July 2015 Commodores Consolidation

The East end of the clubhouse is no longer that brown colour with flaking paintwork, it is now club blue thanks to some cladding. Not just cosmetic, it will stop the damp getting in and smartens up the appearance in one go. Took a bit longer to get sorted than planned but it’s done now, hope you like it. It is a robust material unlike the existing white cladding.

Sheds and men, what is it about the two of them, we do like to spend time in them. A new alarm system has been installed at Seaford and all the sheds at Seaford are now covered, so we can set about getting a system where all members can have the opportunity to work on their boats using the club facilities. We have had an issue in the past with high electricity usage by people working on their boats and we will see if we can sort something out to cover that, cue Alan please for advice. There will be a total review and sort out of everything in the sheds and a look at how best to operate any system. But it will be fair and open to all, so lets all be able to get all those boat repair and maintenance jobs done in the dry with plenty of space to work.

The Commodores consolidation title refers to the year going forward, we will have the six month financial report in a few days and will be looking to keep expenditure to a normal level for the rest of the year. So any major works not budgeted for will be put into next years expenditure budget. Please take good care of the equipment purchased and ensure all engines are checked for oil and fuel before starting. The better we treat machinery boats and equipment, the longer it will serve us well.

The club brochure and calendar we print every year is available on the website and can be downloaded to your phone. It costs a lot to print and I am not sure it is read or used by many. The other problem with printing a brochure is any changes can’t be made whereas we can always upload an amended version to the website. The times have changed and I have found myself running calendars based on historic practices. With social media, emails and websites we can be less rigid with social activities and have a flexible and weather wise approach to some events. We can also publish the calendar in Mainsheet on a monthly basis next year. The two new Rigiflex boats and engines have arrived, are at the pond and in use. We are now fixing the old Rigiflex named Tony Barr, the new ones are yet to be named so get thinking of names. I am happy to put names on the boats, suggestions please.

It has been a busy June with NSSC hosting the Federation races, Which NSSC won, then , and Opens. Well done to Bill winning the Topper open and Laurence the Streaker Open, didn’t we do well! I took the opportunity to talk with other clubs about their experiences and ideas tried to encourage sea or travelling to events. It appears that in general people are less likely to travel these days and also sail on a morning but not so much in the afternoons. The times have changed and families and individuals tend to be a lot busier with more diverse diaries. We are fortunate in having the pond and can cater for diverse needs also the sea front venue, ease of parking, and catering makes us a very attractive club. But perhaps it is time for a rethink, the target is to get more sailing at sea, more often, and make more use of all our facilities.

The webcam has been fitted, it just needs linking to the website, easier said than done as I have found. I can access it and took a few stills at the wellie throwing, so will keep you posted. One of the problems is our IP changing as the router keeps being rebooted, you can’t make it up!!

Hope you are all ready for and Sailing week, should be a good time for all, see you there. Ian Johnson Commodore

Chichester Yacht Club Regatta 2015

Jonty and Neil headed for Chichester Yacht Club on the 7th June representing Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club in the Chichester Yacht Club Regatta. Competition in the fast handicap fleet included RS 200, 400, 600's an International and one classic ! (Jonty and Neil)

The event attracts competitors from many of the local clubs. It could not have been a better day, fantastic conditions, a proper taste of summer sailing at last. And how did they do? Second overall!

INTRODUCTION TO SEA SAILING This is a dedicated course to introduce you to sea sailing:

14:00 ……….Meet at Seaford, take boats down to beach and rig.

14:30 .………Briefing on how to launch and recover boats. Demonstration on launching and recovery.

15:00 .………Launch boats and ‘free sail’ around the bay.

16:00 .………De-rig boats, return to boat park. Chat over cuppa tea!

This course will be held on the following Saturdays:

11 th July / 25 th July / 15 th August / and lastly 22 nd August

For further information, please contact Roger & Kathy Thomas 07718798290 email: [email protected]

Succession planning

Boring bit, repeated, we need more volunteers coming forward to fill roles for 2016 onwards, every year some officers stand down so we need replacements. It is better with a handover period, we get a bit of continuity then.

Thanks to last months boring bit we now have a stand in bar manager.

We will need a treasurer next year, always a difficult role to fill, but now the bookkeeping is not volunteer based all we require is a purchase ledger function to compliment the treasurer. These are part time roles and would suit anyone with financial experience or background. Can’t add up? Keep money in teapots? You’ll be perfect.

