Commodore's Message
Expressions from the Editor
The Ladies Who Launch (or Not)
More Flying Fifteen News
Bass Week 2010 (Here we go again)
A Different Type of Boating Holiday
Things You Must Do Before You Die
Bass Youth Squad
The Bar Report
The Flying Fifteen Fleet
Roy's Pre-Season Letter
Getting into Yachting (on a Budget)
Training - Where are we Now?
Clothing
Safety First
The 2010 Social Scene
Mirror Mutterings
Return of the Daysailer
Sailing Becomes Reality
Welcome to the Spring 2010 edition of Foxy Tales. Thanks to Mik Chappell for, once again, persuading us to provide text for this publication. So much has happened in the last 12 months that I could fill the following pages myself but won't bore you with all the details.
On Friday morning 20th November last, a few of us were planning to meet at the club to tidy the training container and put the Toppers away for the winter. As I breakfasted that morning the local TV news was describing the flood devastation that was taking place in Keswick. Cockermouth and Workington. I rang the Environment Agency about 7.30am to offer our dories for the rescue operation. We drove straight to the Club and despite the A66 being closed at Cockermouth we were let through the barriers in view of our intended mission. We were totally unprepared for the scene that emerged at Dubwath and the Sailing Club. I'm sure you've all seen the photos and have heard the stories. Needless to say we were unable to get to the dories. We are indebted to all those Members who worked until they almost dropped to retrieve boats and equipment. Thank you each and everyone of you, and to those of you who have recently helped with the damage caused to the water pipes and jetty as of result of the frozen conditions. Since the close of the sailing season in November it’s hardly been "the quiet season'.
Compared with some Cumbrian sailing clubs we've escaped significant structural damage to our buildings. Our grounds equipment and jetty have suffered damage but hopefully this will be rectified in the near future. Our insurance company have been very co-operative and we hope to have replacement machinery etc be-fore the grass starts growing.
On a more positive note, our new training boat fund is growing in leaps and bounds. To date we've purchased two GRP Mirrors and a race rigged Topper. I appreciate that training is not the most important aspect of our activities to all Members but without it our Club will not grow. By continuing with our training programme the future of our Club will hopefully be assured.
We now have a certificate that allows us to camp and caravan on site for 40 days/9 events per year. These ‘camping days' will be specified by the Sailing Club Council annually and can be found in the 2010 handbook. Please do not camp or caravan in the Club's grounds except on these specific days.
Best wishes for the forthcoming sailing season.
Dave Nicholson
Yet again we hove a considerable amount of copy. Thanks to everyone for their efforts. A bit of a different emphasis this time though with less dwelling on the past and from our youth members. Obviously, this is a pity but it has allowed room to include articles on more diverse subjects which, in themselves, make fascinating reading - I come out in o cold sweet when I read Dave Lawson's piece on scaling Mont Blanc! Inevitably there is o fair bit of "joined up thinking" on sailing matters reflecting agreement at the AGM that there should be stronger links between training, the Youth Squad and fleet racing. I subscribe to the view that this is the way forward for our Club. And, please do study the Sailing Secretary’s piece laying out the changes which will take place this season. They are many and varied: ask if you don't understand any of them, but don't say you haven't been told!
Mik Chappell
Kath and I started sailing together about 5 years ago, just a little pootling about in little boat'. Our favourite time was a Wednesday afternoon, the perfect anti-dote to a morning at work. We got a little better and it and a little more confident and somehow we came to the decision to join Bass. Little Boat was a heavy thing and terribly slow, even slower than we are now (hard to imagine but true) so we got the GP, you'll know it, it’s red and usually at the back of the GP fleet. I mean we won the Hatrick trophy this year. However, we really enjoy the sailing and it has got better season on season, we now are almost in touch with the fleet and we have had two close races with Mike & Sue. We have been a constant source of amusement to Herb or is it bemusement?
We are often quite confused but, due to Eric and Mike's very patient teaching on Tuesdays, much less so this year. We often cross the start line with everyone else now, result, followed by a slow dropping behind. So we will be back this season, we will try hard not to be the last boat to launch. I will try not to get my head bashed, again, we will master the spinnaker. We will buy a wing nut for the rudder and many other things, or we may just turn up much the same as before, confused, bemused, baffled and dozed, occasionally scored but above all having a good time most of the time as ever.
Glenys
When Mik Chappell asked me to write something for the mag I thought it a good opportunity to bring to the members attention the fact that the Flying Fifteen fleet which, like dinosaurs in this part of the world, were thought to be extinct but flying fifteens are suddenly making a comeback. This is also happening at many other clubs elsewhere in the country although some of the clubs have seen this resurgence in interest much earlier than at Bass. I have bought the ex Neil Currie /Mik Chappell / Ovington MK9 ff 3265 and I intend to sail regularly if not away competing at motorsport events with my car. I have sold my faithful Wyche and Coppock to Martin Stephenson, the ex Mike Moore crew, who is going to sail It with ex ff sailor Steve Hannah. Blackpool based Jon and Stuart Brookes are coming bock to sail after a two year layoff due to illness and we are looking forward to their return and continued good health. Tim Chittenden has got his latest project launched that has taken up so much of his time this year. This is no ordinary boat he has launched but the latest nuclear sub that Tim has being in charge of at Barrow. He and Ian Macpherson, whose unusual day job is skipper of one of the massive tug boats assisting large sea going vessels to navigate the waters of the Firth of Forth and they are both ready for the new season sailing in the much shallower waters of Bassenthwaite.
