Weymouth
Sailing
Club

Local sponsors are giving support to the National Squib Championships being held in Weymouth Sailing Club from 27 June - 3 July 2009 in a number of ways.

Clipper Teas of Beaminster is donating sufficient tea and coffee for the championship sailors to be offered free hot drinks throughout the week. In exchange for providing this service the Club is asking the sailors to make a voluntary contribution to the chosen charity The Chesil Trust.  The Chesil Trust is a Dorset based registered charity to enable young or disabled people to enjoy the thrills of sailing.   For some years, in conjunction with the W&P National Sailing Academy, Sail Laser and the County Council's Outdoor Education Centre in Weymouth, it has enabled children in Year 6 of Dorset schools to 'Sail for a Fiver'. 

Dean and Reddyhoff Marinas are providing launch and recovery and storage facilities for the event. Other sponsors who have each sponsored a day of the regatta are Arthur Savage Insurance from Dorchester, Dream Cottages, Haven Holidays and The Heights Hotel, Portland.  O'Three wetsuits are supporting the championship clothing range.  Palmers Brewery has always supported the Club when it hosts events and is providing beer.  Prizes are being provided by  Portland Leisure and Sport, The Sea Life Centre, Brewers Quay and Lloyds Bank.

The Club is very grateful for this support and, with 64 entries already registered, is looking forward to a successful 'Nationals'.

The start of season is almost upon us.  The traditional start is with the Tony Bennett Pursuit race.  Please read the following documents for more information...

  2009 Tony Bennett Pursuit Race Notice of Race

  2009 Tony Bennett Pursuit Race Sailing Instructions

 2009 Tony Bennett Pursuit Race Start Times

There is always great excitement in the Club at the launch of a new boat, so a group of Squibbers joined Gareth Evans, with his crew Lyn Matthews and Stuart Carr, on Friday morning 17 April to name his new Squib 'Cold Fusion'.  Gareth named the boat by pouring a half pint of Palmer's best brew over her bow before launching her for the first time.

Gareth has been a keen sailor in the Squib fleet for some years and his old boat 'Quicksilver' has changed hands and is now going to be campaigned by Eddie Harper and Steve Dadd.

We wish Gareth and Cold Fusion good sailing and welcome new Squib sailors Eddie and Steve to the fleet.

The 2009 YCW Spring Series ended on Sunday 3rd May.  The final race took place in great conditions, a F4 northwesterly breeze gave a sunny race with flat seas.  The RO Euan McNair set a good course with restricted inner marks as Optimists were racing near the outer marks.

Going into the final 3 IRC boats were in contention but the Sigma 33 'Snowgoose' won the series with a second place in this race, just clinching it by 8 seconds.  'Sapphire' was 2nd and 'Saskia VI' was 3rd.

The PY series was won by 'Misty' with 'Jasrah 3' in second and 'Dark Star' third.

Many thanks to all the Race Officers, their teams, committee boat drivers for making this a very enjoyable start to the new season.

The picture shows Sapphire enjoying the sunshine on the final race. 

In wonderful spring sunshine, club members joined together to toast the launch of the Club's new committee boat Viking II.  Commodore Melita Biggs spoke of how the purchase of the first committee boat Viking I improved the standard of racing in the Club.  Because of this success the decision was made to upgrade to a bigger boat.  The new boat was purchased in December 2008 needing a lot of work to bring her up to the club's criterion.  A team of voluntary workers expertly headed by Don Cutler have put in countless hours of work and managed to complete it under the allocated budget . 

Melita invited Don to sprinkle champagne over the bow and name the boat Viking II.  He said that he had enjoyed leading the team and thanked all the members who had stepped forward to do the work. 

Installed on the boat is a fully automated countdown system for starting races developed by Don Cutler and Simon Vines.  Weymouth Sailing Club Race Officers will certainly appreciate the new systems and facilities this summer.