It is a members club so the more people involved the better, there are sub committees so you can test the water and join the pond, social, sailing committees, or just offer to get involved and help out with activities. Everything we do needs help of some description so there is something for everyone. It’s as involved as you want it to be.

It’s your club so step up and help keep it running smoothly. On Monday 10th August Alex will be attempting an Everest challenge in memory of his uncle Steve Duncan, to raise money for Cancer Research UK, it will consist of riding the equivalent height of the great mountain on a on his race bike.

He has chosen a section Beachy Head to climb which will see him ride the 8,848 mtrs taking around 17 hours in the saddle to cycle the 84 laps and starting at about 04.00 am on the morning of the 10th.

Steve was one of Alex`s biggest supporters and helped to influence his career, a fellow Laser sailor, good mate and friend to many at the club.

As we have a few hardy cyclist in the club anybody wanting to accompany him for a few laps will be most welcome, all proceeds will go to Cancer Research, please donate through the link below. www.justgiving.com/alex-mills-barton The Streaker Open, a competitors view Cloudy and with some drizzle in the air as I set off for NSSC from Hove – thankfully just over 25 minutes away. On arrival it turned out that apart from myself there was only one other visitor and with the one local boat the fleet was to be three strong (or weak in real terms). Luckily there were two other fleets, 10 Lasers and 9 Toppers in the joint event, otherwise it could have been a total non-event. The Race Officer, Rupert Smith, had set a ‘P’ course, from a Committee boat anchored in Seaford Bay with the windward leg heading almost dead offshore (South West) fairly close inshore and well clear of the Cross Channel Ferries out of the harbour. The breeze was initially light, force 2 to 3 and increased slightly over the day.

Three races were planned, one before lunch and two back to back afterwards with the Streakers first away. At the gun it was James Dawes (Redditch SC) who was first across the line with Laurence Veunus (Newhaven & Seaford SC) next and lastly Alan Simmons (Lancing SC) bringing up the rear by a couple of seconds. Up the first beat Laurence slipped into the lead and was first to round the windward and set off down the first reach. James was next to round closely followed by Alan but Laurence commenced to pull away from the trailing pair. James continued to lead Alan who stayed not far behind but unable to catch up and the order stayed the same for the rest of the race with Laurence taking the gun with a substantial lead. After lunch Race2 got underway in a slightly stronger breeze, middle force 3, from the same direction but with a bit more chop on the sea. Once again it was James first off the blocks with Alan next and then Laurence. James was first to the windward mark and off along the reach with Alan in pursuit and Laurence just behind. Down the next reach all three boats were but a couple of lengths apart and on the following run Laurence squeezed past Alan. On the subsequent upwind leg Laurence was unable to pass James before going through the gate for the start of the second lap. Alan made a hash of his tack for the line and went into irons and by the time he got back in control had dropped well back. James continued to pull away ahead and Laurence was unable to catch him before the end of the fourth and final lap. Race 3, back to back with race 2, saw Laurence away first just ahead of James with Alan still last man to go but all three boats in close company all round the first lap until James suffered a capsize on the run towards the shore letting Alan through to second place. Yet again Laurence began to establish a good lead which he held to the finish and James was unable to catch up with Alan. At the prize giving it was Laurence who took first place with two wins under his belt, James was second and Alan brought up the rear.

Rank Boat Class SailNo Club HelmName Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Total Nett 20.6.15 20.6.15 20.6.15 1st Mistyblue Streaker 1706 N S S C Laurence Venus 1.0 (2.0) 1.0 4.0 2.0 2nd Streaker 1892 Redditch S C James Dawes 2.0 1.0 (3.0) 6.0 3.0 3rd Last Bash Streaker 1700 L S C Alan Simmons (3.0) 3.0 2.0 8.0 5.0

Alan S Bosuns Hints and tips for Rescue Boat Skippers and Crews

Thought I would pen some useful info for rescue boat crews Laying Marks When laying marks drop the Anchor first so that you can ensure that the warp is at least twice as long as the depth of water you lay it in, and the chain attached to the anchor is meant to lie on the sea bed to ensure the anchor digs in. This method also ensures that the warp does not get wrapped round the anchor on the way down. If warp is not long enough there are extension lengths on Ark, however please note that some marks have long warps and some short, use the short ones for the inshore bouys. Also check the knots and shackles are secure. We loose a number of anchors with warps each year and that’s about £200 a hit, so it pays to check. ( Under no circumstances use the warp for the boat anchor for a mark ) If you don’t have enough marks for the course ask the race officer to change the course.

