English (UK) PWLLHELI SAILING CLUB Cruising Section
End of season meeting and social, which was held on 26th October 2013 in the club house, followed by boat parties on the marina.
Members and guests were invited to our end of season meeting and to have a drink of wine. The upstairs room in the club house was packed, the chairs were all taken, the standing room was full and there were members listening from the corridor. There were 60 plus members attending the meeting. It was good to have such a mix of power and sail boaters.
Phil Ranner who has been chairman of the cruising subcommittee for some years led the meeting.
What a difference since this time last year. The cruising section of the club had stagnated and was in danger of being paused for a period. We approached other local clubs and organisations in an attempt to reach out to others and improve cooperation.
We had a new start and we have had a very successful season. Even the weather was better. Bohdan agreed to be the overall leader of the cruising programme and several members volunteered to lead an event. Cruises were planned throughout the season and when the weather was not suitable for the cruise an alternative social event was substituted. In addition several ad hoc cruises took place and in many ways these were the most successful.
Bohdan and Ruth developed a ‘cruising - power and sail’ website and integrated it into the main Pwllheli Sailing Club website. This is now our main communications with members and friends. To get the most out of these cruising activities please look regularly at this website. If you are not getting email updates request them by following the link from the cruising home page. (Contact:
The RYA has been promoting its Active Marina project and to a large extend this group has similar aims. We already conform to many of the Active Marina requirements and we will continue to monitor it. The RIB trip through the Menai Straits to identify the hazards is an example of enjoyable education.
A sheet was circulated showing points raised at last year’s meeting, progress during 2013 and plans for 2014 Cruising Development 2013-2014
SILLYS, fun prizes were given to: David and June Biggs - a hand whisk may help if Cindy Lou loses its propeller again
Richard Smith – a decanter to help prevent another batch of wine going off, and another decanter to check a sample of fuel for gunge and water .
Dave and Angela – A net to catch flying motorbikes and 4x4’s before they hit Jangles deck see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtXFThyr764
The so called “Pillocks Pot” was discussed. It was last awarded to a fellow cruiser for going aground and we are waiting for the holder to nominate a new recipient.
Bill Stacey of Llanbedr and Pensarn Yacht Club outlined the history of the Squirrel Trophy. It is a team cruising race involving six clubs in the Cardigan Bay. The event permits as many entries from each club as it wishes, with only the highest placed three from each club to count. The 2014 event is scheduled for 28th June. (see bottom of page)
Dave Dewsbury outlined the role of the Pwllheli Mooring and Berth Holders Association. The association represents marina and harbour berth holders in discussions with the Maritime Department of Gwynedd Council. Discussions include berthing charges and facilities. The strength of the PMBHA is in the number of members. At present it represents about half of harbour users. Anyone not already a member is encouraged to join at £5 per year. It was stressed that this was a meeting of the sailing club’s cruising section but that PMBHA members had been invited to join in the cruising events during 2013 and that it was intended to extend these invitations to the 2014 events. The association has a notice board on the south end of the marina building.
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Other points arising since the meeting:-
- It would be good to have new members (power and sail) on the clubs cruising subcommittee. If you would like to become involved please approach Bhodan or Ruth.
- Flare disposal. The Marina office has kindly agreed to dispose of any out of date flares.
- Cruising trophies will be presented at the CHPSC Christmas ball. These are the Gimblet Rock Trophy and the Passage cup. They are awarded to someone who has had a significant passage or other significant cruising event during the year. We don’t hear about all of these happenings and rely upon feedback from you all so PLEASE TELL US when you learn of deserving cases.
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Team Racing Event
Some years back I gave thought to the relationships between the various clubs situated in Tremadoc Bay and the lack of any competition to bring us all together occasionally.
At that time I was the Commodore of Llanbedr and Pensarn Yacht Club, a member of Shell Island Sail and Power Club and Pwllheli Sailing club and an ex member of
Merionedd Yacht Club (Barmouth).
Through racing and other social events I established contacts at both Portmadog clubs and viz the Pandora Nationals contacts at South Caernafon Yacht Club.
All of the clubs to a greater or lesser extent had a race calender and annually sailed against each other in the Cardigan Bay Triangle Race, a two day event with an overnight
stop in Pwllheli Marina.
The Triangle event ceased some time ago and I believed there was a place within the sailing programmes of the Tremadoc Bay clubs for an inter club event.
I organised such an event and the inaugural race took place on Saturday 7th SEPTEMBER 2002.
During my time as Commodore of LPYC, in 2000, our Handicapping Officer, Eric Tutton passed away at the ripe old age of 89 years.
Eric was a founder member of LPYC and a past President of Portmadoc Sailing Club.
He was still a very active sailor, usually single handing his Benateau First 31 'Squirrel' and indeed the year prior to his death he single handedly sailed and won one
of our long bay races.
All of Erics boats had been called 'Squirrel' and he was obviously a very well known character on the Cardigan Bay sailing Scene, The Squirrel Trophy therefore helped
to perpetuate his association with Cardigan Bay, and reintroduced Inter Club Racing.
I also wanted to devise a race where the crew at the back of the fleet felt as though they too were of some importance in the outcome of the race, having once owned
and raced Marcus, a MacWester 26 I knew only too well the despair at the back of the fleet!!
RULES : Each club can enter as many yachts as they like.
The first three yachts from that club based on the handicap system counts as that clubs 'team'.
All the yachts in the fleet are awarded points the first boat gets 3/4 of a point, second 2 points etc.
The club with the lowest points total wins.
As you can see the more boats a club fields the more chance to push other competing boats towards the back of the fleet, so increasing that other clubs total points.
A club failing to field three boats will automatically be awarded! the number of boats at the start plus one,
The winning club is entitled to host the following years race, set course, organise any event etc. Over the years Portmadoc Sailing club have won on numerous occasions
sometimes by a very small margin, and this year they have asked to be relieved of the organisational responsibility hence my involvement and this article.
Entry forms will be forwarded in the new year, together with a fuller explanation of the 'rules' but my aim is to have entries from the seven clubs from the area and
hopefully see a fleet of at least 21 yachts on the start line. My intention is also to have a full days sailing on a course designed to take in as many as possible of the participating clubs start lines, making the event more a passage than a race round the cans.
Regards Bill Stacey Rear Commodore LPYC
