By October, the last of the remarkably varied international fleet of boats that had attended the Irish Cruising Club’s Conor O’Brien & Saoirse Centenary Rally in Madeira had returned to their often very distant home ports. Thus it was felt that a line could finally be drawn under a unique event in which ICC Rear Commodore Seamus O’Connor, of West Cork and Portugal, had played the key role as Chairman of the Organising Committee.
The 3rd of July 1923 was a pivotal date in Saoirse’s pioneering global circumnavigation, as it marked her arrival at Funchal in Madeira to complete what was, in effect, the 1,100-mile maiden ocean voyage from Dublin Bay, sailing the new and relatively un-tested vessel to O’Brien’s own design.
Thus experienced voyagers tend to see Funchal as the real starting point for what went on to be an unprecedented amateur small-boat circumnavigation of the world south of the Great Capes. It was felt imperative that while there were Centenary festivities in Dun Laoghaire to mark the start of the voyage, O’Brien’s achievement deserved an extra effort with an international rally in Funchal starting on July 3rd 2023, centred around the restored trading ketch Ilen, Saoirse’s “big sister”, which is now the flagship in Ireland of Sailing Into Wellness.
Ilen in Greenland with her restorers, the Ilen Project of Limerick, during her furthest north cruise in 2019. In July 2023, she reached her furthest point south in her restored form at Madeira, where she was the flagship at the ICC Conor O’Brien Saoirse Circumnavigation Centenary Celebrations. However, when new-built in 1926, Ilan had called at Madeira with Conor O’Brien as skipper while heading south to become the Inter-Island Workboat in the Falklands. Photo: Gary Mac Mahon
Seamus O’Connor’s multi-talented Committee found themselves dealing with many and various Madeiran and Portuguese agencies and organisations in order to ensure a smooth welcome for ocean sailing boats which were approaching the island quite literally from every point of the compass. It all went well, the participants are all now back where they meant to be for the winter months, and Seamus O’Connor and his Committee have deservedly earned everyone’s gratitude
