Contents
Sailing Calendar
Commodore's report.....................................................................Tony Vere
Vice Commodore's report.............................................................Pete Webby
Membership Secretary's report.....................................................Mary Starkey
New Members' Representative's report........................................Robin Pitt
Sailing Secretary's Report.............................................................Jack Francis
Social Secretary's Report..............................................................Geoff Briscoe
Bo'sun's report..............................................................................Terry Collings
Upton Warren Outdoor Education Centre Report.......................Alistair Hodgson
Child protection policy and procedures........................................John Bowen
Isle of Wight Sailing......................................................................Julia Sammons
A Literary Sailing quiz ................................................................ Emma Hancox
Sailboatship Quiz..........................................................................Gill Ansfield
The Portsmouth Yardstick System...............................................Jack Francis
Answers to the Literary Sailing quiz
Answers to Sailboatship Quiz
Notice of 2011 AGM
Minutes of 2010 AGM
Adult Membership application form (new members and annual membership renewal)
Junior Membership application form (new members and annual membership renewal)
Boat Park application form
Introduction
This year we're trying a new experiment...publishing the Annual newsletter on line. In addition to saving on printing costs it enables readers to download as little or as much as they wish to retain. We will still publish a few printed copies for new members and those without access to the net. Although members can now download a membership renewal form and boat-park application, these will still need to be handed or posted to the membership secretary (Mary Starkey) before the start of the season as usual.
We have also separated the sailing instructions from the Newsletter and they are available on line from the link on the homepage. Again, a few copies will be retained in the club cupboard for new members and for existing members who need panic revision at the start of their duty session.
Sailing Calendar 2011-12
This link will take you to the new calendar for the 2011-12 season. From 1st April 2011 it will also be the target for the 'calendar' navigation buttons on all pages
Commodore Tony Vere
So far this year the weather has been reasonably kind, though as I write, we are caught in winter's icy grip, the lake is firmly frozen and the prospects for the Boxing Day and New Year's Day races are looking doubtful.
Overall, though it's been a good year for sailing at Upton Warren with a capacity turn-out at the regatta, a very successful series of Friday evening sessions and good co-operation between UWOEC, Schools Sailing (WSSCA) and the Club in the running of the Schools Sailing Topper Team racing event, the Centre Open day and other joint events. This is very encouraging, as the future of all three organisations relies heavily on being able to recruit young sailors and introduce them to a safe way to improve their skills through the structured, RYA accredited courses offered by UWOEC and to fill the time between courses with the choice of racing or pottering about in boats offered by the UWSC sessions.
The success of the Friday evening sessions, which this year averaged around 12 boats and sometimes approached 20 was due to three factors. Firstly, we owe a great debt to John Ling for turning out regularly to run a race practice session, which although initially intended for the junior Club, proved very popular with seniors too and was an undoubted success. Secondly, the decision to run the barbecue at the end of the session, whatever the weather, also contributed to a guarantee of food and drink and convivial company to close the evening. Finally, UWOEC and the weather helped; the former by offering the use of the conveniently situated classroom for foul weather and the weather itself for only raining on the proceedings once - and then only during the cooking!
The Regatta too was a great event, but more of that in Jack's report.
So, in closing, I would just like to thank all the members, and in particular the committee, who, together, contributed so much to making Upton Warren a great sailing location.
Long may it continue!
Tony Vere
Vice Commodore Pete Webby
Well this year has
been interesting. Not quite the trial-by-fire I had in my first year.
Overall,
the response from members to duties has been very good. Many members
have done
more than their fair share and I thank them very much for being so
committed.
(I mean that in the best possible way). The junior membership
commitment
mainly, has been good also.
I have had the odd surprise comment from a couple of members when asked if they were available to do a last minute duty ( as a result of me being informed at short notice that someone was not able to carry out their duty, due to unavoidable circumstances on their part.) I understand this, but in my support, it does state that it is up to the member to arrange their ‘understudy’. In truth, it is usually because they have tried members, but have not found anyone willing to exchange a duty or do theirs.
So I ask, can you all be a bit more sympathetic to these requests please. It may be you wanting a substitute in the future.
On the plus side, I would like to thank, (and I am sure those attending the sessions would too), those of you who ‘stepped up to the breach’ when someone didn’t turn up for their duty. If you do this, can you please sign your name and number across the name of the defaulter so you get the credit and they don’t. I have a few blank spaces in the duty roster where someone should have been given credit for doing this.
