March 2004
Best wishes to all our members, their partners and families for the forthcoming 2004 sailing season.
This newsletter hopefully has something for everyone - Sailing, Training, Boats, Socials, Mystery, Humour, Fashion, AGM report, House & Grounds. Thanks to Tony Cropper, Rob Cocking and Don McDermott for their contributions. If you have any news or views that you want to provide for the next newsletter, please email me on cnash38913@aol.com with these.
DSC AGM
This was well attended, though we hoped the free wine and cheese would attract a few more members. It was the most entertaining AGM that I have attended. Tim Wareing retired from the General Committee and his contributions to club social events were recognised with revealing photos of his Egyptian dance. Welcome to Pete Gribbin as a new Director on the General Committee and to Kaye Hodgson as Club Secretary.
During the informal discussion after the AGM, we agreed that future new members would be given an existing member to act as their “buddy”. One of their jobs would be to take the new member around the club facilities using the set script provided. We also discussed options for providing more Saturday social sailing type events during the season.
House, Grounds and Boat Park Maintenance
Thanks to all of you who did such sterling work on the Working parties. The first very windy and wet Sunday certainly tested the new drainage trench.
This is not the only chance that you have to get involved in such work. John Tucker as House & Grounds Chairman, needs to know what practical skills you have that he can call on occasionally. Please complete the attached form and return it to him at the club or by post. Don McDermott, our Bosun, and others are regularly up at the club during the week and always welcome your support. Here are a few of Don’s thoughts.
Boat Park
The boat park has had the attention of Delph’s own “Last of the Summer Wine” crew (you can put your own name to “Compo” but don’t tell him!). We set out to squeeze in a couple more berths and widen others to allow for the extra numbers of larger boats that have appeared. What started as a simple exercise became complicated because over time berths had spread out and had to be re-aligned. Before everyone starts complaining, most berths haven’t been touched. We have had to adjust the pegs on a few by a few inches and on one or two by a couple of feet to bring them back to a logical spacing. Before you ask, no, the extra berths aren’t near the water and they are allocated. Note that when you get your berth number the berth may be exactly the same as last year but the number may have changed, please consult the NEW map on the club notice board, or ask. If you want to put in extra pegs note that we standardised on inverted “u” or “j” design that do less damage to boats and people in a fall. Please don’t “borrow” them from another berth. Incidentally if you want to know how to tie a boat down securely look at John Howarth’s or Bill Oldbury’s, they haven’t moved an inch all winter despite the gales.
A Special Treat
You’ve probably noticed that we have bought some more gravel for the ritual filling of potholes on the car park and roadways on the working party days. As a special treat we thought that those with “lumpy berths”, probably mainly in rows A and B, might want to use some on their berths. The bad news is that you have to shovel it yourself. Dig in, help yourself.
Trailer Dump
If we get a chance we may try to sort out the trailers. If you leave your trailer at the club it helps if you can mark them with your name or boat number. We can recognise some, our own, obviously, while the fire engine red one is Pete Gribbin’s. You can guarantee that if we do move any rusty ones then within milliseconds the cry will be “wursmitraylergon”, “oos’shiftidit”. If we do find any that appear to be orphans we will move them to give people a chance to identify and claim them before they are slung out. The background to the trailer area is that Delph, like many clubs, did not allow trailers to be left on the premises but some years ago, to reduce the divorce rate, agreed that trailers could be left in the area beyond the bottom of the car park. What if you don’t want to leave it there? Take it home? Many people still do. Also, if you have a good combi set up then the trailer in your boat berth with trolley/trailer on top may be the best option. The trailer area is congested, not because it isn’t organised (it starts off being organised, entropy sets in) but mainly because there isn’t enough room for all the trailers that are left nowadays. So, sorry, but if you leave them you’ll have to accept them being parked overlapped in rows. Please keep the trailers clear of the car park and the gate to the field and check that your insurance covers them when left at the club. Please don’t chain them up, we need to be able to move them. If you do have an old trailer (or even an old boat) you may wish to take them to the civic dump yourself. If they are left to rot they eventually have to be moved (by other club members) and the club may have to pay “trade waste” disposal charges.
Self Help Philosophy
As you see on the working party days, Delph S.C. is run by the members for the members, the only paid help being the cleaners who come in a couple of times a week. We rely very much on input at all levels from the members. If we had to pay commercial prices for everything we needed the current club fees wouldn’t be viable. Obviously your input depends very much on personal circumstances. Some feel able to be very much involved in regular, continuing debate on committees, not everyone’s cup of tea, but necessary. Others do more visibly useful, practical jobs; running the bar, running the kitchen, fixing the wiring in the boiler house, cleaning up the site and cutting down the weeds (removes an eyesore and lets the space be used). Others use their businesses to help get materials gratis or cheap (the gravel, the JCB to spread it, wood for boat floors, etc). Some big jobs require a team and organising but on a day to day basis whatever you can contribute at any level, even if it’s collecting and binning the empty crisp packets in the club or the bits of debris that litter the boat park, your efforts are appreciated. It’s one less job for the “Last of the Summer Wine” crew.
- Team LSW.
