Dear Friends,
Such a lot has happened this summer. As you’ll have been aware, West Wilts Youth Sailing Association lost their sail store and safety boats in an arson attack earlier this year, and Martyn our Commodore at Shearwater stepped in to offer them the use of our facilities. With the goodwill of the Longleat Estate, the West Wilts youngsters and their adult volunteers were able to run many happy Saturday sessions and the youngsters could explore our larger lake. That was until, ‘The Green Algae Attack’.
Suddenly, between Sunday and Tuesday, the lake turned to bright green, and looked like a special effect on ‘Photoshop’. My favourite pastime, capsizing, was curtailed and the young and infirm were told to keep clear. The rest of us sailed on, as if on a toxic waste pond at Hinckley B.
In spite of all of this, and a summer of lovely weather, but many light winds, the show went on. We have had a good turn out for races, Martin Honor has co-ordinated teams of merry helpers for every race and Chris Barlow has verified the results in accordance to the very latest RYA handicap figures. (Lasers have gotten slower apparently – mine certainly has, but that’s through lack of practice.) As always, it’s the folk that attend the most races that do best. We have seen Bill Lynn steaming up the league tables (admittedly from a very low starting point) and his perseverance is paying dividends (at last). In the tail end of Hurricane something that came over just in time to wipe out the ‘Shearwater’s Summer Event’, Bill was the only fool who took to the water in his trusty Mirror Dinghy. We all watched a perilous down-wind return and he offered me a go, so I crewed for him ‘The little boats really humming!’ said Bill, I said ‘That’s the loose dagger-board.’ ‘Can we do a jibe Bill?’ ‘Oh, Jibe Ho!’….. happy times!
Still, I digress. We have just had a re-run of the Summer’s Day Event and I’d like to thank the Barlows and the Pells for all their hard work, everyone who came and sailed their little socks off, the prize winning ‘Mulholland and Team Brewerton’ and James and myself for lighting the BBQ.
Next up at Shearwater is ‘Bart’s Bash’ on 21st September, Vintage boats event on 5th October, Founder’s day on 19th October, and regular races right up until the Dinner Dance on 28th November and the Final Thrash on 30th November. That’s 12 more sailing Sundays until Christmas!
Happy sailing,
Peter Barnes.