COMMENT The General Committee met last night for what proved to be quite a busy meeting covering a range of topics, as you will read later. Work in the yard continueswith quite a number of boats due to be slipped next week. There was a very unfortunate accident in the yard last weekend when Ann Woods lost her footing on a ladder, causing her to have a dislocated ankle and two broken bones in her leg. My information is that Ann was kept in hospital for a few days and is due home about now. I'm sure we all commiserate with her and wish her a speedy recovery.

The date for starting the roof work has finally been fixed and it now means that the auction in the clubhouse can take place as originally planned, please see the notice in the clubhouse. The May drinks party will remain as planned, it is hoped that the building will be finished by then. The new, and improved club diaries will be available shortly. The following reports pick out the most important parts of the meeting and there are some notices that I have been asked to include and some extremely important safety news for those who use the River Alt. Good and safe sailing!

THE COMMODORE opened the meeting and all were present except Stan Warren who sent his apologies. The lease for the moorings towards the mouth of the River has been renewed and Mike is working on the leases for the clubhouse and the boat yard. Mike is pleased that the date has finally been settled for the roof work although there will be a lot of work to be done in and around the clubhouse when the builder leaves.

THE VICE COMMODORE told the meeting that a new turning block has been placed in front of the winch in the yard and thanks must go to Eddie Chatterton and John Newton for their time and the hard work that they put into it.

The perching of the River is now completed.

A charge will be made for the recent use of the emergency mooring. The risers and chain need to be replaced on the emergency mooring..

All members using the yard are asked to be aware of hidden pitfalls and to consider their own and others safety.

All yard users are asked NOT to move trailers without first contacting the owner and if it is blocked up do NOT drag it off.

Simon Markland attended a meeting for fixing dates at the Royal Mersey Y.C. The date for the Altmouth Cup NEXT year will be 3rd July 2005. The date for Prize Giving will be 13th November and the Fitting Out dinner will be 5th February 2005

The Auction will take place on Sunday afternoon 25th April. Please bring your boat related items for sale on the Sunday morning.

The building work will commence on Monday 26th April and will take about four weeks. The visit by West Lancashire Yacht club juniors will be re arranged.

As previously reported there has been some correspondence with Altcar Range about safety. There was a great amount of discussion about it during the meeting. Dave Wilcox has been to see the Safety Officer on the Range and has obtained and copied a diagram of the danger zone during firing. Some of these will be attached to these newsletters and it is important for all sailing members to know about this, as it is NOT marked on the charts. This can constitute a serious problem for boats entering the Alt in the dark if night firing is taking place. The dates and times of night firing are always supplied to the club and Mark Meadows always posts them on the notice board. It is up to all members to look at and take note of these each month.

The Range claims that they will stop firing if they see a boat or person but this may not be possible in the dark. They request also that members should wear distinctive clothing when digging moorings.

The VHF radio in the clubhouse needs replacing. Does anyone have a spare radio, which they could consider donating before one is purchased?

PORTSMOUTH YARDSTICK HANDICAPS

In the last newsletter I expressed concern about the growing weakness of the P.Y. scheme during recent years with only fifty cruising boats listed during 2003. The club has now received the 2004 scheme and instead of the decline continuing it has been reversed by the listing eighty three cruising boats. This increase of thirty three is largely due to the introduction of a new group of numbers under the heading of "SUGGESTED TRIAL NUMBERS" I spoke to the R.Y.A. about the system and was told that in 2005 a revised, more user friendly, version of the system would be introduced. All this is good news as it shows that the R. Y. A. is alive to the need for their system to be maintained. I do not think that we should abandon our idea of using the L.B S.A. system of a measured rating just yet. This year I have included the L.B.S.A. numbers, where they are available, in the handicap list so we will be able to compare the results as the year goes by. The "SOURCE" headings indicate the quality of the number, Primary are well attested numbers, "S.T" are Suggested Trial numbers and "CLUB" are numbers derived from our continuing application of the P. Y. method of calculating performance indications.
Our P. Y. list is now reduced as some boats have left the club and others are no longer raced. There are two new additions, Ian Cowell's new boat retains the name NIMROD and Simon Markland has acquired a Wayfarer that he is calling NEWT.

Look in the club for the 2004 list. It may be in a new place, as the building work will probably disturb the existing notice board.

John Heyworth

THE REAR COMMODORE reported that there is the occasional time when the emergency lighting comes into use. The new glass washer tripping the switch may cause this and it is being looked into.
The telephone position seems to be convenient for most people but the line itself appears to have gremlins. If you find this happening please let one of the House Committee know and it will be reported.

