WHAT'S ON THIS MONTH?  

These are the two ‘not to be missed' events this month. There are many other activities including a WORKING PARTY on Saturday 16^th April.

Comment. There is plenty of activity this month in and around the clubhouse. The Spring Working Party on the 16^th April will have passed before some of you read this letter. This is the one big working party of the year that all members are expected to attend. The Wednesday evening talks are proving to be very successful, interesting and entertaining.  I have received quite a lot of information this month for the newsletter for which I am truly grateful.

 The following notes concerning the General Committee meeting and the reports from other committees give my impression of what is happening and what I think is of interest for the newsletter. They are not minutes of the meeting and should not be read as such, the wording is usually mine. The purpose of the newsletter is to let members know what is happening, to be a vehicle for passing notices and information and hopefully to entertain you a little.   Pat.

NOTES FROM THE G.C.MEETING 12^TH APRIL

The Commodore opened the meeting. There was one apology for absence, from Phil Wright. The Commodore is concerned about the social events. As we are using outside caterers and entertainers for some of our events, the club can lose quite a bit of money if these are not well supported by members. They are well advertised and Dave asks for your support, and for names to go on the list in advance to make ordering the food easier. Please look at the notice for the Curry Evening.

The Vice Commodore reported on the meeting of the Sailing Committee. There has been a good response to the request for the declarations of insurance to be filled in, however there are still two or three outstanding.

Boat owners are asked to securely padlock tenders in the yard and in the dinghy park.  Please remove your boats from blocks to facilitate the movement of boats for launching also remove any metal posts which are used for marking the position of moorings on the beach.

In a General Committee discussion concerning tenders you are asked to write your name on your dinghy. Any not named or locked by MID MAY will be removed and locked.

The date for the Commodore's Cruise is fixed for 19^th June. It has not been possible to get a date that coincides with other clubs visiting the West Hoyle Bank.

The Rear Commodore. Mark's report contained the news that the bar is virtually completed. The bar top needs to be levelled and there is an intention to install a footrest similar to the existing one. Our thanks go to Dave Warren and John Heyworth. Many thanks also to George Williams who has installed a new ring main behind the bar.

The clubhouse will be open on 2^nd May, Bank Holiday Monday. The opening times will be as Sunday opening.

 If you have been unable to get into the clubhouse with your key it is because the lock has been changed. Harry Conalty removed the old failed lock and kindly donated the lock currently in use.  A new lock is being made and will be fitted at the working party. This new lock will be compatible with your existing keys.

The old window space in the south wall, where the metal cover was failing has been bricked up thus giving more security. Thanks to David Warren for co coordinating this. The Snug area will be reviewed. John Heyworth has plastered around the built-in cupboard at the seaward entrance.

Two first aid kits will be placed in the toilets. Please let Mark know if items are used up.

The members of the House Committee have raised the point that the North end of the clubhouse is not being used. Both smokers and non-smokers are tending to use the south end of the clubhouse and the snug area.  The no smoking area will remain the same.

Two clocks have been donated to the club and Hightown Parish Council will donate a refurbished bench. It will be concreted in a position with a view.

The Black Box is in place by the Black Hut and partly painted. It will provide good storage space.

The 200 Club first prize £30 was won by Mrs Jean Cragg, The 2^nd prize £20.by Mr L Carlile and the 3^rd prize £15.by Mr D Baines Freeman You can still join. Ask Mark about it.

Mark was pleased that the Bismarck talk was well received. The next talk is the Life raft demonstration on the 20^th April

Nostalgia and the Club. Mark has contributed a request about this, which will follow later in the newsletter.

The Hon Secretary has dealt with various pieces of correspondence. Anything of relevance will be on the notice boards. There is a letter of thanks from Peter Devine concerning the Past Commodores Dinner. Peter thanked all who had helped in any way to contribute to the success of the evening. There was much praise for the clubhouse and the bar staff.

Martin will try to get a speaker down to the clubhouse to explain about the proposed Gormley statues and to answer any questions about them. That should be of interest to many members.

The Hon Treasurer is doing his usual thing with the finances and is being kept very busy as new puzzles crop up for him to solve. Dave is also in touch with the RNLI concerning insurance for Lifeboat Day.

The Hon Membership Secretary.  Stan reported that there were still 23 membership subscriptions to be paid. The list of defaulters is on the notice board.

There was a unanimous ballot held to approve the membership of Mr and Mrs C E Rowley of Hightown as House members. Welcome to the club.

