Ega Association of Great Britain December 2001 Webpage - Letter from the Secretary Bird Hello Fellow Vega Sailors and Friends
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VAGB Newsletter 31 “Masina” ega Association of Great Britain December 2001 Webpage - www.vagb.com Letter from the Secretary Bird Hello fellow Vega sailors and Friends, I am happy to report that 35 of us have just enjoyed a very good evening at the Laying - Up Dinner last Saturday at Banstead Downs golf club. This represented 17 boats, more than ten percent of all the boats in VAGB, which was an excellent turnout considering that quite a number are abroad. I was very pleased to see you all again and thankyou for supporting the Club once again. This year we were favoured by the presence of some very long distance members. Arne Heinich from Germany found he could get to the dinner by Ryan Air and back again for less than 2 nights in a marina., and half the cost of driving.! Keith Spencer Patrick (Rough Diamond) and his friend Louisa flew down from Carlisle and David and Margaret Hemsley (Vegality) actually drove down from Leeds. Apart from our long distance members all our faithful regulars, who are the backbone of the Club were there also. The chef excelled himself, the wine flowed freely and Vega sailors from all parts of UK and abroad were able to enjoy the unique camaraderie that seems to appear when we all meet again. The Ken Vasey Trophy was presented to Michael Feeney for his entry titled "Through the Dutch Canals" The Secretarys Prize was awarded to Barry Shurlock for his two part article "A Brush with the Raz, and More Dolphins and a Whale" Brian Pilcher won the Special Prize for his very well organised event, Round the Island in your own time, which was held in the Solent. I would like to remind members that VAGB will support any event organised by any member in other areas of the U.K. It will supply prizes and some funds. All you need to do is represent your area and organise something, sailing or social. and contact me with the time , date and place. The American Vega Association has had their first meeting in over a decade or more. It was held at Port Browning, which is at North Pender Island, British Columbia. It was attended by 10 Vegas and judging by the photos in their Newsletter, the Vega magic was there in abundance. Their new secretary Chuck Rose actually lives on his Vega (Lea Lea) with his wife and a pet cat in Hawaii. If we have difficulty in organising events in Britain, their difficulties are tenfold greater because of the size of the country and vast distances between sailing places. Their membership is about the same as VAGB, so an attendance of ten craft was an admirable turnout. Don’t forget the annual “Happy-Hour” at The London Boatshow. We will all meet at 5pm on Page 1 Vega Association of Great Britain Newsletter 31 Friday 11th January in the RYA Lounge and then afterwards for a buffet supper at Steve’e mums’ house which is just a short 15 minute walk away. This event is always a hit with Vega owners after a long day spending all your hard-earned cash for the little extras that your Vega really needs. The date for the A.G.M. and Fitting- Out Lunch 2002 will take place at Banstead Downs Golf Club on Saturday 16th March. This year at the AGM the committee decided that some of the twenty boat show tickets that we get via Brian Pilcher ( Panacea) at an exceptionally good price, would be offered free to our members in Scotland, Ireland, The Islands and anyone who lives more than 200 miles away from London. There will be one pair reserved primarily for any member for each of these categories. If they have not been taken up by the 15 th December, then they will be offered to anyone in VAGB in the normal way. So if you would like boatshow tickets for about half price or free if you qualify , please let me know. Unfortunately I will not be able to come to Happy Hour next year as I am going to be abroad and won't be back in time Steve Birch will deal with any queries after the 10th. of December and also send the tickets out when we receive them. Well that only leaves me to wish you all a very happy Christmas and Festive Season , and I hope that 2002 will bring peace to the planet, no disasters , and fair winds to all Vega sailors. I hope we will meet again at the Danish I.F.R. in Arhus. If "BUGLE" feels like swimming then I will try to be there. Cheerio for the present, Diana Webb Bugle V1698 Welcome New Members Errki Matikainen V 2641 MAIKKI David South HP Helsinki V 621 LANGTAN Finland HP Brighton S. Coast Martin Hunt V1777 MINIM Malcom Moffett HP North Fambridge V 3299 HELGA East Coast Newton Abbey Belfast Lough, N. Ireland John Thorndycroft V1263 INDEPENDENCE Brian Knott V 3319 ALBION HP Loosdrecht HP Dartmouth Holland Nova Scotia Canada Stephen Jackson V 1361 TARQUIN If you know of any other Vegas then please Maryport find out if they are VAGB Members, if not Cumbria sign them up...... Page 2 Vega Association of Great Britain Newsletter 31 PARTNER - Epistle 1, Year 3 Partner Albin Vega V.2186 of Ishoej, Denmark - Day 238 of our Cruise in the North Euro- pean rivers and canals. 