All Lambs safely home in their own ports.
The committee were absolutely delighted with the attendance, and the participation levels, of all of the crews who attended the 5 day Lambs Week regatta over the last long weekend.
The intention of Galway Bay Sailing Club was to make sailing regattas, such as Lambs, more accessible to all, by lowering the bar to entry. Day 1 involved delivery races from the various points of departure, spread between Kilrush and Westport to our hub in Rosamhil marina.
The waft of sizzling burgers was calling the hungry sailors from the marina. The winners from the 4 classes were presented with their mounted Sheep at an exclusive event in a disused factory where a group of local musicians entertained the 200 sailors. No expense was spared!
Day 2 saw up to 40 of the 50 boats post times (using the location stamp app) for Friday's race which was a 2 hour beat out to Kilronan in southwesterly winds of up to 20kts in torrential rain.
Thankfully, we had glorious weather on day 3, Saturday, for the race around the Aran Islands. Only half of the crews made it to the start line on Saturday after the some serious revelry on Inis Mór the night before. Admittedly, some crews preferred to tour the island by bike or simply nurse themselves in preparation of another late night of singsongs aboard the rafted boats in the harbour.
One aspect of this event is that all crews stayed aboard every night as we moved from harbour to harbour.As Saturday morning appeared from the east, and westerly winds of 18kts blew in strong sunshine, the crews shook off the cobwebs and headed out to the startline for Day 3.
The conditions made for a fantastic vista as we rounded the southern point of the course, at Finnis Rock. The Cliffs of Moher, which were visible through the haze, created a wonderful backdrop for the fleet. The race officer, Fergal Lyons had been up all night adjusting the handicaps, after the first two days of racing.
The result was, that all 50 boats were given individual start times. This strategy resulted in some great tussles between various groups of boats which culminated in only 40 seconds separating the top 4 boats after 3 hrs of racing - great stuff!
The King of Lambs, first boat across the line, was awarded to Scorpio, skippered by Mark Wilson of GBSC. Jimmy Bum helmed by Jackie Cronin, of Kilrush was second and Conor Owens aboard Sea Lion, also of GBSC, was third. The remaining top 10 places were filled by 8 other GBSC boats.
The outside dining area of Ostán Áráinn was hopping again on Saturday night.
Day 4 - Sunday morning, was a beauty! However, the lack of wind meant that all boats heading for Roundstone had to do so under motor. A number of crews anchored off MacDaras Island for lunch before going ashore for a swim and a browse. The island is the scene of the annual blessing which attracts hundreds of local boatmen and women to a ceremony in the little chapel every July.The crews gathered for the final event based in the Roundstone community centre.
More skullduggery and slap backing! There was lots of fun driving around Roundstone Bay at midnight in flat calm but very foggy conditions. Everybody got aboard safely due to good humour and the extreme patience and excellent seamanship of Martin (Known locally as the unofficial 'Roundstone Harbourmaster'!).
Day 5 was the return delivery to Ross a mhíl and beyond in 25 degrees! Huge praise was heaped on the committee for the atmosphere that we sustained throughout the week.
The event is definitely growing in reputation and looks like a good formula to bring craic back into sailing regattas! Next years plan is to hold Lambs Week in the Hebrides. Many of the participants are veterans of the 2019 Galway - Lorient event and it is hoped to repeat a long distant sail every few years.
RESULTS
