Ok, ok - we've been remiss in updating ...but look, there's been a lot happening, so we've been out on the water a lot rather than sitting here typing about wishing we were out. First things first, there'll be no new video for a few weeks! We managed to lose our GoPro HelmetCam last Saturday in an unfortunate series of events that we're only now able to slightly smile at. It all started off innocently enough with great plans to invent our new sport - Thundercat Tennis. We worked out the rules, got some tennis balls, agreed how we'd do it ....and then we discovered that there were waves out in the bay so tennis got cancelled and replaced with airtime. This was the moment when everything turned. First to hit the heavies were the heavies - Aidan and Joe (sorry Joe, if I'm going down I'm taking you with me). Beautiful crisp, clean waves were rolling in and they were BIG. Each time we ran out against them we got more and more air. Screaming like 8 year old girls at a Jedward concert we kept wanting more, even though by now we'd both come seriously close to bouncing out. The last jump (it's always the last, isn't it?) saw us take to the air for longer than most Aer Arann flights and the expectant, but unspoken, thought of '..this is gonna hurt..' proved to be correct. When Joe came round a few seconds later he looked back to hi-5 Aidan, but the pilot had gone awol. He was in fact some 30 feet away from the cat after being boinged out on landing. Good times. What's more ....the whole lot was captured on the helmetcam .....just wait till we upload this stuff - the Ozzies, Kiwis and Sud Afrikan guys will be quaking in their booties. Next up was Martin with some fresh meat ....a new co-pilot, all the way from Italy, and she'd never even been on a boat before. Naturally a Thundercat in big seas would be the perfect initiation into the gentle joys of boating. Coming back into shore, Martin got air off the back of a breaker but the engine leg caught a submerged log on take-off, kicked sideways, landed skew and chucked everyone out. As an encore it also flipped. Ta-da. Trying to right the cats when you've been thrown out is never fun. Trying to do so in very heavy waves proved impossible. Aidan, in a second cat tried to get in under the nose to help lift but a roller knocked it down on his head, shearing the camera off the helmet and sending it to Davy Jones' locker. Eventually we gave up and towed Martin (upside down ....the cat, not him) a mile or so into calmer waters. During our gentle towback we spotted the lifeboat and pondered as to what idiots they'd been called out to save this time. Turned out it was us. On coming alongside we welcomed them in true maritime spirit ....'feck off, we're fine'. Back on shore and forty minutes of pumping, pulling, cursing, lifting, hosing, spitting and lots of other stuff that ends with 'ing' and Casper turned away from the light and coughed back to life. Our snag-list now reads as follows: replace lost helmetcam, new prop, repair mangled skeg and new bearings for trailer. Expensive times. To find out what else has been happening you'll have to click on 'read more' below, because this page needs a break.

Paddy's Day. As part of the recently formed Youghal Bay Boat Club, Paddy's Day in Youghal was going to be a biggie for all of us. This was the first time that we could all take to the streets and tell the world that we're here and everyone should get involved. Bunting was ordered, t-shirts and flyers were printed, banners were produced and boats were polished sparkly clean. For days grown men were brought to tears and knuckles were bloodied in proud endeavour to ensure that nothing would detract from our mission to look our very best come 3pm on Paddy's Day when the parade started. 3pm you say? ...that's mid-afternoon! That means we can get the cats out on the water for a session in the morning! ....so we did. Martin and Joe were stuck up at the parade in Cork, so it was Liz, Mike, Peter, Aidan, Sally and Waleed. Great waves out there (we're getting spoiled lately) but we had to cut it short to get ourselves ready. Recovered the boats, met up with the rest of the boat club team, dressed the boats, dressed ourselves and off we set. Naturally we like to think of ourselves as an inclusive lot - we don't like to leave any thundercatters behind - and that's why, if you see any pictures or video from the parade you'll see Padraig and Co. pulling a sailing dinghy, Peter and Co pulling a fast fisher - ourselves pulling a Thundercat ....all resplendent in the colours of the day ....... and in the middle of it all you'll see Waleed and Mike in a Dubai-reg Lexus just smiling happily at the people of Youghal as they drive past.

Get thee on board. Ronan's been flying (in every sense of the word) with his Thundercat trips of late. There's hardly a few days pass without being able to hear screams of terror drifting gently across this editorial desk as he rips across nearby Ardmore Bay with couples who swore that it would be a good idea. By all accounts everyone thats been trying it has loved it ....but then of course they might be just saying that to Ronan for fear that he'll keep them on the water until they swear they love it. This Saturday looks like being the biggest day yet, with over 14 people lined up to see what the fuss is all about .......just as well it wasn't last Saturday, eh?

National Powerboat Open Day. This takes place in Virginia, County Cavan this coming Sunday. We're annoying everyone at the moment to try and get the cats ready for this. It's the first real catch-up of the year for us powerboaters so we'll be sending up the two club cats, four crews and our esteemed Commodore .....Sir Padraig of Brooks. The plan is to give everyone a chance to say hello and try to be friends, until racing starts properly a few weeks later and we all revert to being competitors. It'll also mean scrutineering for the boats, so I hope Casper and Garfield are studying hard and not just laying there on their trailers dreaming of loose mermaids and drunken dolphins. Full report to follow next week. That's yer lot.