New Honorary Life Members

    After another very successful Round Ireland in 2006, our Commodore, John Johnson, used the occasion of our Club Thank You Party on December 8th to bestow our highest award on the Race Organiser and his good wife, Dennis and Evelyn Noonan. After 4 races and with the compliments of competitors and world sailing organisations ringing in his ears, it was appropriate that Wicklow Sailing Club should honour Dennis and Evelyn for their hard work and expertise in managing a highly complex event on our behalf. He has a very well organised team around him and he paid tribute to their efforts in his thank you speech. Fittingly, Dennis was the December recipient of the Cork Dry Gin Sailor of the Year award - Well Done Dennis.

Singing Santas

    Mick Mulvihill put in his annual call to the Santa Union and a Merry bunch of singing Santas drew up with their reindeer and sleighs for a tour of the Wicklow pubs in aid of Meals on Wheels. Club members "trying to sing" and beg were Kerrie Gill, Bash Barry, Charlie Kavanagh, Conor Haughton, Sean Doyle, Jonathon Flood, Jason Moran with Pat Brennan, Jody Kelly and the Mulvihill men - Dean, Vincent and Mick himself. In all, the very impressive sum of €1530 was raised - well done Santas.

Sailing Section

    After resuming where I left off 10 years ago, as your Sailing Captain, it is my intention to try and involve as many sailors as possible in the running of our sport within the Club this coming season. There are a number of reasons for this - we need to see new faces taking an active role in Club affairs, my business will have me away for stretches during the summer and not least, we need to share out the various responsibilities more evenly and equip members for taking on Club roles in future years.

   As there is little scope for enlarging our sailing section, we need all our existing hands to make the effort to pull together, regardless of whether you feel you might have done your bit already. We are a Club and its the effort the members put in, that makes it successful or otherwise. By every one doing a little, we will all benefit.

  There will be a Sailing Committee meeting at 7.30pm on Fri 26th January, followed at 8.30pm by a Boatowners meeting.

 Charlie

New look Boat Park 

  After years of stones in their shoes/wheels, members now have a brand new concreted surface for their dinghies and cruisers, thanks in the main to Gerry Haughton and Anthony O Rourke and their dedicated helpers/advisers. Club spirit and manpower personified. Like all well worthwhile projects done using the goodwill of our members, the gremlins conspired to almost scupper the final act.

    Anthony had poured the last batch of concrete and had fenced off the finished surface to allow it set. Lo and behold, our RIB, duly repaired, was returned to the boatpark and deposited into the setting concrete by a person "unknown". The sight of its wheels setting into this grey soup was enough to make grown men cry, but fortunately it was copped, the call went out and the day was saved by the skin of their teeth. Well done to Anthony and all his helpers.

  We also have to thank a very generous sponsor, Fachtna Whittle (through the good offices of Judge Gerry) who donated €2,000 towards the cost of surfacing the boat park.

  Sherpa Desmond has fired up the troops for another assault on the Wicklow hills shortly - next outing is scheduled for Saturday January??, meeting point and walk to be advised.

  e-mail him at kevindesmond@eircom.net - walkers should always bring suitable clothing and footwear, letting someone know their plans.

 Annual General Meeting 24/11/06

     The 2006 season was a headline year for many reasons as outlined by Commodore John Johnson. Our BMW Round Ireland was a huge success both on and off the water, with the festival adding a great buzz, and overall was a credit to the hard work of a small band of dedicated club members. The prize giving dinner also went off well. A major achievement was the new concrete surface on our long suffered boatpark and we are grateful for a generous sponsorship towards its cost.

     On the sailing front, many of our dinghy sailors achieved notable success around the country and the cruisers swept the boards at the SE Regatta in Arklow. Junior training had 40/50 trainees and was a roaring success.

    He complimented many others for their input, especially the junior members and reserved special mention for the Town Twinning with Porthmadog, in which WSC had played a pivotal role. He thanked John Harte, Rose Dunne and Anne Neiland Flynn for their efforts in 2006.

    The treasurer, John Hughes, continued with the good news by presenting a healthy set of accounts showing a tidy profit after the BMW sponsorship, race/festival takings and the 2005 Levy.

   The motions produced a lively session before the election of members to the Committee - new faces are Charlie Kavanagh - Sailing Captain, Lynn Stringer - Hon Sec., Yuri Mc Kenna - Subs. and new on Committee are Sean Flood, David O Gorman, Christiana Norton and John O Sullivan.