I would like to remind Duty Officers, that they should call the other Officers, not e-mail, as some people are not as keen as others when it come to technology; ideally the week before the session please. This makes it less likely anyone will forget. Maybe, if you are one of the other Officers and you haven’t had a call, it would be good to ‘wake up’ the Duty Officer to their job. (The tail wagging the dog so to speak. )
We had a bit of confusion regarding the ‘extra’ sessions we were allocated by the Centre and what constituted a Bank Holiday. In the end, no Ad-Hoc races were actually run, so a few of you had ‘free’ duties.
And so to the saga of Centre
Duties. As a recap,
it is part of the Adult Membership requirement that these are
fulfilled. Due to
the way the Centre now runs its courses, the original method of looking
in the
‘Green Book’ to see what is being run and signing up, no longer
applies. We
have to wait for a communication from
This Centre requirement is also covered if you do a course at the Centre which ‘ups’ your skills. This fulfils your Centre Duty for that sailing year. Also, any assistance you provide to Schools Sailing in that year, is also counted.
So, remind who you are helping, to ‘write you up’ in the ‘Green Book’ on the day.
Lastly, there
are 2 days in the early New Year, where the Centre needs people to help
in
working parties. This is essentially helping the groundsman John
Halstead tidy
up the flora and fauna around the lake. Dates are January 22nd
and
February 26th. If you are
available call John at the Centre or e-mail him
- jhalstead@worcestershire.gov.uk
Thanks to all
for the help and assistance you have given me throughout the year.
Pete Webby
It
is
always good
to report that our membership numbers remain healthy with 76 adult
members and
40 juniors. We had 15 new juniors join
us this year and 14 new adults. Several
of our junior members have persuaded their Dads to take sailing
courses, or to
revive old skills and join. Excellent, the kids should not have all the
fun. We now need you juniors to work on
your Mums
and sisters as only 24% of our adults and 22% of our juniors are ladies.
Two
years
ago the
Club took the decision to remove the minimum age requirement of 12yrs
for
junior members who already hold RYA Stage 3 qualifications or who can
demonstrate a similar level of sailing skill. We
were
able to do this
in part, because our then new Friday evening sailing sessions gave our
younger,
less experienced members an opportunity to increase their skills,
without
getting tangled with boats participating in racing. Currently 13 of our
junior
members are under 12. Some probably will
not renew next year, but it does demonstrate that there is a strong
interest among
this younger group.
All
our
adult
members are required to do duties for the Centre and recent changes are
perhaps
causing confusion. The number of
required duties has dropped to one day a year; this 'one day' now
applies whatever
the duty you choose to do, that is, one type of duty does not carry
more weight
than another. Assisting as a Safety boat driver or as an Instructor on
a UWOEC
course, participating in a work party doing site maintenance or
providing
official assistance to WSSCA (colloquially known as school sailing) all
count
as duties. So
does
attending an appropriate
course (powerboat / safety boat driver or assistant instructor). You should periodically receive an email
asking for volunteers for specific duties on specific dates, including
winter
working-parties clearing vegetation around the lake.
When you have completed your duty it is
important that you get the organiser to sign it off for you in the
green A4
folder kept in the metal cupboard by the water dispenser, or you will
be chased
to do another.
Finally,
a
reminder that the boat park is intended for those who use their boats
regularly
at
Upton Warren. It is not a cheap boat storage location. The
boat park is
over-subscribed at present and so not everyone currently storing two
boats there will be
able to do so next year.
If you want a
second space it is particularly important to get your boat park form
back quickly
as second spaces are allocated on a 'first form back' basis; preference
is not automatically
given to individuals who already have a second boat in the park. Next
season we will rigidly enforce the regular use criterion, so if
you do not intend to sail regularly, please do not apply for a
place. It
would
assist everyone in ensuring a smooth start to the season if
applicants could return their forms by 1st
March.
Good sailing in
2011
Mary
Starkey
New
Members'
Representative
Robin Pitt
The new members representative is a new position on the committee appointed this year. It is a position designed to give a voice to those who are new to the club that may have suggestions and comments about the club from a new perspective that the existing members haven’t considered, a friendly ear to comment on what is good and bad, and a point of contact for questions that may seem to be difficult to ask such as “how do I get involved in racing” “where are the sails for the Comets”, how do I rig a Vision” or “why do I have to do duties”. All of these I have been asked and many more besides.
It is daunting to join a club, not knowing anyone or how things work and wondering how you will fit in, that is why the new members representative has been appointed. The extraordinary thing I have found is that considering how many new members we have, how few have felt the need to regularly approach me to find out about the club and how well they have integrated into the club. That is a testament to the current members and their friendliness and welcoming attitude that makes new members feel at home.
