Tel: 01590 672677

February 2015

 

Club

 

Annual General Meeting 11am Saturday 14th February

 
We look forward to seeing Members at the AGM. 

If you are unable to attend please return the completed Proxy form which was sent out in the mailing at least 24 hours before the meeting.  If you wish to cast your vote for the ballot, please get the ballot paper to the office by Friday 13th February at 11:00hrs.  All votes must be in a sealed envelope with the Member’s name and address on the outside. This is to enable them to be ticked off on the list of Members.  Any voting paper with a name written on it will not be counted, nor will any without the name on the envelope.  There will be no voting on the day.

 

Club redecoration and maintenance work

The work of redecorating the dining room, foyer, halls and changing rooms, results office and rating office, should be completed before the AGM. Our thanks go to Richard Martin for organising this work, including the use of a ‘no smell’ paint which worked!
 
Work has been started on installing new thermally efficient panes for the windows in the bar windows.  There is a new fire door for the exit to the outside stair and new windows above the bar.
 
The vinyl floor of the lift is being replaced.  This will be done in one day, in stages, with a break in the work, hopefully to enable Members and their guests to use the lift during lunch time.  Notices will be on the boards in good time before the work is done.

Kevin Podger, Secretary

Crane Departure

 
On Tuesday 20th January we said final farewells to our Crane which has given us 30 years of service. Earning every penny of the £4700 we paid for it. We look forward to the installation of our new crane in March.
 
 

Club Cadets for sale!

The Club invites offers from Members and Non-Members for each of the two Club Cadets, there are two boats in total and they are offered on a ‘sold as seen’ basis. For more information please click here.

Chris Neve, Rear Commodore Sailing



 


House

 

The work of the Catering Group

The Catering Group has been working since last October to improve the level of quality and service of the food offering at the Club.  We believe that we have made significant progress so far;  however our aim is to achieve even more.  Key to that are, firstly, the continuing development of Chloé, who has shown her mettle deputising and ably holding the reins during the absence of Simon, our House Manager, on sick leave, and, second, the recruitment of a Head Chef.  That process has started and we want the appointee to have the experience and knowledge to enhance the menus and variety, and also to develop the young kitchen and waiting team, who have shown such enthusiasm over the past few months. 
 
Since late December, we have been satisfied with the quality, temperature and choice of food offered in our restaurant, thanks to our kitchen staff led by Adam, our Sous Chef.  The quality of service provided by the whole first floor team has also been excellent. Chloé's team will do all they can to please you and, in the unlikely event that you are not satisfied, it would help Chloé to know. When she is not there, our newly appointed deputy House Supervisor, Beth, will be happy to help.
 
We have introduced experimental menu displays in the entrance hall and on the first floor landing showing our 'á la carte' and 'table d’hôte' food offers there for the first time.  These have been welcomed by many Members who were not previously aware of the extent of choice available at all times.  To save you paying at the bar each time you order something, you can also now open a 'tab' and pay at the end of your lunch or dinner.
 
For the first time in a long while, our daily takings from casual dining have been higher than the same month a year earlier, indicating that our Members are dining with us more regularly.  We are continuing to improve our financial performance and since October, it has been better compared to the same period last year.
 
Our work is not yet done and we still have initiatives to improve our purchasing and to find solutions whereby we can speed service and choice on busy nights at the Club.  Our objective is to make the First Floor the venue of choice for Members whatever the occasion.
John Adcock, Catering Group
 


The Club Website & IT


In December we held a second walk-in clinic to help Members learn to use the website.  We have also produced a guide to help Members navigate the site which will be made available shortly.  The Office have now started to capture Members’ credit card details so that on-line bookings can be taken and on-line instructions for payment made at the same time.  
 
The Club Archive has received a lot of attention over the Christmas period and we now believe this is complete, up-to-date and a great advertisement for the history of our Club.
 
New routers have been positioned upstairs in the Club to provide a better internet connection for Members using the Members’ Network.  The password for this is available from Reception.  
 