Social Events
The first club social event on the calendar is the Back on the Water barbeque on the evening of Saturday 1st May. During the afternoon, if you have not already got your boat ready, there will be the chance to check it is set up right and regain your sailing confidence. There will be safety cover and advice available from more experienced members.
The next social event is the meal at the Miracle Northerns on the evening of Saturday 15th May. This is open to all club members and details of both events will be posted up in the club shortly.
The Great Knife Mystery
Has anyone borrowed knives from the galley and not returned them? Over 50 have disappeared earlier in the year and in the last few weeks another 14 or 15 have gone. Has some one put them in a safe place we've forgotten about? There will be an amnesty on their return during April. Please talk to Pat Tucker if you have any ideas on what is happening and how to stop it!
Delph Embroidered Clothing
Clothing is still available for members to order this year. New catalogues will be available to browse at your leisure in the clubhouse at the beginning of April, so please do not take these away as they are the only copies we've got, thank you.
Prices remain the same as last year for the standard items, for now, but don't forget, anything non-standard can be obtained at a reasonable cost.
Items available in stock are:
1 X Large Navy Fleece. £15-00
1 X Small Navy Fleece. £15-00
1 X Medium Navy Zip Neck Fleece. £15-00
1 X 7/8 Years Navy Childs T-Shirt. £5-00
1 X X-Large White Polo-Shirt. £10-00
1 X Medium Navy Polo-Shirt. £10-00.
See or Contact Rob Cocking For Details, on any of the above information.
Training
The Instructors meeting to plan Friday night and other training is on this Wednesday 31st March at the Cross Guns Inn, Egerton. Could all club Instructors and other helpers please arrive at 7.45 pm for a prompt 8.00pm start, as the pub quiz night starts shortly after 9.00pm. Friday night training starts on 5th May. In addition to Instructors, we will need plenty of helpers on shore to register and take cash from beginners and to act as Beach Masters. Please speak to David Hopkins if you can help in any way.
A Word from the Enterprise Fleet
Welcome to a new Season, hope you have all got your boats ready for what promises to be an exciting year for the Enterprise fleet. With growing numbers last year, I hope to see more of the new faces taking part in the Sunday Races.
As some of you will already know, the North West Area Championships are to be held at Delph Sailing Club this year. As a development of the successful Typhoon Series, all Area Championships are now part of a National Circuit.
This will mean a much higher entry at our Open Meeting, any crews intending to sail must register their intention to take part in the two day event in June, with me at the earliest opportunity. The last thing I want is club Enterprise Members not being able to take part. - Contact Rob at the club, by E-mail, Phone or Post.
Enterprise Dates for the coming months:
Sun 18th April 04 - Winsford Flash Open Meeting.
Sun 25th April 04 - North Staffordshire Open Meeting.
Sat 1st May - Inland Championships St Marys Loch.
Sun 2nd May - Inland Championships St Marys Loch.
For further details check out the Club Notice Board or Area and Association websites, or contact Rob Cocking. Enterprise Fleet Representative. E19540
Low Handicap Dinghies
The question of super fast dinghies has again arisen. We do not like to upset potential or existing members, so unlike other clubs, do not prescribe what boats may race, except in terms of the range of PYs. The lower limit being a PY of 990, the upper limit 1500. These are long standing figures based on experience of the Sailing Committee to ensure effective race management and safety. The main safety feature is the relative speed between boats and sailing characteristics of particular types of craft on our confined water. We have reached these decisions to give all sailors a good days racing. With the approval of the Sailing Committee craft outside this range of PYs may sail at the club, but not race in the club race series. So if you are not sure, please check with the Sailing Committee before buying a boat that is outside these PY limits.
Diary Dates
All the club dates are in your 2004 calendar. Please make a note of your Race Duty dates during the year and follow the guidance on the inside front cover of the Calendar if you are unable to attend.
If you want to race or use the water, you must pay your 2004 fees and provide your up to date insurance details to the Treasurer, David Hill.
Below are some selected events over the next 8 weeks.
April
Sunday 4th Club sailing starts for 2004
Wednesday 14th Wednesday evening Series A starts
Sunday 18th Laser Open
May
Saturday 1st Social Sailing – Back on the Water BBQ
Friday 5th Friday Night Training starts
Saturday 15th Miracle Northerns and Social
Sunday 16th Miracle Northerns
Happy sailing
Chris Nash
Commodore Delph Sailing Club
DELPH SAILING CLUB
REGISTER OF SKILLS
While we appreciate the work of members during the Working Party days before the start of the sailing season, there are other occasions when repairs and maintenance work are required. To assist with this we need to build up a current register of skills of members willing to help.
If you or your spouse/partner/family are able to offer help, please fill in this form and return it to John Tucker at the club or by post to:
Chapel House, Grimsargh, Preston, Lancs PR2 5LE.
Name:……………………………………………
Telephone Number:……………………………..
SKILL(S) OFFERED: (Please tick)
Electrical
Plumbing
Glazing
Tiling
Joinery/Woodwork
Metalwork
Painting
Brickwork
Cooking
Sewing
Other (specify)
AVAILABILITY:
Weekday daytime
Weekday evening
Weekend
Varies