| SSC PRESS REPORT 3rd FEBRUARY 2012 |
Darts:
Tonight we are fielding our A team at home against Castle B. Can
we achieve a break-through, will we get that final elusive double,
will we win a match? Such excitement and suspense! Supporters are
always welcome and the bar is open from 7.30pm.
Six Nations:
All the home Nation’s matches will be shown on the big screen
at the Club. Doors open half an hour before the start of each
match. Come and watch the matches with no travelling, no queuing
for drinks, no hard seats and with surround sound and near 3D
and in great company. Members and friends very welcome. First
match is this Sunday.
• Sunday February 5 Ireland v Wales. Match time 3pm
• Sunday February 12 Wales v Scotland. Match time 3pm
• Saturday February 25 England v Wales. Match time 4pm
• Saturday March 10 Wales v Italy. Match time 2.30pm
• Saturday March 17th Wales v France. Match time 2.45pm
Wine and Beer Tasting With Power!
Bring your friends and family to a Wine and Beer Tasting with
a difference on Saturday February 11th at 8pm
Depending on what you choose as your favourites, the wines and
beers you taste on the evening could be soon on sale behind the
bar at the Club. So come along and have your say and enjoy a great
evening out at the same time.
There will be a selection of wines and bottled drinks to taste.
You score each of your tasters out of 10 to choose the overall
winners. Runners up may also appear as ‘guest’ drinks
from time to time throughout the year. It’s a hard job but
someone has to do it!
To boost flagging energy levels (and help soak up the alcohol)
we’ll provide you with a ploughman’s platter including
a selection of cheeses.
For the dieters among us there are approx. 150 calories in 5 tasters.
No idea how many points or calories is in a ploughman’s
though, so maybe just plan to have a good walk on the Sunday to
compensate?
Cost is just £5 per person and includes 5 taster drinks,
ploughman’s platter and entry to a prize draw. Fruit juice
will be available for those who prefer to have an occasional non-alcoholic
taster.
Subscriptions:
It is renewal time again, please send forms and cheques to Jackie
Riby. If you need a form then click here
Tribute:
It is with great sadness that we report the death of long standing
club member Molly Rowley.
In recent years Molly had taken a lesser role but for many years
she had been at the core of the clubs social activities having
been a regular behind the bar at major events and regattas as
well as being our very own angel of the beer pump on many Friday
nights. Being on her own for quite a while she found that running
the bar was a great way of getting out with her friends and she
made many more of them of all ages and from all over the country
chatting over the days sailing in the bar and on the beach.
She has sailed in a variety of cruisers over the years from the
catamaran Tiki moored for many years in the harbour, to a variety
of Westerlies and was a regular and enthusiastic crew for many
of our cruiser owners. For a while in their retirement she and
husband Charles were regular fixtures in the dinghy scene, racing
the club Graduate and giving others much younger a run for their
money. Way before that, they were the proud owners of a championship
winning Osprey The Fast Lady which was laid up for many years
at home until Molly finally sold her on to one of our regular
visitors and was always delighted when she returned to sail in
Coppet Week.
She will be sadly missed by both our members and our many visitors
particularly the many regulars at Coppet Week with whom she had
become great friends.

Skippers Mate
| SSC PRESS REPORT 27th JANUARY 2012 |
Darts:
I can only report that we are keeping up our performance in the
darts league. For the “John Humphreys” readers who insist
on more detail – yes, all right then, we lost every game against
Cresswell CC last Friday!! This week gives us a chance to hone our
skills or drown our sorrows as there is no league match. Watch for
the next exciting development in this trial by endurance in two
week’s time!
Social:
The club is open every Friday evening from 8pm but we are in great
need for bar persons to help on these occasions – please
contact Rob Talboys on 01834 814424 or by email housemanager@saundersfootsailingclub.org.uk.
New Season:
The new sailing programme is now on the website and has been emailed
to computerized members this week. It is a full and exciting programme
with a total of 42 club races including 8 in the Frostbite Series
(but these will not qualify for the main season prizes). As usual,
racing is to be held every Sunday with the first appropriately
on 1st April! This will be followed by the Fitting Out Supper
on Saturday 7th April to reminisce on what vital preparations
were not undertaken for the first outing, but this is always a
great social function whatever!! As a new feature, we have 6 mid
week races starting in June to encourage anyone with an interest
to practice or a wish to improve, to “have a go” outside
the racing programme. The Junior and Lady Helm races will be held
on Saturday 28th July and the cruisers are to battle it out around
Caldey, hopefully with competition from TSC on Sunday19th August.
We are, in return, invited to join in Tenby’s Regatta on
7-8th June. Our own Regatta is again full of something for everyone
- kayakers, paddlers, sand artists, beach game enthusiasts, dinghy
sailors of all levels, and of course cruisers, during the Bank
Holiday Weekend 25-27th August. We are again hosting the CYRCS
on Saturday 26th May in support of Welsh youth sailors.
In addition to all this “in club” water activity,
we have Coppet Week booked for 3-8th June with the basics of a
6 race programme for serious and social family sailing and enjoyment
as always. We have amended the racing rules slightly this year
to give more flexibility in the case of adverse weather and hopefully
to ensure greater certainty of sailing and to enable participants
to plan a full week’s holiday more effectively.
