Cruising Tomorrow- the future of off shore and coastal cruising

A very informative one day’s conference is being held by the Manchester Cruising Association on Saturday 14 March. Mary Dawson is wanting to go and is thinking of leading a YSC contingent if any body else is interested in going. Neil attended a similar event a couple of years ago and he felt it was well worth the drive over the Pennines and the lunch was nice too !

Photo - Tom Cunliffe at 68 degree North

For information see below, or please have a look at their website
http://www.manca.org.uk/nwconference.htm

or email training@yeadonsailingclub.co.uk

A CRUISING CONFERENCE

ORGANISED BY RYA North West RegionSaturday 14 March 2009
THE BIRCHWOOD CONFERENCE CENTRE, WARRINGTON WA3 6YN

Cruising boats have changed and people are regularly cruising areas that few had considered a decade or two ago. Navigation now, for many sailors, is electronic and the old skills may be there only as rusty backups. Weather forecasts have improved and are available almost anywhere any time. On the other hand, environmental demands on the sailing community have increased and there is always the prospect, for better or worse, of tightening legislation.
The conference will explore some of these themes with plenty of opportunity for discussion and a chance to feed some of your thoughts into the RYA.
Speakers:
Tom Cunliffe (Tom's website)- Cruising yesterday, today and tomorrow
Frank Singleton (Frank's website)- Weather forecasts, on-board technologyand communications

Gus Lewis, RYA Legal and Government Affairs Manager- Developments in regulation

Stuart Carruthers, RYA Cruising Manager- Current issues in cruising

Professor David Last, Past-President Royal Institute of Navigation- Satellite navigation: truths and myths

Coffee and registration from 0930 for a 1000 start. The close is planned for 1615.
Sailors - sail and power - are invited from the Northwest and surrounding regions. The cost including a buffet lunch is £25.00 for RYA members and members of affiliated clubs, £30.00 for members of the Royal Institute of Navigation and £35.00 for others. For more information, e:mail Geoff Meggitt at occp.nw@rya.org.uk.

Vendée Globe TV Coverage

Blink and you will miss it !

A week after four British solo skippers made headlines for completing their solo lap of the planet by sail, the first in a five-part series on the Vendée Globe was shown on Channel 4 this Saturday (February 28th at 0730), and it will continue then weekly on Channel 4 on Saturday mornings at 0730 for the next four weeks. The first week just set the scene before the race started with coverage from the race starting this Saturday. Set your TV recording system to catch it, unless you are an early riser !

In solo ocean racing the Vendée Globe is the greatest challenge. To race non-stop alone around the world is as tough as it gets and in this year’s race 30 started and only 9 are set to finish, with the Southern Ocean taking it’s toll on the competitors !

Photos are of Sam Davies in Roxy who finished 4th.

Dinghy Repair Workshop - 10th March at Yeadon Sailing Club

Mick Bower and Tim Gatti will be running a 'Blue Peter' style dinghy repair workshop on March 10th at 8pm. Demonstrations and discussion will cover topics such as:

Fibreglass repairs to the centreboard case and front bulkhead.
This will be done with one of the universal epoxies and include, handling, mixing, applying with the glass cloth class and cleaning up. Polyester resins will also be covered.


Woodwork.
Stripping varnish
Cleaning and preparing the surface
Epoxy coating/varnishing
Fixing the inner gunwale back into the boat - filling with plugs, finishing and varnishing.
Reseating fittings back into the boat
Refitting the bailers
Cleaning and polishing the hull.

Come along to this very practical and packed event.

Free to members.

Plus: Don't forget, Working Parties will take place on the 14th and 21st March, please come and lend a hand in getting the dinghy park and club house ready for the new season.

Winter Walk

Dennis and Jo lead yet another successful winter walk starting from Ogden Water near Halifax. There was a good turnout of hardy members despite a bad weather forecast of strong winds and heavy rain. Luckily the weather forecast proved to be wrong and it was actually a pleasant but cold January day.