Don’t drop marks close to the Bathing buoys, the warps can get entangled, use a loop over mark instead on the bathing Buoy.

Drop over the up wind up tide side of the boat so once its down you will naturally drift off the mark. Drop the anchor so that it does not snag under the boat once down so consider tide and wind and always make sure engine is in neutral.

For the A mark its easier to gauge where to drop it if the race officer has set the start line transit up before you get on station then its only a question of how far out to sea along the transit you drop it. Again drop it up tide then you can always pull it onto the line but supper precision is not important so long as its slightly beyond the transit, so boats round the mark after going over the transit.

There is a small pink oval mark with an AP anchor and short warp, this is specifically for the inner lane mark in the start line, its short warp makes it easier to lay accurately, however do not forget to put the anchor top bar retaining wedge in place before dropping, or else it will just slide along the bottom!. Bear in mind that the A mark of the course is always the most seaward mark on the transit, so on subsequent laps of the course the dinghies will not be using the lane mark. Once the race has commenced the RO may ask you to lift it to avoid confusion, just don’t forget to drop it again if there is another race!

Retrieving marks

If the mark appears to be jammed on the seabed try tying it to the boat and pulling it up tide on moderate power in reverse. The electric winch on Ark should normally do the job.

Always come up to the mark from the down tide and wind side. If you are using Ark this is critical, if you don’t you are very likely to get the mark warp rapped round the prop. When Ark is put in neutral the propeller will turn slowly for a few seconds, and if the warp gets under the boat due to the wind and tide pushing Ark onto it, you will have a problem. If you realise this is happening soon enough, rather than sticking with it drop the mark reverse out and have another go. If you think it’s too late turn off the engine. There is a prop shaft access cover in the floor immediately behind the engine housing, if the warp is only lightly caught, you might be lucky and be able to turn the prop by hand backwards to free the warp.

If its badly jammed up put down the anchor on Ark until rib is free, as a mark anchor is not big enough to hold Ark in position and it won’t do the prop shaft cutlass bearing any good dragging an anchor. Once Ark is secure then you need to get rib to lift the mark anchor before you get towed back to the berth where we can sort it out in slow time. When anchoring Ark use at least three times as much anchor line as depth of water.

If you really have a jammed Anchor and feel you need to cut the warp please tie a small pink plastic loop-over type mark to it, so that others have an op- portunity to recover it later, or we can ask the local dive club to help out. Radios Call signs: Ark, Orange Rib, Grey Rib Race box is Arrow use channel 37A/M1 or P1 depending on radio. Newhaven Harbour channel 12, please call them before entry or leaving .

In rough weather the microphones on the ribs can get wet. They are water proof but water tends to get lodged in the microphone and cause distortion on the voice. If this happens tap the mic down on your free hand this should dislodge the water and clear up the voice quality.

Please note that some of the radios have the high / Low power (25W/1W) switch on the handset, use low power unless on the long distance race or calling Arrow from the berth. Selected power setting is shown on the LCD display. Ribs On arrival connect fuel line and release fuel tank air bleed valve, before strapping in under seat.

Inspect propeller and check there are no fishing lines caught in the prop. If you do find one and cannot re- move completely please inform , as fishing lines will destroy the oils seals on the gear box and I need to remove the propeller to ensure this does not happen.

Both rib engines have mechanical locks to keep them up should the hydraulic lifts fail, these may need to be disengaged before dropping the engine, they are situated on the starboard side. Start engine ensure kill cord in place and engine in neutral.

Sort out marks and if any need air use foot pump in Ark’s bow locker. This also applies to Rib tubes.

Note the position of the warps before you slip the berth, so they can be replicated on return, its important that warps do not rub on the rib tubes un-necessarily.

Once off jetty call in on channel 12 for clearance to leave harbour, proceed down starboard side of river en- sure that no fishing lines catch on the engine. Don’t get too close at low tide!

Don’t bring ribs or ark close to the shore at any time unless you really know what you are doing, a wave can catch you out and worst case is beached rib best case error bent propeller, both these things have happened in the past!

Bits on Ribs

There is one switch on the console below the steering wheel which operates the navigation lights, please use on Wednesday evenings when the sun goes down.

The plastic container contains: Knife, Compass, thermal blanket, first aid kit, flares.

