TAMAHOY FEBRUARY 2012

  " A good start "

 INDEX

1. Commodore’s Comments February 2012

2. Dates for your diary

3. Editors Note

4. Your Club needs you.

5. Super Sailors

6. LASER /STREAKER OPEN 24th March

7. Charles Hunt Trophy

8. Plas Menai 2012

9. Calendar 2012

10. Sail for Gold

11. H2S Rail

12. Forthcoming Social Events

 

 1. Commodore’s Comments January 2012

 

Commodore’s Comments February 2012

Hi everyone

Last month I promised myself I wouldn’t leave it to the last minute to do my comments for the Tamahoy. It’s 20:54 the deadlines tonight and I’ve just started.

NEWS FLASH! I’m not the only one, I’ve just spoken to my lad Phil, he’s just left work and on his way to his Uni house and he has to finish his course work for tomorrows lecture and its now 21:26 (not sure if he’s even started it).

Well here we go.

New Years resolutions not going too well, still eating and drinking too much and haven’t been up to the club except for a meeting, although I hear sailing was cancelled two weeks on the trot, one weekend no wind at all, the following weekend too windy. I have to squeeze into the suit for the Dinner Dance, so must be good next month (I bet I’m not the only one though).

Talking about the Dinner Dance, it’s only about a month away; we are trying a new venue this year, the Lea Marston Hotel. It’s only just down the road from the club so should be easy for everyone to get to. I’ve attended other functions there and always been  impressed with the food and service. We’ve got the live band back by popular demand (I think this will be their 4th year).

As far as I can remember, I’ve been to the Dinner Dance every year since I’ve been a member of the club and that’s more than 10 years and NO, its not just for prize winners (I should know, I’ve only ever won one and that was not for sailing) its for all members, everyone has a great time, so If you don’t get involved in the social side of the club, I along with many others think you're missing out. Please

remember this is your club, give it your support. Hopefully I will see you there.

If you were lucky enough to win a trophy last year and haven’t returned it to the club, can you please do so as soon as possible, but before you do can you please make sure it is cleaned and polished, it will save so much time for us.

The annual First Aid course went really well and I’ve been told it was really good.

Thanks to all those who attended and to the instructors Kevin

and Ken. Hopefully we will never need your services.

We have a Cheese/Wine and games night re-scheduled for the

18th February, hope to see you (there goes the diet again).

If not see you soon.

Cheers Martin Barker,

Commodore TSC

 

2. Dates for your diary

∗ Saturday 18th February - Cheese and Wine Evening at the Clubhouse∗ Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th February - Safety Boat Course

(Postponed from 4th February due to weather)

 

∗ Saturday 3rd March - Annual Dinner Dance at Lea Marston Hotel,

7.30pm for 8pm sit down

∗ Saturday 10th March - Start of Super Sailors

∗ Saturday 24th March - Laser/Streaker Open

∗ Saturday 21st April - TSC Open Day

∗ Saturday 28th April - Ten Pin Bowling

∗ Friday 11th - Sunday 13th May - Plas Menai

 

3. Editors Note

Please send any interesting articles we could include in the Tamahoy at least a

week prior to the end of the month. All articles are greatfully received and help

to make the Tamahoy more interesting. We will also include any adverts that

members wish to circulate.

Any photographs are welcome, so to all you keen photographers please send

your photographs to share.

On another note if anyone wants to convert to an electronic copy please let us

know as this helps to cut down on our costs and workload.

Thank you for those contributing this month.

Scott and Janet

 

4. Your Club Needs You!!!!!

Should you be interested in joining The Committee please contact any existing member or The Commodore.

We are currently requiring: Sailing Secretary

Boatswain— Sail

The Committee meets during the first week of each month on a non-sailing

evening at 7.30. The opportunity will enable you to appreciate how the club

functions, and also nurture ideas to progress the club. In the process you will

meet even more members of the club and make some good friends.

 

 

 

5. Super Sailors 2012

Super Sailors 2012 will commence on Saturday 10th March. To register your

interest for next season please attend at 0900. The first session will include

land drills and equipment checks, including exchange of your wet suits and

spray tops if required. Therefore if your previous club wet suit or spray top is

too small please bring along to exchange for a larger size.

We have decided not to hold a session on the 24th March due to the Laser/

Streaker Open being held on this Saturday. Therefore the first Saturday on the

water will be 7th April, preceding the club Open Day of the 21st April.

 

6. TAMWORTH SC LASER/STREAKER OPEN SATURDAY MARCH 24th

Hi everyone, thought I would give a heads up on this event coming up. It’s a little earlier this year, so it will be on us before you know it and as such, expect the weather may play some part in the days racing, I suggest you keep an eye on the forecasts to keep up to date.