Mike Moore, that well known grumpy ‘old git’ (his words not mine), is ready to sail: he operates like an employment agency for redundant ff15 crews as he seems to have a different crew each weekend. However all seem to come back to sail with him at various weekends throughout the season so he can't be that bad to sail with! Graham Kirkpatrick is planning to sail at Bass when not sailing his Morgan Giles 28 footer out of Maryport and is thinking about buying a newer boat than the Wyche & Coppock he shares with Alan Smith. Alan Smith is not actually a ship broker but among his fleet of boots he also has a lovely wooden ff15 that was lovingly restored by his brother Eric, or as everyone calls him "Uncle Eric°, about 4 years ago. This boat is actually No 1 in the ff fleet so has very historical significance but wooden boats need looking after and as Alan hasn't the time he may just consider an offer if it was going to a good home. Great news is that several ex ff15 sailors are looking to return to racing again. Long time ff15 regular Ian Campbell will buy another boat and return to racing providing that at least 4 boats are sailing on a regular basis even if not every weekend. Jonathan Denwood is looking for a suitable Ovington boat and Scott Beattie will sail when he is in this country. Ian Preston, the ex f fl5 fleet president, is going to come and sail at bank holidays and other weekends and has offered the loan of his boat to experienced ff 15 helms if he is not sailing provided they look after and maintain the boat properly which is very kind of him. Paul Wright is also planning to sail more and will try to liaise with Ian and the other ff helms to ensure the maximum number of people turn up at the same weekends. After a break of many years the MOST successful and experienced ft helm in the club Neil Currie currently has his RS for sale and is thinking of buying another flying fifteen but is waiting until spring to make the decision as he has had back problems and pulling the boat up the ramp may cause him more. We only had 8 boats in last year's ff open due to a date clash but the visitors out of the 8 boats enjoyed the event so much that some asked if they could come and sail at some of the club events or bank holiday weekends to which we readily agreed. Not all fifteen sailors ore old age pensioners contrary to what some people think. Howard Green’s son, who is in his early teens, is a great helm and would have proved it at our open if he hadn't had to be taken home as he was so ill with flu. Other people are also considering joining the ff fleet: Andy Smith is regarded as such a good helm that an ex world champion crew has offered to crew for Andy at the ff world championships which are to be held at Hayling Island this year. New boats complete and ready to tow away to a race meeting now cost from approx £16,000 but very old boats that are just about seaworthy can be had for £500. Although for that it won’t be very competitive and would probably cost as much again to buy a few fittings just to make things work properly. Very old boats tend not to have roller bearing pulleys on jib sheets etc. but plastic eyes instead which have too much friction that don't allow you to pull the jib in hard in any heavy winds. So spending more money to get a better boat could be much better value. Between £1000 and £3000 would get you a classic such as a Wyche and Coppock manufactured boat which are really good quality boats. Being fibreglass they need very little maintenance and in the right weather conditions are still competitive. However they are not as stiff as the later Ovington built boats which really come in to their own in strong winds as they don't flex as much but transmit the power to the sails instead of wasting the power of the gusts. Above this figure there ore various boats for sale and you can check prices by going online to the Flying Fifteen website or BIFFA as it is known where a list of current boats for sale is regularly updated. Fifteens are lovely boats to soil and are kind to the people sailing them in so for as they don't tip you into the water when big gusts hit you but just heel over and then pop up when the gust has gone whilst all the other fleets are generally having a swim! Fifteens hold their value very well and boats are competitive for very many years in the right conditions. They are powerful with a big sail area and are great fun sailing back down the lake with a southerly filling the spinnaker. However with a heavy keel of 5 cwt bolted underneath they do take a bit of stopping and can easily chop a Mirror in half. Robin Dawson can testify to this when it happened to him as a child. He was left sitting in just half a boat after a fifteen hit him with an inexperienced person at the helm who didn't know how to avoid him. Still it doesn't seem to have put Robin off too much. Hopefully things will go from strength to strength again but the heady days of the mid 1970s that saw about 50 fifteens bobbing about on moorings at Bass, with sailors rowing out to their boats in little pram dinghies, are very unlikely to happen again. Still if a few of the ex fifteeners such as Will Carruthers come back to the fleet and ones such as Steve Hunt decide to join it could be very competitive once more.
Probably the worst thing about sailing a fifteen at Bass is pulling the boat out of the water as the first part of the slipway is quite steep if the water is at normal level. The slipway needs some urgent attention as there are holes in the slipway. The jetty needs some rubber tyres or proper fenders as boats get damaged riding up and down if it’s a bit choppy when rigging them. No money has been spent on this slipway for a long time. As boats used by disabled sailors and rescue boats are normally launched and recovered from here also, what about some sort of winch system being trialled with a capstan type winch to make life easier for them and the heavier boats? An electric capstan winch can be had for about £250. A small capstan winch with a rope would be so much safer than a vehicle if there are small children running and cycling around.
Best Wishes and look forward to a great sailing season.
Keith Thomas
We ore in the middle of winter and yet again we ore already starting to think about Bass Week 2010! As many of you will recall, the build up to Bass Week 09 was a little fraught due to several days of extremely wet weather which resulted in the lake rising and flooding the majority of our camping areas for the start of the week. The flooding obviously wasn't on the some scale or anywhere near as disastrous as the events later in the year, however it still made the start of the regatta week quite challenging! With the help of a friendly neighbour who rented us his field, the massive efforts of all involved in organising the regatta and some brilliant winds resulting in great sailing. I was delighted that Bass Week 09 turned out to be a great success both in terms of enjoyment and income! The challenge now is to maintain the momentum and make Bass Week 2010 even better!
This year's event will run from Saturday 31st July to Sunday 8th August 2010 and again will broadly follow the same format that has evolved so successfully over the years. We hope to repeat the RYA Junior Coaching programme which was so well received last year. Additionally, a further programme of improvements to the club house and grounds will again be undertaken to ensure that the site is ship Shape and Bristol Fashion in time.
The programmes and entry forms will be out quite soon and I would encourage everyone to enter early and get involved.
As some of you will know, Claire is pregnant and is due the middle of July which is absolutely brilliant, although not the best timing for organising Bass Week! This gives me a timely reminder that the regatta is only the success that it is due to teamwork. We are very keen that as many members as possible get involved to give o bit of help, either in preparation for the week, or by helping on the various committees throughout the week itself. We are looking for volunteers to help with all areas including grass cutting, clubhouse repairs, cleaning and maintaining the grounds and clubhouse, changing nappies (joke!), serving behind the bar, staffing reception, helping on the water and crucially helping in the race office. Basically, as is always the case, if anyone is willing and able to lend a hand then please either speak to the appropriate committee chair-person or get in touch with me directly. As usual, it is probably safer to volunteer be-fore we start to chase you!
Last year we reintroduced the principle of making space for visitors’ boats by moving non-competing members’ boats to a safe area of the club grounds. This went down very well with competitors. Thanks to those of you who couldn't participate and who took your boats away for the duration as your efforts were greatly appreciated. That said, we still struggled with space as, despite frequent requests, many members didn't move their boats, so I would be grateful for a little more support this year. As I said last year, we would still rather you entered and enjoyed the week though!
Speaking of members getting involved, we are conscious that many regular club sailors don't participate in Bass Week. With this in mind, and to try and encourage more members to join in, we have decided to introduce a 10% discount for members camping and sailing entry fees. Also, remember that entry fees are discounted before the 1st of July, so that's a double discount! The 10% discount isn't detailed on the entry form please remember to make the deduction yourself.
That's it for now. Please keep an eye on the club website for further information and member to put 31st July to the 8th August in your diary for a great soiling holiday.
Thanks and best wishes for an excellent season ahead,
Stephen Kirkpatrick
01900 68884 / claireandstephen@holmebarn.com
PS: If there are any budding artists or graphic designers out there who have a great ea for a Sass Week 2010 logo design to be used on the programmes and/or t-shirts then please get in touch.
Over many years when my sister and I were teenagers we (as a family) moved canal boats to help out a family friend who owned a canal boat hire business. During the off season, usually November to February, boats requiring repair were moved to a depot hat had a dry dock facility. We helped out by moving boats between depots over a weekend and had some great experiences and memorable moments along the way. Part of the route was the Audlem flight of locks on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire, consisting of 15 locks in close succession. We always tried to better our time to complete the flight and experience and good teamwork allowed us to achieve our best time of 58 minutes for all 15 locks. Quite an amazing feat if you have ever tried it!