It is great to see how many of you are involved in racing from week to week, how many have been involved in learning more about sailing from the excellent Friday evening race practice sessions with our resident expert John Ling, further RYA courses, social events, and of course the cruising sessions. Interestingly, there are only 50% of our new members who have participated in racing over the last year and I’m not sure if this is good or bad. Does that mean that the new members are reluctant to get involved because it seems too daunting or because they want to become more familiar with sailing before they let themselves loose on the rest of the membership? Whatever the reason, don’t forget that we all want to see more of us on the water in 2011. However it must be mentioned that the new members managed to give a great account of themselves in the regatta results.
I have enjoyed being your representative over the last year and want to remind you that my purpose is to represent your views. Keep sending me your comments and thoughts.
Sailing Secretary Jack Francis
It was another good year at Upton Warren. The influx of juniors which we experienced last year has, much to my delight, continued. This continued support has kept the number of competing boats up and added to the enjoyment of all of us on the water. Bigger fleets certainly make for more interesting sailing.
We have also had a re-vamp of our website which has enabled me to post the race results more or less as they happen. It has the obvious advantage that sailors can check their series positions from home. I have still maintained the hard copy though, which is kept in the club cupboard when not out on the table during club sessions.
Sailing this year has been good with good turnouts for all our series. The regatta in particular was well oversubscribed to the point of some people standing down completely. The program then had to be re-arranged to cope with this to sail seven races instead of six with every sailor doing six races out of the seven, a formula that has worked well in the past. Unfortunately some people just didn’t bother to turn up making all the alterations unnecessary. The committee has therefore taken the decision that next year will see a cut-off at 33 entries enabling us to sail six races with no complications of standing down. The entry list will be posted on the notice board in the club house about three weeks before the event. Despite all this it was an excellent regatta. Keith Bond set some interesting courses and the event was won by John Ling who won all six of his races. Well done John! His prize is to run the regatta next year! The full results are posted later in the newsletter, together with the results for all the other series.
It remains for me to say thank you to all of you who participated in our program last year, all those who turned up to run the races and all the other people who helped us to achieve another successful year. Take pride in the fact that, although a very small club, we field bigger turnouts than many larger clubs in our area.
I am looking forward to next year’s sailing and trust that we will continue to thrive and hopefully grow.
Jack Francis
In my absence at
the AGM it was proposed and approved that I will be the next Social
Secretary, picking up the baton from Mike after setting the standard
proving a
good act to follow.
During the summer
months it was a time to attend and learn what goes on at committee
meetings and
to set up a programme for out of season activities and events. Unfortunately the October meet and speaker
did not happen, sorry for that. At a future meeting, to be arranged, Mr
Cupitt
will speak on the subject “Diamonds.”
Once upon a time,
this land was in the region of the equator, covered by the ocean where
early
forms of fossils developed, followed by sea mammals and Reptiles.
Following on
what became plains, the woolly mammoth, sabre toothed big cats, wolves
and
bears lived and roamed on the land.
The Club Gala was
deemed a success for the
Annual Presentation of awards and trophies. Barn dancing was very much
enjoyed,
with Daniel and Alex having much fun.
During the interval we all enjoyed the buffet.
In the New Year, 11th
January is the next social meeting, Andrew Briscoe is coming with a
presentation
of his time in the modern army.
Tai
Chi
Tai Chi. which
originated more than 500 years ago in
Tai chi
takes a holistic approach, focusing
on your posture and how you move your weight around.
At the start a lot of lessons are about
relaxing your body and releasing tension within it.
The discipline is effectively a sequence of
around 108 movements, with numerous warm up exercises.
The recently-purchased Graduate dinghy has been refurbished and is now fully-rigged and ready to sail. One comet has had a new set of trolley wheels and a new boat cover and the orange comet has also been repaired. We have also acquired a full laser radial rig.
If any of the club boats need attention, please inform me as soon as possible so that any damage can be rectified
Terry Collings
2010
has
been an
interesting and busy year. It has been
interesting in two respects, one of personnel, and the other, finance.
The year started
with Phil Ascough the Head of Centre on long term sick leave. Phil has now returned to working full time,
and his condition has improved a lot, which has been confirmed at his
latest
check-up. In April
three of the
instructors who we were expecting to work with us over the summer found
themselves jobs elsewhere. With the
thought of saving money we decided not to appoint replacements, this has proved a good financial decision,
but those of us who were here over the summer have worked very hard,
doing
plenty of overtime. During
August
Kayleigh
Day, one of our permanent instructors had reconstructive surgery on her
shoulder, it all went well and we are expecting her back in full
working order
in the new year. In September one of our Course
Directors, Dave Germain, left,
he has now been replaced by Tim Bosley.