For those of you who have participated in the past, hope to see you all again.  For those thinking of joining in for the first time, come and have a go; you are most welcome.

TSC has in the past put out a strong fleet in both classes and it would be great to maintain this tradition.

First thing, if you are about to take up the challenge, ensure your boat is ‘Race Worthy’, all those little rigging issues you have, sort them out well in advance. ‘Prepare your boat’, to avoid any disappointment. All boats have class rules but for those Laser sailors about to take part, let me remind you that the Laser Class rules are very stringent and your boat must be to specification, in particular it must have an approved Laser Sail.

If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to speak to me.

As past events have proved, the racing will be competitive & emotionally charged. There are precious points to be won for the visiting regular open event sailors, It’s the first race of the new season and every point is vital to them. Both classes race on the same course, not one of our regular courses by the way, but a new course set out by the OD, which will be explained during his pre-race briefing. Have pen and paper at the ready.

The Lasers start first, followed by the Streakers after a short start delay. As the race progresses the ‘Fast’ Streakers will catch the tail end Lasers. While the ‘Fast’ Lasers catch the tail end Streakers, which all adds to the fun and excitement as towards the end of each race there can be a lot of Starboard and Windward situations due to the fleets closing up and crossing each other during the mad dash to the finish line.

Sounds quite daunting for a first timer, but if you understand the ‘Racing Rules’, have good boat control, with the heightened senses and concentration, the event will install on you anyway, it will be enjoyable and well within your capabilities.

My advice is regardless of the competition, join in with the racing to the best of your ability,. Give the fast boats plenty of room, they will thank you for it and you can watch and learn how it really should be done from a safe distance. You will find that there are other boats around, just like you, creating individual challenges within the race so you will be fully tested and possibly make new friends. This is an ideal opportunity to join in something quite different, gaining valuable sailing and racing experience towards

improving your skills on the water.

Having done all that, at the end of the day, we can all relax together with a little refreshment, watch the prize ceremony and partake in a little friendly socialising.

Come and enjoy the experience.

John Biggs, TSC, CI

7. Charles Hunt Charity Trophy

Individual Handicap Pursuit Sunday 15th April 2012.

 3 Races - 2 to Count 1st Race Starts at 11.00 a.m.

(Oppi Helms remember that your scratch time is Zero minus 13 minutes. i.e.

10.47 a.m.)

Race duration is 65 minutes from Zero Individual start times, and start times for races 2 and 3, will be available on the day

Entry Fee (Per boat) £5.00 Adults, £2.00 Juniors

Proceeds to Commodores Charity

….which is The Air Ambulance

 

8.PLAS MENAI 2012

Friends, lets try and shake some of these winter blues away. Believe it or not, it’s time to think about joining our annual jaunt to PLAS MENAI,-The National Watersports Centre.

I have it heavily pencilled in for the weekend starting Friday 11th May. Initial

contact with Plas Menai has confirmed that the weekend is available. It would be great to see all the regulars again and maybe I can tempt one or two of the more accomplished sailors in the club, as well as a few new faces who are looking for a challenge. Be warned, if it is anything like previous years, it has proved to be very popular and places are like gold dust. We will have full course places available, as well being able to cater for a number of non participating partners, young & old, arriving at the centre on Friday afternoon, leaving late on Sunday afternoon.

The residential weekend, consists of coached sessions in various performance

dinghies interspersed with some social group behaviour. As always the target is to do something different to what we generally do on our weekends at TSC with the emphasis on having FUN. Hopefully with weather permitting, we will sail dinghies & catamarans, very fast on a large open expanse of tidal water, maybe with spinnakers and even trapezes. Your sailing skills may be tested to the full, but you can do it, with help from everyone in the group, as I say each year, we haven’t lost anyone yet. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills and at the same time have a fantastic time sailing in a totally different environment. I won’t pretend that it is all plain sailing!

As it is early May, it is open water, expect it’s going to be very cold, you WILL get

wet. Conversely, if there are light winds & sunny conditions, it can get warm as

well, you WILL still get wet. So your preparation is the key. Have good wet suit or dry suit, boots, gloves, plenty of multi layered clothing and pack plenty of

protective creams as wind burn & skin chaffing is an issue. The salt water

conditions are aggressive and you will be out on the water for longer than you are used to, in unfamiliar boats. But with a little organisation and preparation all will be fine.

Fancy it, Well get your names down on the list. Come and have a chat with me for more information if you are interested. I am looking forward to it already, come and join in.