As planned, over the winter we have also upgraded to a new server which should keep our IT system running well for another few years
.
John Tudor

 


Dinghy Park

 
On a very cold Saturday 31st January more than 30 volunteers attended the annual Dinghy Park Maintenance Morning.  We managed to clear an enormous number of weeds from the Dinghy Park and through a fantastic effort also removed all the brambles, ivy and undergrowth on the wall adjacent to the path to the east of the Balance Pond.  It now looks very tidy. Over 75 years separated the youngest and oldest volunteer. (We also discovered an aluminium mast from a large dinghy buried in the undergrowth; this has been left on the waterfront outside the back door so that the owner can retrieve it.) 
 
Harry West (aged 6) cheerfully performed sterling work with his shovel but, disappointingly he was the only member of the junior section to put in an appearance.  We did have one apology but, apart from Harry and his mother, there were no volunteers from the Optimist fleet; we may need to consider a levy to cover future maintenance on the Oppy rack.   
 
Members may have noticed a broken fence panel in the Scow Area "A".  We have been shoring up the fence over the last few years, but It is now our intention to systematically replace the fence starting this spring with Area "A".  
 
Similarly, the laying of membrane and gravel has been a success, and (now we have removed the weeds) we intend to lay more gravel and membrane in at least one more area before the dinghies return in the Spring.
 
Once again many thanks to all the volunteers who made the DP Maintenance Morning such a success
.
John Tudor
 


Club Flower Arranging

 
The Club is looking for more enthusiastic ladies who have a love of flowers, to join our happy team of flower arrangers. Please contact Elizabeth Andrews, phone 01590 623699, or the office.
Elizabeth Andrews

 


Anchors Aweigh

Already planning your spring fit-out and equipment purchases? Didn't find the item you required at the Boat Shows? The Club may just have the answer.
Over the past few years the Club has accumulated a number of anchors,  usually left behind after major outside events. They are mostly too  large or unsuitable for mark laying and will be available in March for  purchase by Members under a sealed bid system. The lots are currently  being collated and tagged and full details will appear in the March ePotterNews as well as on posters at the Club. Watch out for these details in early March
.




 


Congratulations

Vita Heathcote was voted “Youth Sailor of the Year” by Yachts and Yachting magazine at the London Boat Show.  She  won the Optimists Worlds Team Selection Trials, followed by the National Championships, also held in Weymouth. She then went on the win the Irish Championships and was top GBR sailor at the World Championships in Argentina.

 

 

 


Social

Forthcoming Events:


 
Final Tickets Remaining: A delightful evening and not to be missed. Tickets £28. With just the right live guitar music from Nick Heywood-Young and an appropriately themed menu.
 

 
This black tie event is taking place on Saturday 28th February 2015. Tickets are £31.00 for a three course dinner (please click the banner for the menu) and we are also pleased to announce that this year's Guest speaker is Rear Admiral Terry Loughran CB FRAeS.
 


Movie Nights

Please click on the banner above to find out more information about the upcoming films.
  • 10th February – Monument Men
17th February - Kids Film Night
 
Stuck for something to do this Half Term... The Club will be showing "How to Train your Dragon 2" from 17:00. Tickets are £5 and include a hot dog and pancake. Please click the banner below for the trailer and to book tickets. 
 

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • 24th February – The Butler
  • 10th March – Saving Mr Banks
  • 24th March –The Hundred Foot Journey
 


Racing

With black ice on decks, the sensible racer has been staying indoors, venturing out only to abrade off old anti-fouling.  Through four Thursdays in January, Alastair Wilson ran a course for potential Club race officers, which was well attended and very well received.  In recent years, promoted by Frances Evans and Jane Corden, we have tried hard to extend our skills and provide more qualified people to join our race teams.  We will be staying indoors for a while: in February with an evening meeting on racing short-handed and, in March, with two sessions on race course setting with Malcolm McKeag. 
 

Then, before you know it, the Portmore Spring Series will be upon us with the first race on Sunday 29th March. Entry will be available shortly. For more information please click the poster which will direct you to the website.

Since I will shortly be handing over my Captain of Racing pennant to John Corden, may I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me over the past three years.  We have a huge number of people involved in ensuring that we provide top quality racing in Lymington and it has been a pleasure to have helped coordinate this effort.  Special thanks to our highly professional Event Management team of Kirsty and Vicky, and my ever patient boss, Chris Neve.
Robin Taunt, Captain of Racing


 
 

RLymYC & LTSC to Adopt Modified NHC System for Club Handicap Keelboat Racing - Lymington Adjusted Handicap (LAH)

In a joint arrangement the RLymYC and LTSC, are adopting a modified version of the RYA’s National Handicap for Cruisers (NHC) system for Club handicap keelboat racing in 2015. There is no change planned to IRC racing.

