BRISTOL SAILING ASSOCIATION

Newsletter May 2008

Contacts:Gordon Ogden (Commodore)01275 462473

Jock Playle (Secretary)0117 973 8855

Jane Jenkyn (Treasurer) 01275 880318

Marion Brown (Social Secretary)0117 952 0434

Future Trips

1.1There was insufficient interest in sailing over the late May Bank Holiday to pursue any bookings,

1.2Alan Howells will skipper a long weekend to France/Channel islands from Gosport on the catamaran “G & T” starting on the afternoon of Thursday June 5th and returning on Monday 9th. This is now fully booked and paid. Crew information has been sent out, and Alan has sent some notes on the technique and safety of catamaran sailing.

1.2Penzance Around Scilly and Back (PASB). This event is run by Penzance Sailing Club. It is a long weekend of not too serious racing and cruising, with an overnight race from Penzance to the Scilly Isles on Friday July 25th, cruising the islands on Saturday, a race around the rocks on Sunday and a day race back to Penzance on Monday 28th. We now have two crews of six confirmed for this, and two yachts, a Sigma 362 and a Beneteau First 35S5 have been chartered from Cornish Cruising at Falmouth. The skippers are Clive Jenkyn and Malcolm Price. The charters will be from 1600 on Wednesday July 23rd until 2000 on Tuesday 29th. Crew who are unable to manage the whole period should be able to join and leave the boats at Penzance on the Friday and Monday. Each boat will cost £1100 to charter for a week, plus £200 racing insurance, a total of £217 per person. All deposits have been paid, and the balance of £167 will be due on June 8th. There is also a race entry fee of £40 per boat, which the skippers will pay and include in the on-board expenses of the trip; this includes free berthing at St Mary’s in Scilly.

1.3Malcolm Price will skipper a weekend charter from Plymouth on August 15 – 17th. This is fully booked, and all deposits paid. It will cost £124.25 per person including gas charge, and the balance of £74.25 will be due by July 18th.

1.4Phil Steele will skipper a two-week charter in Croatia in September. Phil says a 2-week charter starting on September 6th would cost about £500 plus air fare (mooring and food extra). Several members have provisionally “signed up” - will anyone else interested please contact Phil, tel. 07765 135513.

1.5New charters wanted.

Members have asked for the following to be arranged. Will anyone interested please contact Jock, or let us know at the next meeting. We need to arrange some weekend sailing during the summer.

Weekend of July 5/6th.

Weekend of August 2/3rd.

(Phil Steele is available to skipper these.)

A cross-Channel charter (would need to be a long weekend or more) – a skipper is wanted.

1.6Bill Thomas has been advised that the receivers of Sail Ireland have been unable to sell the business as a going concern, so future charters cannot be undertaken. Fortunately we had not paid a deposit (or we would now be in the position of an unsecured creditor). Those members who have paid a deposit for this proposed charter will be refunded, unless Bill can arrange an alternative. Bill is contacting all those concerned.

1.7Gordon Ogden has had to pull out of the proposed week’s Mediterranean charter in late September, in a boat suitable for four couples. It is hoped that Chris Watts will now skipper, and there is room for one more couple. Chris will continue with the arrangements.

1.8Sail in Thailand next winter? Kate Hubert is thinking of organising a trip to Thailand/Malaysia between next December and February. There is already some interest in this, As it won’t be the cheapest of trips an early booking would help drive the price down. The charter would be 10/14 days either based from Phuket, or a one way charter between Phuket and Langkawi in Malaysia, on one of a range of yachts or cats from 31-50ft. It will be hot 30-32C, with clear skies, light winds and calm seas. It will be a leisurely cruise through the dozens of islands, many uninhabited, with coral reefs and gorgeous beaches. Kate spent over 4 years living aboard in the area, and knows all the best spots and secluded anchorages. We would be able to eat spicy Thai food and fresh seafood ashore at local restaurants, bars and resorts around half the time, and self-catering aboard the rest of the time. Please contact Kate to find out more, email hubertkate@yahoo.com or call on 01275 333706. You can also look at Sunsail’s website www.sunsail.co.uk or the local pilot www.andamanseapilot.com to get an idea of what the cruising would be like.

2.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 with the next newsletter following receipt.

There were no reports of BSA sailing at the May meeting. David Brown and Bernard Smyth reported briefly that they had sailed in the Solent with the Portcullis YC (a club formed from a former bank sailing club, in much the same way as the Phoenix YC is formed from the former BP SC).

BSAMay08- 1 -