Your Sailing Sub Committee under the guiding eye of Sailing Captain
Graham Wellman have produced a really good framework for the season,
it just remains for everyone to participate fully and enjoy all
the opportunities presented.

Preparing for a Coppet Week Start.
Sail Training:
The Club’s new Sail Training Programme is also now detailed
on the website and invitations
to join our RYA Sailing School are invited. Contact Paul Johnson,
Sail Training Principal
Tel.: 01834 814 145 or e-mail: principal@saundersfootsailingclub.org.uk.
The new programme offers well structured and targeted training
to appeal to novices, beginners and improvers alike. Most sessions
are on Saturdays starting with a 6 week course for Improvers from
14th April to get sailors to RYA Level 3 and Seamanship competence.
Beginners can achieve RYA Level 1 or 2 on a 6 week course starting
on 2nd June. For sailors with Level 2 or 3 there is an exciting
6 week series of training and practice to make the transition
into club racing starting on 14th July. It is also hoped to offer
a 3 week session for Level 3 sailors to achieve RYA “Day
Sailing – Go Cruising” from 18th August.
This offers a real wealth of opportunity for would be sailors
– so do make contact and sign up, places are limited to
ensure that there is personal tuition.
Subscriptions:
It is renewal time again, please send forms and cheques to Jackie
Riby. If you need a form they are on the Membership
Page.
Skippers Mate
| SSC PRESS REPORT 20th JANUARY 2012 |
Quiz Night - unquestionably a success:
Quiz Night last week was a very lively evening and strongly contested
by the teams and their ‘mascots’. It proved a very close
fight, with only a very few points separating the teams throughout.
In the end a short final round proved the determining factor with
the Bevellers just scraping through to win the honours (and cash
prize) of Champion Quizzers of the evening. Close runners up were
The Nerds with the Egg Heads in 3rd place. Quiz Mistress Gill provided
some excellent head scratching questions and some of us we were
surprised at the extent to which we managed to dredge up hitherto
hidden away memories from our lost youth! Surprising what the little
grey cells can do when pushed, but if anyone knows what Jason Mason
did with his Grandpa we want you on a team next time!
Thank you to everyone for turning out on such a cold evening to
support the event.
The next Social Scene date for your diary is Saturday February 11th
– a beer and wine tasting evening. All members and friends
very welcome. Full details will be winging their way into your inboxes
and onto our website very soon.
Darts:
Following the lines of a school report, the darting news from
last week’s match is that some improvement was observed
– we won one match thanks to Will - but could do better
applies to the other twelve games!
This week (Friday) we are away to Cresswell CC – let’s
hope they are cowed by Pakistan’s performance in the test
which at the time of writing was restricting England’s score
to footballing numbers!
New Appointments:
We welcome Paul Johnson as new Principal of our RYA accredited
Sail Training unit to take over from Malcolm Williams whose devoted
input over many years has been of immeasurable benefit. Nic Berridge
has been appointed Chief Powerboat Instructor following the retirement
of Trevor Smith – again many thanks to Trevor for his even
longer service to the club.
Any members willing to help with sail training or wanting powerboat
instruction please contact Paul via email at:- principal@saundersfootsailingclub.org.uk
New Season:
The new sailing programme will be distributed shortly and will
also be available on the website. Further social events will also
be announced shortly, in the meantime any members who enjoy bar
benefits and who would be willing to enjoy even closer relations
with the bar by undertaking occasional duties, please contact
Anne-Marie on dylansden@googlemail.com
Saundersfoot Harbour Commission:
Officers of the Sailing Club held a very constructive meeting
with Philip Evans, Chairman and David McDermott, Commissioner
responsible for Finance of the new Saundersfoot Harbour Commission
earlier this week. It was agreed that closer relations should
be fostered between SSC and the new Commission. SSC represents
one of the major stakeholder groups with involvement in the harbour
and further liaison was welcomed and the intention of the Club
to work with the Commission to further mutual aims was affirmed.
The establishment of the new Trust Port to comply with the very
inclusive regulations involves a great deal of work and the new
Commissioners have already made much progress and expect to complete
the necessary foundation of the Advisory Committee, which was
a major concern of the Club, by mid February.
It was confirmed that to secure a stable financial position for
SHC, mooring fees are planned to rise by 100% over three years.
Fears that annual increments of one third would compound into
a greater rise were dispelled.
The Commissioners support transparency and a new website providing
regular updates of information will be available shortly. A draft
5 year plan incorporating medium term aims is to be produced in
March of this year.
The Club is aware that there are concerns over changes resulting
from the new Commission but urges members not to react to rumour
without the facts and invites feedback from members in order to
co-ordinate interests most effectively. Please contact the Commodore
by email, post or phone.

Paul Johnson & Trevor smith at a previous prize giving.
Skippers Mate
| SSC PRESS REPORT 13th JANUARY 2012 |
Friday 13th:
The bar will not be open this Friday 13th - but not because
of any superstitions ! Pop down on Saturday instead, we'd love to
see you.
