News

Shearwater Sailing Club – Early Season Update

The skittles evening
This was a great success with over 20 people demonstrating their expertise in the skittle alley. If you were to ask me how I got on, the reply would be my position was similar to that achieved by Great Britain in the Eurovision song contest. My best bowls expertly passed through the skittles without troubling them. My sincere thanks go to Lois for organising it. Fun was had by all.

Duties for the year.
My thanks also go to Juley Simmonds for updating the duties list on the club website. There are still some slots to fill so please take a look and volunteer before we have it delegate a duty for you.

On the water.
We have had three sailing sessions. One first thrash and two race days. Some helms are naturally a little rusty. I failed to read and sail the correct course so I had to retire. Other helms who will be nameless tacked inside the yellow buoys and were duly disqualified by the ever watchful race committee. Racing is never dull!

All In Series.
For those of you who have not read the clubs article on this series I have reproduced some of the important bits here:-
Last year we were unable to award some trophies because there weren’t enough participants to have a series winner. So this year we are introducing The All In series. This occurs on 7 occasions throughout the year. It is planned to have four short races in a day. Each race will last around 30mins. There will two back to back in the morning and two back to back in the afternoon. This will give the committee 28 races to extract results so that the following trophies can then be awarded: 1st Lady Helm, 1st Double Hander Helm (& crew), 1st Single Hander Helm, 1st Youth, 1st Master, 1st Grand Master and ‘Best Improver’ from the ‘slow’ category (the Novices’ Cup). You don’t have to sail in all the races. If you want you could sail one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Or just the morning races etc. The club is aware that sailing for over an hour in a pursuit is not everybody’s cup of tea. You sail the races that suit you!
Some definitions have been modified to accommodate the trophy winners.
Veterans (currently over 45) and Juniors (under 16) will be replaced by the following 3 groups :- Youth: under 18, Master 18 to 55, Grand Master over 55 years. (These apply from the start of the year and to racing only – not to membership)
Novices are currently defined as those who have not won a trophy. This cup will now be awarded to the Best Improver from those with a ‘Slow’ rating. The computer program gives a % slow or % fast rating for everyone as result of all races sailed. (Roughly the bottom 1/3rd of finishers is ‘slow’ as they are sailing below their handicap) The person who improves their rating most, from this group, by the end of this series will be awarded the trophy.

The first All In Series day is this Sunday 27th March. First race is 11am. How many races can you fit in?

Comet and Topper Open Saturday 9th April.
The racing side of this regular event is organised. However the catering side is not. I need some volunteers to man the Galley at lunch time and serve hot dogs and hamburgers to 25 hungry helms. I also need some members with cake making skills to produce food for afternoon tea for ravenous sailors. If you can help out for an hour or two or are able to demonstrate your Mary Berry skills please will you let me know. Details are at the end of this letter.

Val Cross
It is with great sadness that I have to report that Val Cross passed away last weekend. I’m sure the Club would wish me to pass on to Nic and his family our heartfelt condolences.
Regards

Clive Chapman
Commodore

New ‘All In’ Racing Series

This has been devised in response to a request for some shorter races and to solve the problem of several series that, in the past few years, have not attracted enough support. The series will feature approximately once a month and will consist of four ‘points’ races each lasting about 25 to 30 minutes. The morning, starting as usual at 11.00am, will be two races back to back, so please stay on the water at the end of the first race as the second race will start as soon as possible after the first race has finished. The afternoon’s two races will follow a similar pattern. Trophies will be awarded to The 1st Double Hander, 1st Single hander, 1st Lady Helm, 1st Youth, 1st Master, 1st Grand Master, and the Best Improver. It is hoped that the maximum number of sailors will be eligible for each category.

Definitions : Youth: under 18, Master 18 to 55, Grand Master over 55 . (at the start of the season) Novices had been defined as those who have not won a trophy. This cup will now be awarded to the Best Improver from those with a ‘Slow’ rating. (The computer program gives a % slow or % fast rating for everyone as result of all races sailed . Roughly the bottom 1/3rd of finishers are ‘slow’ as they are sailing below their handicap) The person, from this group, who improves their rating most by the end of the series will be awarded the trophy – I can explain more!
The sailing committee will review any problems that may arise with this experimental series.

Chris Barlow and the sailing committee

Working Parties and Fitting Out Supper 2016

Come along to one or both of our working parties, it’s a good way to get to know other members before the season starts. Working parties help maintain the clubhouse, start box, dinghy park and jetty. All members are invited to come and muck in. This year the working parties are planned for
Saturday 20th February and Sunday 28th February.
They generally last the morning only, from about 9:30 to 12:30, a light lunch eg soup and a roll will be provided.

The Fitting Out Supper will be held on Friday 26th February in the evening, at a local hostelry. There will be skittles and food. More information will be sent in an email.

Commodore’s Newsletter 2016

Dear all,

2016 has arrived and may I wish you a very Happy New Year.
For those of you who have not seen me around the club house or on the water my name is Clive and I have been given the honour of being elected by the members to be Commodore for 2016. I sail a Comet 704 which is a little like a cut down Laser. It is a boat ideally suited for small water sailing.

My introduction to Shearwater was by attending the Comet Open which the club holds each year. I drove down from London and was stunned by the beauty of the lake and its setting. Whilst sailing I was fascinated by looking up watching buzzards circling high above me as I vainly checked my burgee to try and work out the wind direction. When I returned to my old club I remember saying what a beautiful place to sail but a nightmare to race. Two years later I retired and moved to Bourton, a village near Gillingham. Shearwater was the nearest club and so four years ago I became a member. My views on the sailing have not changed, it’s still a nightmare picking the shifts but I was made very welcome by the friendly Shearwater members and the rest as they say is history. It is a great club!

The high winds and rain have not made me sorry that sailing for the time being has stopped. I should, like many other members cast an eye over my boat and carry out the necessary repairs before the new sailing season starts in March. I regularly fail in this endeavour.
The membership renewal form has been updated and is available on the website. Don’t forget to license your boat with Longleat Estate.

Details of the work parties (two to be held in February) and the first Social events will follow in my next newsletter.

It would be remiss of me not to thank the committee members who have stood down this year. We are a small club and rely heavily on the willing volunteers to ensure its smooth running.
This year there will be change in the organisation of the duty roster. All members are expected to do two duties throughout the year. Early inspection of the roster will enable you to select dates that fit in with you and your family. There are 38 sailing days requiring a minimum of an Officer of the Day (OOD); an Assistant Officer of the Day (AOD) and a Safety boat operative. In windy weather two people are needed on the safety boat. Mathematically, we need a minimum 114 volunteers to run the sailing on Sundays throughout the year. (The Sailing committee have generously volunteered to run the Tuesday evening racing between them). A commitment of two duties is essential if the work load is to be shared. If you do not sign up then you will be allocated your duty days.

2016 looks to be an exciting year. New race formats and a full racing programme. It only takes one sunny day and a good sailing breeze for me to wish I was out on my boat sailing around the lake and watching the buzzards circling. Roll on the 6th of March and the First Bash.

Clive Chapman
Commodore