Nationals Venues

[Rupert]

Following on from the thread on events, there was talk at the agm about where to go for the next Nationals. I would also like to look forward a year to 2011 to work out where to go then.
Venues that were mentioned:
Roadford - Pros: Good water, camping. Cons: No real club, so all organizing falls on few shoulders. Fairly expensive. No clubhouse/drying room
Clwydog - Pros: Club atmosphere, camping, big water, drying room. Cons: A long way from most of the sailing members, very weather dependent.
Whitefriars - Pros: Central, camping. Cons: Only 100 acres, very few classic boats, no Cats.
Bough Beech - Someone will have to fill me in on this. Would you be interested if approached?

Is August B/H, with autumnal weather and traffic, the best time to hold the Nats?

How do we attract more sailors?

There must be other ideas, too, please! This needs input from all if we mare going to keep our flagship event as a focal point of the calendar.

[keithr]

A bit short on the pros for Clywedog :: WE have Fully serviced Clubhouse with all facilities, plenty of showers and loos, on site bar, centrally heated clubhouse with lounging area, marquee, caravans and tents on site and cheap. two slipways with winch facilities. No probs with staying longer. With regard to weather dependant we have only cancelled sailing once in the last 10yrs so its not that bad!!!.

I have spoken to incoming Commodore and CVRDA would be very welcome again.

I cannot see a problem with the Bank Holiday but we are flexible.

[Rupert]

Thank you keith - I'm hoping people will promote their venues to us!

[Rupert]

It now looks like we have 3 possible venues for the Nationals. Roadford, Bough Beech and Clywdog. Having just been to Roadford, my preference would be to move away for a bit, partly for regional reasons, but mainly to stop places getting fed up with us. We have only ever held nats at 3 venues - is it time to add a 4th, if Bough Beech really want us, and then rotate to Clywedog again for 2011?

[roger]

Agreed if Bough Beech can fit us up with a long weekend (three days works better than two) we should give it a try. It also means we are leaving the west for the Nationals for the first time though we did go to Netley last year which is more south than west.
Trevor do you have on site camping?

[JimC]

There would need to be a major shift in the CVRDA centre of gravity to make it possible, but Ullswater SC did a fine Nationals for the ICs a few years back, and its certainly got great scenery so on...

[Rupert]

I think it would have to be a cvrda holiday to make that work! Would be great, though.

[alan williams]

The length limit at Bough Beech should be taken into account also the fact that once again it's a small piece of water by my standards. Would prefer Lake District, Broards, Scotland or a sea venue, but first choice if out of SW would be Clywedog. Clywedog are familiar with running CVRDA Events, Cheap, Welcoming and have no length restrictions, allow cats and keelboats, have camping and plenty of beautiful scenery. Clywedog is nearer than Bough Beech for the majority of CVRDA members does not involve driving around London on a Bank Holiday weekend and you are going against the main traffic streams on the way home. Clywedog also allows vistors unlimited access to their facilities including their wonderful new galley and freezers and fridges.
Al

[Ancient Geek]

I hate to strike a negative note but access is really the thing isn't it.
Not actually where it is, magnifiecent though the Lake District is for instance it's the people - not them per se just far too many of them - blocking the roads parts of the Lake District are actually closed to traffic at holiday weekends, when there get to be too many cars.
Like the New Forest it can take hours -literally- to go a mile.
Another thing that may be considered is is this a Championship or a Rally with racing?
No harm in whatever it is, indeed a sort of maritime Goodwood Revival has immense attraction as a concept. I see the girls in flouncy frocks with parasols, white trousers for the men, braces, blazers etc., etc.
I have, as an East Anglian, said all I really should, I pledge support for wherever it is but if the CVRDA is really wishing to expand its influence I would submit a new venue would be a "good thing". There is of course the West Midlands/East Anglian reservoirs Grafham, Rutland, Derwent but beurocracy might be a problem there, a willing host is a prerequisit isn't it.

[keithr]

With regard to Nats at Clywedog.

We can do a three day event wether it is a Bank Holiday or not.

If the majority want a Aug Bank Hol event, we will I am sure be able to host the CVRDA, I was just aware that CVRDA would be taking over the club for that weekend and a different calendar date may be more user friendly to our members who are not CVRDA enthusiasts!!.

Rest assured if chosen we will welcome CVRDA in our usual hearty and unique way!!!!.

Thanks AL for the plugs, much appreciated.

[bert]

Clywedog this is a place that I would like to sail at ( time / work got in the way ) as to the other venues,The needs have to be good water,nice location for after the event,access but most places will be able to fill the water & access needs easly so the main varable seems to be location.
I live in norfolk & would happly tow my boat to wales - lake distict - berwick on tweed - these are the places that I wouldn`t normally get to sail at & so would make more of a effort go to them than perphaps I might to a local but ordinary event.

[Pat]

If we can get a start at the Oulton Broad regatta which is around Bank Holiday time then why not nationals at Clywedog on a different weekend in the school holidays? Late July - early August would be school holidays in Scotland too, thus bringing more participants (well, hopefully Trish).

[chris]

I don't know when and if the vintage merlins +other vintage dinghy weekend at Wroxham Broad will be but if that was at one weekend followed by Oulton the next weekend that would certainly get me there.

[Nigel]

access is really the thing isn't it.

One of the many things I like about Clywedog is that on a Bank Holiday all the traffic seems to be (not) going in the other direction

[roger]

Firstly, Al Bough Beech is as big as Roadford in terms of racing area.

Secondly,

As posted somewhere above. We have found by past experience that a club with an interested member works. Whilst I would love to travel to Oulton, The Lakes,and Scotland for our Nationals I think we should stick with a club that has already proved itself by running a CVRDA event. Bough Beech ran its first event last year with our support but was not included in the travellers. Having proved it is a venue that is both welcoming and understands the ethos of how we like to do things then I think it should certainly should be considered for a nationals venue and definitely as a travellers event.

If we suddenly decide to go to a club which is somewhat distant to the base of most of the travelling members and only 3 boats turn up it will do no good for our credibility and no good for that club.

I am happy for Oulton(or any othe venue) to hold an event/add something to their regatta and we will publish and promote it in the same way that we did for Bough Beech last year but I would not want to stake our reputation,or the host clubs by holding a nationals/rally whatever at an untried venue.

We know Clwedog, and Roadford work. Netley did to some extent but weather conditions and forecasts prevented the turnouts that we and the host club had hoped for. Also some of the more frail boats (Iska for example) cannot evn think about sailing in anything but flat water and in retrospect I probably shouldnt have sailed Shoestring as much as I did.

I think what I am trying to say is we would all like to sail in what we consider ideal waters for us but for our main event and our main fundraiser we have to be a bit cautious.

Since I became comode I have been very aware that we should be moving out of the SW and we have had Nationals at Clwedog and at Netley. Hardly the south west.

So it looks at present like our choices are. Roadford(is Neil prepared to put in all the work again?) Clwedog (Keith has already said he can do it in principle) or Bough Beech if Trevor feel they can hold an event.Most of the other venues we have used are to small to accomodate the number or size of the boats.

We have of course held events at Brightlingsea but the turnout was disapointing last time although I understand it was a very well run event with good local support.

I would be reluctant to go to a venue we havent sailed at before for our headline event.

Please can we help Rupert by sticking to the subject being discussed and lets have feeling of what the membership wants. Of course if any of the other clubs feel they could hold a Nationals then please make yourselves known but lets be realistic about who will travel to where and where the local support is.
Any clubs who wish to put a firm offer of an event on under the cvrda banner please either email Rupert or myself or post on the other events thread.