Quiz Night:
A final reminder to everyone of the Quiz Night at the Club this
Saturday.
We aim to start the quiz at 8.30pm so the bar will be open for
team mustering and pep talks from 8pm. Teams of 4 adults at £5
per team. Don't forget there's a cash prize up for grabs!
We look forward to seeing as many of you and your friends and
family as possible to help get the 2012 social calendar get off
to a flying start.
Darts:
Our first match last Friday after the long celebrations of Christmas
and the New Year somehow failed to make the break from celebration
to sport. In the words of our ever optimistic captain –
“we nearly won every game” against a very lively and
youthful team from The Sun at St Florence. It was a home match
and the club was buzzing with laughter, drink and song but we
failed to make orbit with our darts!
This Friday we are away at the Swan, Jameston and wonder whether
the adverse omen of the date might mean a reversal of our fortunes
which would be good news indeed!
The New Season Beckons:
Whilst the mornings remain dark and deterring, it is good to notice
a lengthening of afternoon daylight - the New Season beckons!
There’s a fresh buzz about the club and a packed sailing
and social calendar for 2012 so don’t forget to check the
website www.saundersfootsailingclub.org.uk and your email inboxes
regularly. Further details will be circulated soon.
Subscriptions:
Less welcome is the reminder that SSC subscriptions are now due
for 2012 – documentation has already been circulated and
can also be downloaded from the website. Mindful that non PAYE
tax demands fall on the mat for payment by 31st January, we are
getting in first!
Nautical Nips:
The “Friday 13th superstition” reminds me that there
is much tradition in boats names – perhaps the main one
being that they should be female (if reflecting any gender at
all). This may derive from mythical times with the naming after
ancient goddesses or possibly from the fact that the words “boat”
and “ship“ have feminine declination in European languages.
Legend has it that the god of the seas, Poseidon in Greek mythology
or Neptune in Roman legends, recorded the name of every vessel
in his 'Ledger of the Deep'. To rename your boat was to defy the
gods and thus considered unlucky and is still a deeply-held belief
for many.
For the cautious boat owner wishing to rename his boat, bad luck
may be avoided by completely removing the old identity and then
waiting a full day before renaming. For the truly superstitious
who fear the wrath of the gods, wait until the sun is out and
the tide at its highest (when the moon is at its fullest) to perform
the renaming ceremony!
There are some hideous groan-worthy names such as Sea-renity,
Feelin' Nauti etc. but also some very ingenious and clever ones.
A local fairly tippy accountant’s dinghy (the dinghy not
the accountant!) was very aptly named “Trial Balance”!
Any other offerings from readers of entertaining names would be
welcome and thanks to John Price for providing the core of information
on this topic.

What a sky! (from last year’s Regatta)
Skippers Mate
| SSC PRESS REPORT 6th JANUARY 2012 |
Activities over the Festive Season:
Christmas Eve
A happy band of revellers met in the club house on Christmas Eve
where, fortified by local ales, mince pies and home-made shortbread,
they were entertained with carols and suitably silly party songs.
And we’re not ashamed to admit that we knew all the words!
The highlight of the evening was a rousing rendition of YMCA led
by DJ Colin and enthusiastically accompanied by the Margarettes
- and several dog-walkers passing the club at the time!
New Year’s Eve
It was standing room only at the club on New Year’s Eve.
A varied programme of impromptu entertainment included a pretty
competitive card school and a sing along. Unfortunately a performance
of ‘the Birdy Song’ wasn’t possible as the CD
had mysteriously disappeared! Hot snacks were on hand to restore
flagging energy levels, and a thoroughly enjoyable evening was
had by all. With one of the best (and warmest) views in the village
of the spectacular fireworks display what better place than the
Clubhouse to see out the old year and welcome in 2012.
New Year’s Day
A few sore heads were in evidence on New Year’s Day but
members rallied forth nonetheless to support their gallant - or
should that be foolhardy- fellow members who took to the waters
for the Olympic NYDS. Congratulations to all those brave souls
who took part. How about a SSC team entry for 2013? Don’t
all rush at once! Home-made soup was provided by the galley girls
and was much appreciated by swimmers and non-swimmers alike.
The New Year:
A Happy New Year to all members and friends and here’s to
a successful year ahead. There’s a packed sailing and social
calendar for 2012 so don’t forget to check the website and
your email inboxes regularly.
Quizzers Awake!
Start the New Year with some gentle exercise!
Give your little grey cells a not too strenuous workout and help
dispel the effects of all that festive food and alcohol.
Join us at the Clubhouse on Saturday January 14th for an evening
of light-hearted general knowledge quizzing with Question Master
Gill.
You don’t have to be an Egg Head to take part, just come
and have a go. Bring a team with you, make one on the night with
other members, or be a team of one, it’s up to you. Family
and friends are very welcome to join in too.
Each team should have a maximum of 4 adults.
Family teams which include children can have 6 people per team
-- unless your children are budding Masterminds, in which case
they can have a team of their own!
• Cost £5 per team. Payable on the night.
• 8.00pm for 8.30pm start
• Cash prize of £20 for the winning team.
Skippers Mate
Goodbye to the Old Year.
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