Tall Ships beckon sailors

17th June 2009

Bill Foster and Steve Molloy from Carrickfergus will be joining the Tall Ships as they sail into Belfast this August, finishing port of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge. The duo have been sponsored by Sailability, the charity which supports disabled sailors and Carrickfergus Borough Council.

This week they got into the mood of surf and sail as they checked out the Peggy Bawn, newly arrived in Carrickfergus.

The Peggy Bawn is a unique sailing yacht originally built in the 19th century and now rebuilt and restored, reproducing in every detail the famously fine lines first envisaged by designer G L Watson. A team of Irish craftsmen led by Waterford man, Michael Kennedy, were responsible for bringing the old design to life once more, using the construction methods and materials first chosen by the original builder, John Hilditch.

This month the boat, skippered by its owner, Hal Sisk, has been turning heads in Carrickfergus, tying up in the town’s harbour alongside other traditional ‘gaffers’ – some 111 years after her original launch in Carrickfergus in 1894.

Published in News From the Afloat.ie Archive

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