The bilge pump is automatic and will come on only when there is about 5cm of water by the pump.

The elephant trunks should not be needed unless the boat has been swamped by a wave. On grey rib the port side trunk can be dropped by the crew and is held up by elastic, so simply pull on the rope at the transom until the worst of the water has gone.

The anchors are secured forward by rope to the D ring at the bow to stop them sliding around. If you wish to use the anchor let all the warp out so that the external bow eye takes the load and does not rub on the spon- sons. A short rope allows the anchor warp to be easily retrieved when you need to raise it.

There are handles on ribs sponsons, these must not be used as mooring cleats, or securing tow lines for large dinghies, they are not strong enough for that purpose.

Don’t take ropes over the tops of the stern A frames you may break the lights or aerial. Bits on Ark

Ark has a large anchor in a bin in the wheel house. It also has a spare emergency anchor in a box in the for- ward cuddy, note this is not tied off to any fixing point.

Ark, like both ribs, has an automatic bilge pump. However it also has a manual pump on the port stern quarter, the handle for it is under the helms seat.

Under the seat are useful bits including mole grips to undo shackles and the key to undo the fuel cap. Spare life jackets can be found under the seat.

There is an emergency steering position available by removing the large rear cuddy cover on the transom, and fitting the bar in the rudder stock to forming a manual tiller arrangement.

The Electric winch is very powerful, but also draws a lot of current so use when the engine is running, simply lift the protection covers over the foot swatches to operate.

Air horn button is on the side of the console.

Mooring the Boats

Mooring up Ark All of the warps are secured to the pontoon and lengths set to give you: bow line, forward spring, rear spring, stern line.

Mooring Grey Rib Secure blue bow line to the pontoon cleat. Se- cure stern line directly to cleat on ark then take forward to the internal bow eye the anchor is se- cured to, this forms a spring so keeping the rib from hitting the jetty.

Mooring Orange Rib Because of where its moored it can get caught under the pontoon. When you arrive you will find a loop over mark or fender on the starboard forward quarter, keeping it away from the jetty. Please make sure you put this back when mooring up. Also as Orange rib is not the main rescue boat please transfer all marks back to ark before you leave. Rescue situations

Don’t forget your primary role is to rescue sailors, the boat comes second. If multiple boats are in trouble offer to take the sailor onto rib and go to all the boats in trouble before you start recovering dinghies.

Be aware that once you help a sailor they will be disqualified from the race, so they may want you to stand off or come back after some time, as they will prefer sort the situation out on their own if they can.

If boats are stacking up, more them to buoys until things are under control, and the race is over. Do not tow one boat all the way to the shore while others are in difficulty or likely to be so.

Terms used by sailors you may be called to help . If you go over to a boat to assist in some way and are asked to come along side approach slowly from the wind- ward side (i.e. opposite side to where the is), hold the boat into wind by moving forwards very slowly to give steerage, directly into wind or just off the wind so the boom of the dinghy is away from the rib. The helm of the dinghy should be advising you, however make sure there are no sheets (ropes) in the water that can catch in the prop. This is a dangerous maneuver and if you are not confident with boat control do not do it, stop the rib pointing into wind, and let the dinghy come to you.

All the ribs and Ark have tow lines, with a carbine hook on one end. Don’t through the hook at a dinghy, that end is for clipping on eyes on rib and will hurt the crew if it hits them!.

If a dinghy is inverted and the crew is unable to right it on their own then the action depends a little on the type of boat, (assuming no one else is in trouble)

If it is a single hander rig you might: Go to the bow so both boats are bow to bow facing each other with the boat crew at the bow with a rope (painter) ready to catch the dinghy. Then go slowly in reverse until the dinghy points into wind i.e. stern of rib is upwind of the dinghy, this should make it easier for the helm to bring the boat upright. If they are not able to do this it’s probably best to secure the boat to a spare mark or bathing and wait until sailors become free at the end of the race to recover the dinghy in slow time. Alternatively send the rib crew in to the water to help the sailor and stand off to recover once sorted. How- ever once you do this you are committed to that boat and cannot quickly get to any others that need help.

If it is a two manned boat with shrouds you might: Go to the up wind side bow to, and through a tow line to the crew. They take a turn round the lee side shroud, and simply hold the end of the rope. Rib goes astern slowly, and dinghy will roll up and then the crew simply lets go of the rope as it comes to the vertical. If it’s a then it depends on the type as to the action to take, this is not a simple rescue and if the crew is unsure it may require for the cat to be moored up until the end of the race. Make sure its far enough out to sea so the does not bottom out. General

Please leave the boats in a tidy state as you would wish to find them.

