Just a wee reminder the next Gill event is at Annandale 11th 12th of June. It is also the Scottish Championships so plenty to play for. Not least the infamous Ladybird Book, though who ever wins it will have to prise it out of John Hugos grip, despite winning last year I have yet to see it, obviously John has found it so useful he doesn't want to let go of it.
All of you who have been to Annandale before won't need to be reminded of their wonderful hospitality but for any who havn't Annandale is a very friend club who always go out of their way to make visiters welcome and put on a wonderful spread on Saturday night. For those of you from south of the border it might be your last chance to come to the Scottish championships with out needing your passport. ;D
Team RM will be there with the Design 8, looking forward to it very much indeed. Can we order light winds please as the small crew is booked for the weekend (she seems to think Annandale is the size of Lake Ontario and we are working hard to convince her otherwise!)
Mrs RM
Team Squidgy/Triarda/Hoodoo/Barrow Boy/Goldcrest will be coming up or at least one of the boats and the helm will be coming up and sailing with my local crew and Solway guide Fiona. If Fiona knows the Annandale pipe location as well as she knows the estuary at Kipford I may not break my rudder this year! Looking forward to another great visit to Annandale. 8)
If only there was a marker buoy on the end of it...:X
But there is and I missed it so I was embarrassed as well as having to go back and mend my rudder. Must clean my glasses before leaving the shore. 8)
Jo & I are planning to come. Does anyone know what the race schedule is? I was looking for a NOR, but only this thread was on the link. Is camping allowed at the club? Mrs RM mentioned a nearby campsite and I did a search and found Halleaths and Kirk Loch, both fairly close, can anyone vouch for either?
Regards,
Steve
N3531
I have sent NOR to Graham to post. !st race saturday is at 1pm six races in all. It is not really room to camp at the club although the odd camper (some say very odd) manages to pitch a tent between the boats and there is always room for an RMV (Roly MO Vehicle). Being an odd camper I havn't tried out the campsites but I think Halleath is the one most use. John Hugo is the man to speak to. Look forward to seeing you there.
Oh the entrance fee includes the evening meal which is well worth going to
Sorry chaps - unable to be there this year - too far to travel from Oulton Broad as well as fuel being too expensive for my student budget!
Will really miss it - hope the gods of wind and weather smile on you all
Tim
Thanks Angus for passing on the NOR, and camping advice. In past years it has been possible to pitch small tents between the boats, but this year we expect a few more visiting GP14s and I hope more N12s, and it will be a very tight squeeze. I have no direct experience of the camp sites, but I had a favourable report of Haleaths earlier this year. The boat park and clubhouse will be open from Friday afternoon onwards. ASC is looking forward to entertaining the National Twelves again.
John Hugo, N3475
We have used Halleaths and found it good, I think Mark and Emma Simpson stayed at Kirk Loch last year.
Mrs RM
The boys are planning a guest appearance in Otterzal and are hoping to stick a small tent in the club on Friday night. Let me know if they get carried away on the line ( They are Topper/Laser sailors - need I say more!!!!!)
The child is pleased with this news.
Mrs RM
I don't know if it is the age of the young sailors that pleases Ellie, but I expect an optimist sailor to be crewing for Chadders. I wonder if Brian Herring is coming, or will I be the oldest of the geriatrics?
ASC members are busy preparing and looking forward to the week-end. The local forecasts are for 9 or 10mph breezes and 18mph gusts on Saturday and Sunday, but current weather patterns make this rather uncertain.
John Hugo, N3475
Andrew Greenhalgh has just advised me of the following for the Saturday night meal:
Hopefully the Summer sun will shine and we'll be enjoying an alfresco supper. There'll be barbecues, an extensive buffet and puddings.
Anyone who has been to Annandale before will know that the evening meal is always a highlight and this year looks like being as good as ever.
Mrs RM
I can confirm Brian Herring is planning to be there....and I am coming down from Perthshire with N1833 and my brother is coming up from Wales with N3402; crews permitting we will all be on the water!
Looking forward to seeing you Ed . There will be at least one resrve crew if needed.
John Hugo
All sounds brilliant to me and thanks again John for finding me an oppi sized crew to sail with, looks as though we may have a few vintage boats out too so I may have to bring Triarda. Look forward to seeing you all at Annandale. 8)
Thanks John
Looking forward to it....and may well need that crew!
Just a quick reminder for anyone travelling over the A66 - it's Appleby Horse Fair time and there may be delays as a result.
RM
You will all be pleased to know that most of the horses and caravans will have gone as the main dates were last weekend (when we were travelling south from Scotland and forgot about it until too late) so if there is any trafic on the A66 it will all be travelling east. ??)
Having been sat in a powerboat for the first two races, I can report some of the strangest conditions I have seen at ASC, Wind was ok for the first race, then swung 180 degrees in the middle, without dropping. There was the freezing rain and hailstones, before the wind dying during the second start sequence and commencing swinging round all over the place. It eventually filled in again just in time for the finish, I had to dash off sadly so I don't know anything about race three. The DCB proved fast enough in shifty inland wierdliness, and the vintage boats all looked lovely. I think there were 11 boats, but I may have miscounted. For the record, Ikea bags can be used as waterproof hats at the penalty of limited peripheral vision...
Day two and the wind seemed a bit more settled for race three.
Until the leeward mark. At which point they found themselves reaching into the mark with the GP fleet heading straight for them having just started. I got some pictures on my mobile but I can't liberate them until tomorrow.
Thank You!!! To Annandale Sailing Club, the race team who did a superb job of sorting the almost impossible wind conditions, and everyone involved in organising such a wonderful weekend despite the hail storm especially the catering crew who kept us well fed throughout. A great event, please can we come back again next year? Howard (aka Chadders) 8)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64017570@N04/sets/72157626825065165/
Not much more than thumbnails I'm afraid, but everyone should be in there somewhere...
All taken during the first race on Sunday.
Yes, a very enjoyable event and I'll second the big thankyou to all involved in making it happen. Today Im wondering why my legs are aching and more importantly why its been 16 years since I last sailed, which interestingly was the N12 Scottish in 1995! I shall try not to leave it that long again!
http://cid-8e6959cd30ffc7d1.photos.live.com/play.aspx/ASC%20Scottish%202011
A much better gallery, pictures courtesy of Tony Lyman.