March 2016 - Civil Service Sailing Association
Transcription
March 2016 - Civil Service Sailing Association
March 2016 Civil Service Sailing Civil Service Sailing Association New season ahead: Page 3 On a slow boat through London: Pages 8-9 CONTENTS Annual General Meeting .............................................................. 3 Commodore’s Corner .................................................................. 4 CSSA accounts ............................................................................. 5-7 The 2016 season is here and plans are being made to explore the seas around the UK and further afield, as well as the inland waterways. After a winter of rain and floods, it will be fabulous to enjoy the sunshine that we all thoroughly deserve. Littleton Sailing Club .............................................................10-11 Magazine contributions, meanwhile, are very welcome, but do remember to send photos as separate high-resolution files: civilservicesailing@yahoo.co.uk. Channel Sailing Division ......................................................12-13 Deborah Ward, Editor East Coast Yacht Division ........................................................ 8-9 Five Kingdoms Sailing Club .......................................................14 CSSA briefs .......................................................................................16 n Front page shows Rob Picot’s Weston Lady in the Thames - more on pages 8-9 Civil Service Offshore Racing Club Come and talk to us at AGM The Civil Servcie Offshore Racing Club AGM will take place at the Civil Service Club in London on 25th April at 8pm, immediately after the CSSA AGM. If you wish to join us, you’ll be very welcome. We are looking for one or two new Committee members, so if you would like to help us run the club, please come along and we’ll tell you what’s involved. If you can’t make it, send an e-mail to the Crew Bureau on the website. Our planning for the 2016 season is progressing. We now have a second boat entered in the Civil Service Inter-Departmental Offshore Regatta (IDOR) from 12th-17th June. The skippers will be Nick Bowles and Bill Taylor. We are aiming to enter the St Peter Port JOG 26th-28th August, skipper Trevor Drew, and the Poole JOG 10th-11th September, Skipper tbd. Other races are also being considered – but we need to know that people are interested, so please get in touch with our Crew Bureau if you would like to participate. We’re also keen to engage more skippers, so if you fancy getting some race experience, please let us know. Looking further ahead, our thoughts are already turning towards the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race. As usual, we will be chartering a 40ft yacht and our campaign will consist of a training weekend, three qualifying races each 100NM or more over the first half of 2017, followed by the Fastnet itself in August. All crew will also qualify for their ISAF/RYA Offshore Safety Certificate, with a weekend of theory and liferaft practice in a swimming pool. It all takes a lot of thought and planning, so if you are interested in next year’s Fastnet please let us know ASAP via the CSORC Crew Bureau or come and see us at the AGM where our very own Weathered Fastnet Veterans can tell you a bit more about it. There’s also an article on the website under “Fastnet”, written by a member of last year’s crew, describing some practical experiences. The programme for the 2016 season is now on our website http://www.csorc.org.uk under “programme” and we will be keeping it under review, so please keep in touch. As well as the website, we also have a Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/groups/CSORCSailing/. We eagerly await your bookings or expressions of interest for crew places. We hope to hear from you soon. CSSA Offshore Secretary role Do you enjoy offshore sailing? Do you have ideas on how to improve CSSA’s delivery of offshore sailing? If so, why not serve as Offshore Secretary and manage the business of CSSA’s Offshore Sub Committee? The OSC meets about twice per year as business demands – usually at Littleton Sailing Club. If you would like to know more about what is involved, contact our outgoing Offshore Secretary, Ian Mason at ianmason53@icloud.com. The experience gained is useful for those who may volunteer to serve as Rear Commodore (Offshore). ... diary dates .... diary dates .... diary dates .... diary dates .... • • • • • • 2 Jumbles Sailing Club Open Day, Saturday16th April CSSA AGM, Monday 25th April ECYD Cobweb Rally, Rivers Orwell and Stour, 29th April-2nd May Littleton Sailing Club Open Day, Saturday 14th May RYA ‘Push the Boat