Tim does know the centre from previous work, as he worked with
us for
six months over the summer of 2009.
2010-2011
is
the
last year that the Worcestershire Outdoor & Environmental Learning
Service
will be supported financially by the county council.
Upton Warren Outdoor Education Centre's
financial target for this year is looking very tough to achieve,
however it
does look as though we stand a chance of achieving cost neutrality,
which is
very good news. The
next
tough financial
task will be that of trying to replace equipment as it wears out.
The bookings this
year have been at quite a pleasing level, and don't look bad going into
2011
either. Summer School 2010 was also a
big improvement on 2009.
To
keep
Upton
Warren Outdoor Education Centre in a healthy position there is
definitely a lot
of hard work ahead, but we seem to be starting from a reasonable
footing. This year we have managed to keep
ourselves
in the public eye regularly appearing in the local press with events
such as
the open day, which sold out, the NSSA topper team racing, and the
different
courses that we have run during the year.
You may have heard Phil speaking recently on the local radio
stations as
well!
So thank you for
all of your support whether it was helping with adult sailing sessions,
the
NSSA topper team racing event, or the work parties helping to keep the
grounds
under control. Let's hope that we can
all have an enjoyable and prosperous 2011.
Alistair Hodgson
Senior
Course
Director.
Here at Upton Warren
Sailing Club we feel
strongly that our younger Members are our future and that, as a Club,
we should
do everything to ensure that they can take a full part in all our
activities in
a safe and comfortable environment.
UWSC Child
Protection
Policy
As defined in the Children Act 1989, for the purposes of this policy anyone under the age of 18 should be considered as a child. The policy also applies to vulnerable adults.
It is the policy of UWSC to safeguard children and young people taking part in boating from physical, sexual or emotional harm. UWSC will take all reasonable steps to ensure that, through appropriate procedures and training, children participating in UWSC activities do so in a safe environment. We recognise that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount and that all children, whatever their age, gender, disability, culture, ethnic origin, colour, religion or belief, social status or sexual identity, have a right to protection from abuse.
UWSC actively seeks to:
Create a safe and welcoming environment, both on and off the water, where children can have fun and develop their skills and confidence.
Support and encourage recognised training centres, affiliated clubs and class associations to implement similar policies.
Recognise that safeguarding children is the responsibility of everyone, not just those who work with children.
Ensure that all UWSC events are run to the highest possible safety standards.
Be prepared to review its ways of working to incorporate best practice.
We will:
Treat all children with respect and celebrate their achievements.
Carefully recruit and select all employees, contractors and volunteers.
Respond swiftly and appropriately to all complaints and concerns about poor practice or suspected or actual child abuse.
This policy relates to all Members, Guests, employees, contractors and volunteers who work with children or vulnerable adults in the course of their UWSC duties. It will be kept under periodic review. All relevant concerns, allegations, complaints and their outcome should be notified to the UWSC Child Protection Officer.
Issue1.1 November 2009 John Bowen
About a month
ago I was packing my bags,
dreading a
I wasn’t
going alone. My company was an odd
mixture of folk; two brothers from
My brother
Tony and I caught the train up to
After a short
journey on the Red Funnel - and
what I considered to be a few near
misses with some pretty ominous looking tankers – we arrived. We were greeted by our instructor and a RIB,
ready and waiting to take us to
It’s an
impressive place, UKSA. They have a
spectacular fleet that includes a couple of Challenger yachts, a
Broadblue 38
Catamaran, over sixty-five dinghies (including Lasers and Dart 16s),
three J80s
and two
I hadn’t quite known
what to expect from the
accommodation. Approaching in the RIB I was pleasantly surprised by the
sight
of Lister House. The building was modern, blue and with an excellent
view of
the marina. So, as you can imagine, I was rather disappointed to
discover my
room was located in the next building along. “Invincible” it was called
– I
thought yes, one this old would have to be. Thankfully, once inside it
was an
entirely different story; the rooms were warm and welcoming – just what
is needed
after a day at sea. Being the only girl
in single sex accommodation did have its perks, an eight-bed room and
spacious
bathroom all to myself.
We familiarised ourselves
with our rooms and each other, had a quick lunch and then it was time
to
sail.