The Social Chairman. Trevor told the meeting that the food had been ordered for the working party lunch. It will be served from 12.30 onwards.

The Curry Evening on 30^th April needs at least 55 people in attendance to make it viable. Please try to give your support. The disco will be by Tony Jones from Hesketh Bank.

The Club Diary is now being prepared. It is late in coming out because the necessary information to complete it was not given in on time.

A O B There have been two applications for moorings. The Yard and Berth Master is dealing with them. The moorings are:S6 to Eddie Breen and S15 to David Oakes. Two boats in the yard have had no insurance for some years, the owners will be asked to remove them.

RNLI

Can you carry a bucket?

Can you wear a big yellow jacket?

Can you spare 1 ½ hours for a worthwhile cause?

The will be a collection in Crosby for THE LIFEBOATS on Saturday 23^rd April. We need collectors!

If you can help, please contact Dave Flynn on 0151 929 2249 by 19^th April (so that we can order the buckets)

SAILING IN THE 2005 SEASON

The club diary will soon be with you and amongst many other things will include the sailing calendar of cruises, races and other events. Also included will be the list of Portsmouth Yard Numbers. These numbers are the performance indicators used to work out the corrected times from the elapsed times of boats racing. Having them in the diary will give all members easy access to them wherever they are. The P.Y. system is run by the R.Y.A. They publish an annual list that is kept up to date by the performance returns sent in by the clubs

THIS IS A COPY OF THE PERFORMANCE INDICATIONS WE USE TO COMPLETE THE B.S.C. RETURNS.

The numbers are calculated using 2/3rds of the participating boats. To do this with less than three boats is not practicable. Also it works better if several races are entered but we make the best of what we have. A minus sign means the boat performed to a lower rating in that race and a plus to a higher number i.e. not as well. Last years August S1 with five entrants was the best race for this purpose. The last column shows any changes we may make for 2005.

 Scanning the results shows that Kaol, Mojo, Nimrod and Seel are consistent racers and that Seel raced above form during the August race. Also Mojo appears to have been below form during the Gallon of Ale race!

 Paul Conalty tells me that he will be doing the club races this year entering his Invicta 26, Lambay, with a P.Y. of 1197. The rating comes from a number last listed in 2002 at 1156 so allowing  +40 as a no spinnaker addition; the trial P. Y. is 1197.

 One thing all the races have is a spirit of friendly competition and pleasant sailing that always makes the day more interesting and enjoyable and, if the day is good for your boat, the prospect of a lovely engraved wine glass as a memento of the day. The year 2005 could be the best on record for sailing and doing one or two of the B.S.C. races will add to the pleasures.

 Don't miss out, have a go, it's easy! 

                                                            JH. April 2005.

Occasional Alphabet G.

G    Flag: - yellow, blue, yellow, blue, yellow, blue vertical stripes.

 Morse Code: - Dash, dash, dot.

Phonetic alphabet: - GOLF. But check with George!

Some flag groups G

   1        I require a pilot. (Usually flown by British Airways).

   2.       I am hauling nets. (Fishing vessel-drawing curtains).

GG Horse for children.

 GGC, Seahorse.

“Gee you look good to me”. (Popular ballad).

Gd, G. ga.       Abbreviations for the quality of the bottom. (See also c. h. sf. Sm.)

Green, for starboard and go.

Gallons, to litres 4.546.

Gaff~ Spar to which the head of a fore-and-aft sail is bent.

Gaffe Blunder, see also General committee.

Gaffer, elderly rustic or boss see also geriatric grouse.

Gale = force of wind you were last out yachting in. Beaufort scale equates to anything over 1.

Garboard, planks under your bottom.

Gimbals. Exercise equipment that leaves you horizontal.

Gravity, force that holds your pants up. (Gravity of the situation if they fall down.)

Grommet Eyelet placed in a hole to protect anything passing through, or Wallace's

friend.

Galley 1.         Historical vessel manned by slaves.

Galley 2.          Modern vessel's kitchen etc. etc.

Glass fibre Most used material for constructing small boats in conjunction with

      Resin. Only slightly dearer than platinum but less corrosion resistant.

Greenwich hour angle. The angle between the hour hand and the minute hand.

Greenwich Mean Time the difference between the time of high water actual and the time you calculated it to be.

Global Positioning System A worldwide method of finding out where you have run aground.

An unknown contributor sent this in. G for Ghost?  Many thanks.  Any offers for H please? Ed.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Two letters have been received this month. The first is a plea for help and the second may set the cat amongst the pigeons!