The walk began alongside Ogden reservoir, through a beautiful pine forest and then climbed alongside a very full stream up onto the open moorland. The walk offered good views over the surrounding countryside and passed alongside Halifax Sailing Club where two of their members where windsurfing.

Eventually as all good things have to come to an end we had to come down off the moors and return through the forest and back along the far side of the reservoir, crossing over the dam and back to civilisation.

A big thank you to Jo and Dennis for planning and leading the walk.

New Rules Evening

Ripon Sailing Club are holding a talk on the 2009 rules by Carol Haines the RYA Regional Rules Adviser for Yorkshire & Humberside. This will be on the 18th March. They have very kindly extended an invitation to anyone from Yeadon SC. If you are interested in attending, could you please contact John Simms by the 11th March, so that we can let Ripon have some idea of numbers.

We are hoping to hold something similar ourselves early in the new season - more details will follow shortly.

Winter Walk 2009 - 25th January

The annual winter walk is upon us again. Denis and Jo are leading another of their famous walks and this year it will be in the woods and out on the moors around Ogden Reservoir to the West of Bradford on Sunday 25th January.
The plan is to meet in the main Ogden Reservoir Car Park, sign posted off the A629 between Halifax and Denholme – See the Leeds and Bradford OS map – Grid Reference 066 309. Please be there in sufficient time to be ready to set off walking at 11.00 am. The plan is to have a 7 mile (11 km) walk from there, so please bring clothing, food and drink to suit
We’ll meet in the Ogden Water Car Park; look out for Denis and Jo. Please pay for the parking in the ‘Honesty Box’. It may be quite full in the car park because as well as the normal Sunday morning walkers there is a major orienteering event going on there that day. They will be parking some where else but it will be busy with people around. You will be sure to see a large number of brightly clad runners around and out in the woods and on the moor, if you look closely you may even see the odd sailing club member taking part !
If you need to know any more details, or how to get there, or in the event of bad weather beforehand please give Denis and Jo a ring ( phone number on the Blue Card )

Happy New Year !

The New Year was welcomed in the traditional way for YSC with the ‘Commodore’s Bottle’ races and fuddle lunch
The Club House was packed with members supporting the fleet racing out on the water, or was it just for the fuddle lunch and a natter !
The previous day had seen very low temperatures and most expected the Tarn to be frozen on New Year’s Day. However on the day, although it was cold and grey, there was no ice and a pleasant northerly breeze blowing down the Tarn. Dave Statman and Don Goode kindly volunteered to be Race Officers for keen and excited ones who wanted to sail.
In the first race the Commodore lead the fleet off from the start chased by Denis and Jo, but Bill pulled off a master manoeuvre on the first run by gybing out into the middle of the tarn and carried the breeze around the slow moving leaders to take the lead at the next mark. Ben was still on the side at the start and although he tried to catch up he couldn’t get up to the leaders. A number of members took the opportunity to watch the ‘action’ whilst taking part in the easier activity of walking round the Tarn.

Lunch was a lively affair with a very busy Club House all enjoying the standard ‘frostbite’ hot baked potatoes and the fuddle lunch.
After lunch most of the sailors were keen to go out again and the OODs set them a new course and set them off again. This time the wind didn’t behave its self and the fleet struggled around one lap on a mirror-like tarn.
After the race a number of essential jobs were carried out including bringing in the marks, tidying up the club house, turning the Dory upside down, bring the Club Ent inside so it can be worked on, etc., etc.
To finish off the Commodore presented Denis and Jo with the ‘Commodore’s Bottle’, based on both races and the ‘Commodore’s Rules’ that he determined on the day.

A good day was had by all, and it all bodes well for a terrific season in 2009 !

And finally the Commodore and the Committee would like to wish a

‘ Happy New Year and Good Sailing !’ to all.