The arrival of the club handbook is a timely reminder that the new sailing season is now almost upon us. Time to finish the last jobs on the boat and search the loft for the wet weather gear.
Not for the first time I am aware how busy this season is going to be. Our racing programme schedules 110 races including Thursday evening, our 85th Championships, Cowes Week, Points Week and local regattas. This excludes the Classic Keelboat Regatta.
Of course not every body can do it all. However, I am pleased to report we have 14 Itchenor and 6 Falmouth boats, 20 in total, planning to take part in all the 85th Championship series, 18th to 20th June. Other Itchenor boats racing will be boosting numbers on the start line for one or two days.
Very kindly Alan & Jackie Stannah have offered to host a BBQ in their garden on Bosham Hoe on the Wednesday for competitors and guests. This is in addition to the 85th Anniversary Dinner and Prize giving arranged at the Club on Friday evening. We shall also be celebrating Henry Chisholm on the same night as it was felt that to have the usual dinner in his honour would be one event too many!
The weekend regatta races following the Championships, Sat 21st & Sun 22nd, to Dell Quay SC and Chichester YC respectively also promises to be something special. Racing up harbour past Itchenor to other clubs always makes a pleasant change from normal club racing.
Class Promotion
Distribution of the new Class Brochure is going well and I am pleased to report have already given one or two leads. A display with our wonderful book and brochures has been erected in Chichester library. If any one has a suitable location for the display please let me know.
The redesign of our Website is now almost complete and new software “Dream Weaver”, what a lovely name, purchased. I am confident the new format and layout will both present the Class to a high standard to enquiries and be more user friendly in providing information to members. Many thanks to Alan Stannah and Peter Nicholson. Do please send comments to webmaster as it develops.
Henry Adams have included an announcement of their sponsorship of the Class in their advertisement in the West Sussex Property Guide. They will include articles about the Class in other property newspapers and magazines in the South East throughout this year.
Some of you might be wondering why we are making all this effort to promote the Class. After all things look pretty good at present. This is largely true, more boats could be racing but generally events are well supported as demonstrated by the turnout for the Championships. However, underlying this success some boats are looking for partners, ½ or 1/3rd shares are available, and none of us are getting any younger. We have set ourselves a target to attract 3 new owners/part owners per year and don’t forget crew are equally important.
Open Day
Experience shows you are the best advocates for the Class, therefore I want you to continue to search out potential Sunbeamers. Remember we have set aside Saturday 10th May for an open day for newcomers to sail with us and enjoy the experience of being on the water in our wonderful boats. For non owners, if you know of someone that might be interested please contact either Gayle Palmer or me and we will make the necessary arrangements.
New Owner for V14
Some of you will know Mike Williamson and Willem Vinke have sold Santa Baby. It was a sad day for Mike who first bought a share 50 years ago. Over the years he has had tremendous success winning the McMeekin no fewer than 7 occasions. He has also won the Betty Moore Cup twice the second time as recently as 1993. Mike was Class Captain from 1960 – 62. Mike and Diana will not be giving up their membership of the Club and we will continue to see them from time to time.
The new owner of V14 is Mike Weston who has renamed the boat “Jabberwocky” a mythical creature from a nonsense poem in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Mike is a New Zealander and a keen sailor, previously racing Etchells like other Class members. He and his wife Rachael have rented a house in Itchenor. They have 3 children 13, 11 and the youngest 8. Mike will be coming to our Spring AGM to meet the Class.
Vanity V34
While on the subject of newcomers Peter & Charlotte Woodd’s boat Vanity will be arriving shortly at Haines to be fitted out for sailing at Itchenor. Some of you met Peter and Charlotte at our winter Cocktail party. Peter & Charlotte were members of Itchenor approximately 22 years ago when Peter raced an XOD.
V48
Roger Graffy tells me the new Sunbeam built by Ivan Jeffris on Bosham Hoe will be V48. All being well she will be launched in May and named Racing Lady.
Class Handbook
Now that the ISC handbook has arrived I can check contact information and all being well our Solent Sunbeam handbook will be available at our spring meeting.
Roger Graffy is updating the Class Handbook including Class rule. The new version will be circulated ready to be inserted into your Handbook folder. Any one who can’t find or who has mislaid their folder please let me know.
Betty Moore
David Miller will be scattering Betty’s ashes at Chalk Dock on Saturday 17th May. The plan is as follows:
10-10.30 Arrive at Itchenor Sailing Club
11.00 Boats leave for ceremony
11.30 The scattering of ashes at Chalkdock
12.30 Itchenor Sailing Club.
It will be nice to get as many Sunbeams out as possible for Betty’s last trip.
Cowes Mooring Fees
Hot off the press: Cowes Harbour Commissioners have announced mooring fees for day boats will double over the next 3 years, see attached letter. Anthony Robinson calculates the cost for this year for the three week period will rise £30.24 to £212.58, £67.64 for two weeks prior and £144.94 for Cowes Week, an increase of 16.5%.
Spring AGM
As you know due to the delay in fully opening the Club this year I have delayed our Spring meeting to Sunday 20th April. PLEASE NOTE THE MEETING WILL COMMENCE AT 13.30. Any agenda and papers for the meeting will be circulates in due course.
Regalia
Sarah will be bringing polo shirts and sweat shirts to the meeting. She is still investigating new items which we can then add the new logo onto.
We are off for a weeks skiing today, so won’t be contactable.
It will make a nice rest from working on Fay and refresh me for the start of the busy season ahead.
Richard Pearson
Class Captain
