Almost 150 supporters of sailing in the National Yacht Club got together on Saturday 30th September to mark the 50th Jubilee anniversary of NYC Junior section. Open to over 18s who have been involved in NYC’s junior section over the years as sailors, parents, friends and instructors, the evening reunited three generations to celebrate junior sailing at NYC. The evening was also an opportunity to raise funds for a fleet of Fireflies that will benefit NYC’s current young and upcoming sailors.
Kicking off the night with cocktails, the party quickly moved to the dining room for a fabulous buffet put on by Tim, Louise, Cormac and the catering team. Packed tables saw sailors past and present enjoy the opportunity to catch up, reminisce and recall the happy adventures of days gone by in the Junior section.
To mark the celebrations formally, the words of those involved in junior sailing echoed its achievements as well as the sentiments of those attending. Fiona Staunton thanked all past Junior organisers for their commitment and hard work and Cathy McAleavey spoke of her experiences as Junior organiser for many years.
The highlight of the evening was the raffle and silent auction where several of the younger sailors volunteered, selling tickets and garnering support for the exciting draw. Amazing prizes boosted ticket sales. The auction and raffle were a huge success, raising over €5,000.
Following the excellent meal, tables were cleared and the DJ drew the dancers to the floor with a selection of hits spanning across decades of the junior section. Music and celebrations ran into the early hours with party revellers old and young setting the pace for the next 50 years of junior sailing success.
Many thanks to Ruth Shanahan who organised the auction and raffle and Fiona Staunton who organised the event together with Helen Cooney, Susan Spain, Aisling Murphy and Michael Horgan. Many thanks also to all those who generously donated prizes for both the auction and the raffle, see list below – Cormac’s dinner for 8 people in their home fetched a massive €800. Many thanks to Paul-Michel Ledoux for taking photographs, which can be seen below and capture the essence of the night.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wz64fqnerzonml7/AACRBBqsQ7WP6aUYjn9OpJOYa?dl=0
| Peter Caviston |
| Patrick Lynch (Al Fresco) |
| Conrad Lyons ( Rug Art) |
| Damien Quinn( Furniture Works) |
| Ian O Meara (Viking)
Virginia Fortune (concert tickets) John Power (MJ Flood) |
| Nicole Hemeryck |
| John Chambers |
| Tadgh & Sean Donnelly |
| Finn Lynch |
| Cormac Healy |
| Carmel Winkelmann |
| Brendan Finucane |
| Mark Lyttle |
