BRISTOL SAILING ASSOCIATION

Newsletter November 2014

Contacts:Kath Liddiard (Commodore)01443 227928

Jock Playle (Secretary)0117 973 8855

Becky Goddard (Treasurer) 01749 346818

Future Trips

1.1Phil Steele will skipper his traditional Christmas Party sail on the weekend of December 20 – 21. This will be on the PYC yacht ‘Quartette’, so no advance payments are needed. This is now fully booked.

1.2Alan Howells and Jeff Birkin will skipper a two-boat charter from Hamble in late April/early May next year, specifically for skippering experience for those aiming for RYA Yachtmaster. Alan has provided this outline:

“It is principally intended for people interested in gaining experience as skipper on passages. Two of the proposed passages will be Yachtmaster qualifying so there will be an opportunity for two people on each yacht to do those in the role of skipper. The need for this was raised during the recent sailing (and other skills) practice trip.

The period proposed is a week, or possibly slightly longer, and the notional area is from Solent to North France and Channel Isles and back. In addition to the two Channel crossings (one of which might be close to a separation zone) much of the area is tide-swept and rock strewn. It provides opportunities for lots of interesting navigation and demanding pilotage. The possible destinations include Cherbourg, Omonville, Dielette, Carteret, Braye (Alderney), Greve de la Ville and Havre Gosselin (Sark), and St Peter Port (Guernsey). Obviously we would not get to all of these.

The idea is that for various stages someone will take on the role of skipper completely including selection of the next destination and passage planning as well as everything necessary to get us there. In selection of destination they will need to take into account tidal and weather constraints (very important in that area) amongst other factors.

We would be looking to charter from Hamble Point and the maximum on board each yacht (including Alan or Jeff) will be six.”

We already have ten interested in this, including some necessary ‘non-skippering’ crew, so it is potentially fully booked and viable.

News and Notices

Membership renewal. All memberships expired on October 31st and a renewal form was sent to everyone with the AGM minutes. So far about a two thirds of members have paid and renewed – if you haven’t please either-

Send it with a cheque payable to Bristol Sailing Association to the Treasurer, Mrs R A Goddard, 29 The Old Silk Mill, Coombe Lane, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5XA

Pay by bank transfer to the account of Bristol Sailing Association at Barclays Bank, account number 40853062, sort code 20-13-34. If you pay by bank transfer please email the Treasurer becky@thesilkmill7.fsnet.co.uk to advise her and give any change of contact details.

If you do not wish to renew your membership please email the Secretary jockplayle3@waitrose.com to let us know.

2.2BSA Christmas Dinner. Gordon Ogden has very kindly again arranged this year’s event which will be at the Avon Gorge Hotel, where we have enjoyed it for the last two years, on Tuesday December 16th. Arrival drinks will be in the White Lion Bar at 7.00 pm.  The meal will be served at 7.30 pm in the Clifton Room.

3.Recent Trips

At the November meeting there was a report from Bob Hayes on the weekend from Haslar skippered by Phil Steele on November 7 – 9. Becky Goddard also briefly described their non-sailing the same weekend, which would have been this year’s last sail on ‘Lady Emma’. Peter Wakeling then described a cruise on a CSSA yacht from Eastbourne to Boulogne then to Shotley on the River Stour, crossing the Thames estuary and sailing up the east coast which is an area unfamiliar to most BSA members.

Here are Bob’s and Peter’s reports, and a summary of Becky’s:

Trip on Quartette, skippered by Phil Steele

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A ticket to Ryde – report by Becky Goddard

Becky said that the weekend of November 7 – 9 should have been the last sail of the year on ‘Lady Emma’. However the weather was so bad on the Saturday that they gave up any idea of setting sail and went over to Portsmouth on the ferry from Gosport, meeting, as Bob Hayes reported above, the crew of Quartette who also decided on shopping in Portsmouth.

On Sunday there was no wind at all, so they went over to the Isle of Wight – ‘a ticket to Ryde’, then a walk. A completely non-sailing weekend.

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Trip on Freyja, skippered by

Bsa Nov 2014 1