Out’, 14th-22nd May Inter-Departmental Offshore Regatta 2016, Isle of Wight, 12th-17th June 2016 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2016 All welcome to attend 58th AGM Members are invited to attend the 58th Annual General Meeting of the CSSA, to be held on Monday, 25th April, starting at 18.00, in: The Civil Service Club 13-15 Great Scotland Yard London SW1A 2HJ After closure of the AGM, members are invited to raise any matters for discussion. A free buffet will then be available. Agenda 1. Presentation of awards and trophies 2. Commodore’s address 3. Minutes of the 57th AGM held on 27th April 2015 4. Adoption of the Annual Report for 2015 5. Treasurer’s Report and Adoption of the 2015 Annual Accounts 6. Election of Officers and Committee Members 7. Appointment of Auditor The following nominations for the posts shown have been received: Post Commodore Vice-Commodore Nominee Graham Dalton (Note 1) Trevor Drew (Note 2) Rear-Commodore (D) Rear-Commodore (O) Treasurer General Secretary Membership Secretary Safety Officer Offshore Secretary Dinghy Secretary Training Officer CS-Sailing Editor & PRO Iain Mackay (Note 3) Paul Brereton (Note 3) Brian Grubb Nikki Brown Ken Pavitt Steve Whitting Vacant (Note 4) Vacant (Note 4) Mark Round Deborah Ward Members (max of nine) (for IDOR) CSSA webmaster Lindsey Kemp Nick Rees (Note 5) Vacant (Note 5) Divisional representatives CSSC Chief Executive (Simon Lee) Proposer Seconder Trevor Drew Trevor Drew Paul Brereton Trevor Drew Trevor Drew Nikki Brown Nikki Brown Deborah Ward Nikki Brown Nikki Brown Trevor Drew Trevor Drew Nikki Brown Nikki Brown Trevor Drew Trevor Drew Nikki Brown Nikki Brown Representatives for each club and division are appointed by the club and division. Ex-officio appointment Notes 1. The Commodore was elected by the General Committee to serve for three years from the 2015 AGM. 2. The Vice-Commodore was elected at the 2014 AGM to serve for three years. 3. The Rear-Commodore (D) was elected for a period of two years in 2015 and is eligible to be re-elected once only for a further period of two years. The Rear-Commodore (O) was elected for a period of two years in 2014 and is eligible to be re-elected once only for a further period of two years. 4. Volunteers are sought for these posts. If suitable candidates are available, they would be co-opted to the General Committee. 5. Nick Rees will be relinquishing the post of chairman of the IDOR organising committee after IDOR 2016. A volunteer is sought to take over the post, and may be invited to join the General Committee. 6. A webmaster for www.cs-sailing.org is in the process of being identified. The Webmaster may be invited to join the General Committee. 3 C ommodore ’ s C orner Taster days show it’s easy to enjoy yourself on a boat by Trevor Drew Vice-Commodore, CSSA The evenings are now getting lighter and I’m sure I’m not alone in looking forward to the coming season. I’m sure some of you have already started! The past year has certainly been a busy one, with many of our 12 Divisions and affiliated clubs followed a common theme of bringing new people into the sport. Our dinghy clubs, in particular, have been very energetic in this area, with Littleton Sailing Club’s Open Day being particularly notable, in offering paddle-boarding and windsurfing, as well as various dinghies, which proved a great success. Jumbles also had a very successful “Push the Boat Out” Open Day, with family sailing the theme. Of course, the IDOR is one of the highlights of the CSSA year and 2015 was no exception. Our stalwart organiser Nick Rees did a great job once again and even managed to win the chocolates, carrying home the premier prize – the Eric Seal Trophy - in this, his final year as Chairman of the Organising Committee. He will be sorely missed, though I hope we will still see him at future IDORs. ‘ ‘ I’m sure I’m not alone in looking forward to the coming season. I was honoured with the task of presenting the prizes at the 2015 Dinghy Championships, held at Netley Cliff. which provided an entertaining afternoon watching the racing and convivial company at the clubhouse bar afterwards. I thoroughly recommend it – as a competitor of spectator. I also had the pleasure of being on board for two of the Taster Days with CSSC staff crews, on the East coast with Freyja and with Channel Sailing Division on their new Jeaneau 409, Sea Essay. Everyone had a great time, which does underline how easy it is to enjoy yourself on a boat. n Vice-Commodore Trevor Drew: an ardent racer As an ardent racer, one of my abiding sailing memories of 2015 will be the Rolex Fastnet Race, where for once, as a