The Mirror family learned this morning of the death of Norm Deane. The notice in the Hobart Mercury records a loving family man, just shy of 95 years old, a Member of the Order of Australia. But we need to record publicly the debt we as Mirror sailors owe him. At the 4th World Mirror Championships in Sligo in 1987 a committee with Norm as President set about the task of making the Mirror a truly one design boat with International status, with a constitution and Rules of Measurement acceptable to the IYRU. International status was formally granted in November 1987. Norm remained active in the International executive until 2008.
The wooden boat specification has been updated. The new version is in World Sailing's Standard Class Rules (SCR) format & generally updates the specification reflect changes in boat building & the marine industry since the last specification was issued.
After ten races sailed at the Mirror European Championships, Lough Ree YC pairing Caolan Croasdell & Alexander Farrell won with two bullets on the final day. Mel and Sophie Collins of hosts Royal Cork Yacht Club were second on 22 points with another RCYC pairing of Rory and Oisin MacAllister third on 25 points. Sarah White & Eoghan Duffy from Sligo YC took the Ladies prize & 6th overall.
The address is Royal Cork Yacht Club, Lower road, Crosshaven, County Cork This is the oldest yacht club in the world and is located in a magnificent sailing area.
Alkar Technology, based in Binche, Belgium, have applied to World Sailing (ex-ISAF) for a licence to build GRP Mirror dinghies and are currently building their hull plug and mould.
In 2013, at the behest of Jim and Cormac, I wrote the following about Ryan and Michaela winning the Mirror Worlds. I did not know at that time, if that achievement should be described as a culmination, the end of the story, or just another chapter,but Jim and Cormac had asked me to put our family’s experiences down in writing, so that they could be shared by others – so I wrote it as I saw it then.
