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Report On the Racing 13th April Perfect peace prevailed outside the Clubhouse before Sunday's races - not a breath of wind !! However it pays to heed the experience of the old "salts" - in this case in the form of a "raring to go" Trevor, who predicted that "when the heat comes off the tarmac a good breeze will spring up" - which indeed it did. Novice race officers Martyn and John boldly set a "red run" (to port) around all four marks, not perhaps fully appreciating Graham's new siting of the marks to use more of the Bay ! Luckily the leading dinghy found the new lurid green Monkstone mark with its garden ornament top without problem and the race was on. The breeze increased to a gusty F4 and tested the over-winter maintenance of boats and crews, with a strained shoulder on the human side and a failed mainsheet cleat on the equipment side. A hot bath eased the former and the latter was overcome by double lashing the mainsheet to the helm's knees!! The course was shortened for the second race but the Pendine mark took some spotting from the Harbour. Competition between the RS300, the Solo's, the Laser's and the Grad was hot with no-one dominating the points and all enjoying their first trip out this year. A good review over noggins in the bar followed, to complete a "good Club Racing Sunday" and the return of perfect peace outside the Clubhouse. Sail Training We held our first on the water session for the improvers on Saturday, the session was used mainly just to get everyone back on the water and to familiarize the trainees once again with the principals of sailing! A good time was had by all, however, one of our newly qualified instructors and a trainee decided to test how cold the water was by taking an unexpected dip all in the name of a capsize drill well that was their excuse! A good time was had by all and many of these improvers will hopefully start racing on a Sunday, so watch out all you Sunday racers. Sail Training this Saturday starts at 3.30pm. Taster Session Saundersfoot Sailing Club is running a taster session on Saturday May 3rd at 3pm. Anyone over the age of 8 adults and children alike are welcome. There is no charge, you just need to bring a change of clothes and yourselves! For further details please contact Tina on (01834) 812383. We will be starting our beginners courses at the end of May, these are RYA certificated courses run by RYA qualified instructors. Coppet Week Can all OOD, assistants, safety boat crews for Coppet Week please note will be holding a training night on 16th May at 7.30pm. If you would like to help at Coppet Week either on the water, near the water or in the clubhouse please contact Tina (Dinghy Captain) (01834) 812383. Powerboating Trevor took two eager trainees out on Saturday to start their level 2 training all went well until the boat decided it wanted to go one way and the helm the other, leaving the crew to take the only course of action turn the engine off and turn to alternative methods of propulsion i.e. paddling! Well the trainees haven’t been put off and are returning for part 2 on Saturday! If any member of the club would like to undertake powerboat training in the view of helping as safety crews please Trevor or Tina. Sunday Racing The first two club races took place this Sunday, although it was very cold, the wind stayed at a steady F3-4, although at times it seemed to be coming from all directions. Two challenging courses were set and the OOD on the second race was checking to see if there was any eagle- eyed sailors out there by switching flags! The race results came as follows: Race 1 1st place Leighton Price (RS300) 2nd Place Paul Griffiths (Solo) 3rd Place (Trevor Smith & Sarah Boorman). 2nd Race 1st Place Paul Griffiths 2nd Place (Solo) 3rd Place Malcolm Williams Laser. Social events: Sunday lunch was prepared by May and Graham. It was well attended
and enjoyed by all . Lunches will recommence in September now
that the season is under way. Watch this space! Many thanks go
to May, David and Graham for all their hard work.
On Bank holiday Monday the coffee morning helped raise around
£150 for sail training equipment. We had a bric a brac,
bottle, produce and boat chandlery stalls. We served alongside
the coffees welsh cakes and pancakes. It was a great success thanks
to all the help given by the trainees, their parents and sail
training volunteers, as well as donations for the stalls and prizes. Games Night 7th March 2008 This got off to a slow start, proving once again that sailors have a natural resistance to being organised by anything other than Tide Tables. Nevertheless it developed by a process of osmosis into a hotly contested pools competition from which Ancient Mariner and partner Geoff Hope emerged as undefeated champions. (This sentence has been left as written to show how political correctness has polluted everyday language). Tenby SC to take note of the intensity of the training regime here. Six Nations Rugby Saturday March 8th 2008 It was back to the big screen and more things to cheer. Next week is the big one - book early to avoid disappointment. Welsh Yachting Association West Wales Junior Squad Training Saturday March 8th 2008 Shakespeare famously said 'Beware of the Ides of March'. He
might also have said 'Be sensible and do not go sailing before
the By Sunday, the weather had calmed down, the sun came out, the bitter wind remained bitter but a full schedule of race training was possible - all in a window of reasonable weather just before the 80mph gales flattened half the country. Yes, but there were other problems.
The previous Press Report mentioned an Australian ballad lamenting that 'there's nothing more lonesome, morbid or drear, than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer' Well, there was a cawl trail with no cawl, and now a sailing event with no water. In the absence of any report from the organisers, we do not
know how well the event served its purpose of honing the skills
of the Youth Squad, but once again thanks are due to the race
officers and patrol boat crews who turned out in atrocious weather
and to May and David McDermott and Graham Wellman who again produced
the goods in the galley.
