Tom MacSweeney
I got a strong, supportive reaction to last week’s Podcast in which Glandore Harbour Yacht Club’s Sailing Secretary Hal Andrews, said it was “a nightmare” trying to organise sailing with social distancing. The response to his view was overwhelmingly supportive. …
Glandore Harbour Yacht Club in West Cork draws its membership from a wide catchment area. It is surveying the members to get their views on how the club’s sailing season can deal with the current restrictions imposed by government under…
Glandore Harbour Yacht Club has cancelled its Classic Regatta which had been scheduled to start on July 18. Since it was first held on a July weekend in 1992 Glandore Classic Boats Regatta has developed into an outstanding event, “where…
Walking along the riverside in Cork Harbour in the past few days of good weather the harbour waters looked inviting, but as I thought of the pleasure of having the sails up, helm in hand, boat moving through the water,…
What is the most important, challenging and decisive part of yacht racing? “The start of the race.” That was what experienced skippers and crews told me - on the start line a race could be won and lost. So, when…
The yacht pictured above this week is definitely not aground, though it is at a critical angle. It is a Sigma 33 racing at Quoile Yacht Club on Strangford Lough. “We do have these interesting moments with spinnakers on these…
The new Chief Executive of the Marine Institute says that it is essential that there is good public understanding of the importance of the sea. The Institute is the national agency responsible for maritime research, technology development and innovation policy.…
One-by-one they came in this week – cancellations of planned events. The Royal Cork’s 300th celebrations. I commiserated with the club’s Admiral, Colin Morehead. A tough decision for him in his first few months in office. Cork Week had to…
A “squib” I was told when first shown one of these boats by its owner, is “an explosive boat. Several of them were riding nicely on the rippling water at Kinsale Marina that day two years ago when it was…
What motivates a man to buy a wreck over a hundred years old and decide that he can repair her? Why bother and was he ‘mad’ to think of doing so? My Podcast this week is with a man who…
This week International Women’s Day is demanding a lot of attention worldwide. In the shipping industry, a campaign has been launched in the UK to achieve ‘gender balance in the industry’. Here in Ireland, sailing ladies have their WOW group…
Cork Harbour has lost a sailing club, which is actually good news for the sport. If that seems questionable statement, it is not because it brings back together the members of Cove Sailing Club and the Great Island Sailing Club,…
I learned my sailing crewing aboard a National 18 in Cork Harbour. That opportunity came through an adult sailing course because it was in my late 20s that I gained access to the sport. Back then was not a time…
There are many definitions and a lot of disagreement about that. There is no disagreement, though, about how they look on the water amongst the boating fraternity. As put to me by that great authority on historic boats, Hal Sisk…
Amongst my most pleasant memories of sailing are racing my Sigma 33 in whitesail across Cork Harbour with a crew of four all under the age of 15. I had ‘managerial supervision’ to ensure no untoward happenings for Scribbler, but…
The first people arrived on the shores of this island some 10,000 years ago… according to history …. but as the Irish people of today listen to the campaigning of those who want to be elected as our rulers -…