Many will know about the NHC system from LTSC and the Royal Solent events over the last couple of years: but the key feature is that, after each race, the handicaps are adjusted slightly for the next race depending on performance. One difference the clubs will be introducing is that the starting handicaps will not be the NHC Base List as suggested by the RYA but tried-and-tested Lymington Handicaps.
 
We have been ‘ghosting’ the 2014 events to test what would have happened if we had used the NHC system.  This suggested that the NHC Base List is not appropriate for our boats in our waters.  However, using NHC software adjustments from a Lymington Handicap base, the final series results were not dramatically changed; the points spread at the end of a series was much narrower and there would have been more weekly ‘podium winners’.  Giving boats a better chance of a prize while not penalising the best too much is a key objective of the NHC system to encourage more cruisers to race.
 
When a handicap has been adjusted by the NHC system it becomes that boat’s new Lymington Adjusted Handicap (LAH) for the next race or series. However, during the season we often have various club handicap events running in tandem.  Therefore, it has been decided to split them into either Mainstream or Side events.
 
The Mainstream events are the Spring Series, Thursday Night racing, Early and Late, and the LTSC Solent Circuit.  Boats will go into their first race in one of these events carrying their traditional Lymington Base Handicap (LBH).  After that race they are awarded an LAH, depending on performance, which they carry into their next race so their LAH is continually being adjusted.  At the end of the Spring Series an outgoing LAH becomes the input into the Thursday Night racing and from there into the Solent Circuit as shown on the attached chart.  The outgoing LAH from the Solent Circuit then becomes the ingoing LAH for next year’s Spring Series and so on.  Any time a boat doesn’t race she carries over her last LAH to the next race she does sail in.
 
The Side events are such things as both clubs’ Cruiser Series or one-off races such as the Needles Relief.  Here a boat would start with whatever LAH she had achieved on the Mainstream just prior to the start of that event.  Handicaps would be adjusted from this starting position after every race using the NHC software during that Side event but a boat’s final handicap from that series would be discarded.
 
It is hoped to have a short presentation about the new system at event briefings early in 2015. Meanwhile, for more information about NHC please visit the RYA website - http://www.rya.org.uk/racing/Pages/NHC.aspx

 

 
Richard Truscott, Captain of Cruiser Racers

 

Double and Single Handed Racing Forum - Thursday 12th February - 18:30

Whether you're already a battle hardened veteran of short-handed racing, a relative newcomer or just curious to learn more, this is an opportunity to get together with other like-minded owners to share experiences and ideas.

The evening will be facilitated by Nigel King, who has extensive experience of single-handed racing at international level and coaching, but will be aimed at club-level sailors and focused on how to develop the skills and confidence needed to race short-handed. Ronan Grealish from North Sails will also be on-hand to give advice on sail selection and trim when you don't have an army of gorillas to pull the strings.
Please sign up on the Club notice board, or reply to this email to let us know you will be attending.

 
Chris Neve, Rear Commodore Sailing

 


Cruising

We had one meet in January to Newtown and the New Inn at Shalfleet. The weather was good and even a seal came up in the entrance to welcome us in. 13 boats and 57 Members enjoyed a good lunch at the pub. Our next meet is to Bucklers hard and the Master Builders for lunch on  Monday, 23rd Feb.

Thank you for all those who sent in Logs   The cups and trophies  will be presented at the Cruising Dinner on 28th February, tickets are selling well, so why not buy yours now from the office.

These are my last notes as Captain of Cruising and I would like to thank all my committee for all the hard work and support they have given me in the past.  Also the Members who have come along to all the meets and made them a success.

George Johnson will be taking over as Captain and Perrin Towler as Vive Captain, I wish them both well.

Nick Olney, Captain of Cruising

 


Summer Cruise 2015

As discussed at the Cruising Forum in October, the plan for this summer is to repeat the flexible format of the past two years but with specific locations/timeframes chosen for informal club social events.

