ONLINE WEATHER FORECASTING RESOURCES FOR SAILORS Note: We hope these resources are useful and every skipper will be aware of and use others. Each skipper must make his own judgements based on all the information about whether and how to sail. DITOR JOHN LEAHY 9 feb 2023 PREDICT WIND is Read more…
Galician Grapevine, by Peter Haden
November 2022
After a few absences over the past Covid years, it was good to see an almost full complement of Galicia based ICC members, plus some new additions back again. All of us enjoyed the great summer weather. Peter Cudmore had proposed Vigo as our centre for the annual “Encuentro Náutico” summer gathering. Four months in advance, 20 Irish and 3 Spanish boats had registered for a week of fun, good dining, and excellent wines. Peter Fernie organised the paperwork and John Bourke contributed his wisdom and advice. Jim Sammon helped in checking out land arrangements.
Our events are now so firmly established in the Galician sailing calendar that we even have our own special Rias Baixas rally flag. Eighty members and guests attended the principal dinner which was held at the lovely Mauro restaurant at San Adrian de Cobres close to the spectacular Rande suspension bridge. John Bourke (elected to ICC 1965) entertained us with accounts of his extraordinary and varied racing life, including 14 Fastnets, 8 Round Irelands, and two Transatlantics. Added to this were stories from his wide knowledge of sailing administration and the characters involved.
Our guest speaker, Manuel Capeans, known to many ICC members, is head of Salvamento and Finisterre Traffic Control. He is also a keen sailor with Transatlantic, Mediterranean, and wide Atlantic coast experience. Another guest was Alejendro Pazo who with his family had entertained us all at his Corrubedo home during our 2021 event. He plans to join the Madeira rally in 2023.
Stanton and Pat Adair were especially welcome. They had kindly been invited as guests aboard Pat and Ann Lyons Stardancer. Encuentro Náutico events always include a walk of some sort. This year after a bus ride most of the way into the National Park, we walked to the summit of Monte Aloia. This is near the historic cathedral town of Tui on the Portuguese border, and at 700m we enjoyed spectacular views of the River Miño valley.
There were other dinners and a fun Paella Party on the club terrace at Cangas. Carmela, our Port Officer in Portosin, reports a busy season with several international rallies passing through. Several members have passed on most positive comments about the assistance received at that yacht club. Equally, Alfredo Lagos in Vigo, was a great help with our own rally, negotiating menus and prices, and sorting out members’ diffi culties.
Marinas have in general been busier than in previous years, especially with Spanish and French yachts. Pre-booking, even if only the day before has become advisable. It is notable that there has been a marked reduction of boats from the UK, and almost no boats from USA.
Book Review by Carmela Nuñez Campos, 
ICC Port Officer in Galicia
Dedicated to Annette Meakin and all those brave women who did and continue to do the unexpected
GALICIA, THE SWITZERLAND OF SPAIN
By Annette M.B. Meakin
This book is dedicated by the author to Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain (grand-daughter of Queen Victoria) who just three years previously had married King Alfonso XIII. Theirs was not a successful marriage, nor a glorious reign, but the author could not have known that then.
Moito sabés, miña vella,
moito de sabiduría!
¡Quen poidera correr mundo
por ser como vós sabida!
Que anque traballos se pasen
aló polas lonxes vilas,
tamén ¡que cousas se saben!,
tamén ¡que cousas se miran!
Rosalia de Castro
Cantares Gallegos
This book is a complete and easily read description of Galicia before World War I consisting of an introduction focused on Galicia’s historical background, -which the author considers wonderful-, its exquisite scenery and fascinating architecture, an excellent descriptive exercise of its people and daily life, and her personal experience when travelling by horse drawn carriage, visiting some of the most important towns of the region. It is also a sympathetic portrayal made by an unexpected visitor who knew perfectly how to understand the anthropological structure and development of an isolated region in the decadent Spain of the very beginning of the 20th century.