Happy Sailing for the New Year,

John Biggs CI TSC

 

9. 2012 Calendar

The calendar for 2012 can now be found on the Tamworth Sailing Club. The calendar gives dates of all the sailing days, racing series start and finish dates, training courses and dates, social events, duty teams and work party dates.

 

10. Sail For Gold

Tamworth Sailing Club has enrolled onto the RYA Sail For Gold campaign. The club will be publicised under this heading during the Olympic year. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provides us all with a unique opportunity to really promote our sport nationally, and your club or training centre locally and for us all to have some fun!

People will naturally be much more sport oriented as we move closer to the Games and so it’s a great chance to really inspire them to have a go at sailing and hopefully engage them on an on-going basis, perhaps as a member of your club, or learning to sail at your training centre.

See the RYA website for further details.

 

11. High Speed Rail Link HS2

The Announcement that the High Speed Rail Project between

London & B'ham, HS2, would be going ahead at a cost of (now)

£35 Billion, on Tuesday the 10th of January was greeted with general disbelief and dismay to many in the area of Kingsbury Water Park. There were also several "Stings in the Tail" to this, all of which will affect the future of TSC and YOUR enjoyment of the Club. This is mainly due to 2 things, the creation of the "Y" route, (HS3), to Leeds and the effect of groundwater dispersal. So, what is

going to happen?

♦HS2 now moves Eastwards 200yds, thus destroying Middleton House Farm, Primrose Cottage, the Aston Villa Practice Piteches and coming so close to the AV Academy Building as to render it useless, so it will have to be demolished.

♦Bodymoor Heath Lane moves Southwards so that it's junction with the A.4091 will be opposite the Service entry to the Belfry, just north of Cuttle Mill Lane.

♦HS3 starts just South of Dunton Island (J9 M.42). Paralleling the A.4097, it veers north destroying the Village of Marston, along the (Truncated) Marston Lane. There will be no access to Bodymoor Heath Lane from the Whitacre side, as at present, because the groundworks for the track will 'block off' Bodymoor Heath Lane just by the old Kingsbury Road junction.

♦HS3 then slices into the front of the Water Park, at a point approximately level with the TSC Clubhouse, turning East just before the present entrance. The Offices, Information Centre, Railway Station and new Play area will all be obliterated. The line then continues to a point adjacent to the M.42 Culvert just

by Broomey Croft, where it turns to parallel the Motorway north. So, accepting that the finished article is very seldom anything like the projected plan, (copies of which were in the Tamworth HERALD), what do we have now?

ACCESS - Probably NO ACCESS from the M42/M.6 via the A.4097 and B.H.

Lane as at present. Similarly NO ACCESS from Whitacre Heath. Access to Kingsbury Water Park will have to be relocated... WHERE ?

♦TOPOGRAPHY - There will be some form of elevated track stretching from Marston to the M.42. Thus, from the Clubhouse, you will see the Train at treetop level to the West. The 'feeders' for our lake are all located to the North West. There is every likelihood that the lake will dry up, or that disturbance of the ground will result in massive silting and accompanying weed growth.

Peter Rotherham

12. Forthcoming Social Events

Cheese and Wine Evening Saturday 18th February

7.30pm £5 per person at the Club House. (originally arranged

for Sat 4th Feb; however postponed due to the weather).

An action packed evening is on the cards. There will be plenty

of cheese and wine to indulge in plus some fun activities

including a quiz, bingo and lots more!

Annual Dinner & Dance Saturday 3rd March 2012

£27.50 per person.

At Lea Marston Hotel, Haunch Lane Lea Marston, B76 0BY.

Arrival at 7.30 pm for 8.00pm start. To date, we have 36 coming along to this event but we are hoping that we can get as many as we did for the Laying Up Supper when we were 50 people strong. We need to confirm numbers, menu choices and payment by 11th February 2012.

Ten Pin Bowling Evening 28th April 2012.

We are planning a bowling evening at Strykers in Tamworth and a bite to eat afterwards at a local restaurant. Please look out for further details in next month’s Tamahoy.

Weekend at Plas Menai May 2012

This annual trip is once again being organised by John Biggs so please get in touch with John if you would like to know more!

If you would like to come along to any of the above activities please put your name down in the Social Folder at the Clubhouse or register on line on the website.

If there is something in particular you would like to do, please get in touch with myself or Debbie. We would love to hear your ideas. Our contact details are: Clare 07770 424950 (clare@raphaeldesign.co.uk) or Debbie on 07853 132447

(debpearce@gmail.com)

   

      

Gusty sailing conditions on Sunday 27th November and Saturday 3rd December - very few escaped

from getting wet!

GUESS WHO?