Dublin Racing, 14th and 15th September, 2019
Carol, Ann, Sue and Alison joined ‘Paddlers for Life, Windermere‘ (FB) in Dublin for two days of racing.
We had a great team, including our team captain, Rowena, our helm, Chris, with Ann on the drum and Carol helping with coaching.
On Friday we went to Howth, a beautiful small fishing village on Dublin Bay, where three of our ladies enjoyed fresh delicious fish, chips, and mushy peas! Later we met with Plurabelles (FB) for afternoon tea. They are based at Grand Canal Quay where the races are held, which is a super racing location.
Saturday was the first day of racing and was sunny, with an increasing breeze. We raced 200m against teams of all types and abilities, with our time being the most important element. We might not have won, but we still felt like winners and had a great time.
There were teams from Vancouver, Florida, France, USA and, of course, some of the best crews from all over Ireland. We even met people who were visiting Liverpool as part of their journey.
Also on Saturday, Plurabelles lead the traditional flower ceremony in memory of those we have lost to Breast Cancer. Whilst emotional to think of those who we have lost, to see so many people supporting each other was truly moving.
Whilst the day was intense with lots of racing, our girls still managed to find time to have a Guinness (or two…) and a lovely little snooze on the deck chairs!
On Saturday night we had dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant on the dock with ‘Paddlers for Life’. We got to know everyone better and had some great fun.
During the trip we decided to stay in a hostel to save some money. The atmosphere there was great and even our Ann found it clean enough for her standards!
On Sunday it rained all day but our spirits were still high. We came a close second in our first race and it felt amazing. What a thrill! We then had two more closely fought 400m races.
By the end of the weekend we were all brimming with enthusiasm and joy. Tears were shed as we said goodbye to our new friends and there were many hugs. We all learnt a lot about racing and how to push ourselves harder and work as one team.
Ann motivated us with her shouts, while Chris calmly helmed us through the swans. Rowena was a great captain who led the team really well. As a team we all worked really hard together and left on a high.
A great weekend had by all!