   John Johnson reminded all members that it is vital to support club functions if they want the bar kept open over the winter months. All those who helped in any way with the event are invited to the Round Ireland party on Fri December 8th at 8pm in the Clubhouse. It will be the policy of this Committee to operate sub-committees and club members are encouraged to participate and help spread the workload.

Sailing Committee 7.30pm & Boatowners 8.30pm Fri 26th Jan

Tiamat Slide Show & Talk 9th  (Foxy Lady/?? )

Sheilas' Romantic Meal Feb 17th

Phils Quiz Sat 3rd Mar (RNLI 150th?) (Saltee Dog/Crazy Horse)

Rugby finally crosses the Liffey to Croke Park in February.

Sadie's famous Cheese and Wine ?

(Where is Tinahely anyway?)

Please play your part and be involved.

     With our Clubhouse slowly but surely getting an internal facelift (see photo above), it is now a very attractive and welcoming environment for members to socialise in - please utilise it..

     Your Social Committee (headed by Anne Neiland and David O Gorman) are working hard to keep the Club open over the winter months, we need your support. Every member should try to attend at least one function a month – you will benefit your club and yourself by making the effort.

    In the New Year, we hope to encourage all boatowners (and crews) to get involved in running events – quizzes, fashion shows, cheese and wine, meals, talk shows, debates etc etc. Other non-sailing members are also encouraged to assist/get involved. Don't forget us if you have a celebration in your family, work or socially - let Gerry or Kerry know.

Joan Cannon RIP

  Our condolences go out Sean and his family on their recent bereavement. May she rest in peace.

Danny Cleary Club Person of the Year

  Every year we honour one of our members for dedication above and beyond the call of duty in memory of Danny Cleary, who almost lived in the club. This year the fitting recipient is Angela Nolan who has worked diligently to help keep the wheels turning, especially with our catering needs. She starred with a small team during the Round Ireland and has been a very visible presence over the years in many facets of our club. Well done Angela - you put us younger folk to shame.

   Roles for the 2007 club year have been allocated and all committee members will set up sub-committees as appropriate to involve as many members as possible in the running of the club - please volunteer if you feel you would like to contribute.

    Would our members like to be able to read abridged reports of meetings in a members private site? Replies or other views/opinions/information to the editor please.

With the cruisers in their winter beds, the wee bit of space left of our newly concreted boat park is already full with dinghies, and most will hopefully be racing in our popular freezer series. The 1st race was held Sun 29th Oct with a respectable fleet of 10 dinghies - lasers, wayfarers and a tardy 420. The airs were light and Peter Shearer/Charlie Kavanagh in Midnight took line honours and had 10 seconds to spare on handicap to pip Jason Moran in his full rig Laser, after a nip and tuck race between the 2 boats. Races will be held on every alternate Sunday, 1st gun at 12.55pm.

With Gerry Haughton now taking charge of the boatpark, it is hoped all non-racers will vacate it to make room for other Freezer series racers. Please be so good as to remove your boat if it is not being entered for the series. Remember, this is not a free storage facility - no boats may be in the boat park without paying the requisite fee.

   Following on the very successful Race and Festival, our entertainments supremo, Sadie Phelan put her organisational talents to work in putting together a superb Round Ireland Prizegiving Dinner Dance in the Grand Hotel, on Saturday 21st October, with c.250 guests.

  BMW were present to see the fruits of their sponsorship and the various prizewinners received their coveted trophies, with Eric Lisson following in the late great Denis Doyles footsteps having won for a 2nd time (1st 2002) on Cavatina. The irrepressible Sharon Crosbie and her band supplied the music and had the crowds rocking into the early hours. Needless to say, Sadies efforts also paid handsome dividends for our club coffers - well done Sadie.

  Dennis Noonan announced that the race will revert to its normal Midsummer slot on June 21st for the 2008 event and we would hope to have our excellent sponsors BMW still on board.

ISA News Items

     If you wish to check out current or old news items from the Irish Sailing Association, follow this link http://www.sailing.ie/inside/default.asp?pageId=50

     The ISA has a wealth of sailing/boating related information on its website - you help to pay for so make use of it. The Annual National Conference and Awards Dinner will be held in the Tara Towers Hotel, Feb 3rd and 4th - all are welcome to attend and contribute to your National organisation.