Imagine my surprise (especially since his aversion to boats and water) when Martin suggested that we go on a canal boat holiday. After looking at suggested routes to cover in a week we opted for the 'Four Counties king' which covered a route through Cheshire, Shropshire. West Midlands and Staffordshire. We opted to start and finish at Bunbury near Tarporley. Cheshire. the depot that our family friends used to own. The route itself took us over 110 miles with 96 locks and a 2926 yard long tunnel.
We arrived at Bunbury to be introduced to our new home for the week and unpacked our suitcase and stocked the fridge. At 3pm on our first day we were off and covered 11.5 miles and 4 locks arriving at the start of the Audlem flight of locks on Saturday evening. We settled in for the night in front of our wood burning stove in anticipation of the hard work waiting for us the next morning.
Sunday started with the 15 locks of Audlem flight, needless to say the three hours it took was for from the target achieved many years previously. Over the day we achieved 10 miles and 25 locks in total. Monday was a less active day on the lock front covering 26 miles but only 2 locks. It was a lovely relaxing day, just chugging along taking in the scenery with bacon butties and mugs of tea to keep us fed and watered.
When chatting to a rather friendly gentleman the following day whilst waiting for the lock to empty, he mentioned a potential closure of the canal on the Leeds / Liverpool section and asked had we booked our passage through the Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Kidsgrove. We had not even considered having to book the tunnel and immediately called the British Waterways helpline to book our passage through. Based on our planned route we were due to reach the tunnel sometime on Thursday. Image my horror when I was told that the tunnel was closing at 10am on Wednesday and would not reopen for two days. This was not the news we wanted to hear and left us with three possible options. 1 - Turn around and go back the way we have just travelled. 2 - Head for the tunnel, hang around for two days and extend our boat hire - if this was possible. 3 - Try and make it to the tunnel before it closed at 10am Wednesday. None of which were particularly desirable. We stupidly chose option 3, which meant full steam ahead and long days, daylight permitting. Not exactly the leisurely canal boat holiday we had planned. We managed 24 miles and 15 locks on Tuesday, focusing on our difficult goal. Wednesday we got up early and set off before day-break. By 9am we were still approximately 1.5 hours away from the tunnel. I phoned the tunnel directly, explained our situation and that we were on our way and would they please keep the tunnel open for us to enable passage through. They kindly agreed to hold it open for another hour until 11am but then they would have to close. We arrived at 10:48! The tunnel was amazing, it is just wide enough to fit a canal boat through and completely pitch black inside. Once the boat is inside they shut the doors and turn on the ventilation fans. I was quite scared at first but soon got used to it. At some points in the tunnel we were unable to stand on the deck of the boat due to the low ceiling and Martin had to duck down whilst keeping hold of the tiller, took about 40 minutes and despite the mad dash to get there the experience was well worth it. Once through the tunnel we could relax and enjoy the rest of our trip. We managed 17 miles and 18 locks on the Wednesday. Thursday morning was a more leisurely start although a big day on the lock front. We achieved 12 miles and 32 locks. We were almost at the end of our trip with just a few hours sailing left to complete the 'ring'. Despite the panic in the middle of our holiday we did have a great time, although on reflection we were a bit ambitious with the route. When we returned the boat on Friday morning (a day early) we were shattered and could have done with a week off to recover. Surprisingly we would do it again, and recommend a canal boat holiday to others. The only thing we would say is to carry out a bit more research on the route chosen. Since returning we have found out that the recommended duration for the 'Four Counties Ring at a leisurely pace is ten days and not the week that we took we had some fantastic pub meals, saw some wonderful wildlife and experienced a range of sights. A 'different type of boating holiday' recommended.
Sarah Wilkinson (Nee Nicholson)
“Those who claim to know what is best for us can often be wrong. When two men in Manchester built the first computer in the World more than 60 years ago, the Government of the day was invited to finance the commercial development. Its first response was to decline. There will never, it said, be a need in Britain for more than two computers.—And they thought Newton was mad!"
Brian Redhead
Last summers holiday we spent on a walking holiday in France near Chamonix. All week we looked at Mt Blanc in awe. It crossed my mind that one of the achievements I have always wanted to do before I die is climb a high mountain (other than Skiddaw). As I walked through a nearby village I noticed a sign advertising guided walks to the summit of Mount Blanc. I went inside and asked about availability, to my surprise they had one place left beginning the next week (It was meant to be).
It was a one week course involving acclimatisation to altitude and the specialised equipment needed. The first day I met with the other guys and they had recently arrived from England with all the gear. I had not intended to take part when I left home so had to hire boots, crampons and ice axe etc so felt a little intimidated. The first day was on the Mer de Glace, a glacier near Chamonix. This involved putting on crampons and generally getting use to them. We also had a practice at vertical ice climbing during which I pulled out the axe from the ice and promptly made a 1 inch cut above my eye. A good start. The next two days involved a hike to o mountain hut at about 3000metres and then the next day a walk/scramble in crampons to 3800m. The weather turned out quite bad and proved too difficult for some people and we had to turn back. I also developed a blister on one foot due to the hire boots. The third day was a traverse of the Valley Blanc, a full days walk at high antidote 3500m amongst the glacier and crevasses This was a beautiful day and the sun beat down and was spectacular I put sun cream on my face as normal and a simple hat and sunglasses. We spent the day and had lunch amongst the ice beside some of the most famous climbing routes in the Alps. When I returned to the campsite I realised that my neck. chin and under my nose was severely sun burnt. I had forgotten how much the sun reflects of the snow and had caused this problem. The next day we were to set off to Mt Blanc but I had a very poor nights sleep spent most of, with a bag of frozen peas on my face with the help of Lynn. We had been told that we would stay in a mountain hut for the night at 3800m then make the ascent the next day. We were to take a sandwich and water because we should get a 3 course meal at the hut. We caught the 8am train to 2200m and began the most difficult part of the walk across dangerous couloirs then an 800m vertical rock face in crampons and roped together in groups of 3. We made good time and arrived at the hut 3800m about 2pm. We were to take it easy the rest of the day and start the ascent at 2am the next morning. The guides who were with us were very experienced and noticed that the weather was very good at that time and possibly getting worse. They made the decision to go for the top that day. 7 out of 10 had made this for and we jumped out of bed and put all our gear bock on. We set off at 4pm in perfect conditions we climbed for 4 hours in what must be described as one of the most physically demanding activities I have ever done At this altitude you hove to be careful not to over exert yourself to much, as you cannot get your breath back! We walked slowly but steady with no stopping and on one sandwich!
