Some historians claim that St. Brendan, a famous Irish sailor from Annagh near Tralee reached America almost 1,000 years before Columbus.
After our morning training
on Saturday 17th Jan 2009, the school sailing team, decked out in
our new team t-shirt made especially for the occasion, set off eagerly to the Volvo Race
Village in Sentosa. We
couldn't believe our good fortune (BIG THANKS to Mr. Richards!) at being
invited onboard a world-class racer and could hardly wait to actually set foot
on her!
When we arrived, our guide was
waiting for us. Before he took us onboard the Green Dragon, he gave us a
briefing about the origins of the yacht. There is always a great story behind
every great team and the story of the Green Dragon was fascinating. This racing
masterpiece is a truly global affair! It was designed by the famous American
naval architect Riechel Pugh, one of the top three yacht designers in the
world. The yacht was jigsawed together in China with keys components from
around the world: the hull was built in China; the mast was made in New
Zealand; the sails and keel bulb in UK; rudders and dagger boards in Australia
and the keel fin in the USA. The Green Dragon crew is also an international
affair with crew from Ireland,
China, UK, Australia
and New Zealand.
Our guide then showed us aboard the beautiful yacht, minus our shoes.
As I stepped on board, I felt completely overwhelmed by the majesty of the
vessel. I suddenly understood why this race was held in such high esteem the
world over. We were floored by the size of the dagger boards which were twice
as big as we were! The overall length of the boat is 21.5m (the length of 2
double-decker buses) while the mast is 31.5m high (the height of over 7
double-decker buses!). The sails were so
enormous that just thinking of the speed of the boat in the open seas knocked
the breath out of me! There and then I made up my mind that one day, I too will
sail round the world to do battle with vicious seas and freezing gales!
This tour inspired the team tremendously! It gave us a goal to aim for
- first, we'll vanquish the choppy waters of the Singapore
Strait, and after that, the horizon is our boundary!
Michelle De Deyn