Clydesailing
email Chas !!!
At last - the green shoots of the new season - Icebreaker has never seemed so relevant
Chris Dodgshon writes:
I’m please to invite you all to the second IRC focused training weekend and IRC Icebreaker Regatta to be held at Clyde Marina over the weekends of the 10th/11th April and 17th/18th April 2010. Attached is the Invite and Entry Form for the events which this year is being run under the banner of Fairlie Yacht Club.
The Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions will be sent in due course and will also be available from the Fairlie Yacht Club website. www.fairlieyachtclub.com We will also be holding an IRC weigh-in on the 3rd April for which at the moment, we have eight boats entered so the cost will be kept to a reasonable level for those wishing to optimize their handicaps. If you wish to take part in the weigh-in please give me a call (01294 607077) and I’ll put you on the list. So with just under a month before the start of the season it's time to get your boats in the water and head down to Ardrossan and get your team in trim! Look forward to seeing you all soon.Official invite .pdf
Entry form .pdf
Royal Yachting Association Scotland - More from Hamish
On Saturday 20th March 2010, at 10.30am, for the first time in a long time the RYA Scotland AGM goes West. The AGM will be held within Helensburgh Sailing Club. This is the chance for members to come along and hear about the work of RYAS with reports presented from all the development and performance staff and the sub-committees on their activities in addition to the business of presenting accounts etc.
The new CEO of RYA UK, Sarah Treseder will speak and there will be a sailing demonstration in front of the club house by some of the up and coming stars of the future. Lunch is provided after the AGM so if you are interested please contact RYA Scotland office on 0131 317 7388. This is your chance to hear what RYA Scotland has been doing and is planning to do in the forthcoming year.- Hamish Mackay Chairman RYA Scotland
Unfortunately Chas won't be able to go as if there is to be any chance of getting Troikka down to Ardrossan for the weigh-in (see above) he'll need to be busy in the boatyard. There is no doubt that the RYA does a vast amount of anti-legislative good stuff on behalf of us all and we'd be stuffed without it but it is a continuing low grade grumble of mine that the youth activities are so narrowly focused on building the Olympic squads. I would just like to see some discussion about how to keep the no-hopers lower down the Olympic pyramid in sailing and ideas on how to help bridge the gulf between dinghies and crewing on big boats. Sure it's up to clubs but dinghy clubs and yachtie clubs for the most part are different and most of us aren't making too good a job of that transitional thing right now. If this is bollocks shoot me down but I hope some Clyde yacht club members attend the RYAS AGM.
More winter sunshine at Helensburgh
Is this a Heron? No, it's got racks.
I wonder if those pussies on the Holy Loch have started sailing yet
New Holy Loch Supremo
The long departed US Navy had nothing on this. Last week Sandbank awoke to discover that Marineblast is the new Commodore of Holy Loch Sailing Club. Once he gets his gold braid sorted there will be no stopping the Pipers now. Perhaps he will have HLSC supplant the CCC as the prime Clyde club. Who knows?
However before that and in addition to the new FF travellers series which will include the 'Marine Blast HLSC Regatta' (see previous announcement here) the club will be running an FF regatta for Classics and Silvers on the 17th and 18th April. This will be the third such event and includes a loosely organised curry and pub crawl around Dunoon (possibly followed by loosely organised bowels?). Entry forms available from the club website.
Meet the Experts Yacht Club Road Show 2010
Following on from the success of 2009 which we certainly heard nothing about, Henri Lloyd, Hyde Sails, Tacktick and Spinlock will be offering yacht club members the chance to hear the latest in product innovation, top tips for the forthcoming season and information about new product launches. Experts from the manufacturers will be on hand to answer members questions and queries as well as offering invaluable inside knowledge on how to get the best out of your equipment for the forthcoming season. The series of free road shows will take the form of informal evening events with drinks and practical presentations from the marine specialists together with product demonstrations and the chance to win a goodie bag of manufacturers prizes worth around £800. The road shows will take place in various South Coast locations but of possible interest to us provincial plebs is one happening in Largs SC on 19th March. Allegedly.
HSC Winter Series
Neill Ross
Nice pics here from Neill Ross. Words from Graeme Busby. More photos here
So much for global warming ! It might be the coldest winter since records began but the enthusiasm for getting on the water to go sailing show no signs of diminishing as 25 dinghies took to the water for the second weekend of Helensburgh Sailing Clubs winter series. The wind is still predominantly from the east but in contrast to the overcast first week the sun shone and the light to moderate winds gave all the competitors some excellent sailing despite the air temperature being only a few degrees above freezing. The wind was a little variable for the first race but soon settled down in strength and direction. Jamie Noyes and Angus Grey-Stephens in a 420 narrowly beat Graham McCubbin consistent as ever in his Europe with Paul Seamark also in a Europe in third. Competition in the toppers was as close as ever with Rory Kilgore narrowly beating Iain Symons on the line. The lighter winds have favoured the slower boats so far in the series and overall Graham McCubbin's consistent sailing keeps him in first place, Neil Rosie for HSC second in his RS400 and Paul Seamark in third. The Toppers are enjoying some close racing Calum Wilson keeps the over all lead with Rory Kilgore and Iain Symon tied for second place. The next races are scheduled for the 7th of March, hopefully there will some signs of spring with some more wind and higher temperatures.
Neill Ross
Rolex Commodores Cup 2010
Hamish MacKay has sent in the following for your perusal. What about it?
There are two ways to be considered for this year's Rolex Commodores Cup and these are published on the RYA's website. Either enter the trials to be part of the English teams or become one of the pre-selected teams. RYA Scotland has the opportunity of putting forward a pre-selected northern team as has happened in previous years. The event described as The Rolex Commodores Cup is one of the most important international offshore competitions for national teams under the IRC (endorsed) rating rule. The RYA's objective is to select and develop teams to maximise their medal winning potential at both this and subsequent competitions.
Each team in the Rolex Commodores Cup 2010 will consist of 3 boats, one from each of the following rating bands:
Class1 1.110 - 1.230 DLR not exceeding 200
Class 2 1.075 -1.119 DLR not exceeding 200
Class 3 1.025 -1.074 DLR not exceeding 215From a Scottish / Northern perspective the small boat is easy to fill, typically a class 2 boat at the Scottish Series. Obvious choices are Corby 33, J109 etc. Middle boat getting harder to fill, but still obvious choices: King 40 perhaps but this could also fit into the big boat class? It is recognised not just in Scotland but the UK that finding a competitive big boat is a challenge, hence the RORC s decision to create a cross over between the middle and big boat rating bands.
The High Performance Committee of RYA Scotland would welcome contact or notes of interest from potential owners interested in being considered for selection/nomination for the northern team, thereby forming part of the 4 team entry from the UK. Contact can be made through the RYA Scotland office.
Chas, the author of this site, is owner of Troikka, an Elan 37 which along with his family and mates he races and cruises from the Clyde. I'd be interested in any comments on the site and will respond to any questions. If you are new to sailing on the Clyde and have any questions or interest please email me. I'll either try to answer them myself or point you to someone who can. You can use the reply page to email me.