competitor, rather than crew or skipper, I was able to watch progress of the CSSA/CSORC entry, ably led by skipper Simon Zavad, through the qualifiers and the race itself. Freyja also re-visited her now-familiar Baltic cruising ground, visiting various ports in Denmark and Sweden, while the new Sea Essay was introduced to southern Brittany for the summer, as well as running a number of Taster Days themselves. It is an iconic race, both in the UK calendar but also within CSSA, giving relative (sometimes complete!) novices the opportunity to immerse themselves into the sport big time – certainly not for 4 the faint-hearted, but eminently do-able, with some courage and a good leader. They finished 163 out of 310 in the race itself and 141st in IRC over the season – an excellent result. Both these cruises are now well established, proving very popular with members and providing them with a great sense of adventure and longer passages for those wishing to develop their experience. CSSA ACCOUNTS Treasurer’s Report and abridged CSSA financial statement for 2015 2015 Results 1. The Association’s surplus for the year was £7,283 compared with £4,931 for 2014. Membership grant from CSSC - CSSA’s main income - increased by nearly £2,000 thanks to CSSA’s increased membership. The main expenditure, as last year, was a per-capita grant distribution to all CSSA’s member clubs – this year totalling £10,000. The distribution was possible because £10,000 originally budgeted to meet professional fees in connection with new leasing arrangements for two of the Association clubs’ sites was not, in the event, required. 2015 Financial position and highlights 2. The Association’s financial position remains strong. Taking one year with another, the aim is to increase reserves broadly in line with inflation. This is so that clubs’ requirements for interest-free loan capital to improve and renew their assets - inevitably affected by inflation - can continue to be met. Two new interest-free loans were made during the year - £90,000 to Channel Sailing Division (CSD) and £50,000 to Five Kingdoms Sailing Club (5KSC). Both loans were towards replacing the yachts these clubs operate. The former is repayable over seven years and the latter over ten. Repayments on all existing loans continue to be received on or ahead of schedule. The Future 3. The loans made to CSD and 5KSC have significantly reduced the Association’s cash reserves. Nonetheless there remains more than sufficient working capital and also - coupled with future receipts from annual loan repayments – sufficient to satisfy potential loan requirements for other clubs that are on the horizon. 4. The change in 2012 to a capitation basis for CSSA’s membership grant from CSSC continues to benefit the Association because it has been able to further increase its membership, thereby qualifying for a larger grant. The increase to more than 2,400 Association members at September 2014 resulted in a membership grant for 2015 of £30,919, and a further increase to nearly 2,600 at September 2015 will qualify for a grant of £32,933 for 2016. However, this rate of membership increase will probably tail off over time and the ‘capitation rate’ for the grant will of course depend on CSSC’s own finances which, like most parts of the economy, remain under pressure. Likewise there is pressure on the Sports and Recreational Bodies events grant that CSSC also provides to the Association, but it is pleasing to report that a grant budget of £8,000 has been approved for 2016 – a further slight increase on 2015 and all that was sought. 5. As the surplus for 2015 shows, CSSA continues to have sufficient head room as well as reserves to provide a buffer against any potential levelling-off of grant support. But for 2016 it will again be necessary to set up budgetary provision of £10,000 to meet legal and other fees related to the introduction of leasing arrangements for the sites occupied by Netley Cliff SC and Littleton SC. This process is taking far longer than anticipated but it now seems virtually certain that such costs will arise in 2016. So the scope for CSSA’s grant distribution to clubs in 2016 may be very limited. and CSSA and the individual club - as is planned - then CSSA will acquire actual rather than contingent rent obligations and be more vulnerable in the event that clubs themselves are unable to meet their commitments. Once all site agreements are in place the annual obligations - actual and contingent – are likely to approach £140,000. As the I&E account shows, this figure is already some £127,000. This is another reason why the Association needs to maintain substantial reserves