‘Wrinkles’ Sailing: The racing helping Cockle Island Boat Club thrive 50 years on
Members of Cockle Island Boat Club have been enjoying weekly racing as part of their ‘Wrinklies’ series which has been running at the club for close to 50 years.
95-year-old member, Sam Andrews, named the series so back in the 1970’s as most of the members taking part were either retired or not working.
Today, it continues to thrive, with 10-15 yachts regularly taking to the water by Groomsport on Monday afternoons, providing a hugely sociable setting for those involved to get active while having fun.
Speaking about the racing, long term member, Willie Wickens, said: “It’s a nice way for everybody to get out. If you don’t win the race, it’s not the end of the world. It’s about taking part and meeting up with friends- old and new.”
2024- A year of anniversaries
2024 is an historic year for Cockle Island Boat Club and RYA Northern Ireland, as both will mark their 50th anniversary.
Willie Wickens remembers the birth of RYA Northern Ireland well, stating: “We heard that the Royal Yachting Association had a branch in Northern Ireland so we wrote to them to apply to be affiliated.
“We then got this letter back explaining that they would be keen to have us and we’ve been in it ever since.”
Naturally, during the 50 years since RYA Northern Ireland’s inception, sailing and boating across the country has changed significantly, however RYA Northen Ireland continues to support clubs like Cockle Island Boat Club.
Current Cockle Island Boat Club Commodore, Harry Patterson, said: “Being affiliated to the RYA allows us to have certain resources should we need them. If people want to buy books they can do so through the RYA. If there has been any updates regarding safety, the RYA will put them out and day-to-day it’s nice to have the RYA’s support.
“I’m privileged to be the Commodore this year. It’s been a great job working with the guys and girls.
“We even meet over the Winter on Wednesday nights and have a ‘get together’. All the people in the club can then get together and it maintains that comradeship.”
If you would like to learn more about the history of RYA Northern Ireland, you can check out the full story here, or never miss any of our news by subscribing to our bi-monthly newsletter.