Glen Team Racing

What a wonderful summer we have had for sailing.  Until the last weekend of August that is, which, unfortunately, was when we welcomed teams of sailors from Dublin Bay and Sea View on the Isle of Wight for an inaugural Three Clubs Team Racing event.

Dublin and Whiterock Glens have been taking chunks out of each other since 1964 but this was only the third occasion that we were to do battle with Sea View (a connection fostered by Henry and Lindy Anstey).

The forecast was horrendous; club racing was cancelled.  But there was a small window on Saturday morning when sailing might be possible.  So we started early, with reefed sails, and some very slick race management led by Race Officer Ian Bogie, which managed to get in some quickfire races.

Dublin raced Whiterock, winning by the narrowest of margins over three races.  They then faced Sea View, who in turn got the upper hand over three more.  All the time the wind was building from moderate to fresh to strong.  Sadly, when Whiterock got into the boats to race Sea View, it went from strong to ridiculous and that was the end of racing.

But no matter; the best was yet to come, with an excellent dinner in the clubhouse that evening.  Anglo-Irish relations were wonderfully strengthened, with much talk of return fixtures.  Sea View have kindly loaned us the Sea View v SLYC shield, which we still have not ever won, to display in the club.  Until the next time…