Wishing all our members, friends and visitors a very merry Christmas

Graham Kirkpatrick has brought our attention to an article from Cowes week which is an interesting read if you fancy a spot of light reading over Christmas

[gview file=”http://www.cowesclassicsweek.org/images/download_pdf/CCW_Newsletter_December_2014.pdf”]

Mark Somerville has been elected Commodore at the 63rd AGM held in the clubhouse.

In addition the following were elected to support him for the forthcoming year.

Vice-Commodore- Robin Dawson
Hon Treasurer – William Carruthers
Hon Secretary – Pauline Nicholson
Hon Sailing Secretary – Jon Denwood
Boats/Buoys-Phil Davenport
Grounds-Mike Cowan
Asst Sailing Sec-Lezli-Ann Pearson
House-Alan Jones
PRO-Mik Chappell
Bar-Stephen Kirkpatrick
Safety-Chris Rolle
Galley-Lucy Thomas
Training-Neil Garrison
Membership-Dave Lawson
Social-Claire Duncan

Fleet Captains
Handicap-Phil Davenport
F15-Graham Kirkpatrick
Mirrors-Mik Chappell
GPs-Mike Fairlamb
Topper/Laser-Neil Garrison

Hon Auditor-Kirstie Somerville

Some healthy discussions were held on various aspects of membership and sailing, and an inflationary increase of subscriptions was agreed.

With business completed while there was still some daylight, Mark thanked Andy Smith, on behalf of the membership, for his input and efforts over the last four years

Following our nomination , we are pleased to announce that Neil Garrison will today receive a RYA Community Award for his Outstanding Contribution to sailing from HRH Princess Royal at a ceremony being held in London.

The nomination, and award, recognises his extensive efforts over recent years not only in regard to the training courses that he has coordinated and run, but his ongoing help and support with projects such as the recent upgrading of the men’s’ changing rooms.

Congratulations Neil, your award is very well deserved!

The level of the lake is rising. It is up to the bottom of the race office already and likely to rise.

If your boat is on the foreshore, please arrange for someone to check it, and move as necessary, as soon as possible.

Update:

Not sure whether our training officer Neil lives at the club (as he’s always around), but he had a busy morning moving boats to higher ground before some other help arrived. We are assured that the water is deeper than the height of his wellies! Thanks Neil.

Although your boat won’t float away, you still need to check it is suitably�secured as there aren’t many tie downs at high level. Remember, it’s your property, and your responsibility.

A couple of shots of Hebe Haven Yacht Club 24 hour charity dinghy race in Hong Kong this last weekend. Bet a bit warmer than Southport.

Sorry to say have been enjoying myself in temperatures of around 25C both outside and in the water.

The shot of the finish shows Herb’s ideal committee boat but also 2 specially designed boats for the disabled. One of the club members gained the first sailing medal, a bronze, at the Asian Para Games the other week. Sort of sailing a reduced sized model of an Americas Cup boat. Only been sailing around 2 years.

One shot shows them using a sky born remote cameras to photo the race. The little spider in the sky.

Good fun for everyone.

Several will be aware that a past member of Bass, Lesley Anderson, is a member of HHYC and her father was a founder member, and one time commodore. Like my daughter she lives close to the club under the mountain Ma On Shan which is approaching the height of Skiddaw.

Somehow looking for a reason to stay in the warmer weather!!!

HHYC are always open to international teams for the 24hr. Many school and club youth teams take part. Has made HK$1,000,000 or �70,000 for charity each year and really brings in the local community.

Andy

Thanks to the Paparazzi for these shots from last weeks F15 team racing

The final weekend of the October Series greeted competitors with strong, gusty winds from a predominately WSW direction. Three intrepid competitors took to the water, Jim Christie in his Supernova, Peter Whipp sailing a Laser Radial and a new combination of Phil Davenport helming Alan Jones’s Flying Fifteen with Alan crewing.

The first race was a straightforward Olympic course, triangle sausage, with a beat to South as mark O has mysteriously disappeared. Peter took the lead but had his first of many capsizes shortly after his first beat, Phil and Alan assisted by their keel took the lead which they held until the finish. Jim after numerous immersions retired but Peter completed the course and told the OD he would like another race, Phil was keen to go, Alan less so and Jim a definite no. Race two was contested between Peter in his Radial and Phil/Alan in the Fifteen. Peter once again had a good first beat but hit he windward mark and had to do a 360, Phil/Alan took full advantage and sailed down the reach at times flying their spinnaker. Peter recovered well and despite a couple of capsizes en route he managed to win the race on handicap making it all square on the day as Phil & Alan had won the first race.

The day’s racing put Peter in the lead for both the fleet and handicap trophies, and with not even one contender�on�Sunday (was everyone making the most of their extra hour’s sleep, or were they just put off by the gales?) racing was abandoned and the results stand for the series.

Final�results FH PH

Three of the Youth squad (Ethan, Lottie Winfindale and David Rodger) took part in the end of season Junior traveller event at Bolton SC on Saturday.

Weather was medium wind with a few very strong squalls giving many spectacular capsizes. That there were no breakages say much of the good design of modern boats. (Optimist, Topper, RS Feva, Laser, Hartley 12, 420 and Supernova)

Bolton is a very small sailing club but it still has 12 main buoys and temporary buoys and the OOD intended using most of them. Each race more and more of the club bouys were being used to the utter confusion of most of the kids.

For the last race the OOD put the start line across both upwind legs having initially failed to put the start line on the course board at all. It appears that the direction arrows were not clear either.

At times the whole of the Topper Fleet were sailing the course in reverse order, and our youth squad were perhaps more confused than the more experienced kids.

At other times some of the leaders were spending more time unravelling themselves of the wrong course than they were sailing the right course.
The lead boat of course led the experienced Laser Fleet around but left the Toppers and Optimists to find their own way…