As in previous years all participants will be kept up to date with ‘fleet’ movements by text message throughout the month of June to facilitate ad hoc meets in a wide variety of locations.  However the cruise will start with an anchor meet in Poole harbour on Friday 29th May followed by a dinner at ‘the boat that rocks’ at Portland marina on Saturday 30th May. The anchor meet and the Portland dinner can be treated as stand-alone events, but will provide a sociable start for those of us planning to cruise the West Country, the Channel Islands or further afield.

As regards the anchor meet, while we would hope to raft up for drinks on the Friday evening, drinks and supper will be for participants to organise themselves. This will enable maximum flexibility to cope with weather and personal arrangements.
 
After Portland the next organised event will be dinner in St Peter Port on Tuesday 2nd June followed by dinner in Treguier on Wednesday 10th June. Arrangements for the Portland, St Peter Port and Treguier dinners will be finalised only when participants are able to confirm with reasonable certainty their arrival dates.
 
The flexible nature of the cruise is such that a late decision to take part can be accommodated but for planning purposes it would be helpful to let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join in all or any of the events. I don’t need final crew numbers at this stage but a short  email to me at [email protected]  with boat and skipper name and an indication of which of the events you plan to join would very helpful.  In order to avoid delay and loading the office with unnecessary work please email me rather than clicking reply to this message.

Ken Claydon, Cruising Sub-Committee

 

Day sail to Cowes and lunch at the Island Sailing Club - Tuesday 24th March

It’s that time of year to grab your oilies and get out on the water with your Club.  So, pencil in your diary the 24th March for a very fine day cruise to West Cowes and Shepherds Wharf Marina where we have made provisional bookings for several boats at great mooring rates.  The briefing for this event is at 9.00 am on the 24th March in the Club bar.  If you’re coming along then it’s very important that skippers and crew attend as Shepherds Wharf Marina need to know the names of the boats to be moored and the ISC of the number of diners and their meal choices - so don’t be late!
 
If this day sail interests you then add your details to the list on the Cruising Sections’ Notice Board, or email Derek Barnard at [email protected]: providing your name, the name of your boat and its length, the number on board and your contact details.  Derek will then contact you to provide the choices of meal available at the ISC (details pending)
 
Haven’t got a boat but want to attend? - let Derek know and he will see who needs crew. Welcome aboard and we look forward to seeing you on the 24th March.

Derek Barnard, Cruising Sub-Committee

 

Photography Competition 2015

Once again the Cruising Sub-committee is organising the photography competition. It is open for entries from Members of the club, all age groups are encouraged to enter.
 
The rules are simple:

  • The photograph must be taken ‘ON THE WATER’.
  • Each Member may enter one photograph, caption optional.
  • It is to be a print 25 x 20 cm or 10”x 8”. Not framed and not mounted.
  • It is to have been taken between November 2014 and October 2015.
  • NO Sunsets this year as they took 1st and 2nd places in 2014.
  • The competition will close on Friday 30th October 2015.
  • Please leave named entries in the office in envelopes marked Photography Competition.
  • All photographs will be displayed between Thursday 12th November and Sunday 15th November in conjunction with the Members’ Art Exhibition.
  • Judging will take place on the afternoon of 12th November.
Queries should be addressed to [email protected]
Harvie Woolley, Cruising Sub-Committee

 


Training

 

Children’s RYA Training starting at Easter

All courses are for ages 8 – 16.

  • RYA Stage 1 - 9th & 10th April  A safe, fun filled action packed introduction to sailing. Suitable for complete beginners.
  • RYA Stage 2 – 11th & 12th April, 28th & 29th May - Finish off the starter skills, progress through the basic skills and get in control.
  • RYA Stage 3 – 30th & 31st May  - Sail in all directions and feel in command of your   boat.
  • RYA Stage 4 – 13th & 14th April  Improve double handed sailing and problem solving afloat. Passing this course is the entry point to advanced courses. 