The second letter was received last week.

“With reference to Mark Miller's letter in the last Newsletter, headed “The Centenary Mystery” I am also puzzled by the date 1907. Having recently attended the latest Past Commodore's Dinner, I am going to throw another spanner in the works!!

Thirty-nine years ago, Kirk Wilson of West Lancs. Yacht Club thought it would be a good idea if the Past Commodores of all the kindred Clubs could meet once a year to renew old friendships. Each club would host the dinner in turn in order of seniority.

At that time I was Secretary and we received a request to give our founding date. This was given as 1895, how that date was obtained, I cannot remember. However that date has been recognised for the last thirty-nine years as our founding date. Also reports in the Yachtsman in 1892 state that the Blundellsands Sailing Club has received notice to remove their clubhouse.

We now have the following dates when the club was founded: 1888/9, 1895, 1907 and 1914.

Pick any one!! Even the committee do not seem to agree a correct date; the Club Diary states 1907 but the Membership Card states 1914.

In view of this farcical state of our founding date would it not be better to admit that we have missed our centenary and let the whole matter drop? To celebrate our Centenary in 2007 would be completely incorrect.

Yours Sincerely        Peter Stephenson.”

NOSTALGIA ITEMS WANTED FOR THE CLUBHOUSE

Although our Clubhouse has on display a number of photographs and paintings of past and present members cruising and racing yachts, there is a distinct lack of photographs/pictures from the clubs past with regard to its former dinghy days.

Do any members have any old photographs or pictures of dinghy racing on the River Alt and the River Mersey that they are willing to donate or lend to the club so that this era of the clubs past can be displayed within the clubhouse as part of its past heritage? The House and Grounds Committee will arrange for the photographs or pictures to be suitably framed if they are not already.

Also do any members have any plans, drawings or pictures of the Tyrer One Design (TOD) dinghy that could be displayed within our clubhouse or are aware of any of this sort of information/material being donated to the club in the past, and if it has, where is it now?

Rear Commodore

ITEMS FOR SALE

1.  25lb. C Q R anchor.

2.  Radial head spinnaker by Team Sails 30ft x 18ft across foot, plus 10ft spinnaker pole.

3.  Galvanized dinghy trolley approx 6ft x 4ft with 4 x 8 size tyres.

4.  Autohelm auto pilot 1,000.

5.  Mini- seavoice radio telephone R.T. 50.

6.  24m unused 12mm jib sheet plus used 21m x 12mm jib sheet.

7.  Block & tackle (2) in tandem with double nylon sheaths in steel body with approx. 60 - 80 ft polypropylene rope.

8.  Books on fitting out and sailing plus navigation aids (protractors, charts etc.)

Philip Lunt

Tel: 01695 421034

Mobile: 07769 866006

LIFEBOAT DAY JUNE 2005-04-13

If you have any unwanted gifts or items that can be used as Tombola prizes, or anything suitable for resale as bric a brac, will you please hang on to them? As we have no storage space we would be very grateful.            D.Flynn.

Extracts from Bob Chamberlain's fund of stories.

Girls' Night Out

 The other night I was invited out for a night with “the girls” I told my husband that I would be home by midnight, “I Promise!”

Well, the hours passed and the champagne was going down way too easy. Around 3 am, drunk as a skunk, I headed for home. Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hall started up and cuckooed 3 times. Quickly, realizing he'd probably wake up, I cuckooed another 9 times. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a quick-witted solution (even when smashed), in order to escape a possible conflict with him.

The next morning my husband asked me what time I got in, and I told him 12:00. He didn't seem disturbed at all. Whew! Got away with that one. Then he said, “We need a new cuckoo clock.” When 1 asked him why, he said, “Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times, then said, ‘Oh s---', cuckooed four more times, cleared its throat, cuckooed another 3 times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then tripped over the cat.”

As we are constantly being reminded that we club members are all getting old I thought we could have a little help from Bob.   Ed

THE SENILITY PRAYER

God grant me the senility to forget the people I have never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Now that I'm older and refuse to grow up, here's what I've discovered:

1.              I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

2.              My wild oats have turned into prunes and All Bran.

3.              I finally got my head together just as my body is falling apart.

4.              Funny, I don't remember being absent minded.

5.              If all is not lost, where is it?

6.              It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.

7.              The only time the world beats a path to your door is when you're in the bathroom.

8.              If God wanted me to touch my toes, He'd have put them on my knees.

9.              It's not hard to meet expenses — they're everywhere.