BRISTOL SAILING ASSOCIATION

Newsletter December 2013

Contacts:Kath Liddiard (Commodore)01443 227928

Jock Playle (Secretary)0117 973 8855

Jane Jenkyn (Treasurer) 01275 880318

We welcome Reuben and Jo Woodbridge as new members.

Mike Berry. In the last newsletter we reported that Mike had made a short visit to Australia for his son’s wedding before his operation in Birmingham on November 26th. Mike has asked for BSA members to know that it was found that his condition had spread so as to be inoperable and he was warned of limited life expectancy. However, his oncologist has reviewed the situation and, given Mike’s very positive response to previous chemotherapy, has offered further treatment. Mike has said that, following this, he hopes to come to our February meeting. All of us at BSA send Mike our very best wishes.

Future Trips

1.1Phil Steele will skipper his ‘January Sales Trip’ next year, on the weekend of January 18 – 19 on the PYC yacht Quartette. There has been a cancellation so there are now two places available; please let me {Jock) know if you would like a place. It will cost £30 per day, no advance payment is needed.

1.2Gordon Ogden will skipper a midweek sail on the PYC yacht Spellbinder on February 24 - 26. This is nominally fully booked, but a place may become available.

1.3Peter Wakeling would like to skipper a two-week charter in Croatia in early June between Split and Dubrovnik. Early June is before the high season charter costs start, and in this area there are numerous anchorages which avoid using the marinas which have become expensive in this area. Will anyone interested please contact Peter tel. 01761 221540, email pjwakeling@btinternet.com. This would be a private charter, not a BSA one.

1.4Paul Johnson has said he would like a Med trip in late summer 2014.

News and notices

FINAL REMINDER for membership renewal. A membership renewal form was sent with the AGM minutes in October to all whose membership expired on October 31st. Several renewals are now overdue. Please return the form with any amendments to contact details with your subscription to the Treasurer, or follow the instructions on the form to pay by bank transfer. Anyone who hasn’t renewed by the New Year will be presumed to have left BSA.

2.2Our thanks to Commodore Kath Liddiard for compiling the entertaining quiz for the December meeting. One of the three rounds was Christmas-related, the other two being a light-hearted sailing one and a picture round of images from films – some maritime, ranging from the Titanic to Das Boot, via the African Queen. At the end two teams tied with 28 points, and both correctly answered the first two tie-breakers. Gordon’s team succeeded with the third tie-breaker, and then generously shared their liquid prize with everyone.

January meeting. The next meeting on January 13th will be our annual social evening, with a buffet and a free raffle. Alan Howells will be organising (and providing some of) the buffet and would welcome any offers to provide food for it – BSA will of course refund the cost. Please contact Alan on 0117 944 2618 if you can help.

BBC shipping forecast. The BBC is seeking users’ views on the Radio 4 long wave shipping forecast. Details are at the end of this newsletter.

3.Recent Trips

At the December meeting Gordon Ogden reported on the midweek trip he skippered from Gosport on November 18-20.

Trip on Spellbinder, skippered by Gordon Ogden

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Do you listen to the BBC Radio 4 shipping forecast?

The BBC is seeking your views on the Radio 4 shipping forecast.

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This is on the RYA website, hence the reference to RYA members responding. However there is no reason why anyone who would like to comment should not do so – by January 17th 2014.

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The BBC is interested in gaining feedback about the Radio 4 shipping forecast and

researching any trends amongst the listening base.

As a result it has produced 5 questions that would capture the appropriate information

and would like the help of RYA members to provide the answers.

The five questions are:

1. What is your primary source of Maritime Safety Information (MSI)?

2. What other sources do you also use?

3. If not named above, why do you not use Radio 4 Long Wave as a source of

MSI?

4. On a scale of 1-5, how important is Radio 4 Long Wave as a source of MSI?

(where 1=vital...5=not at all)

5. Do you have any comments about the Radio 4 Long Wave service?

The BBC has never attempted a survey relating to the Radio 4 Long Wave service

before and would be very grateful if RYA members took the opportunity to respond. The

more replies the BBC gets, then clearly the more use the survey will be.

When to respond by

To give people plenty of time to respond the BBC is asking for responses to be

submitted by Friday 17th January, 2014.

Where to send your response

If you do wish to take part then please reply with your answers to Chris Aldridge at the

BBC: chris.aldridge@bbc.co.uk

Finally, the RYA would be interested to hear of locations around the country

where reception on VHF and mobile phone signal is not possible and where the

weather forecast can only normally be received on Long Wave. Email us at cruising@rya.org.uk

BSA Dec 2013- 1 -