Commodore's September newsletter
Published 01:00 on 1 Oct 2022
Dear Member,
Half Mast
We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and would like to extend our most heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family at this time of national mourning. During this period the club is showing unity with the rest of the nation and commonwealth in flying the Union Flag at half-mast until after the state funeral on Monday next week (19th September).
Under the Budworth Burgee
We see them here, we see them there, our Budworth Burgees are flying everywhere. An extremely busy eight weeks has passed with members racing under the Budworth burgee at numerous events across the country and abroad. Five club GP14's competed at the GP14 World Championships at Skerries YC in Ireland. Five Budworth Snipes flew the Budworth flag at the Snipe Nationals at Plymouth. Ben Teague competed in the RS200 National RS Games at Weymouth against 180 competitors. Whilst numerous members represented a host of Budworth fleets by sailing at Bassenthwaite SC during the very popular family orientated Bass week. Finlay Waterhouse went over to Garda in Italy for the Topper Worlds and then straight after to Weymouth for the Topper Nationals. Finally Tony Wilcock was aboard a Sunsail F41 competing at Cowes.
Flying High
You know you've made it when you are Front Cover and First Page news. Budworth Sailing Club and it's members made the front cover of the September edition of Cheshire Life with a feature article spanning six pages covering the activities and thoughts of a variety members of our club. The article is great publicity for our club. Indeed one new member came to our public Open Day and joined, just on the strength of reading all about us.
If that wasn't good enough, a brilliant photograph taken on Budworth's Commodores Pirates day was used as a double page feature in the RYA member's monthly magazine this month. The Launch feature exemplified the fun and family philosophy underpinning our club's membership.
Youth Mania
With the close of Summer sailing, Budworth's Main points series recommenced at the start of September. With this recommencement has come phenomenal interest from our keen and super eager juniors, SEVENTEEN of whom vied with the adults during the handicap first race of last Sunday, 11th September. Indeed when combined together across the fleets and age ranges, we had in excess of forty eight boats competing on the water during Mains Points. It remains to be seen if such interest and enthusiasm will be maintained through to the end of the main points series. Congratulations to Alistair Coats and his team for some fantastic courses, scoring and rescue cover, you have set a high standard for the remainder of the series.
Booming Open
The club's second Open Day of the year was a booming success on Monday 29th August - Bank Holiday Monday. Our club accommodated in excess of 240 members of the public, the vast majority of whom were taken out by members to sail around the mere. Our phenomenal record for friendly welcome saw us sign up thirty three new members of which twenty one enrolled on our RYA accredited Learn to Sail Courses. It must not go by without saying a huge thanks to both Hugh Devereux for co-ordinating the event and to the army of volunteers that helped make such a wonderful day for everyone. I am sure all existing members will wish to join me in expressing a very warm welcome to all the new members who have joined us as a result.
Pursuit and French Dressing
On Wednesday the 31st August the club hosted this year's Wednesday End of Series event. A one hour pursuit race was masterfully presided over by Mr Mark Philpot and team of member volunteers. A balmy, 11mph breeze, from a steady ENE direction saw the PRO set a course with three beats, two reaches and one long run the length of the mere. Thirty seven competitors (13 GP's, 8 ILCA's, 7 Solo's, 4 RS200, 3 Toppers, 2 Snipe's) spent one hour pursuing the leading two Toppers. Within the last minute of the hour long race, only 100 meters separated the top six boats across four different classes, with the pursuit accolade being awarded to Russell and Ali Cormack in a GP14. Congratulations to you both and many thanks to Mark and team for an event well run.
Rounding off the evening in true style, many members dressed in French striped tops with Berets as they seated themselves in our 'French Café' adorned clubhouse. Huge thanks and many complements to our trio of French maids: Alison Hubbard, Dianne Owen and Pauline Penny who, between the three of them, not only decorated our clubhouse but also prepared and cooked a fabulous four course French themed sit down meal for seventy two members. The evening was amazing and concluded with the prize giving for this year's Wednesday Night Series.
Pennies and Pounds
At this time of year the club will be sending out your annual membership renewal reminder. Please check that your contact and boat information is still up to date. If any changes are needed, please contact our membership secretary at membsec@budworthsc.org.uk.
Members are offered the opportunity to save money on their membership fees by paying their renewal before Wednesday 9th November. On this date, the AGM, membership fees are anticipated as being voted to increase to reflect the current financial changes in our economy, especially those relating to heating, lighting and hot water for our clubhouse and the fuelling of our rescue boats. Any membership fees received after 9th November will be subject to the forthcoming increase.
Fleet Exclusivity
As our sailing year steadily draws to its close, now is the time to check your results. How many races you have sailed, how many more races do you need to complete to qualify, how many to discard that "bad" result to radically improve your overall standing. Can you fit them all in?
Saturday sailing continues for everyone with the following exceptions: Saturday 8th October, when the Solo's host their annual Open Day and Saturday 15th October for the RS200 Open Day. If any member has any aspirations of joining in and sailing on either of these two Saturdays, please get in touch with the respective fleet class captains Alan Bailey (Solos) and Tony Wilcock (RS200). If you usually sail in a different fleet but would like to enquire if there is a boat you can borrow (Solo or RS200 respectively) or to offer yourself as a crew in an RS200, please contact the appropriate Class Captain. Please note, whenever our club hosts a Fleet's Open Day, the mere will be for the exclusive use of sailors in boats of the fleet in question and is closed to all other boat types.
The second part of the clubs Main Points racing series and Sunday sailing programme will continue for the next six weeks concluding on Sunday 23rd October, excepting only the Sunday of the 75th Budworth Snipe Open, on Sunday 18th September when Snipe sailors will have exclusivity of the water.
Stepping up
Our last sailing course for the calendar year will be the RYA Level 2 Sailing course. Held over two consecutive Saturdays, October 22nd and 29th, this course is aimed at those who have completed Level 1 Learn to Sail. If you aspire to improve your boat handling skills, this course will step you up to the next level. Please contact the training team via email training@budworthsc.org.uk to register your interest.
Powering ahead
In January and February 2023, we will be holding the next set of Powerboat 2 courses. These two day courses will be held over a weekend. If there is demand, we may also arrange a mid-week November course. Basic powerboat experience is a pre-requisite. Please ensure you volunteer for rib crew duties and check out the rib training video on the training section of the web-site to gain/refresh your experience prior to the course. Please contact the training team via email training@budworthsc.org.uk so that we can establish demand, and fix appropriate dates.
Wishing everyone fair conditions and a great sailing over the Autumnal period.
Bill