Fixtures 2013

[Rupert]

Have I missed a Bough Beech date, or are we still waiting for that one?

[Pat]

Great - looking forward to a trip back to home country - we'll have to arrive early enough to shop for oatcakes for breakfast and get a pint in the Romping Cat.

[Bootscooter]

Just a thought that has occured to me, but has anyone thought about the Weymouth Festival Open Regatta, Aug Bank Holiday weekend? It looks to be a really good do, with training on the Fri, 7 races over the weekend and a Persuit race on the Mon. I've heard talk that Classes with X amount of entries will have their own starts, and also have "Stands" ashore to publicise themselves. Entry is £55, and the socials could well be good.

I couldn't help but think that there could be plenty of CVRDA type boats in attendance, and this could be a good way of gaining access to these owners...

[Rupert]

Except it is the same weekend as the cvrda National Rally...

I suspect, also, it will be full of new boats and squaddies taking themselves very seriously indeed, being Weymouth. Hopefully I'm wrong on that.

[Bootscooter]

I'm hoping to see a massive variety of craft there.... it doesn't seem to be marketed as a "one to win" event, but more of a "Festival of Sail Racing" thing. We've already entered (5 various single handers, from 3 generations of the same family). Shame I'll miss the National Rally though.

[davidh]

Bootscooter............

I can but wish you well! I think we can quote from kipling on here so I'll just say that "you're a braver man than I Gunga Din"!

Having spent a lot of time at the W&PNSA (it is NOT weymouth, it's Portland.....) I think of few places that I would rather NOT go to for an event! That said, if you are sailing a mainstream dinghy and want a venue where the best sailor will get the best chance of winning, then it is superb. As a venue for classes and events with a strong social side to them, it's dreadful - a crumbling souless monolith reminder of what the Olympic Regatta should have been about and wasn't!

It is all so sad. Way back when, Weymouth (now we're talking Weymouth - NOT Portland) used to hold wonderful regattas. The boats were all pulled up on the main beach in front of the town so an event there had a wonderful 'holiday'feel to it. A 'classic' event at Weymouth would be great and I'm sure that there are many of us who'd like another event sailing on the funny tasting water!. Today, the weymouth side of things has all gone and the so called 'Academy' - which is just a major profit centre, now needs events to keep the coffers topped up.

I'd want to think long and har before sailing a Classic dinghy there - any breeze at all and even within the harbour it can be a testing place. Luckily, the Classics do have their event a long way away so there can be no confusion!

One can but hope that the mainstream yachting media will support the new event at W&PNSA, it would be good to have an 'everyman' event there. However, as Rupert has so clearly stated, the chances are that it will be the 'squaddies' and others who will throng to this. But way to go - we look forward to hearing how you got on......we'll raise a glass to you all the way from around the Barbie at Hunts to Weymouth and wish you well!

D

[Rupert]

I confess, we took the Juniors to Sail Laser at Portland in the Autumn, and they had a fantastic time.

Speed week was on, which at first I thought was great, but there were very few unique boats, just loads of windsurfers thinking they had the right to go anywhere and everyone must bow down and worship, but other than that, the people around were a pretty friendly lot.

Rather too much concrete for my liking, and you'd certainly need to take your own "club atmosphere", but maybe the Festival will supply the missing X factor and brighten the whole place up. The sailing water is certainly worth a visit.

[Bootscooter]

Haha, I've been many times as trolley Dolly and driver for my kids while squading, but I've never actually sailed there, so really looking forward to it. The boy and I will be in OKs, daughter in a Radial (or maybe something else...) my Dad in his Supernova and his partner in her Byte C11. I'll also take plenty of atmosphere (Spiced Cap'n Morgans).

Incidentally, I had a quick look at my potential purchase this afternoon - OK no 1225 (I think).... Looks nice!

[Lukey T]

Rupert,

I have done a draft general NoR, what is your email so I can send it to you to have a look?

[JB9]

How about 3rd August for the BBSC Open?

[Rupert]

Rupert,

I have done a draft general NoR, what is your email so I can send it to you to have a look?

rupert at cvrda dot org gets to me, Luke, if you make it a proper address!

[Rupert]

How about 3rd August for the BBSC Open?

3rd August fits very nicely into the gap - I hope some of the people who took an interest in the event last year locally will come back for more. For those travelling a fair way, is there a possibility of camping over and sailing with the club on the Sunday?

[Lukey T]

sent

[JB9]

BBSC Open: Camping will be fine as will participation in club racing the next day.

[Nessa]

I did Weymouth Olympic Week off the beach and it was a nightmare. Pulling your boat home at low tide was exhausting, and actually launching was just as bad. Nowhere to change, nowhere to store stuff, grockles everywhere.

As for the nature of the sailing, no worse than most coastal venues, and certainly a lot better than most.