As we climbed my body was all for giving up but my mind said there's the top you are going to get there. It’s amazing what you con do when you put your mind to it, as in other sports. We reached the top 4820m about 1 hour before sunset and thousands of feet above the clouds below with visibility all around. It was amazing and I shall never forget it. We could not stay very long as it was bitterly cold and I could feel a little frost nip on my nose. We walked down as the sun was setting, knowing that I had achieved one of my lifetimes ambitions. We reached the hut about 10pm well after dark to a selection of bread and cold meats but very elated and exhausted. We slept well in our beds and felt smug as the rest of the hut woke at 2am to make there attempt. We set off down after a casual breakfast, down the rock face and across the couloirs. A few minutes after we crossed this area we heard of a man who had broken his hand and gashed his leg by a falling rock. We rode the train down not knowing if the other 3 in our party had made it to the top. As we had a celebratory drink at the bottom we had a phone call to say that the weather had been too bad and the other guys had to turn back.
It had been on amazing experience and had some bad luck along the way but had the most luck when it mattered to get to the top and in good conditions.
Another one of my must do's is a transatlantic sailing crossing so watch this space. But the moral is to make a list of must do's and start crossing them off before it’s too late!
David Lawson
The Youth Squad offers the next step up from training for young people to participate in short races before they brave normal club racing. Races are held on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons when the rest of the club go around the lake. This year there will be twelve races in the Saturday Series and ten in the Sunday Series. The Youth Squad are also encouraged to join in on the Thursday Night Jar Series. There is a Prize Giving held on the night the Sailing Club holds the bonfire night and there are prizes for each series. This year we are to have a Topper fleet which will have the same start as the Mirrors, this is to encourage young sailors into normal club racing which will hopefully give them more confidence. We are also hoping to take a team to this years 12 hour race at Southport on the 26th June in Neil Garrison's Enterprise. If anyone would like to come to watch or be considered f or the team please contact me. You should be competent in the boat and know basic rules. Please consult your handbook to see when Youth Squad races are and I hope to see many of you there!
Happy Sailing!
Emma Smith 01900-821983 blondieemma@btinternet.com
Hello everyone, After my Speech at the 2008 annual dinner on my vast experience of sailing. I present the bar report (which is run by two teetotallers) regarding last Bass Week. Kayla and I deny that seven people were injured from drinking our cocktails, it was only six, the seventh became ill while eating a curry at the bar so we believe that one doesn't count! As you know profits from the bar go towards the Club and we feel it’s unfair for Toggle to have to drink enough Guinness for six people just because others are not doing their share. (although I must add that supporting the bar means actually buying drinks not waiting to beg them off others (see you this year Royston!). Some members will be happy to know that we will be issuing Bass bar charge cards this year for lady members only and indeed one lady has already applied (don't worry Robin it will be OK). Bar quizzes will feature again this year, and we will try to make them more highbrow to suit everyone, indeed I've just spent twelve hours researching the life of the Smurfs in readiness. We will be launching new cocktails this year as soon as we can find mixers to go with meths and cough syrup though sadly the squid ink, pineapple and vodka didn't work. Finally, on a personal note. I'm deeply hurt that some people complain that the bar isn't open enough at Bass Week so in response I have asked God to extend the working day to 28 hours and hove asked my children to eat only every other day so that I might have more spare time, and please remember we do not condone drinking and sailing but it would make for some funny races.
Gary (voted Europe's most offensive barman 2009)
At night, like a slumbering giant of mythology, the trade wind breathed more slowly. But with the coming of the sun it heaved a sigh, rolled over and soon assumed the deeper and more powerful breathing of a man at work
William Robinson
After many years of the Bassenthwaite Flying Fifteen fleet being in a state of decline there are at last signs of "green shoots of recovery. Where have we all heard that before I hear you say: but you can trust me, I'm not a politician! The Flying Fifteen has been one of the mainstays of the Club and for years provided excellent class racing with busy start lines. It's what attracted me to Bassenthwaite over 20 years ago.
The Flying Fifteen will not go away, it’s too good for that! This is evidenced well by the way the class has continued to thrive nationally and internationally, at a continuous level, when so many of the other traditional classes, such as 505 and Fireball, have suffered in face of stiff competition from the spate of "all fur and no knickers'. classes promoted by corporations with big marketing budgets.
Having been involved with the Flying Fifteen Association, I have witnessed several clubs suffer in a similar way to Bassenthwaite, but most of these hove recovered to again have strong active fleets. This is what I firmly believe is about to happen at 8ossenthwaite. So where are these "shoots"?
FF 3265, in which I spent many a happy afternoon with Mr. Currie, is no longer going to be sitting in the long grass whilst Mik Chappell busies himself winning the Mirror Championship, but is now in the hands of my father in law once removed. Keith Thomas. His old boat, 2504, has been sold to Martyn Stephenson who intends to sail regularly with Steve Hannah, a Flying Fifteen crew of old.
My father in law Graham. with Alan Smith, have promised to triple the budget so for spent on their old Wyche and Coppock and start racing regularly. Where they are going to find a couple of hundred quid we are not quite sure!
With the Flying Fifteen World Championships being in the UK next year. at least one club member is considering getting a boat to campaign towards the championship.
To list everyone would be a bit tedious, but what we have to do is try and liaise with one another and perhaps highlight certain weekends when we will all make a concerted effort to turn out.
Mike Moore has been the lonely "Old Man of the Sea" for too long. Those of us already with Flying Fifteens must make a concerted effort to get back on the start lines, which is the best way to persuade the number of members that have shown a keen interest to get into, or indeed bock into the fleet, to do so.
Any club members who hove never soiled a Flying Fifteen but would like a trial sail give me a call and I will and arrange one, or just collar someone on the pontoon. If you want all the thrills without the spills, the Fifteen is for you!!
Ian Preston
07831 862136
ian@keelsonwheels.co.uk
As we wait for, 'the winter of our discontent to be. 'turned glorious summer', there are some substantive changes afoot for the coming season.
Much work and discussion has token place during the winter to rationalise the transition from first learning to sail, through learning to race, to being a regular and competent competitor in club racing.
Some of our club trainers are now qualified as race trainers so, in addition to their work teaching beginners to sail, they will now also be teaching those who hove just learned to sail, to race. Once new helms hove learned the basics of racing, Andy Smith and others have offered to provide race coaching, both within and outside of the Youth Squad. So whatever age you might be. there will be an opportunity to hone and develop your skills before joining in with club racing. Andy is also willing to offer coaching to any 'mid fleet' sailor who wishes to improve.
The Youth Squad will continue to provide opportunities to develop race skills on smaller courses, in a less intimidating environment. There will not, however, be a need for the 'join in series, which were tried last year. With more comprehensive training and preparation helms should be ready to go straight into normal club racing. However, a place has been prepared for them.
This season will see the inauguration of a new Fleet in club racing. From this season the Topper will have fleet status. Mike Fairlamb has identified the Topper and the Mirror as the single and double hander respectively that will be used in the training fleet. It makes sense, therefore, to provide fleet racing for those boats and to encourage new young sailors into those fleets. Fleet racing will, of course, give new helms the best opportunity to achieve the excellence that we would wish for them. The Toppers will start with the Mirrors, lo avoid adding to the starting sequence, but they will be on entirely separate fleet.