£110 Members £150 Non-members
Book your space 01590 672677 [email protected]

Check out the website to view the full programme of Adult and Youth Sailing Courses www.rlymyc.org.uk/Training


RLymYC Level 2+ RIB Course

14th March 2015 - £10 to Members & Non Members


RLymYC First Aid Course

  • 23rd April 2015
  • 28th June 2015
  • 12th July 2015
  • 11th October 2015
  • 8th November 2015
£50 to Member, £70 to Non-Members
 
For information about courses at the Club: https://rlymyc.org.uk/Sailing/Training.aspx.

 


Volunteers 2015

 

Firstly my apologies to all those Members who have been eagerly sifting through the recent club mailing hoping to find their 2015 volunteers form. You will now find the 2015 Sailing Event Team form on the Club website, please click here to access it.

There are also links on the Club homepage, and the Volunteers page or if you would prefer a paper copy they are available at reception.

We have tried to make the form more user friendly and give Members more opportunity to fine tune their offers of help with a drop down notes box for each event. As the season progresses we will update the form and remove past events so please revisit it throughout the season. Once the form has been submitted you will receive an acknowledgement and if you have expressed an interest in supporting one of the Series Events you will be emailed the appropriate forms and the Event Coordinators will be alerted as to your availability. Full details of all events are in the Sailing Programme
 
We are always looking for additional Members to join, or indeed rejoin our race teams. Working as part of a team to deliver varied and exciting racing gives all those taking part the opportunity to enjoy time on the water in a variety of ways, whether an experienced race officer or a novice rescue boat crew there is a role to suite every one. There are many roles available and it is good fun, a great way to meet new and like minded people and at the end of each day you will be rewarded with a drinks token so that you can join your team in the bar with a glass of house wine or beer.
 
Each event or series has an event coordinator who will ensure that those who are new to a role are fully supported, either by working alongside a more experienced team member or by starting with a more low key event, for example as part of a team running a single start for the XOD fleet or as a third person in a mark laying boat. Not all roles require going out on the water or committing a lot of time. Working on shore, taking entries, helping with boats on the slipway, checking tallies and inputting results are all an essential part of running a safe and successful event.
 
The Club website provides more comprehensive details of the different roles open to volunteers and the training available to support Members, please contact the office for further details.

Jane Corden

 



Race Team Training

 
Firstly, a huge 'thank you' to Alastair Wilson for the many hours he gave to running a highly successful Club Race Officer Course in January 2015. If you missed it all is not lost  We are currently looking at the possibility of running this course again on either a Saturday or Sunday in NovemberIf you are interested in attending and have a preference towards either day do please let Alastair know.  We can then keep you up to date with our plans.


Knots and Knatter

Informal sessions to get race team members up to speed tying some essential knots and folding flags.  The knots that we need to get to grips with are, in order of importance, the bowline, sheet bend and clove hitch.  Bring some bits of rope with you if you have any and some loose change for the coffee machine. Then, when it all gets too we can recover with a cup of tea!
  • Tuesday 10 February  2015  -  1500 hours in the Bar
  • Wednesday 18 February 2015  -  1500 hours in the Bar
Sign Up Sheet Now on the Club Notice Board

Course Setting

  • 19th and 26th March - Island Room, 1815 for 1830 hours start

These sessions aim to give detailed coverage of the basics of course setting together with how courses are affected by local conditions.  Places will be limited with priority going to those who have attended the CRO and CROP courses run at the Club this autumn and winter.


Role of the Support Boat

  • 14 April 2015 - Island Room, 1815 for 1830 hours start

VHF Radio Use for Race Team Members and Support Boats

  • 18 April 2015 - Island Room, 1030 for 1200 hours start

    Frances Evans

     



Fleets


XOD

We are now over half-way through our winter hibernation, and thoughts turn to the XOD season ahead. Many of the fleet will be some way through their annual maintenance, and for those that have not yet begun they still have time.  As ever we have a very busy sailing programme scheduled and there are a few dates of particular note:
  • Monday 9th March 18:30, Island Room - Informal get together to discuss what the fleet wants from our racing and courses led by Malcolm McKeag, with supper afterwards.
  • Saturday 11th April 17:00 Sail Loft - XOD Spring Meeting
  • Saturday 18th April 14:00  - First Race
  • Sunday 3rd May - XOD Tuning and Training Day
  • Saturday 9th May 13:00 - Alastair Easton Trophy -  Windward/Leeward Series
In the next week or so, our new divisional captain, Karl Thorne, will be sending out a very short questionnaire to boat owners in the Division, on behalf of the Class Committee. This is to sound out opinion on spinnakers, an alternative Class Championship, and the appetite to host another French Regatta in 2016.