Please take your rubbish with you

Please don’t leave full cans of fuel on Ark, they are too easy to steel and security is not great.

I don’t have a problem with people making mistakes I just need to know, please tell me if something is wrong or damaged.

Chris Turner Bosun 'I need a little help from my friends'

Would any of you lovely souls be prepared to help out with social events?

We are a family centred club and while many duties run on the points system, many more are down to volunteers.

Louise and I are organising social events, but help with preparation, setting up and clearing up would really 'lighten the load'. Alternatively, if you would like to take a whole event and organise it, that too would be great.

In the past we have found sourcing items for special events and setting up can be good fun, especially if several of us are involved!

My plan is to have a list of volunteers to call on, the more I have the less I will have to call on the same individuals. However, if you wish to be involved on a regular basis, all the better.

If you can be free anytime to assist please send me a message -

[email protected]

If you wish to have a chat please include your phone number.

I am not asking for a lot of your time and it will help greatly in continuing to run some lovely social events.

Many thanks, Gilly Jones

Masterclass with Alex Mills-Barton

Alex has generously agreed to be available and give some advice, coaching and be generally helpful to our club sailors. The dates are: 11th & 12th July, the weather will decide the location and if we go to the pond then we will need to get suitable boats trailered over. But an opportunity not to be missed, we’ll keep you posted. Thanks Alex, much appreciated.

Holiday house in Catalunya…L’Ametlla de Mar…SPAIN

*Tennis court* * Swimming Pool* * Bikes* * Badminton* *Boule* *Golf Clubs*

This property can be seen at Spain-holiday.com I.D. 22612.

Well done the RYA Legal and Government Affairs Department

The chart below shows the revision to the Harbour Control Area as a result of representation made on our behalf by the RYA. The original control area included our frontage as far as The Buckle steps to the East, Bill spotted the problem, got on the case and the result is below, double quick time. So well done Bill, and a big thanks to Gus from the RYA. Recorders Notes

Generally June has been quite a month with several races being cancelled due to the weather. However, when we did sail we had some good races. The results for the June races are:-

Wed Eve Series - two of the races during June were cancelled due to the weather. Rupert and Chris won the series having three 1 st and two 2 nd places.

The Seaford Regatta on 31 st May, was cancelled - too windy.

The Federation Cup on 14 th June morning and afternoon was a great success with the club taking the overall prize. The fleet winners were :-

Cats ------ 16 (3240) - Jon & Clare Day, Eastbourne SC Fast Fleet ----- RS 800 - Andy & Allyson Jeffries, Eastbourne SC Medium Fleet - Laser 2000 - Roger McCall & Karen Hilder, Pevensey Bay SC Slow Fleet --- Streaker - Laurence Venus, Newhaven & Seaford S C.

The weather was ideal for a change and the event was well organised. As a bonus, we were also entertained by a flying from Eastbourne SC which was amazing. Well done to all those on duty and especially Rupert who missed out on a good days sailing to run the event.

The Laser, Topper and Streaker Open on Saturday 20 th June was another successful event with well set courses.

Bill Hudson did particularly well to win the Topper class against some good competition from vis- iting helms. Matt Springall took second place overall in the Lasers. I managed to win the Streaker class. Running the 3 classes together worked out very well.

Rupert and Chris sailing their are leading the Sunday AM Series 1 with Nick and Manuel Panzera in second place sailing their . The weather for last Sunday’s race (21 st June) was on the limit so only one of the two AM series sailed. Incredibly, considering the conditions no boats capsized.

Rescue boat crews . We have had some delays due to the rescue boats being stuck in the mud at Newhaven. If the tide is going to be very low when you take the boats out, can you arrange to move them to a deeper berth beforehand so you can get out on time for the race.

Signing on . Please remember to sign on and off - if you don’t, you won’t get points. To ensure your name is entered correctly on the results sheet please print it when signing on.

Events coming up soon :-

Seahaven Cup on 28 th June 2 races in the morning and one in the afternoon best 2 to count.

A new Wednesday Evening Series 2 starts on 1 st July.

Brighton & Back and the Portobello & Back on the 12 th July.

