In the buildup to the Centenary of Conor O'Brien's significant arrival with Saoirse at Funchal in Madeira next Monday (July 3rd), the restored 1926-vintage O'Brien-designed 56ft trading ketch Ilen, under the command of James Lyons of the Sailing Into Wellness movement, has made a good eleven-day passage from Dun Laoghaire to Porto Santo in the northern part of the Madeira group of islands and berthed there this morning at 6.10 am local time.
The assembly of the 38-strong Centenary Fleet is now underway, with the Club Navale in Funchal and the hospitality agencies in Madeira putting out the red carpet in a big way for the start of official celebrations at the weekend.