Roy Froud


LR SCOW

The second of the Scow Winter Talks was given by Chris Knox on 2nd February to an audience of over 60 Members and guests.  His subject was the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth and in particular the new Galleries covering the Royal Navy in the 20th and 21st centuries.  Chris is a Friend of the Museum and an amateur Naval Historian and his enthusiasm for his subject, plus the fascinating photos and illustrations made a riveting talk.  Chris has promised to organise a tour of the new Galleries for Scow Division members with the opportunity to go behind the scenes where many treasures are stored away from public gaze.  Further details will be released shortly.

Before the talk there was a short presentation of two new Trophies, won at last year’s National Championships but which it had not been possible to award before now.  Gordon Stredwick presented the President’s Single Handed Master’s Trophy to Ian Curtis of Keyhaven YC (above left)  and Roly Stafford presented the President’s double handed Masters Trophy to Jon Turner and Marigold de Jongh, also of Keyhaven (right).  These splendid trophies are awarded to the best placed competitors who are over 70. 

There will be another informal Scow Supper on 16th Feb and David Weller’s talk  “An Antarctic Year” will take place on 2nd March.

Dick Moore


OPTIMISTS

There has been plenty of action for the Oppies, both for those taking the opportunity of some winter sun or, closer to home, getting stuck in to all the training that is on offer here.
 
In December the main events abroad were Palma, the Miami Orange Bowl and Malta, where Sophie Holloway was 1st girl (3rd overall), and the other events she was 1st GBR.
In January GBR sent a team to Naples for the Trofeo Marcello Campobasso.  Lymington’s Johnny Thompson (16th) was 1st GBR.  Meanwhile Arthur Fry (4th) and Oliver Hill (11th) travelled to Freemantle for the Australian Open Optimist Championships. The boys had a fantastic time but the problem is they now want to live there! 
 
Haydn Sewell and Sophie Holloway went to Monaco where they put in a terrific performance to come 5th out of the 16 teams at the Monaco Team Racing Championships.  Sophie, making the most of her winter globetrotting, then went directly to Torrevieja (ESP) to join a gang of fellow Lymington sailors against 350 others from 16 countries.  On-form Arthur Fry (22nd) put in GBR’s best performance.
 
The same weekend Julia Mellers was invited to Oman for Mussanah Race Week, competing against the very best Optimist sailors from all over the world. Apparently the only problem was that it was almost too hot. Not too much of a disaster then.

George Heathcote

 



Lymington Sailability

 
On 6th May 2015 they  will be holding our annual charity fund raising lunch with a fashion and beauty show at The Chewton Glen Hotel.  Tickets are £49.
We are delighted to welcome on board for the first time at The Chewton Glen Yvette and her models from Thirty Three Boutique, who will be showcasing their very latest fashions for this event.  The ever popular Make-Up Artiste's Carol and Stacey and their team from Clinique will also be joining us. The Clinique team will demonstrate and share tips on how to achieve a great look using their latest products.
With  spring and summer around the corner this event is sure to give us all that much needed colourful lift, finally closing the door on winter.
For more details and to book your place please contact Becky (01590 610346). Aly (07823 338374) or email [email protected].

 


RNLI

Quiz Night - Thursday 19th February 7.00 pm

Quiz £5 (includes £3 donation to RNLI)
Quiz tickets from Ann Brunskill 01590 677630

 

Annual General Meeting Thursday 12th March  7.00 pm

Lymington Town Sailing Club.  2014 AGM minutes and 2015 agenda available
at the meeting or contact Christopher Knox 01590 642786

 

Beaulieu Boat Jumble Sunday 26th April 10.00 am - 5.00 pm

Charts, Chandlery, Books etc.
Another reminder that the RNLI needs your unwanted boat bits for Beaulieu Boat Jumble. Either bring them to the boatmen, call John Niven on 01590  678839 or Marilyn Holmes (01590 670248)

 

Email Ann Brunksill - ePN Editor