Hoping you all have a great Christmas.

Best wishes from Bassenthwaite Sailing Club

If you’re reading this you have reached our refreshed website.!

Please note that if you use the facebook button to login, certain pages will remain restricted until authorisation which will only be given to club members.

With Winter taking its grip on the country, and thoughts of sailing slipping away, please don’t forget to remove your boat from the club grounds for safety.

You are, of course, welcome to leave your boat on site for a nominal fee which should be paid to the membership secretary, but please arrange to move it away from the foreshore and minimise the risk of damage through flooding

Members will recall from the AGM information and discussions that the club had submitted a grant application to the Olympic Heritage fund to aid the purchase of additional training boats and a refurbishment of the ladies’ changing rooms. We have just been informed that it was unsuccessful as we had not demonstrated that there was latent demand to participate in sailing which would be freed up by the provision of additional Olympic Laser class club boats or renovating the ladies changing room.

Hedgehogs are coming to the rescue of fish in Bassenthwaite Lake through an innovative project being used for the first time in an English lake.

The Environment Agency and partners are creating a safe haven for fish by installing three separate artificial reefs on the lake bed using �hedgehogs� to provide shelter and create safe places for the fish to hide from predators.

The spikey constructions are between 1 to 2 metres in diameter are being placed on the lake bed to create a complex matrix of space that any size of fish can hide in.�The hedgehog refuges were designed in America.

The Environment Agency said: �We are always looking for innovative ideas on how to protect the biodiversity of our rivers and these hedgehogs are one way that we can do this.

�Anglers have been concerned abut fish stocks along the Derwent catchment for some time and we have taken this approach, as it allows us to protect the fish without targeting the fish-eating birds.

�We are sure the hedgehogs will provide a welcome refuge for valuable native coarse and game fish stocks that will benefit anglers and the wider community.�

At the 61st Annual General Meeting held in the Clubhouse on Sunday 1st December 2012 there were several important proposals to be considered, and they stimulated extensive discussions.

The main points that were agreed:

• Subscriptions to rise by 5% from 1st January
• Affiliated membership amended to be aligned with other categories, though at a discounted rate
• Rules re visitors and temporary members brought into line with current licensing laws
• Bye-law introduced prohibiting members/visitors bringing their own alcohol into the clubhouse while the bar is open
• On dissolution, the remaining assets of the club to be transferred to RYA (or equivalent) for the benefit of sailing in Cumbria

Prior to all that the following members were elected on to Council.

Commodore – Andy Smith
Vice-Commodore – Mark Somerville
Secretary – Pauline Nicholson
Treasurer – William Carruthers
Sailing Secretary – Roy Blackburn
Rear Commodore – Stephen Kirkpatrick
Asst Sailing Secretary – Lezli-Ann Pearson
Bar – Elaine Hunt
Boats & Buoys – Stephen Hunt
Galley – Becky Dawson
Grounds & Jetties – Mike Cowan
House – Alan Jones
Membership – Dave Lawson
PRO – Dave Nicholson
Training – Neil Garrison
Safety – Peter Ballard
Social – Claire Duncan
Youth Squad – Des Wright

Fleet Captains
Flying 15 – Ian Preston
GP14 – Mike Fairlamb
Mirror – Mik Chappell
Handicap – Steve Hunt
Topper – Ethan Dawson

At the end of the meeting Andy proposed a vote of thanks to Stephen before he flew off for a well earned holiday.