The creation of A new fleet does, of course, also provide all club members with a great opportunity. That is the opportunity to present a trophy to be awarded for one of the series for which this new fleet will sail. Stephen and Claire Kirkpatrick have already availed themselves of this golden opportunity, and the Kirkpatrick Trophy will be awarded to the winner of the inaugural Topper Club Championship. If anyone would like to present a trophy for the Topper Fleet, please let me, or Naomi Smith, know. The club Soiling Instructions have been re-written this year in the hope of making them simpler and clearer. There are, however, one or two minor changes to which I would like to draw your attention here.
As General Recalls are relatively rare in club racing, there is always some confusion as to what will happen. The procedure for General Recalls, therefore, has been brought more into line with RRS 29.2. If a General Recall is signalled (First Substitute displayed, two sounds) the recalled fleet will still be the next fleet to start. One minute after the First Substitute is removed (one sound) the Preparatory signal will be displayed (one sound). The new start for the recalled class will be made three minutes after the Preparatory Signal is displayed. Starts for any succeeding fleets will follow at three minute intervals.
All ODs will know that there are occasions on which it would be helpful to be able to shorten course for same fleets, but not others. The procedure for Shortening Course has also, therefore, been amended slightly. If the course is shortened (ICF 5 displayed, two sounds) the Fleet Flags (Class Flags) of the fleets whose course has been shortened will also be displayed. As has previously been the case. if no Fleet Flags are displayed the course has been shortened for ALL fleets.
After trying two different systems in the last two seasons, the scoring system for the Club Championship has reverted to Low Point Scoring. The number of discards has also been slightly amended It is intended that there will now be a period of stability in which the scoring system will remain unchanged.
Although these are the main substantive changes. I would suggest to all competitors and ODs that it might be helpful to look through the new SIs. It is important, if we are to maintain (or hopefully improve) the standard of club racing and race management, that we share the expertise which we have within the club. As I have mentioned above, Andy Smith and others hove volunteered to offer coaching to any sailors (not just new sailors) who are interested in improving their performance. In addition Andy has also very kindly offered to run some OD Training Courses this season. I will, therefore, be approaching some of the newer sailors in the club to offer them the opportunity to benefit from Andy's extensive experience. It will be the best preparation they could have for the imminent moment in which I ask them to be OD for the first time. If you would like to participate in such a course, even if you have been OD before, please don't wait for either of us to ask you, but let us know that you are interested
We have, I hope, an interesting and varied programme for the year, but as always what will make the racing really fun and worthwhile for everyone is if we have lots of boats out on the water.
Have a good season.
Roy (Blackburn)
Sailing Secretary
'Euphoria after victory is dangerous. But what's even worse is arrogance. You stop thinking and learning."
Uri Gil Fighter Pilot.
Although Bassenthwaite Sailing Club is restricted to sailing boats under twenty feet in length you may have heard some members talking, over sandwiches and a drink, about their last trip sailing in big boats off Whitehaven, Scotland, Ireland, the Solent. the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and occasionally longer distance sailing across the Atlantic or taking port in the Round the world race. It may be that members of our club are very adventurous, that they are practising for a retirement sailing the world.
Yachting has in the past been likened to standing in a shower tearing up £10 notes. Talking to yacht owners this still seems to be the case. One said that whatever he did to his boat the bill always came in over £1000. With marina berthing fees ranging from £30 to £100 per night the costs of ownership soon add up. With this in mind I set out below an introduction to the parallel world of yacht sailing which allows us to take our sport beyond the horizon and suggest ways that you con do this without spending your children's inheritance.
I start by stating something you probably already know but for safety sake it’s still worth repeating.
The Sea can be an unpredictable and dangerous place. It is strongly recommended that you attend the RYA yachting courses and complement this with sailing with experienced sailors before venturing out alone. The good news is that if you can take part in a club race on Bassenthwaite you will already be several steps ahead of the yachting novice. You will be competent at mooring, setting off. manoeuvring your boat in confined spaces and you will know how to set your sails to go fast and to ovoid putting the mast in the water.
The RYA Yachting courses start with 2 practical courses.
Start Yachting - This is a two day course giving you a taste of steering the yacht, sail handling, rope work and safety on board. It is intended as a taster course to see if you wart to go further. You will spend one night on boat the yacht. The cost is about £200.
Competent Crew - This is a five day live aboard course intended to give you experience of the basic skills required on board a yacht. You will put up sails, reef, do some navigation, mooring, manoeuvring, anchoring, rowing a dinghy, and be taught the importance of keeping a good lookout. This course costs between £300 and £400.
The next step is to support the practical courses with some theory to cover navigation, collision regulations and some practical help with seamanship. The next four courses alternate between theory and practical courses.
Day Skipper Theory. This course teaches the basics of navigation using charts, compass reference books and GPS, collision regulations and seamanship. This can be done by a one week shore based at one of the sailing schools or you could attend Ullswater College at Penrith for 1 night per week for eight months. It costs about £230.
Day Skipper Practical. This course is very similar to the competent Crew course. It is often the first practical course that dinghy sailors attend. You will be taught mooring skills, putting up sails, reefing, keeping a lookout, man overboard rescues, you will practice your navigation and knowledge of tides. You will pick up the basics of life on board from safety briefing to setting rotas for cooking and cleaning. It costs between £300 and £400.
Coastal Skipper Theory. This course is substantially a revision of the Day Skipper course but it brings in more detail navigation by bringing in leeway, how to calculate tidal heights for places where no tide tables are available and more detailed tuition on using chart plotters. Again this course can be either a one week course at a soiling school or it could be done at evening classes. It costs about £230.
Coastal Skipper Practical This 5 day course is very similar to the bay Skipper course. You will sail to a different port or anchorage each day. You will practice coming into tight spaces, your navigation and sail handling. The main difference will be that your skipper will be less an instructor and more a reference in case you are not sure.
The next step is then two practical courses followed by practical examination:- Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence - This course is a revision of the 5 day Coastal Skipper Practical course but is followed by a one day trip with a RYA examiner when you will be asked to demonstrate the skills learnt on past courses. Prior to the exam you should have sailed some 800 miles with 12 nights at sea. This costs about £650.
Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence - This is in fact simply a further day trip with a RYA examiner, but you have to have carried out at least 2500 sea miles, 50 days at sea and two 60 mile trips as skipper before taking the exam. A weeks practice and the exam costs about £650.
The good news is that you can start yachting without any qualifications and just add them as your ambitions grow. It should be bourn in mind however that many of yachting holiday companies now require at least one person in the group to possess the Day Skipper qualification before they will let you use their boats.
My first money saving tip is to book the RYA courses at the special boat show prices. You don't even need to go to the boat show. Just get a fellow member to pick up the training brochures with the boat show offers. They tend to be valid for a few weeks after the boat show. They normally give an extra £50 off a £400 weeks course as long as you take your course before April or after September.
My next tip would be to attend a 1 week residential course for the theory courses rather than attend evening classes. I found that including the cost of driving to Penrith every week for 8 months greatly exceeded the cost of one weeks accommodation.
