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LESBUR OL Y T 1936 2011 years THE NEWSLETTER OF THE TOLLESBURY SAILING CLUB November 2011 SA B 757ILI5NG CLU ‘The Premier Sailing 75 bers, with every member ‘doing their bit’ and a little money in the bank (rather than an overdraft like so many other clubs). Club on the This foresight is the reason that to- day we are enjoying what is our club. The club with some of the lowest membership fees and boat parking fees (less than half compared with some), and bar prices East Coast’. on the East Coast. Visitors such as those from the GP14 Association, the Smack THOSE OF YOU that have ever been and Classic Race crews, the Winkle Brig What’s inside page to a Wallet Ball will know that for dec- crews and casual fellow sailors frequently ades the Commodores of the Tollesbury comment on how friendly our club is and Bowsprit (Ed’s bit) ...................2 Sailing Club have made it a point to get what a great atmosphere there is around the first toast in by loudly proclaiming: the place. So maybe we really are the Hats off to Paul Atkins .............2 “As the Premier Sailing Club on the East Premier Club, to us, its members... Coast (wait for the laughter and booing With all this going for its members, Talks Organiser .......................2 to die down), it is only proper that the I for one am surprised and disappointed Shoal Waters ...........................3 Tollesbury Sailing Club is the first to take that there are still members that abuse (a wine with the members of the host club, strong word I know) their fellow mem- Ancient Fish Traps ...................4 the (name of host club)” bers by trying to get out of paying their Of course this is only a bit of banter membership and boat parking fees or Dinghy Captain’s Report ..........5 and friendly rivalry but if you think about at least not paying them until they have it, there is actually some truth in it. Maybe received several reminders. This chasing Saga of the Golden Rowlock ....6 we’re not exactly Premier (whatever that for money and reminding people is a President’s Paragraph .............7 means) but we certainly have a lot to be hard and thankless task done by volun- proud of. Established in 1936 by a group teers in their own time that should not Cruiser Racing .........................7 of Tollesbury locals who were keen on be necessary. sailing they had the foresight to actually It is obvious that running, maintain- GP14 Open 2011 ......................8 purchase the building and the land it ing and improving the facilities we have stood on. They later built the changing costs and it is also obvious that those who TSC Website redesign ..............9 and toilet block and extended the original do pay their dues on time are subsidising clubhouse several times. Later still, more those ‘club members’ that don’t. Social Report ..........................9 land was purchased to double the car So please, don’t let the side down Home from Portsmouth ......... 10 (and boat!) park in size. and pay your membership at the start They did not mortgage these assets of the year and your boat parking fees Tutak goes North ....................11 to further their ambitions, nor did they BEFORE you put your boat in the yard or turn the club into a Limited Company on the renewal dates which are 1st April Tollesbury’s Toppers .............. 12 and run it like a business like other clubs and 1st November. did. Their ambition was to have a club Many thanks that is run by its members for its mem- Kees Spitters – Commodore BOWSPRIT I should have predicted my personal ‘if onlys’ when I called Vreny, as Juliet had dreamed of two rooms and penned my first Windward leader last April, as Black a lavatory, so we’re hoping to do some cruising and Diamond stayed firmly rooted to her launching trol- Stella racing in her, but also have a hard winter’s leak- ley, having a major face lift, until the 10th August, the mending to address. day before Mersea Week. In fact, the first time her jib Right, what have we caught in this issue’s trawl? sheets were taught in 2011 was abreast of the Nass Good stuff. Bill Brannan’s amazing trip to Britain’s Beacon at the start of the Dabchicks Regatta Classic most northerly rock, Ron Laurie’s wonderful archive Yachts Race. We got a consistent 4th in the Classics on the Golden Rowlock, Nigel Butt’s scary attempt at for Mersea Week, with only the Thursday having poor Channel swimming, Tony Smith’s account of taking on weather. Maldon Regatta was a windy old affair, but epic pocket cruiser Shoal Waters, and Ralph Merry’s we were in the chocolates again, and then