The working party gave the opportunity for a lot of rubbish to be removed and the speakers and the notice boards will be the last thing to go. As it was a fine day there were great queues for the tip and therefore some rubbish was left behind for removal at a later date. Some complaints had been made about the rubbish but it has all been cleared.

THE WORKING PARTY itself, which concerned all aspects of the club and should be attended by all members, was a great disappointment. There were less than half the usual number of members present; they are never all there and it meant that the food was provided for the usual number, which is very wasteful. The working party is advised in the club diary and also in the newsletter. All members are expected to attend at least once a year.

THE HON SECRETARY has received correspondence some of which is on the notice boards and some has been dealt with. Mark has written letters of thanks to those people who kindly donated prizes for the Quiz Night. Mark has done a great deal of work on the layout of the diary for which he was thanked during the meeting. The diary will go to print this week.

THE 200 CLUB DRAW

The First Prize went to Alan Needham

The Second Prize went to D. Warren

The Third Prize went to K Riley.

THE HON TREASURER told the committee that some subscriptions still had to be paid. The finances are looking healthy at present due to the subs that have been paid and also to the money given or loaned for the roof fund but that will soon go! There is of course still a need for money for the building and it is hoped that once it starts, more people may be inclined to donate, lend or pledge something.

THE HON MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY was not present at the meeting but a list of names of members who have not paid their annual subscriptions has been put on the notice board.

THE SOCIAL COMMITTEE will hold the drinks party on the23rd May, as it will say in the diary. It is hoped that the building will be completed by then.

THE WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN Mark told the meeting that this had been sent off and at some time the premises will be inspected. Special BINS will be provided for this purpose and explanations of what is expected of us will follow at a later date.

RED SQUIRRELS

The Red Squirrel population on the Sefton Coast has gained in popularity and has become quite famous. These little animals are under threat from the encroachment of the larger grey squirrel. Once grey squirrels become established in an area the reds soon disappear. There is reason to believe that this is due to the spread of a virus from the grey to the red squirrel. The parapox virus, to which grey squirrels have immunity, kills the reds in a matter of days. Last year several cases were reported from areas from Crosby to Southport. About 260 sightings of grey squirrels have be reported to Red Alert North West who are being helped by Liverpool University to research this problem. If you would like to help please do so by reporting sightings of grey squirrels or sick and scabby red squirrels to;
Fiona Robinson at the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside on
0151 929 3769
At this time when the Clubhouse is being re-roofed I thought this piece about the problems of Noah might be topical but let's hope that we do better than this

WHY THE FLOODS CAME

And the Lord said unto Noah: "Where is the Ark that I commanded you to build?" And Noah said unto the Lord "Verily I have had three carpenters off ill, the gopher wood supplier hath let me down, yea even though the gopher wood hath been on order for nigh upon twelve months. The damp course specialist hath not turned up. What can I do O Lord?"

And God said unto Noah: "I want that Ark finished even after seven days and seven nights" And Noah said "It will be so"……….but it was not so.

And the Lord said unto Noah "What seems to be the trouble this time?" And Noah replied to the Lord "Mine subcontractor hath gone bankrupt. The pitch that thou commandest me to put on the outside and the inside of the ark hath not arrived. The plumber hath gone on strike." Then Noah rent his garments and said, "The glazier departeth on holiday to Majorca, yea even though I offerest him double time. Shem, my son who helpeth me on the Ark side of the business hath formed a pop group with his brothers Ham and Japheth. Lord I am undone"

And lo, it was not fulfilled.

And Noah said unto the Lord; "The gopher wood is definitely in the warehouse and the gopher wood supplier waiteth only upon his servant to find the invoices before he delivereth the wood unto me" The Lord grew angry and said "What about the animals? Of fowls after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the Earth of his kind, two of every sort have I ordered to come unto thee to keep them alive? Where, for example are the giraffes?" And Noah said unto the Lord, "They are expected today"

Then the Lord said ""Where are the clean beasts, the male and the female; to keep their seed alive upon the face of all the Earth?" Noah said" The van cometh on Tuesday, yea, yea it will be so". The Lord said to Noah "How about the unicorns?" and Noah wept and wrung his hands saying; "Lord, Lord, they are a discontinued line. Thou canst not get unicorns for love nor money" The Lord continued "Where are the monkeys and the bears, and the hippopotami and the elephants, and the zebras and the hartebeests, two of each kind; and the fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female?"

Noah said unto the Lord "They have been delivered to the wrong address but should arriveth on Friday; all save the fowls of the air by sevens, for it hath just been told unto me that the fowls of the air are only sold in half dozens".

And Noah kissed the Earth and said "Lord, Lord, thou knowest in thy wisdom what it is like with delivery dates". And the Lord in his wisdom said: Noah my son, I knowest. Why else dost thou think I have caused a flood to descend upon the Earth?

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