which, fortunately, it appears able to do in the foreseeable future. Appointment of auditor 7. A motion to appoint Wilkins Kennedy LLP as auditor for 2016 will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 8. Abridged financial statements comprising the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet for the year ended 31 December 2015 are attached. They are drawn directly from the audited financial statements. Copies of the full (12 page) financial statements - including the Audit Report (which contains a ‘clear’ audit opinion), Cash Flow Statement and Notes - will be available at the forthcoming AGM. The full financial statements are also available on the CSSA website (www.cs-sailing.org) along with clubs’ reports. Brian Grubb Honorary Treasurer 4 March 2016 6. The wider introduction of site rents for the land-based clubs will also have a continuing financial impact inasmuch as the CSSC looks to the Association not only to collect such rental and associated payments but also to guarantee them. Indeed, if the arrangements result in ‘back to back’ leases between CSSC and CSSA, 5 CSSA ACCOUNTS Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 December 2015 2015 £ Income CSSC membership grant 2015 £ 2014 £ 30,919 29,006 CSSC events grant 6,853 4,072 Interest on bank deposits 1,137 2,126 17 1 Other Income _____ 38,926 _____ 2014 £ 35,205 General expenditure Committee costs 1,499 1,267 Other administrative costs 1,768 1,712 952 734 10,693 12,001 298 1,457 8,916 8,383 78 93 570 555 Loan default provision - - Trophies and citations 16 - Functions Grants funded by CSSA Training expenditure Magazine Advertising and publicity RYA subscription _____ (24,790) _____ (26,202) Events expenditure Offshore racing 1,550 - Dinghy championships 2,074 1,292 479 80 2,750 2,700 Victory Trophy Interdepartmental offshore races _____ Gross Surplus (6,853) _____ (4,072) _____ _____ 7,283 4,931 Loan interest, rents and charges HSBC loan interest and charges Less: amounts recharged to divisions 1,868 (1,868) _____ CSSC rents and charges Less: amounts recharged to divisions 6 (3,362) - 127,039 _____ - 118,821 (127,039) _____ Net Surplus to General Fund 3,362 (118,821) - _____ 7,283 _____ _____ - _____ 4,931 _____ Balance sheet at 31 December 2015 2015 Loans to division due after one year CSSA-financed interest-free loans HSBC-financed interest-bearing loans £ 2015 £ 2014 £ 143,500 70,000 28,000 35,000 _____ 171,500 _____ 2014 £ 105,000 Current assets Loans to Divisions - due within one year: CSSA-financed interest-free loans 51,500 34,500 7,000 7,000 Chandlery stock 1,382 1,447 Sundry debtors 127,281 133,752 Bank current and deposit accounts 135,324 HSBC-financed interest-bearing loans _____ 212,809 322,487 _____ 389,508 Current liabilities Loans from HSBC - due within one year 7,000 7,000 Sundry creditors 90,711 91,268 Corporation tax 284 531 _____ (97,995) _____ (98,799) Current assets less current liabilities 224,492 290,709 Total assets less current liabilities 395,992 395,709 (28,000) (35,000) 367,992 360,709 _____ _____ 360,709 355,778 7,283 4,931 367,992 360,709 _____ _____ Long-term liabilities Loans from HSBC - due after one year Total assets less total liablitities General Fund Balance brought forward Surplus for year Brian Grubb, Honorary Treasurer, 4 March 2016 A full version of the accounts, and the club reports, can be found at the CSSA website: www.cs-sailing.org 7 EAST COAST YACHT DIVISION Cruising instructor swaps his sails for the narrow approach I cast off from Aylesbury’s new Circus Fields Marina in June on my narrow Boat ‘Weston Lady’. It’s been a very different experience from the sails, tides and keels extending almost 2m under the water at varying angles which I’m more accustomed to. My 55ft, 6ft 6ins wide steel home,weighing 25 tons, has since been scraping her flat, 18ins-draft bottom along the murky waters of a 200-year old network of canals and rivers, passing through some wonderful towns, villages and countryside at not much more than walking pace. With 500-plus miles covered and 478 locks negotiated, it’s been a wonderful experience so far. There are still another 2,000 miles of interconnected navigable waterways to explore. Coming up the tidal Thames from Lime House to Teddington lock on a narrow boat, under London Bridge, past Westminster and some of the city’s iconic landmarks and tourist attractions was a novel experience. On the way up, I even managed to salvage an almost new lifebuoy that had fallen from some unlucky vessel. The experience of East Coast Yacht Division members is wide and varied. Rob Picot, our Cruising Instructor, takes to the inland waters for another