Tollesbury astonishing pictures of the Saxon fish trap on the Classics was the nicest day for a decade (there are Nass. That, with all the regular features, makes this some super pictures of the drifting match, from Olga issue a thundering good read! If you have a story or Spitters on the TSC website), followed by a bibulous an archive that you think would interest other TSC night in the clubhouse. The postponed King’s Head Cup at members, please send it to me via email (gdpdunn@ the end of October was a most enjoyable wrap for the hotmail(dot)com) or hand it to Maz behind the short season for Black Diamond, but as next year is her clubhouse bar. golden jubilee (and isn’t it amazing that the Volvo Open Big news for the club, Andy Beharrell has just 70s have rediscovered the hard chine?!), we are planning unveiled our brand new website, and excellent it looks to take her further afield, hopefully Brest 2012 and too. Martin Parker did a remarkably good job with maybe the Round the Island Race (swap Osea for the Isle TSC’s first website, which won many plaudits, but of Wight!). these things have a finite shelf life, so this makeover is We also acquired a leaky but floating Stella welcome and timely. www.TollesburySC.com HATS OFF TO PAUL AtKINS for making sound signals with VHF timing on Channel line, in breezy conditions. the KHC happen this year, good effort, Paul 6, single-handed, which was helpful as the Editor (see his race report). However, Paul did have committee boat was downwind of the start King’s Head Cup 29th October 2011. a difficult task trying to drum up a race officer to run the race, and it was well into the eleventh hour that Simon Young stepped TALKS ORGANISER – up to the plate. Simon had to man Yellow IT COULD BE YOU Peril, sound the starting signals and record the finishers, not to mention bouncing round Garry Crees has decided to give up on the anchor off Shinglehead for a couple of his Talks Organiser role after this winter hours while the rest of us went off and had period - for no other reason than that he has fun flapping round Osea. You made fifteen now done it for six years and feels it is time crews very happy, Simon, thank you. to give someone else the opportunity. I gilded the lily a bit by asking Simon for If you think you may enjoy doing this job some anecdotes from the day, but of course for the Club and want to know more, we competitors saw all the action and Simon contact Garry direct on just the start and finish. He did report a very 01621869730 orderly start, with all boats crossing the start or any other committee member. line within 10 seconds of the siren, with no one over early. He also skilfully combined the page 2 | Windward November 2011 up and the other modern gadgets that many highlights for me has to be reaching the top of us have come to rely on. of Fingringhoe Creek, under sail in little more Shoal Waters After a season sailing her, I can water than a heavy due. This pretty little WELL, THE SAILING SEASON has come to confidently say that each time I got down to waterway is better known as the Roman River an end again, all too soon for most of us I’m my mooring in the creek, to go cruising, she and is set in a delightful valley. The sight of sure. For me, 2011 began with the purchase had not been away somehow magically sailing the former tide mill as you round the last tight of what is for the cruising sailor perhaps one more sea miles but was sat still, awaiting bend is reward indeed for one’s efforts. I have of the East Coast’s most iconic little sailing her skipper’s next command, for although a also ventured up to the Walton backwaters, vessels, the 16'6" wooden gaff cutter Shoal boat may be capable of covering a fair coastal where I spent a wonderful couple of nights, Waters. Taking on any boat has its responsi- passage it is only the enthusiasm and energy out of 33 nights spent on board this season, bilities but a wooden boat does have to be of the adventurous skipper that makes it beside a group of seals. Other enjoyable trips tended to that bit more, especially the older happen. Exactly what Charles did during all were visiting old navigation marks, such as the they become. the memorable years he had with her. Buxey Beacon or the Wallet Spitway. Shoal Waters was home-built by the Since her launch through the ‘Hatches’ On the 15th of October, the day after venerable Charles Stock in 1963, after at Goldhanger Creek I have cruised to most a mini cruise inside the Blackwater that can purchasing the ready formed Fairey Falcon of the creeks inside the river, my current only be described as a creek sailor’s dream.