As an experienced
sailor, starting off in Picos wasn’t particularly exciting – but that
didn’t
last for long. Out came the Vagos, Laser 2000s, RS Visions and one
afternoon,
when the sun was splitting the sky, a J80. A step up, as you can
imagine, from
my little Topper at Upton Warren in Worcestershire. It
was
a glorious day and Cowes England
During the week I
acquainted my palate with new flavours. In the canteen, with their
infamously
obscure sandwich fillings and on the water. One I particularly took a
liking to
was sailing on a trapeze. Although being in the water attached to the
top of
the teetering mast is not the most pleasant of situations, nor is it
the
easiest of all skills to master - it’s worth it when you do.
It was hard to miss
the evening itinerary stapled to my door. There was one activity that
puzzled
us, however. It wasn’t until the very last day we were finally apprised
that
“Sandown Pier” isn’t a gruelling task involving glass paper and miles
of
boardwalk. It simply involved a half an hour car journey to the other
side of
the island to waste a few coppers in machines.
Sure, I learned lots
new skills. Learned new knots improved my sailing and got my Seamanship
Coastal
but those aren’t the most valuable lessons I left the Island on the Red Funnel
with. No, my top tip for any budding sailor is be sure to tie your
knots
correctly when towing two boats behind you – best not have them come
loose and
boats go astray whilst leaving the marina, surrounded by skilled
yachtsmen.
I would not hesitate
in recommending UKSA. The staff were informative and friendly, the food
was
excellent and caterers generous. And the sailing? Superb. Time
spent
there is time well remembered.
A Literary Sailing Quiz - Emma Hancox
-
Who is the Captain in Walt Whitman’s poem “Oh Captain, My Captain”?
-
Who was the greatest voyager in all of Earthsea
- Which poet
wrote the following poem on his return from
several years aboard HMS Conway?
“I must
down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And
all I ask
is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the
wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
- The Lord Drinian captained which ship that sailed beyond the Lone Islands?
- If John Walker was captain of Swallow, who was captain of Amazon?
- Who was Captain Ahab looking for when he sailed the seas on The Pequod?
- Which
Scottish
poet wrote the following poem?
“A Wet
sheet and a flowing sea,
A
wind that
follows fast,
And
fills the
white and rustling sail,
And
bends the
gallant mast--
And
bends the
gallant mast, my boys,
While,
like
the eagle free,
Away
the good
ship flies, and leaves
Old
England
on the lee.”
- Who sailed to Whitby on the Demeter?
- Which submarine appeared in both Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island
- To
whom
did
the Ancient Mariner tell his Rhyme?
Answers to Literary sailing quiz
The Topper Nationals
Kai Loudon
I
took part in my first Topper nationals during August at the National
Sailing Centre in Pwllheli,
The
first two days were taken up with several races where they mixed the
fleet up and worked out which fleet we were finally going to end up in.
I was
pleased to gain a place in the Silver fleet, but the weather throughout
the
week was generally good and I found it difficult sometimes with the
waves,
which were really hard work compared to anything I had sailed before
and
certainly not even comparable with Upton Warren. On the last
day of
racing, the
weather was 20 knots gusting to 30 knots onshore but with bad
visibility, so
the racing was a postponed whilst Dave Cockerill and Dave Hivey held an
impromptu coaching session on sailing in waves in the marquee. When
there was a
chink in the visibility and the fleet went to the beach, but the mist
came down
once again which led to another wait. Eventually the front
went over,
the skies
cleared and the wind dropped a little so the fleet went out on the
water for
what was to become the two final races of the event. For the final
race, the
wind built again and the Silver fleet were treated to the sight of a
pod of
Dolphins cruising around.
For me, the opportunity of sailing for several days in a row on the sea was a real learning experience. I learnt that it’s a good idea to keep a chinagraph pencil in your boat to write down the sail numbers of those crossing the line both before and after you, as on one race, where I think I came 10th several more experienced sailors around me appealed and I lost 3 or 4 places. I couldn’t appeal as I didn’t remember who was around me on the finish line. Next year’s Topper event is in East Lothian from 31st July 2011 and I would recommend other Topper sailors to go along and have some fun.
I would also like to thank WSSCA for the
loan of the box trailer, which meant that we had enough space
for all
the boat stuff, and the family (plus dog!) could camp nearby!