way of life on board, with different slearning curves. And with 2,000 more miles to explore, we look forward to further stories from Rob and Weston Lady The Bristol Channel is certainly a challenge at the best of times and not for the faint-hearted in a narrow boat. They’re not designed for open tidal waters, especially in anything much more than F2 and at that depending on wind direction. Even on the calm day we made the passage, the confused sea state did some strange things Although there is a wide expanse of water, there is also the second highest tidal range in the world at over 10 metres. The very narrow, winding navigable channel is not buoyed, since at low water the cans and cones could well be lying on the mud some considerable distance off track. The channel is therefore negotiated by following a series of well defined transit marks. Making nearly 11 knots over the ground from Portishead to Sharpness certainly focuses the mind. Especially when your laptop chart plotter decides to lose its GPS and you realise that the magnetic deviation of 25 tons of steel renders a hand-held compass pretty useless! Thank heavens for paper charts, pilot books, a sound passage plan and the compass on a mobile phone! Oh, and the fact that I had chosen the passage to coincide with a neap tide and a near still day. 8 n Rob, top, has been enjoying challenges of a different kind on the inland waterways of the UK n Navigating theThames in a narrowboat was a novel experience Return to Brittany This year Freyja (right) is returning to Brittany for the ‘long trip’. Early season taster and training days will take place at the beginning of the season. There are still some berths available and further details are shown in the table below. The information on available berths was correct at the time of writing this article. ECYD Programme 2016 Date from 18.00 Friday 29th April 18.00 Monday 2nd May 18.00 Friday 6th May 18.00 Sunday 8th May Date to 18.00 Monday 2nd May 18.00 Friday 6th May 18.00 Sunday 8th May 18.00 Friday 13th May 18.00 Friday 13th May 18.00 Saturday 14th May 18.00 Sunday 15th May 18.00 Tuesday 17th May 18.00 Friday 29th May 18.00 Sunday 22nd May 18.00 Saturday 14th May 18.00 Sunday 15th May 18.00 Tuesday 17th May 18.00 Thursday 19th May 18.00 Sunday22nd May 18.00 Friday 27th May Type of trip 18.00 Thursday 2nd June 12.00 Wednesday 12 June 12.00 Saturday 25th June Rally Charter RYA Start Yachting RYA Competent Crew/ Day Skipper Introductory/Taster Sail Introductory/Taster Sail Practice boat handling Practice boat handing RYA Start Yachting RYA Competent Crew/ Day Skipper Private Charter Skippered cruise 25th June Long trip charters 18.00 Friday 27th May th 12.00 Sunday 18th September 12.00 Sunday 18th September 12.00 Wednesday 28th September Start & finish point Shotley Marina Shotley Marina Shotley Marina Shotley Marina Vacancies ** Yes * Available ** Yes ** Yes Shotley Marina Shotley Marina Shotley Marina Shotley Marina Shotley Marina Shotley Marina ** Yes ** Yes No ** Yes ** Yes ** Yes Shotley Marina Start Cherbourg, finish Brest Brest Brittany Le Havre * Available ** Yes Skippered cruise/***RYA Start Le Havre, finish courses Shotley ** ? ** Yes * To charter Freyja contact the Yacht Secretary David Bedborough yacht_sec@ecyd.org.uk ** ? For all crew berths, including long trip vacancies, contact Crew Secretary cruising@ecyd.org.uk *** RYA courses possible on this leg Start Yachting, Competent Crew and Day Skipper. 9 Crewing opportunities along Brittany coast n Get in touch with John Figgures for opportunties to sail Freyja along the Brittany coast If you have enjoyed Taster sails on CSSA yachts or have qualified as Competent Crew or Day Skipper, or just want to try some offshore cruising, then check the CSSA website (cs-sailing.org) Notice Board Sailing Opportunities. I am looking for crew from 15th-25th June to take Freyja from Cherbourg to Brest along the Brittany coast. Contact johnfiggures@hotmail.com for more details. John Figgures New travel policy introduced for 2016 CSSC have introduced a new National Travel Policy, details of which can be found at www.cssc.co.uk/home/NationalTravelPolicy16. aspx. For CSSA this means that, subject to a cap of £45.60, participants in the Inter-Departmental Offshore Regatta and the Dinghy Championships will be able to claim half their travel costs. These events fall within the ‘Category 2 – Open Championships’ element of CSSC’s scheme, as set out in the NTP Guidance Notes. In limited circumstances - likely if at all to apply only to the Dinghy Championships – some accommodation costs may also be reimbursed. The scheme, which is restricted to CSSC members, is