Flotilla Holidays:
If it is your intention to be in control of your own yacht then o good
introduction is to take a flotilla holiday in Greece or Turkey. Here you will
not need to consider difficult things like tides or complex navigation. You
simply take a compass bearing to the next nights destination, note which hill to
head for and sail towards it. You even get a fleet skipper who will warn you of
hazards, help you with mooring and even arrange a barbeque In Greece the
harbours tend to be the centre of attention, being surrounded by tavernas. There
will always he someone to catch your mooring rope, or warn you that you will be
crossing other peoples anchor lines.
In my experience they are great fun. However it is best to ovoid June, July. August as the boat will be very hot and the harbours full of tourists.
Getting a bargain here is also simple. The cheapest prices are in May or October when the weather is ideal, the islands are still green, there are few tourists around and the winds are not too calm. By shopping around and getting Boat Show deals you really can get a bargain.
Mile Building: If you hove decided to work through the RYA training scheme one of your main difficulties will be building up the miles required to qualify for the Coastal Yachtmaster (800 miles) or Offshore Skipper. (2500 miles) It you use a RYA training centre they will charge about €400 per week for about 100 miles. If you go on o flotilla holiday you will he unlikely to do much more than 100 miles per week unless you are adventurous. The cost of adding up the miles clearly odds up.
An alternative that I have used is to join up as a crew on yacht delivery trips. This is where an experienced skipper picks a crew to help him take a yacht to a destination specified by the owner. For your first trip you would normally have to pay the cost of getting to the start point and getting back from the destination. With subsequent trips the delivery company will pay for your travel costs and a small contribution. Although there ore delivery trips available across the world most tend to be Cross-Mediterranean taking new boots from France to Greece and Turkey for the flotilla market or Cross-Atlantic taking boats from France to the Caribbean, again for the flotilla and charter market. Having done both I would seriously recommend doing a Cross Mediterranean trip (2 weeks, 1000miies) before on Atlantic Trip (5 weeks.4500 miles). A Mediterranean Trip is like a holiday whilst the cross Atlantic Trip needs you to get a USA visa and is a stressful endurance challenge with a pleasant holiday destination at the end.
If you still have that hankering to own a yacht, but a limited budget, there are still lots of options without taking on all the cost. Use a Charter Company. Companies such as Sunset, advertise for people to become owners The charter company rents out the yacht to holidaymakers, with o guaranteed income for the first 3 years, whIch meets the financing charge. The owner is entitles to six weeks charter free of charge, which may by taken in either The Mediterranean or Caribbean. After three years you Can either replace the boat, move to another Charter company or just sell the yacht Good sailing
Neil Garrison
Remember the AGM? Of course you don't; you weren't there (well some of you were)! Well I was and I must admit I came away with the impression that there is not one but at least two Bassenthwaite Sailing Clubs. There is the Training Club, with about 100 members who are trainees. instructors or helpers. Just under half the members of this club are young people, known generally as “Non Voters" Then there's the Racing Club. This has about 20-30 members who turn up at weekends and Thursday evenings and actually race! I would now like to hark back to the late 1990s when we decided to go down the training route After all, It is my article, and I can do what I like!
Counting family membership as one member, in 1993 we had 292 adult members and 11 junior members; by 1999 this had reduced to 217 adult and 3 junior members. This decline was mirrored by a decline in numbers on the water and a decline in the bank balance. The decline in the number of junior members was of great concern as it was clear that as older members 'dropped off" they were not being replaced by new blood coming in Something had to be done.
What we did was we spent a large amount of money on disabled facilities, through lottery funding, and on the back of this we bought 6 Toppers and a Dory in order to start doing some training, the stated aims of which were: To attract new members to the club, To encourage existing members to race with the proviso that training should not be a drain on club resources.
We also decided to offer Junior membership at the give-away rate of €20. So hove we succeeded? By 2009 membership had increased to 236 adults and 46 Juniors. The sceptics may say "oh yes but the Juniors are just the local school kids paying £35 each: Well yes. 27 of them are but from past experience a fair number of them will become long term members, and bring their families along. In fact a number of these local school children have already joined the youth squad and a number of them are already family members There is no question in my mind that the strategy is succeeding in attracting new members, and retaining existing members, and will continue to do so have we succeeded in encouraging them to race? This does take time and the training is focusing on racing more and more each year as those who have been through the basics become more accomplished. However, even now we con point to many (adults as well as juniors) who have been through training and are now racing regularly. I do not wish to name names but I could! They are not all brilliant, but they ore all improving, and cannot say f or certain that some would not have raced anyway. I know there are those who think the standard of sailing has declined and they may be right but cast your minds back 10 years and try to recall how few boats we used to get on the water. Then subtract all the FF sailors and all the others who have dropped out since then and ask yourselves where we would be now without all the new faces on the water! The standard cannot improve if there is no-one on the water racing! And finally, how much is it all costing us Well I could go into numbers and came up with an estimate of all the extra subscriptions we have received, the grants which we have claimed, the income from boat hire, the income from being an RYA training establishment, the sponsorship we May not have got had we not offered training, and others will tell me about insurance costs. rescue boat costs rind we could all disagree on the results. However. I will just ask the simple question - "how much have we increased subscription rates to cover the cost of training?" Please feel free to ask current and past honorary treasurers. As long time auditor I will also point out that the. Club is now in a far stronger financial position that at any time in the past. How can this be if we are pouring money into training? I turn now to the coming season. Despite the setbacks, we have decided to use what money we have from the generous donation by an anonymous club member to buy some Mirrors. preferably GRP. This will provide some scope for meeting the increasing demand for training. This will include adults since it will release the Wayfarers for adult use, and Mirrors can be used for both adults and juniors anyway. We also plan to move Bassenthwaite School from Tuesday evenings to join Lorton School on Saturday mornings leaving Tuesday evenings reserved for other Club members. As well as balancing the numbers better and relieving the pressure on rescue boats, this will enable us to provide more race training/coaching on Tuesday evenings and to increase the training time from 2 to 3 hours in one session from 6-9. In addition to race coaching by the Club coaches we also aim to make better use of the RYA coaching, days which are available to us in 2010.
I already have a number of names on the list for the corning season. If you wish to join in the training in 2010 you need to let me know, preferably by email at fairlamb@talktalk.net. Don't forget it has to be first come first served and places are limited. And finally, I have an investment opportunity for you. It has been agreed at council to establish a separate training fund within the accounts. This is for any members who wish to donate specifically for training purposes, or any sponsors who wish to do the same. So, if you wish to invest in the future of the club, here is your opportunity!
Thank you to all who have helped with training in 2009.
Mike Fairlamb
Fleece Gilets £20.
Drill Shirts £25.
