Eastern Area Report. Original Sent out Via email to the area Members

[Ken]

Good day to you all, just a little update. You will all have seen that the Nationals date has changed from August to September, new dates are the 21st to the 24th.  Same location Herne Bay, Kent.

I did try very hard to pull off Harwich Town on our original date that in the initial stages was looking very hopeful, but unfortunately due to lack of time and resource they were unable to accommodate us. In reality they are holding Cadet week and a Finn open meeting in the 2 weeks before our requested dates.

It is a real shame, I am sure it would have been a good venue and for some of you older members you would have sailed there in 1975. Rodney and Andy Turner. Never mind it is what it is.

Some good has come out of the enquiry, the club have invited us to apply for another date in the future and I have asked for 2019 as directed by our committee .

The fixture list in the month of September is now very full and I have brought this to the attention of the committee, they will need to take into account the potential lack of entries at maybe Sunderland and especially Brightlingsea which is only 3 days before you need to be in Herne Bay.

The Nationals clashes with Ardleigh and the Chairman is aware of this. Ardleigh try very hard to help us with our open meeting and I hope we can rearrange the event for another day. We lost the meeting last year due to the club not having resource for the event.

It is not looking good for my attendance at the Nationals, other things are planned in but things might change. It is disappointing that my son David will no longer be able to sail as he will not be in the UK now for these new dates, I know he had been looking forward to it.  Dave Rose has a new job and he cannot attend due to his new work commitment.  I suspect Will Turner will now also struggle to attend due to his teaching job. We must not forget good old Rodney Tidd who might not be able to attend due to his good news that his wife Nadia is expecting a  Baby Tidd. Congratulations to the both of you and we wish you all the best for the future.

So the Nationals is likely to see less Eastern area members than we would have liked.

I was very pleased with the turnout at Alton Water 17 boats and the majority of them new, who said there was a recession.

Alex Scholes put a very good fight with Nick Craig and was good to watch.

Both Alex and Simon Cox have sold Quite a few new boats this year and long may that continue.

Tim O’Leary the class measurer has been involved in the measuring of the new Ovington Boat and Bob Bourne and Dave Rose, both in our area, are now class measurers.  They just need their authorisation from the RYA to make things official.  So thanks Tim for investing time in the guys.

We now have Medemblik to look forward to and I see a few names on the list from the UK so that will be a great event to attend. For those of you who have not been before I am sure you will enjoy yourselves both on and off the water.  5 UK boats have registered for the French event at Lac-Du –Der, I know they will like this event, the French certainly have this one sorted and it is a beautiful location.

Easter at Waldringfield is a great place to sail and offers a nice friendly atmosphere well worth a visit.  It is a shame that numbers have dropped off at this event is was once very well attended and it did have a good number of club boats which unfortunately has now declined.

I would like to give Overy Staithe a plug on the 10th and 11th of June. Andy Turner and the Norfolk guys try very hard to make this event work.

I hope we can achieve a decent turnout at Brightlingsea I do have my concerns. It seems to be one of those events that some years it has good numbers and then it drops off, but with the Nationals being 3 days later I do worry that the number will be well down.

Having produced the fixture list this year it hit home really hard just how much clubs are concerned about turn out, it is hardly worth the clubs putting on events for less than 20 boats. It is becoming very clear that the class needed to do more to share events. I know Tony Woods the new fixture sec for 2018 is well aware of the issues.
I would like to take the opportunity to wish the Eastern area guys good luck in Barbados, Tim O’Leary, Alex Scholes and Robert Deaves. I think that is all. If I have missed anybody good luck to you also.

Of course we have the Triangle Trophy I instigated this year which includes Medemblik, The French Northern Championships, and the UK Nationals. I once thought the Trophy which is very nicely engraved with Herne Bay was scrapped but that is now resolved. I have my concerns that the Tri Series will have lost some impetus due to the original dates of the UK Nationals being cancelled.

So not much more for me to say really, thanks for your support and good luck in the season whatever sailing to plan on doing.

I would also like to inform you that I will not be standing as Eastern Area Rep this year so if any of you guys want to stand in and take over the reins put your name forward to the general committee for the AGM at Herne Bay.

Some good news has just come out of the late date of the Nationals, due to the fact my son David will be in the UK for the August dates we have decided to compete in the Osprey Nationals in Poole we just need to find a ship now. We shall look forward to that.

Ken Carroll

 

 

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