BRISTOL SAILING ASSOCIATION

Newsletter November 2021

Contacts:Kath Liddiard (Commodore)01443 227928

Jock Playle (Secretary)0117 973 8855

Becky Goddard (Treasurer) 01749 346818

At the meeting on November 8th we welcomed new member Chris Perry.

Future Trips

1.1The remainder of Jerzy Wieczorek’s curtailed week’s cruise from Plymouth on May 17th was postponed yet again, due to bad weather on October 1st – 4th., and has been rebooked for April 1st – 4th 2022, a date which all the crew can make..

1.2Jeff Birkin is planning to skipper a boat for the Helford – l’Aber Wrac’h race next June. One possible way is to charter from Pembroke Cruising and sail down the Devon and Cornwall north coasts to Helford for the race. This would be a charter from June 20th – 29th, with a crew of 5 on board which must include another BSA skipper. Anyone interested should talk to Jeff at one of our monthly meetings.

2. News

2.1 Plans for the meeting on December 13th

As reminder that our next meeting on December 13th will be our annual Social Evening, with free buffet and raffle, and the Commodore’s Christmas Quiz. Kath is organising the buffet and asks “If you would like to help and bring along a contribution that will be gratefully received. If you let me know what you would like to contribute then I can make sure there is a bit of everything, both sweet and savoury.” (email ) .

In previous years Alan Howells always organised the buffet, and supplied his ‘signature dish’ of pissaladière. This year we will be able to remember Alan with a tot of Calvados and, thanks to the efforts of Colin Burbidge, pissaladière (a Mk 1 trial having been successful).

2.2 Update on ‘Go Sailing’

In the September newsletter we mentioned the Go Sailing Association as a possible replacement for our former Associate Membership of the Phoenix Yacht Club. Ian Collins has been on a test sail, with a view to becoming a ‘Go Sailing’ skipper (which would allow us to charter their boats) and has provided the following update.

Go Sailing Association. Report by Ian Collins

When Steve Greenham posted on our Facebook page the information about the Go Sailing Association ( previously the British Gas Sailing Association ), I could tell by the response that quite a lot of us pricked up our ears. Steve is the Information Officer of the Phoenix Yacht Club and is currently a member of GSA, and it seems still has a fondness for the old firm.

I then looked up the web-site for the GSA () and found a reasonable amount of information laid bare for all to see and would suggest that it’s worth a look. They have 3 wholly-owned yachts, one based in the Solent, a 32’ Oceanis, one in Plymouth, a 34’ Dufour, and one in Largs a 36’ Bavaria. The placement of the yachts complements our usual cruising areas in the South with the advantage of the availability of a yacht with good access to the Clyde. There are regular reasonably priced flights , 45 mins duration from Bristol to Glasgow and a bus from Glasgow airport to the Marina.

To take full advantage, we shall need some of our skippers to qualify to become GSA approved so that we could charter a boat with a BSA skipper and crew. To this end on the 28th October I along with Dougal Matthews joined GSA Skipper Steve Freedman and Kate Wilkins a recently joined club member, for a Skills sail having advised that we were both looking to become club skippers.

We had a pleasant weekend’s sailing despite the approbation of the weather Gods, particularly at night. On the Sunday Steve informed us that our names would be put forward to “the Committee” as potential Skippering material; and that we would in due course have to take a trip with a committee member who would decide our ultimate fate.

To undertake this we availed ourselves of the current “Special Offer” of £176.00 for a weekend or midweek Skippered Cruise which also includes the £40.00 annual membership fee. With Skippers available our bareboat Charter prices would be more reasonable (prices are shown on their website)*. Another advantage is that the yachts are berthed in MDL Marinas and when cruising can use all other MDL Marinas free of charge.

Based on my experience so far I would recommend BSA members take a good hard look at what’s available by way of GSA membership and the potential benefits that would accrue for BSA members and our association as a whole. Dougal apologises for his inability to attend our monthly meetings but he feels his community activities have to take precedence, but even in absentia he remains an enthusiastic member and has asked that his support for these recommendations be added to mine.

* Secretary’s note: for example, to charter the GSA Plymouth boat between May and September 2022 would cost £775 for a half-week (Sunday to Thursday or Thursday to Sunday) and £1290 for a week. By comparison, I have been warned that Liberty’s prices will be significantly increased next year and we should expect to pay over £900 for a weekend or midweek charter of a Bavaria 36. Note that to take advantage of the GSA charter not just the skipper but all crew must be GSA members, at an annual membership fee of £40, which is slightly less than our former Associate Membership with Phoenix, and would offer all year round low cost charters from three different locations.

2.3Membership renewal

All members were sent a renewal form recently, and renewal was due by November 1st. Thank you to all of you who have renewed, and we ask the dozen or so who have not yet renewed to do so as detailed on the form, or email to say if you have decided not to rejoin.

3.Recent trips

Trip reports A reminder that Chris Wallace has asked for all members who provide trip reports to include the type and name of the boat, and the names of all crew, so that the reports can be completely listed and referenced on the website. Photographs sent to would also be very welcome.

At the November meeting Don Hirst gave a report on Phil Steele’s ‘Fireworks Trip’ on November 5th – 7th. This report follows.

Chris Wallace then gave a summary of his and Julia’s voyages this summer on ‘Aremiti’ from Bristol to Craobh Haven (their winter berth) with passages up the Welsh coast and over to the coast of Northern Ireland, then via Kintyre and the western isles of the Inner Hebrides. All these voyages have been reported in full in the newsletters each month from July to September.

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Trip on Sea Shanty, skippered by Phil Steele

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