independent of CSSA. Claims are to be made to the CSSC Regional Office in whose area the claimant either lives or works. Claimants can establish their Region by contacting CSSC’s Membership section on 01494 888444. Claim Forms are Regionspecific and include the address to which the claim should be sent. They are available on each Regional Office website to which there are links from the main CSSC link above. The policy will apply for 2016 but is experimental and constrained by Regional and HQ budgets, so its future shape may change. In the meantime however, potential participants in either of these events - and the organisers - will surely want to take note. 10 Brian Grubb, Hon Treasurer, CSSA, March 2016 LITTLETON SAILING CLUB RYA Dinghy Training Courses 2016 Join Littleton through the CSSA for £96 (adult membership) and benefit from unbeatable course prices. RYA Level 1 and 2 (four-day courses) ...... £120 23, 24 April and 7, 8 May 11, 12, 18, 19 June 20, 21, 22, 23 August 1, 2, 8, 9 October RYA Level 3 (two-day course) .................... £60 9, 10 July For more information contact: David Brassington: training@littletonsc.co.uk or take a look at our website www.littletonsc.co.uk Sat 14th May Littleton Sailing Club Open Day It’s Spring, so ‘push the boat out’ at our Open Day, 10.30 am till 4.00 pm. • Book a dinghy taster sail • Try stand up paddleboarding • Dry land windsurfing simulator • BBQ | Refreshments | Bar For more information or to book a taster contact: Vanda Jowett, 01932 571036, tasters@littletonsc.co.uk www.littletonsc.co.uk/pages/openday.html Littleton Sailing Club, Littleton Lane, Shepperton, TW17 0NF 11 CHANNEL SAILING DIVISION Riddle of the corroding anode Sea Essay was lifted in December for winter lay-up, and Yacht Husband Jeff Llewellyn was pleased to see that after the first year and 4,600 miles, the below-waterline condition was very good. As well as obtaining recertification of compliance with the small commercial vessel code of practice, the boat was inspected by an RYA surveyor in February and found to be compliant with the RYA requirements for training vessels, barring five small points which have since been incorporated. Among the extensive list of lay-up maintenance tasks was the provision of a Whisker Pole complete with stowage clamps on the forward port stanchions. It is arguable whether the Jeanneau’s small foresail and sheet arrangements suit a pole but it does permit demonstration of downwind sailing as required by the RYA. It must be emphasised that the pole is not strong enough for use with a spinnaker or cruising chute; however, it can replace the occasional use of a crew member and a broom/boathook to pole out the foresail. A Technical Conundrum An observation during the lay-up was the fact that the sacrificial anode did not need replacing; in the first year of operation of the Jeanneau SO409 it has exhibited significantly less anode erosion than occurred on the previous boat (Dufour 405). Throughout the Dufour’s years with CSD, a lot of time and effort were spent investigating the mystery of disappearing anodes, which generated a lot of theories. As a last-ditch effort to solve the problem, a Galvanic Isolator was fitted to the shore power earth line where Dates Type Area it enters the boat, which improved matters but did not stop the corrosion completely. Considering all other key factors remain the same, e.g. the same pontoon in the marina, the same boats in adjacent berths, the same shore power system and no evidence of a galvanic isolator on the Jeanneau, the vagaries of sacrificial anode corrosion remain a mystery. If you have a theory or really would like to know more, talk to Jeff. Facebook Page The CSD Facebook page is now up and running and called ‘CSSA - Channel Sailing Division’. It is a closed site but we would encourage you to contact Susie Welch (seatimebureau@channelsailing.org) for an invite to ‘like it’. Photo Competition We are intending to a run a photographic competition this year with free or discounted sails as prizes for the best photos of your experiences associated with Sea Essay. Winners will be selected at the CSD AGM in November. Sailing Opportunities To take those prize-winning photographs or just enjoy a variety of sailing on a 40ft cruising yacht, please see the list of available berths in our list of sailing opportunities [below] or contact the appropriate organiser as listed on the next page; Skipper Berths Contact 3rd-6th April Boat Handling Solent D Price 1 training@channelsailing.org 11th-14th April Boat Handling Solent R Bone 1 training@channelsailing.org 28 May-4 June Sea Time Summer Cruise Wk. 1 Cross Channel Hamble