50 10.517 North - 03 13.226 East (Camborai, River L’Escaut - France) 140 Nautical miles in 29 tourdays, 16 holidays and 13 transit days, 15 sluices, 4 bridges Dear Steve and all Vega sailors of Great Britain You are in our thoughts, and the crew of PARTNER appreciate the idea that somebody is left behind and yet they are so dearly close to us - we love you and send our best regards. How is Partner going this year? Gosh we are living so peacefully, slowly drifting south and following our innermost urge for being behind the next horizon, looking out for the next rainbow. It seems, that our all over dominating wishes for still more foreign and distant places are reigning us. The map enclosed unveil our brightest and most ambitious dreams - and why not? There is a certain change worth mentioning; Our speedy Gonzales days are left behind us. We will not end up one more time with skipper ruined of weight loss and permanent stomach pain. The slogan this year and probably in future shall be “Do what you like, when ever you like - also when it means, you slow down and even go backwards!”. In the magnificent city GENT, Belgium we found PASRTNER well behaving and in good shape. The owner of the Gent Centrum YactClub an del Leie unfortunately departed this winter and consequently we had an excellent quay with no water, shower or electricity! but still 500 meters from the very center of the fabulous town of the glorious past of Belgium and we were attached for 10 days except for a friendly visit at the nearby Koninlijke Gentse Wasser-sportvereining an de Lei where we rought our sincere thanks to the crews, who surveyed PARTNER during 8 winter months. They gace us a picture of PARTNER covered in snow! The friends of MARIA, Belgium and ROSY, Canbridge, England were the first and most exciting acquaintances we made this year. they wintered in Gent and live permanantly on the Uropean rivers and canals. They represent a certain, exciting international mixed population of Europe and are most probably silent front breakers, and we admire those guys so much. next to the ultimate mode of life as a full time kanal sailor you have the retired people or the crews on a temporary stay to whom PARTNER in humble terms belongs to. VALLY of Cloet-Diksmuide, Belgium made a habit for years ago of drifting around in the French landscape three months every summer. Ducky is the owner of this boat, he is big as a horse, barks like a maniac, but when I fell in love with him in Courbelles-les Lens, he responded so passionate that you could hear him whimper and howl everytime I passed his VALLY. Two days later we met again n Cambrais nad he tried to eat anybody passing by, but still remembered me and turned over a chair to get closest possible to Page 3 Vega Association of Great Britain Newsletter 31 me, looking so desperately in love, I whimpered and howled back to him. We spend three wonderful days in BRUGGE, Belgium - a town even so facinating as Gent but in a smaller, cozy scale. When word came from London, that our friends of Dizzy Daisy and 4-5 other crews did not manage to find a weekend to visit PARTNER in Dunkurque we found it was to our advantage and swallowed the melancholy (you can not have all you want). The route was restricted to 2.7 knots and after the jolly coastal harours we were forced into a nasty stretch aong the route of huge, business barges. Happily we turned around. Now after 19 days in Belgium we entered France and believe me, we are tanned, European canal sailors, but the feeling is still thrilling when you pass a National border and advance into a society so different from anything hitherto endured. Oh my, the French mentality is so outstanding and different. The young guys on bikes along side the canal yelled at us, a lot of one-way communication and shouting for the sheer fun of making a point of their presence.