SAIL
BOAT SHIP
QUIZ
Gill Ansfield
All
answers
are expressions containing ‘BOAT’,
‘SHIP’ or ‘SAIL’
1 Arrive
too
late
2 With
everything
spick and span
3 Traditional
Arabian
transport
4 On
a roll
5 Upset
the
equilibrium
6 Having
a
similar experience
7 Deceptively
not
what you appear to be
8 Captain
practising
ultra-efficiency
9 Uncomplicated
progress
10 When
luck finally comes your way
11 Strangers
meeting
briefly
12 Meets
the ferry at
13 Reacting
frugally
to circumstances
14 Long
journey to the Orient
15 A
warning against false economy
16 Celebrate,
no
expense spared
17 On a
wing and a prayer
18 Make
certain there is no going back
You can read all about it on the RYA website.
http://www.rya.org.uk/infoadvice/racing/Pages/portsmouthyardstick.aspx
However it gets very technical, so my aim in this article is to give a simplified explanation of how it works.
Firstly, there are other schemes. The Americans use a different system, (well they would wouldn’t they) and there are other schemes in use around the world. Ours is worked in conjunction with feedback to the RYA from RYA affiliated clubs.
This is how it works. When a new boat is introduced by a manufacturer it is evaluated at the RYA and a provisional number (PY) is calculated on the strength of the physical dimensions and sail size.
At the end of
each sailing season clubs feed back to the RYA results from their
races. These
results are compared against the race positions of the other boats and
eventually a clearer picture of this new boat’s actual speed begins to
appear.
The boat is then allocated a Secondary Number (SY). As time goes on and
more
results are obtained the boat will then get a permanent number called
its
Portsmouth Yardstick Number (PN). These numbers can be changed,
particularly in
development classes, such as the Merlin Rocket and International 14. In
the
main however, once a number is fixed, it is generally static. Boats
like the
GP14, the
Now that we have
these numbers it is easy to generate a calculation that will give a
boat a
position relative to other boats in the race. You can find the
calculation
which we use on page 10 section 3.9 of the Sailing Handbook which is
always on
the table at racing sessions and on the UWSC website
Jack Francis
Sailing Secretary
- Abraham
Lincoln
(Whitman wrote it as a tribute to Lincoln
after his assassination in 1865. The
‘ship’ is America and the ‘battle’, the Civil War),
- Ged, also known as Sparrowhawk (from The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin)
- Johnn Masefield (Sea Fever)
- The Dawn Treader (in C.S. Lewis’s The Voyage of The Dawn Treader).
- Nancy Blackett (in Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome)
- Allan Cunningham (A wet sheet and a flowing sea).
- Count Dracula (in Bram Stoker’s Dracula)
- A wedding
guest (The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel
Taylor Coleridge).
1 Miss the
BOAT
2 SHIPshape
and
3 SHIP of
the desert
4 With the
wind in your SAILS
5 Rock the
BOAT
6 In the
same BOAT
7 SAILing
under false colours
8 Running a
tight SHIP
9 Plain
SAILing
10 When your SHIP comes in
11 SHIPS that pass
in the night
12 The BOAT train
13 Trimming your SAILS
14 A slow BOAT to China
15 Don’t spoil the SHIP
for a ha’porth of tar
16 Push the BOAT out
17 SAILing close to the
wind
18 Burn your BOATS
to be held at Upton
Warren Outdoor Education Centre, Wychbold at 7.30pm Tuesday 5th April
2011
If
any member has an item to be included under 'Any other
business' please put it in writing, addressed to the Hon.
Secretary, to arrive not less than fourteen days before the meeting.
Any proposed change to the Constitution must
be submitted in writing to the Hon Secretary, at least one month before
the meeting and must bear the signatures of the proposer and seconder.
The nomination form for Officers and
Committee Members will be posted on the Club notice board at least 30
days before the meeting.
Please ensure that members you propose are willing and able to serve on
the Committee. Only members who have paid their 2011
subscriptions may vote in the elections, or on any proposal on the
Agenda.
Please do try to come along - It is your
chance to express your views on the running and future of the Club.
Upton Warren Sailing Club
Annual General Meeting
6th April 2010
Minutes
Present
Tony Vere
Commodore
Pete Webby
Vice
Commodore
Gill Ansfield
Treasurer
Mike Ansfield
Social
Secretary
Marian Lines
Secretary
Jack Francis
Sailing
Secretary
Pam Whiteside
Membership
Secretary
Dave Scrivens
Committee
Member
John Bowen
Committee
Member
Emma Pingstone
Junior
Committee Member
John Cawthen
Honorary
Member
And 28 other Club Members.
1.Apologies
John and Ann Davenport, Gary Alcock, Bill
Whiteside, Tim
Daly.
