The New Season Starts !!

The new season started on Saturday and good number of competitors and spectators turned up at the Club in the bright weather for it. OODs Howard and Rob set some good courses to test everybody after the long Winter layoff, however an open window did cause the Toppers some confusion which was quickly rectified once realised !

The sunny, but gusty, conditions did lead to some brave souls testing the water temperature but whether that was due to the wind or they were just being been keen and wanting to check the buoyancy of their boats for the new season I’m not sure ?

Sunday was equally bright but much windier with white caps on the waves. The keen ones turned up and milled around a bit but no one was eager to make the first move and get their boats ready ! In view of the conditions and due to the lack of enthusiasm Clive, the OOD, waited until he was sure no one was going to race and then cancelled the races. The potential sailors didn’t seem too disappointed !!!!!!


Let’s hope for better conditions next weekend.

     

Pre Season Warm Up Weekend

It was a busy weekend at the Club as we got ready for the new season.

On Saturday 10 club members attended a RYA First Aid Course at the Club.

Within a short while they were learning how to deal with patients who had many conditions such as being unconscious and not breathing or suffering from hypothermia, as well as the more ‘normal’ incidents such as dealing with cuts, etc.

The course was subsidised as part of the RYA ‘More Adults Sailing More Often’ Programme which is putting regional support into the clubs to get more people out on the water. So if you any ideas on how to encourage more Adults to get out on the water (both existing sailors and newcomers) please let us know and we will see what we can organise (email to training@yeadonsailingclub.co.uk ). Also email if you are interested in doing the first aid course later in the year if we can organise a repeat course ?

Thanks to Adi Benson for the instruction and to Liz from the RYA for organising the course.

Then on Sunday everybody had the chance to get out on the water, check their boats over, familiarise themselves with the safety boat, if they wanted, and have a sail as well. Luckily the weather was reasonable which encouraged many people to come down to sort their boats out.
Most people wanted to get out on the water and find their sea legs and we had 12 boats out on the water. So once people had an initial sail around to get used to sailing again after the long winter lay off we ran some short races and practice starts to really wake people up .

Sarah especially appreciated trying to hold her Topper on the line for the 2 minute period before a start ! Whilst Trevor was kind and capsized, allowing David to get some safety boat practice in.

All in all I think everybody enjoyed the day and don’t forget the new season starts on this Saturday. See you at the Club !

Sunday Pre Season Warm-up is ON

Sailing will go ahead this Sunday based on information received from the Environment Agency and the LCC Parks Department.

Due to concerns over the quality of the water due to a number of fish dying, there were some questions about whether or not the Pre Season Warm-up on Sunday was on.

The Environmental Agency have tested the water and issued the results to LCC Parks Department. They haven’t been able to determine a cause for the fish dying. The Parks Department have confirmed the results received are in line with the water testing that has been carried out over the last 24 months.

Therefore it is OK to sail following the standard guidelines of:

1. Thoroughly wash hands directly after completing activities in the water.
2. All cuts to be covered by waterproof plasters.
3. Avoid gulping water down if you become immersed in the tarn.
4. Do not contemplate water based activities if unwell or still recuperating from an illness.

Jo and Dennis's South Pennine Winter Walk

Members of Yeadon Sailing Club enjoyed a very pleasant walk on the last day of February. The group met at the National Trust car park near Hardcastle Crags just two miles from Hebden Bridge. The walk began along a beautiful wooded valley alongside Hebden Water. The path crossed streams tumbling down from the valley sides and waterfalls could be seen pouring over the millstone rocks. Just before reaching Gibson Mill the walkers crossed the river using the well balanced stepping stones and used the composting toilets which were actually very pleasant. After crossing the toll bridge we walked past the 19th Century former cotton mill that is now a National Trust Visitor Centre. The walk continued along the mill pond that is still used today to drive the mill’s water wheel, enabling electricity to be made from two hydro electric turbines.

After having a picnic lunch in a sheltered spot the walk continued through the woods and passed the famous Hardcastle Crags which were actually very well hidden from view by plentiful undergrowth and trees.

The path then began to climb up the steep valley side and we came out onto New Laithe Moor. In the valley, now below us, we could see the old stone supports that were all that remained of a 32 metre high viaduct. The viaduct had been built mostly of timber and it had carried the railway track that had been used to assist in the construction of the Walshaw Dean reservoirs. The reservoirs could be clearly seen from the path along which we were walking. The path continued onto Wadsworth Moor and for a short while joined the Pennine Way. In the distance to the North, Withins Height could be seen and just behind the hill was Withins ruins, made famous in a novel written by Emily Bronte.

As we gradually climbed onto the higher Shackleton Moor we found ourselves walking on snow! In the distance we could see the stout Stoodley Pike war memorial on the prominent Stoodley Pike. After a little bit of snow fun we gradually came down off the moorland, past another reservoir and then onto farmland which eventually lead us back into the National Trust owned woodland of Hardcastle Crags.

A big thank you to Dennis and Jo for leading the walk and providing the historic background information that made the walk interesting as well as pleasant.