!
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Christmas Ebb and Flow - 2012 - Cushendall Sailing and Boating Club

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