Ancient Mariner
The rules of the game are very simple. Our House Managers May
and Six Nations Rugby There was a slight technical hitch in the presentation for the Wales / Italy match - the big screen turned out to be a small screen, but it did not seriously detract from the occasion. The Plan is that normal big screen service will be resumed : 8th March : Ireland v Wales Not to be missed 1st March 2008 The Cawl Trail The Sailing Club was one of the Caravanserai offering free cawl to all comers during this unique occasion on St Davids Day. The Sailing Captain reports great interest from visitors in seeing at first hand the facilities and activities of the Club and several new recruits to our Sail Training programme were signed on. There is a traditional Australian ballad declaiming that ;there is nothing more lonesome, morbid or drear, than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer'. Well how about a cawl trail with no cawl. Such was the interest, the sailing Club ran out of supplies - but was not alone in suffering this failure or was it success (?) News from rhe Sailing Captain Tina Osborne, latest incumbent of the Bed of Nails post wishes it to be known that the 'final' 2008 Sailing Programme and duty roster has been published and is available at the Clubhouse and on the Sailing Club website. The process would be completely unmanageable were it not for the long-standing rule that if your name is down and you cannot fulfil the duty, you find your own stand-in, therefore Step 1 is to note the starting commitments. She also wishes it to be known that Sail Training for Beginners **will** start on May 31st. Also that there will be a Coffee Morning at the Clubhouse on Easter Monday April 24th 10:00am +, with bric-a-brac, chandlery. a bottle and produce stall. It will be open to the public and will be a further opportunity to see the work of the Sailing Club in training adults and juniors in the art of sailing. The Big Challenge February 23rd 2008 Saundersfoot SC sent a strong team to Tenby SC to take them on at pool and darts. Despite the tradition that Saundersfoot's darts expertise is measured in barn doors, our sportsmen came away with a drawn match in both the pools and darts competitions. There was much appreciation of the hospitality laid on by Tenby SC for the occasion. Meanwhile, an intensive training regime has been enforced in readiness for the return match. Ancient Mariner .
The tempo of the social life of the Club continued with Gourmet
Repast No.2 - salmon starter, pork in man-sized portions, and
strawberry dessert, fully booked and with the best view of spring
sunshine to be had in Saundersfoot. Our thanks once again the
May and David McDermott, to the ever-versatile Graham Wellman,
and to Sue Groves with occasional assistance from anonymous scullions
who prompted an earnest debate on an appropriate collective noun
for a group of (macho) dish washers.
All politicians and sportsmen seek that heady elixir – the acclaim of the cheering multitude. For a brief moment on Saturday, Ancient Mariner thought he had joined the ranks of the Chosen. Calling in at the clubhouse in the afternoon, there was no one about, only two cars parked outside, all was quiet. As he opened the door to the Main Lounge, the crowd erupted, men, and women, inexplicably dressed in red shirts leaped to their feet cheering. Wales had just scored a try against Scotland and all was explained – a capacity crowd in good spirits responding to some excellent ale and a big screen display from equipment set up on the pool table (is nothing sacred?) Four more of these events are scheduled and they are not to be
missed. For the second in the 2008 series of 'David and May Promotions', Saundersfoot Sailing Club echoed to the 'skirrl of the pibroch' in a traditional celebration of Burns Night. It is not known how many genuine Scotsmen were there , but no matter. There were authentic touches everywhere - tartan wall hangings, the haggis, neeps and tatties, the Selkirk Grace, Leighton MacDavies from the Merthyr branch of the clan resplendent in kilt and the full monte, the traditional poem in homage to 'the great chieftain o' the pudden-race', toasts to the poet from a bottle of firewater generously donated by Leighton, a son of our new Social Secretary Kate Lewis just happened to be in town, and just happened to have his bagpipes with him. Thanks are due to all who entered into the spirit of the evening,
to Master Chef Graham Wellman (he also rebuilds shower rooms),
to our splendid piper and for yet another piece of imaginative
theatre to House Managers David and May MacDermott. In our last bulletin, we predicted that everybody who is anybody would wish to be seen at this inaugural gathering. True to form, at the cut-off date, bookings were 50% of capacity, then suddenly the floodgates opened. Clearly, we have members who are unaware of the Sailing Club website, do not read the 'Tenby Observer', do not read the Club Noticeboards plural but the bush telegraph is alive and well. Thus a full house was treated to an excellent 3-course traditional
Sunday Lunch, superbly prepared by master chef Graham Wellman
(he also repairs boats), House Managers May and David McDermott
and sundry scullions conscripted on the day. Beware of innocuous
jars labelled 'Welsh Horseradish Sauce' - the 'wow' Afterwards, there was much appreciative comment, even to the point of 'are you doing the same next week?' Well, no, but the dynamic trio are to be congratulated for planning a full programme.of similar events taking us up to and beyond F-Day - the Fitting Out Supper. Their efforts will do much for our sanity in countering the effects of SAD, caused I am told by seasonal lack of sunlight - no surprises there. Ancient Mariner |
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