Launch of Viking II takes place on Monday 6 April followed by some sea trials and training of drivers.  She will be seen on course for the start of the YCW Spring Series starting on Sunday 12 April 2009.

2009_Spring_Series_Entry_Form   2009_YCW_Spring_Series_SIs  2009_YCW_Spring_Series_NORr

 Adam Bowers was on his best form on Friday night when he entertained our own YOBs (Youths on Boats) as well as visiting cadets from Castle Cove SC.  He gave his talk "How to Race a Course" to a packed club of young and young at heart sailors.

 Adam, who is on crutches at the moment due to an injured achilles tendon, kept everyone interested for two hours with his unique ability to teach while entertaining.  However without his brother Richard the talk would not have taken place as he is not only Adam's driver at the moment but also his pack horse (we did feel sorry for him).  Adam voiced his intentions to spend an evening on the water with the YOBs if his schedule can allow for it.

This year's Cruiser Class dinner enjoyed the company of three outstanding sailors whose disciplines were at opposite ends of the sailing spectrum. Two times Olympic Gold medalist Sarah Dempsey (Yingling,) husband Nick Olympic bronze medal winner (RS-X windsurfer) and Henry Adams a twenty four year old who took a year out to sail his Folkboat to the Carribean and back, graced the top table.

After the meal Steve Fraser introduced Henry to the floor; he gave us a brief insight to the damp and cramped world of cruising in a Folkboat.  Sarah and Nick then held a question and answer session and drew the raffle with prizes from Bussels.

Steve Fraser then informed the floor that Sarah and Nick had kindly donated two trophies to the club for the YOB's and following a carefully rehearsed introduction from Nick, Sarah presented Steve Fraser with the Peregrine Cup, the Commodores Award for outstanding service to the club. The raffle covered the costs of the evening and the surplus of £60 was donated to Sarah's charity Menegitis UK of which she is patron. The cheque was presented by Josie Dadd to Sarah later in the week.

After twenty four races over nine weeks, the Achilles cup series between Rumrunner WSC and Orion CCSC was drawn at twelve races each.

Last Sunday the decider was held over a longer distance course, which was in complete contrast to previous starts which were a short beat and run - the boat second over the line signalled the five minutes of the next start.   Last Sunday's start was positioned near F mark, with a beat through the northern entrance of Portland Harbour, a reach to the eastern entrance then a run back to the start, twice round.

Both boats ducked the line on the start but with Rumrunner to windward in very light airs, she managed to maintain boat speed and pull away from Orion and covered her every move until Orion fell into a wind hole the second time around in the northern entrance and forfeited any chance of getting their hands on the Achilles trophy for another year.

Mark Bugler presented the winning crew with the trophy in the club house.

Members of the WSC Squib fleet manned the Squib stand at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show on Alexandra Palace on Sat 7 and Sun 8 March 2009.

Peter Jackson made up a display stand to promote Weymouth Sailing Club and the 2009 National Squib Championships taking place from 27 June - 3 July 2009.  Nine other members of the local Squib fleet helped out during the two busy days. Displayed on the stand is Squib 11, the first boat to be produced by Oliver Lee from the original mould.  She had been completed refurbished and refitted by Tony Saltonstall, Squib Technical Adviser during the winter. 

The helpers were wearing a 'uniform' of polo shirts with the Squibs09 logo.  Championship clothing with the same logo will be shown at the Squib Class dinner on 14 March and will be available for purchase before the Championship.  Details of the Championship can be found on www.Squibs09.org.uk

Photo:  Weymouth Saturday team Peter Jackson, Alan McDine, Ernie Lee and Alan McDine with Richard and Adam Bowers.

Our cadets have started to find out how to maintain a dinghy with the hands on approach. Over the next few weekends they will be rubbing down, cleaning, painting and maintaining our dinghy fleet. The group are being lead by Nathan Moss our cadet captain, who's doing a great job of rounding up the team. Well, done everyone who have already taken part.