Polo Shirts £16
Hoodies (for Youth Squad and Junior Members only) £18
Please order the above via the Club Web Site (under Merchandise)
Baseball Caps £6
Bass Teddy Bears £12
I have taken the time to write this article to remind everyone of the potential dangers (amongst others) when riding in a rescue boat. On August Bank Holiday weekend 2008 the weather on the Monday was particularly windy and although Dad and I ventured out for the first race we thought better of continuing and retired during the first lap. Once on shore it became apparent that the rescue crews were having a particularly busy time of it so I decided to go out and lend a hand. I sat on the front of one of the dories and at the time didn't think anything of the fact that I was being thrown about quite a bit and at some points lifted into the air only to bump back down onto the deck It was quite exhilarating ploughing through the water to the rescue of capsized boots and whilst the adrenaline is running you don't actually consider the potential consequences.
The following day I felt completely crippled with a very sore back and put it down to my bumpy ride the day before. Thankfully we were about to go on holiday for two weeks and the beach rest did it the world of good. For the rest of the season I struggled at times with the aches and pains from my back but never really thought anything of it. During the off season from sailing I got the occasional discomfort, some lasted longer than others but I put it down to doing too much in the garden or around the house.
At the start of the 2009 sailing season I was still struggling and started to wish that I had gone to get myself checked out during the winter. In an attempt to make things better I made an appointment with on Osteopath. I left my first appointment in high spirits after being told by the osteopath that they could get things fixed within three to five sessions. After numerous sessions and having spent enough money to buy myself a complete outfit from Karen Millen (including matching shoes and a handbag!!), I was still no better. At this point I went to the doctors to ask if they could arrange an MRI scan appointment for me. It was quite a fight to gel the appointment but in the end the doctor agreed.
I was now starting to get loss of feeling in my legs, pins and needles in my feet and a fluttering/ twitching sensation down my right leg. This was in addition to the back ache. The MRI scan showed that I had torn one of my discs and that another was squashed and was touching my nerve and causing the sensations in my legs. I was consequently referred to a Neurosurgeon at the Liverpool Neuro Clinic. On visiting Liverpool in July I had high expectations that they could tell me exactly what they could do to help and when I would be cured. Unfortunately all my hopes were dashed. I didn't even get to see the consultant and was examined by his registrar. He told me that I would have to live with this for the rest of my life and manage the pain through medication; I was to stop sailing and return in January for a follow up review. Well as you can imagine I was rather upset, I was rushed in and out of the appointment and made to feel that I was just a number on a conveyor belt. Sailing is my passion and I love to be out on Bass in our GP14, the more and more I was unable to sail the lower and lower I got and at times really struggled to get motivated enough to get out of bed each day. It was at this point that we decided to pay privately and asked my doctor to refer me to a consultant at Newcastle. We made the trip to Newcastle in August and were completely overwhelmed at the difference in service that I experienced. the consultant spent an hour with me talking me through my MRI scan, the options and how to deal mentally with the fact that my back would not get better. He also told me that I could sail as long as I did not expect to sail single handed across the Atlantic and that I was to be very careful, 'pick my wind and expect that I will be sore if I did sail. He recommended physio and to take up Notes and to return in November to see how I was getting on. The following day I arranged my Physic, appointment and booked myself in for Pilates.
On returning to Newcastle in November, my back was no better and thankfully no worse but I was having increasing pain and discomfort in my right leg. It was at this point that my consultant suggested that he carry out a Nerve Root Block procedure to eliminate my leg symptoms and if the outcome of this was positive he would proceed with a permanent fix. I had the NRB on 1st December and it was the most painful experience I have ever had to endure. Thankfully my pain was not in vein and the results have been positive which means I can proceed with the full and permanent operation, a microdiscectomy. This again won't fix my back pain but should remove the leg symptoms for good. Foolishly I assumed that it would be a similar procedure and I would be back at work within a couple of weeks. Unfortunately this is not the case and the recovery time can be between 2 - 3 months, this I am still trying to get my head round. I am consequently stacking up the editions of Yachts and Yachting to have something to read whilst trying not to do anything. The dote for the operation is 4th February, so hopefully I will have Foxy Tales to read as well. By my calculations I should also be fully recovered and ready for' the start of the sailing season (although not if Martin has any say in it!). want to raise awareness of the potential dangers that we're faced with in our chosen sport. I jumped in that rescue boat with no thought for the potential damage that I could do to myself and I am sure others have done the same. I must wish everyday that I never did it, or at least sat next to the driver where I would not have encountered that some turbulence on the boat. I feel that the 2009 sailing season was completely wasted, I sailed so little and when I did sail I could not always give it my full 100%. Unfortunately having a two man boat bad also didn't get to sail as much as he would have liked for which I feel responsible. As a reminder to you all, just as you are about to jump in a Dory or Rib to speed to the rescue of a stricken sailor, please consider your safety too and what you con do to reduce the risk and whether you are doing it in the safest manner.
Sarah Wilkinson (nee Nicholson)
Ps. Thank you so much for all your good wishes following my operation. Progress is slow, but I hope to be back sailing soon in 2010.
Hello everyone, when Mik asked me to pen a few words for the newsletter, I must admit that, even though have the gift of babbling nonsensically, I was wondering what I would actually say!! However, having spent several nights over the last few weeks trying to find some new and exciting styles of entertainment for our social events, I was staggered to find how expensive things have become! When I last did a stint as social secretary, 11 years ago, you could get a 3 piece bond for £200 -£250, nowadays you are looking at £500 for a solo singer and over £1000 for a band!! Even simple things like do-your-own horse racing and casino nights cost in excess of £400!! So I thought to myself, b****r this for a game of soldiers, we will go back to basics and make our own entertainment, and no doubt have just as much, if not more fun!!
For the Spring Dinner this year, I would like to suggest a dress code of evening/cocktail dresses for the ladies and black tie (and shorts if necessary'!) for the gentlemen. How many times a year do we ladies get the chance to put our glad-rags on?! However, it is a credit crunch you know, so no-one is allowed to buy anything new to wear!! I think it would be nice to have o high tea for the children before the Spring Dinner, I suppose they do need feeding and it would be nice to have them altogether! Then I plan to convert the Front Hall into a cinema, using your little deckchairs from your caravans, and we might even stretch to popcorn!! We can then enjoy our dinner in peace ?? We have had a couple of ladies trips out recently for afternoon tea to expensive, local hotels, so I thought we should do it ourselves! Get those cookbooks out and make something really special that you have always wanted to try but never had the opportunity! If you could all please bring something savoury and sweet, we should be well catered for! I suppose that we could feed the children, though the men might have to fend for themselves that night!' Oh, did I mention bringing a bottle of something pink and fizzy?? It's been a while since I was at a fancy dress party, so I am ready to and willing to get into the spirit: hopefully you all will be too! The theme will be All things Disney', there should be plenty of characters that children, mums, dads, grandpas and grandmas will know - Disney has been making films for over 70 years you know!! There will be a prize for the most original adult ladies and gents and child's boy and girl outfits - that means that all you little snow-whites and Cinderella's out there with your shop bought costumes will have to get your mummies and daddies to get their thinking caps on!! Ian has decided to go as Quasimodo: the part was made for him, so no copying please!! For food that night, we will have a tried and tested bring and eat buffet with a Mediterranean twist perhaps!!
