Displaying items by tag: Joe Roddy

23rd January 2016

Ireland's First Surfer Subject Of New Radio Documentary

#Surfing - He's the Irish surfing hall-of-famer who "came out of nowhere".

And now Joe Roddy is the subject of a fascinating radio documentary about his decades of aquatic exploits and ingenuity on Newstalk, both online and broadcast tonight (Saturday 23 January) at 10pm.

As TheJournal.ie reports, Surfing at the Crossroads brings the now 80-year-old Roddy to Valentia Island, where he recounts building what's regarded as Ireland's first surfboard – way back in the 1940s.

But even before then he was assembling his own makeshift vessels and gadgets to enable him to go canoeing, snorkelling – even spear-fishing.

The latter of which Roddy excelled at enough to represent Ireland at the World Championships in Cuba in 1967 - recording a incredible 32-metre dive in the process.

TheJournal.ie has much more on Joe Roddy's story HERE.

Published in Surfing

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Scottish Series Background

Although the format of the Scottish Series varies little from year to year, it is interesting to see some of the changes which the event has seen over the years:

CYCA handicap class added to IOR (1976)

IOR level rating classes to reflect the popular sizes and World Championships being held in the UK

Separate one design class for Sonatas (1980 to date)

Campbeltown dropped with offshore races direct to Tarbert (1982)

Unique light displacement CYCA class - the forerunner of today's sportboats (1982)

Computer results system introduced in 1982 and now recognised as the best in the UK

Separate one design class for Sigma 33 (1987 to date)

Separate one design classes in certain years for Impalas, Sigma 38, Melges 24 and Cork 1720

Inner triangle to shorten courses for smaller classes (1986)

Points loading for offshore race reduced from 2 to 1.5 to 1

First racing in Scotland under Channel Handicap (1988)

Second racecourse for smaller classes (1989)

Discard introduced

Windward leeward races - two per day (1993)

Sportboat classes with no overnight races (1994)

Marquee on quayside for main social events (1995-2008)

Restricted Sail Class (1998)

Third racecourse for sportboats with up to three races per day (1998)

Day feeder races (2002)

Overnight and day feeder races discontinued (2005)

Stand-alone Tarbert Inbound and Outbound passage races introduced (2005/6)

With all these changes, some things have stayed the same:

Huge support from Ireland every year since 1975

A magnificent effort ashore and afloat from the volunteer helpers of the Clyde Cruising Club, Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club and Tarbert Loch Fyne Yacht Club

Results and communications service at the forefront of technology

The best competition and the best social scene in the country

An overall Series winner, the roll call including many of the top sailors in Scotland and beyond.