2.Minutes of
A.G.M.held
The minutes of the last meeting were circulated
and proposed
by John Bowen and seconded by Penny Vere without amendment
3. Amendments to
Constitution
It was proposed that
the constitution be amended in order to help us when applying for
funding from
the Lottery and other sources. At
the
present time we are considered a “closed” club because new members have
to be
approved by the committee. Details
of
these proposed amendments were on the notice board and circulated.
Section 3 paragraph 8b
As we occasionally
have members who are under 12 the words “and over the age of 12” are to
be
deleted.
“Class – 1 being a person who at the date of
election is
under the age of 18 and who shall have no vote.”
The word “make” to be deleted and the word “made”
inserted
after the work “request”
“Upon receipt of an application for membership
(save for
Temporary Membership), the Membership Secretary shall enter such
application in
a Register of members. New members will
be furnished with a copy of the Rules, Regulations and Byelaws of the
Club and
a request made for such payments as are necessary.”
Members voted unanimously to accept these
amendments.
Commodore
Commodore’s
report AGM 2010
Other plans
for the new season include a joint venture Open Day with the Centre and
other
on-site clubs on Bank Holiday Monday (3rd May) and the usual
New
Members’ Day (probably 9th May).
Our other
major activity, particularly over the past few months, has been the
production
of a Development Plan for the Club in response to an RYA initiative
promoted by
Gareth Brookes, whose assistance has been invaluable. A summary of the
key
points is included with the agenda and forms the basis for our
discussion of
members’ comments and fresh ideas.
Discussion
of development plan
John Ling
thought that the Club’s status as a racing club was weak and a long
term
strategy was needed to include Open Meetings.
The Commodore was aware of this but due to limited water time it
was
difficult to do, and reminded members that the fundamental reason for
the
club’s existence was to support the Centre and bring on people new to
sailing,
who did not always want to go straight into racing.
Derek
Sutton felt that cruising time had diminished – the Commodore replied
that
there were lots of opportunities to cruise, Saturday Evening, Friday
Evenings
and on Ad Hoc days as well as during racing times.
Viv Brookes
felt that Team Racing was a good way of raising awareness of the club
and
centre, but once again availability of water was an issue as unless we
gave up
one of our Sundays accommodating such events it would be
difficult.
James Burke
asked why we were not approaching the local University to promote the
Club and Centre.
Robin Pitt
suggested that in order to reach working people we should produce an A4
poster
to put up on notice boards in people’s workplaces, libraries etc.
Articles in
the local papers were being included in the committee’s strategy for
this
coming year.
Vice Commodore
Once again members were reminded that unless they
sign up
beforehand for duties it will be necessary for him to allocate duties,
and that
it is their responsibility to find replacement if they are unable to do
it. The duties list is available on
the
Website.
He was asked if four duties per person per year was enough,
as some extra duties were needed at the end of the year.
The Vice Commodore replied that until we had
a final figure of how many members we will have, he could not really
answer
this
question.
Treasurer
Income 2009
Income has benefited from:
A slight rise in adult membership fees (up by £215) & student
membership fees (£95)
Being able to keep junior fees instead of paying them to the
Centre (£430)
The cost of repairs to club boats was higher this
year, but
are kept to a minimum through the labour of club members
Insurance is expensive, but remained stable
Fixed Assets
We did not buy or sell any club boats in 2009.
The change in value of fixed assets is due to
depreciation.
Current Assets
The bank balance is higher at the end of the year.
Net Assets
The treasurer had amended this part of the balance
sheet for
the years 2006 to 2009, making slight adjustments.
Accumulated fund is brought forward from the previous year.
The only two aspects that can change the fund value are
a) the profit/loss for the year (income minus
expenditure). This year has a profit
of
£498.03
b) change in the value of net assets. This
year it is a loss of £350
(Gill had added a new line in the balance sheet to
reflect
this)
Being a small club, with straightforward finances, the
treasurer felt that simplicity and transparency were the most important
things.
Proposed by Dave Cornellison, Seconded by Dave Holt.
Accounts accepted
Following agreement with the centre,
Bank Holiday sessions were now on the
calendar so that duties can be allocated, but these sessions could be
cancelled, if the Centre gets a booking.
The Friday evening junior race series will finish at the end
of July, as it has been found the school holidays affect the attendance. If attendances do not fall off there is no
reason why ad hoc races cannot be run if
required.
Results will be put onto the Website as soon as possible and
will still be in the book.