Here comes the cheap and cheerful part, let's have a good old fashioned board-games night. I love board-games, but there are very few that I can play on my own! When Ian is awake, he loves playing backgammon, but it can take a whole night to play until he wins best out of 3!! Dig out and dust off all of those games at the back of the cupboard and the ones that you have been given for Christmas but have never actually got round to playing!! Bring your dominoes, cards, backgammon etc, and let's have a really good old-fashioned night! Herb doesn't like to be beaten at dominoes, which should give you whippersnappers a bit of a challenge!!
The football world cup is almost upon us! If England win their group, and get through to the quarter finals, they will play on Friday 2nd July If they ore Second in The group and get through, they play on Saturday 3rd. The Friday is also men's semi-final day at Wimbledon, with the final on the Sunday. This is the Topper open and is a camping weekend. so let's make a sporting time of it. Come down early on the Friday and bring your pizzas, and let's cheer England and Andy Murray on!! I have probably just jinxed them all or has John Terry done that already!! I think strawberries and cream would be nice too when watching the tennis: don't you think so ladies?? Mark, just in-case I haven't got round to ringing you yet, would it be possible to rig up a big screen, pretty please with cherries on the top?? Claire, please could you hold off giving birth until England has been knocked out, the final is on tie 11th! I think that covers the socials for the early part of the year.
I am sure Mik will be wanting me to babble on at the next newsletter, though maybe not after reading this! Whoops, I nearly forgot about Easter!! How could I have done that, oh yes, that’s right, we won't be here, we will be drinking rose in the glorious sunshine in the French Alps, sorry! There will be the usual massively competitive egg dumping competition, (give someone else a chance this year please Ethan!). An Easter egg hunt for the children and a "welcome back to the club" bring and eat party. It will still be a bit chilly, to comfort food would be good!! I suggest that everyone brought their own specialty lasagne and a trifle!! Delia and Nigella have some wonderful trifle recipes, go on, break the mould and do something different'!
I really would welcome any (cheap) ideas that people may have I will be doing this for the next couple of years (thanks Stephen!), and so please feel free to corner me next time you see rne1
Lots of love and snuggles. Andrea xx
Not much space for more than a few words folks The Fifteens hove taken over the spot! Well, Foxy Tales at least! And good on them as it has been many a year Since we had a regular fleet of keel boots battling it out on the water. So long an FF helms take into account that the Mirror fleet is both knowledgeable and highly competitive. Mark room will only be given if it can be justified and certainly not because of boat size and closing speed! Several Mirror Fleet members are moving up to newer boats which brings the likelihood of closer racing within the Fleet. But, the big news is the Club's acquisition of three top-of -the-range Mirrors for the Training fleet We would like to see trainees, whatever their age, out on the water, in the venerable Mirror dinghy and be assured that Fleet members will give them all the help end support they need to become accomplished racing crews. However, don't be surprised if you see one or two past stalwarts out in these boats, either giving experience to their young families, or remembering the good old times! Whatever, it's going to be a great season.
Mik Chappell
Those of you, like me, who are approaching their second childhood may remember Brian Redhead. He won a journalist and TV presenter in the 1970s/80s Whilst I'm not a lover of journalists per se (they appear to have a generic down on the Nuclear Industry) Brian was one in a million. Despite being born in the North East, he was vehemently protective and enthusiastic about the North West of England. He was wonderful writer (as you might expect from a professional journalist) but he was also unusually perceptive and, to the best of my knowledge, was honest (not something I normally attribute to journalists)
Brian persuaded me to take early retirement in 1998 so that I could spend all my time renovating our house (a property (more like a collection of crumbling walls) that had been empty for over 25 years and one that I'd had my eye on for over 10 years). He did this, not by verbal persuasion, but by me reading one of his articles on retirement. I quote 'There is only now. The past is what we can remember now of what went before. The future is what we can speculate now about what may happen next. But the only reality is the present and happiness is the pursuit not of future rewards but of the perfection of the moment. The most moving letter I have ever read in a newpaper was from a man who wrote to the Daily Mail to say that he had denied his wife countless pleasures during his working life that they may enjoy them together in retirement. 'I retired last week he wrote. 'She died yesterday.' He was desolated He knew he'd been mean. Now there was no way he could make amends”
Determined that I was not going to delay the enjoyment of life until I reached the boring age of 65 opted for early retirement. We sold up in Cheshire and moved back to my roots In West Cumbria to spend 8 years renovating and converting our house and enjoying every minute of it. I've adopted Brian's philosophy on life (end the enjoyment of it) ever since and whilst I must encourage those of you without final salary pension schemes to make provision for your old age sooner rather than later, I would not recommend doing into the detriment of your enjoyment of the 'now'. Not much to do with the return of the Daysailer so far I hear you say and you'd be quite correct. You see, the saga of the 'return of the Daysailer" (a boat many of you will not remember or know about) may have to wait until the next edition of Foxy Tales since I'm only writing this to fill the last empty page of this year's edition. Suffice it to say that the Daysailer may yet return to Bassenthwaite Sailing Club, and it will all be down to Brian Redhead!
Best wishes
Dave Nicholson
Foxy Tales has the greatest pleasure to announce the filming of the new reality TV series at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club.. The series based on the American series, "Dancing with the Stars, is going to be entitled "Sailing Under Super Stars" (S.U.S.S.), and is going to see professional sailors teaching celebrities to sail. Each week a race will take place and the one out of the two lowest placing competitors will be eliminated. In addition there will be a panel judging and explaining to the viewers exactly what they should be looking for in a sailor, where the mistakes are and helping the general public to make an informed choice about their vote. While the final line up of this panel is yet unconfirmed, it has been rumoured to be Ben Ainslie, Rodney Pattison and Anneka Rice! The club council was approached towards the end of last year as regarding this project and asked to consider the possibilities. While there were. some nerves as to whether we can actually accommodate such an ambitious project, the production company "Tall Tales" quickly set minds at rest, especially as the club will benefit financially, but also with the facilities we have to offer. These facilities will include new changing rooms, safety boats, committee boat and jetties, while site maintenance will be covered entirely by the production company during every year of filming. Unfortunately, as with all great schemes there are a few drawbacks. Firstly, the back field will be turned into a car-pork as well as a 3 floor building for offices and production suites, and secondly, the filming is due to start during August so our famous regatta week will have to be cancelled indefinitely. While I'm sure this will anger some members, few can argue that it is a small price to pay for 12 hours of prime time TV exposure!
Richard Critchley (always the joker—Ed)
Some of you may have noticed that our floating jetty is looking a little sad these days. It would appear that the recent cold spell, which resulted in a thick layer of ice on the lake, has caused one of the floatation blocks to fracture. Unfortunately the manufacturers of the floats used on our jetty are no longer trading. We hope to source alternative floats in the near future — It never rains for what it pours!