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invited me to his house after school on the Monday and I dreamt and prayed that one day I would win a cup like it. When the 1947 season started some changes in the fleet had taken place. Joe Breen had obtained the use of Sholto Cooke’s Murnin built, the “Swallow”. This was the punt that the Murnin Family built for the Stella Maris new church building fund. Hugh Tweedie built a nice 15’ punt named the Barracuda for Johnny McDonnell with the builder at the helm. This boat was allocated No. 14 and equipped with a good wellproportioned sail made by McKenzie from the Clyde. John Waterson, the official Pilot for Strangford Lough, took over as skipper of Rev Larmour’s punt. Pat Swail sailed his own “Star of the Sea”. James (Cordie) Mullan was recruited to helm the “Little Flower”. Bobby Mullan changed places with his brother Tommy in the Family boat. John Fitzsimmons sailed John Swail’s boat when at home on leave from the Royal Navy. Malachy Rodgers and Tommy McKeating continued to sail their 1946 craft while John Fitzsimmons, on occasions, would sail Ernest Swail’s “Saucy Sue”.
Punts just after the start of the 1956 Regatta L-R “Wanderer” “Sharfit” “New Design” Marie Bawn” “Patricia” “Barracuda” The season was a great success, with Pat Swail winning “The Swan Island Cup” for the first time and the “Barracuda” winning the Portaferry Series. The next couple of years continued much the same as 1947. Pat Swail won “The Swan Island Cup” for the third time in succession in 1949 and was declared the outright winner. The cup is cared for in pristine condition by the Swail family. A new boat was superbly built by master craftsman Nicky Curran for Pat Breen. 6