Members were asked if they could refrain from crowding round
the officers and the computer after the races, as it can be distracting
and
cause mistakes to be made.
An invite has gone out to centre staff, reconfirming that
they are welcome to come and sail with us if they are interested and
will be
eligible to compete for trophies in all series.
Penny Vere suggested that the two Saturday Evening Series should
be combined to make qualifying easier., This was agreed by the members
and the
Sailing Secretary undertook to make the necessary alterations to the
results
and to the racing calendar.
At the time of the AGM there are 17 Junior members
and 52
Adult members, which is low for this time of yearand at least 4 people
are not
rejoining. Several new members still
have to complete the CRB forms.
The Dinghy Park is full and there is a waiting list, and
there are three toppers which are not supposed to be there, this
situation is
in hand.
Centre Duties are now only 2 sessions or 1 full day.
Club Duties – will have to increase if numbers do not rise.
New members are always told they can cruise during race
times.
After many years serving on the committee Pam is not serving
again.
Social Secretary
Speakers
1. We enjoyed a number of excellent outside speakers
in 2009/10
(We normally pay a fee of £25 - £30, which goes to their
expenses or appropriate charity)
David Wornham
Tuneful
Tubes
Nov
09
Margaret Anderson
The
Derek Hurst
A
Pickled Past
Feb
10
Steve & Jenny Hailstone
From
(Speakers have said how much they enjoyed talking
to us – a
great audience!)
2. Many thanks also to our Members
for their inspiring contributions
Geoff Briscoe
Patagonia:
a Photographic Journey
Jan
10
& Tony Vere
Crystals
in Our Lives
Talks from club members are always very
welcome(and also are
more profitable for the club – each speaker gets a bottle!)
We hope to repeat the
format of a couple of members sharing an evening
Socials
Thanks to everyone for coming along to
Skittles at Droitwich
RBL
Mar 10
After the usual panic about numbers, the GALA
EVENING in
November was a great success, with nearly everyone having fun and
joining in
the dancing.
Band, caller and buffet were great. There
is plenty of room and an inexpensive
bar and the hire or the room costs only £30 if we use their
caterer.
But there has been some concern about the state of the
seating and the sometimes slippery floor. The Wychbold RBL may not be
able to
afford to renovate the furnishings.
Does anyone have a suggestion for an alternative venue
– which has room for a band, a dance floor and
has a bar – and doesn’t cost the earth???
Retiring & New Social
Secretary
I’ve very much enjoyed arranging the social
programme, but I
feel it is time for a change!
Thanks to everyone for their support.
Good luck to the new social secretary.
The Commodore expressed the club’s thanks to Mike and Gill
for all their work.
5.Head of Centre’s
Report
The Centre’s year had been a smooth one, good
summer
attendance but Autumn and Winter very quiet.
Some Health and Safety issued raised at other centres has
meant an increase in staffing.
New boats have been purchased, Laser Bugs, Topazs
Worcestershire has 4 outdoor centres and they are being put
under the heading Worcestershire Outdoor and Environmental Learning
Services.
As of now there will be no more financial support from the
County.
Phil Ascough has been receiving treatment for a brain tumour
and will begin a staged return in May.
Open Day 3rd May – various clubs and groups have
been invited, Dave Germain in charge of organization.
The Centre has a business plan in place and for the past
year has been keeping to this plan.
6.Election of
Officers and Committee
Nominations had been received in writing for most
positions. There were no contested posts
and accordingly
the written nominations were unanimously elected en bloc as follows
Commodore
Tony
Vere
Vice Commodore
Pete
Webby
Secretary
Marian
Lines
Treasurer
Mike
Acaster
Sailing Secretary
Jack
Francis
Membership Secretary
Mary
Starkey
Social/Catering Secretary
Geoff
Briscoe
New Members Representative
Robin
Pitt
Cruising Secretary
Terry
Collings
Committee Member
John
Bowen
Junior Member
Emma
Pingstone
Junior Member
Daniel
Gallant
1 Committee Member place remains unfilled – for
co-option by
the committee if needed
Bill Whiteside had expressed a wish to resign. The Commodore asked for a volunteer to fill
the vacant post. Gill
Ansfield
agreed to undertake this .
Dave Holt and Gill Ansfield were unanimously appointed.
Dave Holt and Bill Whiteside were thanked by the Commodore
for their work last year.
Club Boats – members were reminded that on Sundays
there
were two sessions so the usage fee would be £2 each session. If necessary we would have to
reintroduce a
draw system for these boats.
Adult Application Form
Junior Application Form
Boat Park Application form