BRISTOL SAILING ASSOCIATION

Newsletter December 2008

Contacts:Gordon Ogden (Commodore)01275 462473

Jock Playle (Secretary)0117 973 8855

Jane Jenkyn (Treasurer) 01275 880318

Future Trips – suggestions for February 2009

At the December meeting members suggested two possible trips for next February. These were a midweek sail on a Phoenix YC yacht in late February, and a weekend charter on either the 14/15th or 21/22nd of the month.

As the next meeting on January 12th will be our social evening, there won’t be an opportunity to discuss these, so will anyone interested please get in touch (or tell Gordon or Jock during the social evening). We need two or three more crew for each proposed trip, and a skipper for the weekend charter. We need to confirm these before the February meeting to give time for booking boats. If we chartered “Shropshire Lady” for the weekend trip, it could be extended to include the Friday or Monday at no extra cost.

2.Announcements

2.1Membership renewal. A renewal form was sent in October to all whose membership expired on October 31st. As of late December about ten members have still not replied. If you have not yet done so, and wish to renew your membership, please return the form, with contact details updated if necessary, with your payment to the Treasurer, Mrs J R Jenkyn, Edgecliff, 12 Marine Parade, Clevedon, Bristol, BS21 7QS. The deadline for renewal is the end of December, so if we haven’t heard by the date of the January meeting we will assume you will not be rejoining and no further newsletters will be sent.

2.2The meeting on January 12th will be a social evening, with jazz band and buffet. To help defray the cost of the band we are asking for payment of £3 per person, payable on the night, which will also give free entry to a raffle. Members’ partners and families are welcome as guests.

2.3Following a recent sail skippered by Gordon when it was necessary to calculate the height of tide at a secondary port, he was asked if he could give a refresher “teach-in” covering the topics taught in the RYA Day Skipper shorebased course. Gordon is a Cruising Instructor, which includes the Day Skipper practical course when these topics are put into practice. He is prepared to go over the theory with a small group of up to four people. This would be on an informal basis, and for those who have previously completed the RYA Day Skipper shorebased course. Anyone who has not done this RYA course should take it at an RYA-approved teaching centre. Will those who would like to join Gordon for this please discuss it with him at a meeting, or phone him on 01275 462473.

3.Recent Trips

A summary of all trips reported at meetings is given here, or a full report, if available. Members reporting at a meeting are reminded that a full version of the report should be provided, either written or emailed. If this isn’t available, then only a short summary will be given in the newsletter. Full reports will be included in the next newsletter following receipt.

At the December meeting we had three reports. Phil Steele gave a report of a midweek sail on the Phoenix YC Elan 340 “Firebird”, skippered by Gordon. Bob Buchanan reported on a trip he skippered the previous weekend on Becca Hayward’s boat “Lady Emma”, and Steve Freestone briefly described a delivery trip he made with friends from Hamble to Plymouth. These reports follow.

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Trip on Firebird, skippered by Gordon Ogden

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Trip on “Lady Emma” from Southampton, December 6/7, report by skipper Bob Buchanan

“Lady Emma” is a Barberis Cantieri 41 owned by Becca Hayward’s family and berthed at Ocean Quay, Southampton. On this occasion Bob Buchanan skippered with Becca, her father, Hugh (one of their regular crew), Becky Goddard and Dave Fogden as crew.

On the Saturday morning they left at 1100 down Southampton Water under genoa only before running aground with Foggy at the helm at Calshot Spit, fortunately on a rising tide. They headed west down the Solent on a broad reach in a light wind, and booked ahead for a berth at Lymington Yacht Haven, which at this time of year cost only £18 for a 42’ boat. The King’s Head was full and they ate at the Angel. That night saw some disturbance when Hugh decided to move berth to avoid dripping condensation and knocked a glass of water over on to Becky.

On Sunday morning it was frozen, with white frost on the boat and pontoon. What little wind there was was on the nose as they motored to Cowes. They moored at the Island Sailing Club, where the Haywards are members, for lunch then motored back to Ocean Quay.

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Hamble to Plymouth, December 6/7, report by Steve Freestone

Steve Freestone crewed for friends delivering a boat from Hamble to Plymouth. This took much less time than expected, as they had to motor/sail in light winds, northerly at first then NE then E. They left at 1030 on Saturday and arrived at 0730 on Sunday.

With an adverse tide in the Solent they kept to the N shore and took the North Channel into Christchurch Bay. They passed Portland Bill 9 miles offshore, with the timing just right for the tide. They rolled in the swell crossing Lyme Bay, with some gybing, and had to rely on the radar to sort out the traffic of about 30 fishing boats operating outside the bay. The cold weather was at its worst at 0630 – 0730 on Sunday morning.

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