7th Dec Christmas Coffee Morning . 1030 at Sarisbury Green Community Centre.
2025.
AGM: 22nd February at 10.30 followed by a coffee morning.
Refresher Courses: 15th & 26th March, half day VHF and half day First Aid courses on each day run by Aboard Boat Coaching in their classroom at the Marina. Price is £40 for ½ day or £70 for a day. 6-8 people needed for each course.
VHF Refresher course 09.00 till 12:30 The course will review and enable you to practice communication procedures.
11th – 13th April: Cowes Rally: Geoff
9th – 11th May: Lymington Rally: Paul
3rd -11th May: Cruise with the Sadler Owners to the Channel Islands to attend the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day in Guernsey on the 9th: Andy
Note: This document can be downloaded at the ‘Members Only’ section.
Proposed itinerary – the chances of the weather allowing this plan to happen as described is small, but it is a reasonable starting point, based on the tides. We can make tweaks (or quite possibly major changes) once the weather is known, but I’m hoping for westerly F4! I have assumed a sailing yacht making 5 kts through the water. All the times stated are British summer time, please add an hour for local time in France.
· Sat 3rd, Meet up at Universal, with the aim of slipping in the afternoon at HW (~1630 hrs), and sail to Yarmouth, Keyhaven or Totland Bay on the westerly tide. As it will be an early start the following day, we’ll probably anchor outside Keyhaven or in Totland Bay, but there’s also the option to go into Yarmouth, or pick up a buoy there.
· Sun 4th, Leave at around 0500, out through the Needles, and then to Cherbourg, arriving at the marina in time for dinner, 1800 – 2000 hrs, ~68 NM.
· Mon 5th, Day in Cherbourg.
· Tue 6th, Leave Cherbourg at first light (0430 – 0500 hrs) to carry the in-shore eddy to Cap de la Hague, and then down the Alderney Race to Sark (anchor or mooring buoy), arriving around 1200 – 1300 hrs, ~38 NM. Afternoon on Sark.
· Wed 7th, Morning on Sark, and then short sail (7 – 10 NM, depending on where we have stopped) to St Peter Port, Guernsey, 1300 – 1500 hrs (marina / pontoon berth). Alternatively (if you don’t want two days in St Peter Port) you could stay in Sark, or have a very short sail and anchor off Herm for a night.
· Thur 8th and Fri 9th, two days on Guernsey. There’s lots to see and do, St Peter Port is a bustling town, with a wide range of shops, pubs, restaurants, museums etc. There is an excellent bus service to other places of interest on the island, and good walks along the coast. You also have the option of getting the passenger ferry to Herm, which is a lovely island for a walk round. Friday 9th is the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Channel Islands, after almost 5 yrs of German occupation, and so will be party time in St Peter Port. I’ll aim to have the boat dressed overall for the occasion.
· Sat 10th, Leave Guernsey at 0400 hrs, to get the tide up the Alderney Race and sail back across the Channel, either to Yarmouth or Portsmouth, depending on the wind.
· Sun 11th, Home.
Part of the aim of this cruise is to give Skippers who have not done a Channel crossing some support while cruising in company. There are a few early starts to catch tides and there’s also time in port to relax, catch up on sleep and go sight seeing. It also gives an opportunity for owners of larger yachts to offer a berth or two to members who otherwise wouldn’t be able to take part. While I’ve worked the timings based on a sailing yacht doing around 5 kts, power boaters are welcome to join in; you will obviously be faster, but the sailors will see you in port.
As noted in the introduction, the above plan relies on the weather being suitable. It will almost certainly change a little, and possibly quite a lot, but I’m hoping to have an enjoyable cruise. In 2024, we started with a very similar plan, but ended up going to Weymouth, and then across the Channel to Alderney, before sailing down to Sark for a night, and then two days in St Peter Port before coming home.
11th – 13th June: Bembridge Rally: Vacancy
July: Mid- Summer Party. (Date to be advised)
11th – 13th July: Beaulieu Rally: Vacancy
21st July: Day sail ‘Round the Island’ on Thermopylae Clipper 60: Terry
August: Rally. Vacancy. (Date to be advised)
5th – 7th Sept: Yarmouth Rally: Vacancy
18th Oct: Annual Dinner
13th Dec: Christmas Coffee Morning at 10.30.