to Cherbourg M Godwin 9th-16th July Summer Cruise Wk. 7 La Trinité to Pornichet Available for Charter charters@channelsailing.org 6th-13th Aug Summer Cruise Wk. 11 Concarneau to Brest M Blockley seatimebureau@channelsailing.org th th 2 4? seatimebureau@channelsailing.org 13th-20th Aug Summer Cruise Wk. 12 Brest to Roscoff Available for Charter charters@channelsailing.org 20th-27th Aug Sea Time Summer Cruise Wk. 13 Cross Channel Roscoff to Falmouth A Ramsay seatimebureau@channelsailing.org 18th-21st Sept Boat Handling Solent D Price 4 training@channelsailing.org Solent D Price 4 seatimebureau@channelsailing.org 30th Sept-2nd Oct Sea Time weekend 4 4 Oct-7 Oct Sail Trim Solent R Bone 4 training@channelsailing.org 6th-9th and 13th16th Oct Comp Crew/Day Skipper (over two weekends) Solent M Blockley 4 training@channelsailing.org 24th-27th Oct Boat Handling Solent D Price 4 training@channelsailing.org th th 28 -30 Oct Sea Time weekend Solent A Lumb 1 seatimebureau@channelsailing.org 20th Oct-6th Nov Yachtmaster Prep + Exam Solent TBC 4 training@channelsailing.org 11th-13th Nov Sea Time weekend Solent A Smith tbc 4 seatimebureau@channelsailing.org th th The full 2016 Programme can be viewed on the www.channelsailing.org website. For the latest CSD news and information follow us on Twitter @seaessay409. 12 Your committee are always on the lookout for members to join the Sea Essay management team; if you have ever considered getting involved in the boat’s operation, please get in touch with the CSD Secretary Colin Smith (csddaysails@btinternet.com) for further information and encouragement. Opportunities to enjoy sailing on Sea Essay in and around the Channel or over to France Contact CSD Organisers Day Sail Organiser Colin Smith, csddaysails@btinternet.com Crew Bureau and Sea Time Organiser Susie Welch, seatimebureau@channelsailing.org Charter Organiser Simon Richardson, charters@channelsailing.org Training Organiser James Savage, webmaster@channelsaling.org n Sea Essay out on the Solent, where she came across the Five Kingdoms new boat Ynot 13 FIVE KINGDOMS SAILING CLUB Ynot warms up for Scottish summer Ynot’s programme for 2016 Ynot will start the season with passages from the Solent towards the Scillies, up the east coast of Ireland and on to the west coast of Scotland. Summer handover ports will include Inverkip for cruising the Firth of Clyde and Mallaig for ready access to the Hebrides. Late summer will see arrival in Liverpool. September and October will provide taster sails on the Mersey and weekends cruising the Menai Straits from Conwy or Caernarfon. Over the autumn and into winter, we will be racing around the cans on the Mersey with Liverpool Yacht Club. There are a few opportunities in the spring to cruise along the south coast, in Devon and Cornwall. There are also a few days available in early summer on the Clyde – including time for Inshore Skippers (experienced skippers who do not hold a Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence). The time allocated to the Hebrides is fully booked but there are one or two crew places remaining on delivery trips. If you would like to charter Ynot, are interested in crewing on her or would like a place on a taster day please see http://www.5ksc.org.uk/main/ or contact David Hedley at the 5KSC crew bureau – david.hedley@hsl.gsi.gov.uk Inshore Skippers As a 5KSC Inshore Skipper you can charter Ynot for sailing in a defined area of the Firth of Clyde, in favourable weather (Force 4 or less) and in daylight without full CSSA Skipper Approval. The limitations keep you within the terms of the codes of practice appended to MGN280. The area limit gives you a vast range of opportunity to visit many marinas, anchorages and hotel moorings in the deep and sheltered waters amongst the beautiful islands and lochs of the Firth of Clyde. To be a 5KSC Inshore Skipper you must hold RYA shore-based course certificates for GMDSS radio, First Aid, and Day Skipper or Yachtmaster theory and hold a Day or a Coastal skipper RYA practical course completion certificate. You must be familiar with both Ynot and the Clyde. You will likely gain the required experience if you complete cruising or training aboard Ynot on the Clyde. Apply via david.hedley@hsl.gsi.gov.uk for approval to participate in the scheme. Yacht preparation and skipper familiarisations Ynot is available for Skipper or Mate yacht familiarisation on nominated weekends throughout the season. For dates, see http://www.5ksc.org.uk/main/ Clyde Muster 2016 Members of 5 Kingdoms Sailing Club and the Scottish Civil Service Cruising Club will be mustering over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd July for a cruise in company and a meal at a favourite restaurant. It would be good to see you join us aboard Ynot, Foxfire, Scorcher V or other charter yachts. For further details or to enter a yacht, e-mail Captain@5KSC.org.uk. RYA First Aid shore-based course CSSA First Aid offers RYA First Aid training for CSSA members. E-mail CSSAFirstAid@gmail.com if you would like further details. 