Sunday AM and PM Series on 5 th , 19th and 26 th July

Note the Catamaran Open which was originally going to be on Saturday 18 th July will now be on 5 th September.

The weather is likely to turn warmer now so I hope to see more of you out on the water soon.

Laurence.

NEWHAVEN & SEAFORD SAILING CLUB FOUNDED 28 th JUNE 1952

PRESIDENTS

1954 – 76 LORD CHELWOOD M.C. 1988 – 98 A.R. McCARROLL 2007 – S.J.CLAPHAM

COMMODORES

1953 – 1956 W.R.S. JOHNSON 1957 H.W. THOMPSON 1958 J.C. JENNER 1959 – 1962 M.E.F WAIGHT 1963 – 1967 D. DUNCAN-JONES 1968 – 1971 R.F.MORGAN 1972 – 1975 F.C. PRICE 1976 – 1978 K.C. BOURNE 1979 – 1982 A.J.W. NEALE 1983 – 1984 J.H. TATE 1985 R.S.G.CAWSE 1988 – 1990 D.H. MORGAN 1991 – 1994 M.J. WOOLLARD 1995 – 1996 A.G. MUDDLE 1997 P.E.LYNCH 1998 – 2000 M.P. BEAUMONT 2001 – 2006 S.J. CLAPHAM 2007 – 2009 R.H. SMITH 2010 – 2011 C.M. TURNER 2012 I. LAMBERT 2013 - I. JOHNSON

Font is Times New Roman

Those observant ones amongst you may have noticed that the Commodores board at Seaford hasn’t been updated since Rupert and Chris. It was with a Director until December 2014 to sort, then another took over, a revision looked at, but again a bit of a lull in completer finisher areas.

Anyway, the existing board layout had resulted in a new board being purchased in the past to accommodate new Commodores as it was heavy on space usage. The new layout idea above means we can have a board at both sites as each board can accommodate Commodores till the end of time…………...not quite true, probably another 120 years or so. Hope you like it, if you can spot any errors then please let us know. We hope to get both boards sorted this millennium. CATZ CHAT (AUTHOR 1531) June Happenings ! One Wed evening saw the sight of a making a valiant attempt to launch into high winds direct from the South with some big waves and unfortunately was unable to make it out into the bay, please, ANYONE, any boat, if you are new to launching at sea, let the RO know and he will arrange for the more experienced sailors to give advice and assistance.

Wednesdays continue to be great winds and some very exciting racing for all concerned, so why not give it a go and join us.

Does anyone want to try Cat sailing ? then please ask Terry or myself, Wednesday evenings would be best as we tend to race single handed on the Dart 15 on Sundays, having said that, I am sure we can accommodate either before or after the racing – Just ask. The going price for , you can pick up from £800.00 upwards and the Dart 15 from £1200 upwards, all depending on age etc, Dart 15 you can even dismantle and carry on your roof rack as I have done previously, it does help if you have the two-piece mast, I did not. I looked like something from the old Jousting games, I could have speared someone from the front of my car or rear ! Existing members would be pleased to support you on any viewings. Remember Dart 15 can be sailed single handed or you can sail with 2 up, preferably with lightweight crew. is also a great option with …come and give it a go.

Federation Cup Excellent racing for the cats, with 3 Dart 15 & 1 Dart 18 (NSSC) and 2 from other clubs. Shame we did not have more in attendance…..Next Year ! A great cat course, with an extra mark put in just for us. I will not mention the Moth that was out with us, wow, what a boat, it went so fast on its Hydrofoils, it kept the spectators bewildered along the promenade if nothing else. Where was the NSSC Dart 16 reported on last month you ask ? yep you guessed, the weather was not quite perfect, so, it was coffee time. To be fair, Kevin and Alan have been practicing in the Dart and it will not be long before they are joining us in our Sunday events. Alan without Kevin Proof that Alan does sail with Kevin !

Farther Day Racing Someone said the weather was just great, more a westerly direction which meant the sea was relatively flat…………not. Yours 1531 was the first out and decided to sail down to splashpoint, well that was interesting as the Newhaven harbour walls provided no protection, the sea swell was huge, with big waves , I sailed back to the club to see others launch, a cou- ple of Fireballs, Lasers and another Dart 15. We managed one race only and I think most were pleased to see Chris and Rupert head for the beach, so we all followed, what an adrenalin kick or was that an almost heart stopping 30 mins. Every- one was safe and well done to all who managed to race. After discussion, we decided the winds were close to 6 gusting 7 at times…………….(gulp)!

Cat Open at NSSC

Ok, I told you last month and will tell you again, put Sept 5th and 6th in you diaries.

Does anyway need crew (Dave Robertson). Let’s get as many cats out as we can please. What’s on in July

11th July Coaching at Seaford 10am 11th July Introduction to sea sailing at Seaford 2pm

25th July Coaching at Seaford 10am

25th July Introduction to sea sailing at Seaford 2pm 25th July Summer Party at Seaford 7pm

27th—31st July Cadet Week at Piddinghoe

Coming soon

Sailing Week, BBQ

Tilting at Windmills

As the season heads towards the two biggest events of the year starting with the World Championships in Kingson, Canada followed by the European Championships in Arrhus Denmark and the chance to represent the country in Rio, the next 3 weeks will be the most critical of Alex`s sailing career so far.

Whilst not quite hitting his 2013 form Alex has bounced back with good results at the International events, first up a hard fought Delta Lloyd qualification event for the Weymouth ISAF Sailing World Cup.

A poor first day saw him languishing in 59th, but a steady stream of good finishes in the 140 strong fleet pulled him through to 17th and a place Weymouth. As ever with the new format World Cup events only the Worlds best come to the table the first 3 days had high winds and high drama before a windless Friday saw no racing at all.

Alex was lying 15th and 9 points off the medal race places going into Saturdays final shootout, the wind had returned but was pretty shifty and made for some tricky racing.

It turned out to be a poor day for the Brits in the laser fleet, none of whom managed to get to grips with shifty conditions, Alex dropped to 20th with Nick Thompson 10th and the rest back in the pack, but considering the quality of the fleet it was still a pretty decent result as only 14 points separated 12th to 20th.

The Laser Olympic spot is the only one still up for grabs and hasn’t been decided yet as the competition has been so fierce, although Nick Thompson sits in pole position for the slot, a good Worlds and Euros could yet tip the balance for the NSSC sailor. Women on Water, Thursdays from 5pm at Piddinghoe pond.

For those who haven’t been before it is an informal and friendly way to either find out about sailing a dinghy, improve your skills, or just have fun on the water.

Penelope will be there to help and advise and I’m sure the regulars will all be there to enjoy a relaxing sail at the end of the day, safety boat on the water, hot drinks available.

If you use your own boat it’s free.

If you use a club boat it’s £5 to cover maintenance.

Rescue Boat Crews - Be Aware please

Due to the heavy build up of silt in the harbour the berths used by the rescue boats are often not accessible for about an hour either side of low water. So if you are returning to the berth at low water please moor up bow too the jetty. Do not try and pull Ark round onto the silt as you are likely to bend the rudder. Conversely if you are leaving at low water please ensure the boats are freely floating before starting as you could end up damaging the propellers, this has already happened with orange rib, or worse suck mud into the engine water inlet, and block it up.

We hope that the marina will be dredged in the next 6 to 8 weeks.

HOLIDAY HOME TO LET IN THE SAILING MECCA OF DEVON, SALCOMBE!

Ideally located at the entry to the town, this semi-detached house gives you ample parking outside for two cars or one car and a boat, two double rooms and a single, bathroom, open-plan kitchen and sunny garden. The house affords wonderful views across the Devon countryside and the dog friendly, sand beach of North Sands is only 10 minutes’ walk; likewise the bustling town centre of Salcombe with its shops, pubs and restaurants. Wonderful sailing, and walking in this outstandingly beautiful part of the country. Rental available at a discount to NSSC members of 10% off published tariffs. See “Owner’s Direct” website, E17927. Target for sailing members

NSSC Racing Stats 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Number of races planned 125 133 133 141 152 149 Number of races sailed 107 107 104 118 137 126 Races NOT sailed (Weather) 18 26 29 27 18 23

Total Number of Boats/Races Sailed 960 1126 1096 1323 1757 1894 Average Number of Boats per race sailed 9 10.5 10.5 11 13 15

Lets see if we can crack 2000 in 2015, the weather is a big factor and we have lost a few races so far this year, but turnout has been good.

The intro to sea sailing and coaching is there to help, if you are looking for a boat to sail ask or put an ad on the noticeboard, we will do our best to find one for you.

Partners sought to share a Bavaria 42’ Yacht. Please contact Mike Woollard for full details on tel. 01323 893542. Crew also wanted.