14 n Ahoy there Sea Essay! Ynot out on the Solent, where she came across the CSD boat 15 .... news in brief .... news in brief .... news in brief .... news in brief .... All aboard for the lifeboats! The CSSA is holding its Interdepartmental Offshore Regatta (IDOR) in the Solent this year from 12th-17th June. The event is open to all CSSC members and is aimed at sailors of all levels. Most crews are a mixture of novices, dinghy sailors, cruisers and racers of various levels of experience. Did you know that public servants have their own lifeboat charity? The Communications and Public Service Lifeboat Fund (The Lifeboat Fund, for short) is proud to be the longest-serving supporter and one of the biggest single contributors to the RNLI. The Fund was formed in 1866 by civil servants and is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The charity is still run from inside the public service, entirely by volunteers. This is a very special time for the charity and they have decided to mark the occasion with a special appeal. The goal they have set themselves is to fundraise £1.1million towards the cost of a brand new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat. The Permanent Secretaries of the five largest Civil Service Departments have all committed to supporting the Anniversary Appeal as its Founding Partners. The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas KCB DSC ADC DL is lending his support as Vice-Patron of the charity, with specific emphasis on promoting the Anniversary Appeal. This year, the CSSA is dedicating its fundraising efforts this year to supporting this appeal and the Lifeboat Fund is the official charity of this year’s IDOR. So please support the crews who may be representing your department in the IDOR, or make a donation directly to the Fund, in support the hundreds of volunteers who help to keep our coasts and rivers safe. And if you’re a budding sailor, why not get a crew together yourself? If you need a skipper, one can be supplied. If you’re still keen to contribute to the appeal, perhaps consider holding other fundraising events for the Lifeboat Fund? For more information on IDOR and how to enter, see www.idor. org.uk and if you would like to read more about the Lifeboat Fund and its 150th Anniversary Appeal, see www.thelifeboatfund.org.uk n The Shannon class all-weather lifeboat will be stationed in Norfolk The boat will be stationed at Wells-next–the-Sea, Norfolk from 2017. Its total cost is £2 million; raising £1.1 million will secure naming rights of the vessel. The life-savers at Wells are delighted to be getting the new boat. It will enable Coxswain Allen Frary and his crew to continue to save lives at sea and return safely for many years to come. The lifeboat will be “Civil Service No 53” – the 53rd lifeboat to be funded by The Lifeboat Fund for the RNLI. The Lifeboat Fund exists for a single purpose - to help the RNLI save lives – and not only off our shores - its flood rescue team is increasing in size and now even has an international division. In this year’s floods in Wales, volunteers with specialist swift water rescue training joined colleagues from across the UK, assisting 337 people and rescuing 74 people in distress. The RNLI saves on average 23 people every day and is staffed by volunteers who risk their lives to help others - and it is funded solely by voluntary contributions. All contributions to The Lifeboat Fund go directly, in full, to the RNLI and since Fund began, the total sum it has donated about £5 million. The 52 lifeboats it has funded for the RNLI have saved over 4,700 lives and assisted thousands more people in difficulty. Chandlery Rectangular CSSA House Flags Triangular CSSA burgees SizesLarge (30cm x 45cm approx) Small (20cm x 30cm approx) CSSA ties (polyester) £16.00 £13.00 £10.00 P&P included. Please send your requests and cheques (payable to Civil Service Sailing Association) to: Brian Grubb 64 Cross Road Winchester Hants SO23 9PS CSSA is affiliated to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) and the Royal Yachting Association Commodore Graham Dalton Membership Secretary Ken Pavitt kenwpavitt@aol.com 16 General Secretary Editor Nikki Brown csgensec@yahoo.co.uk Deborah Ward civilservicesailing@yahoo.co.uk