News at Whitstable Yacht Club
Club News - September
Cadets & Families - Furniture donations wanted for a new Cadet Room
Posted: Wednesday, 30 September , 2015
The Whitstable Yacht Club cadets will be getting a new space in the clubhouse in November. To make the room comfortable we need some furniture, including sofas, bean bags, large cushions, table, chairs/stools, bookcases and posters/artwork for the walls. All the items will need to meet current British Safety Specification fire safety standards with labels attached and be free from animal hair to prevent allergy issues. We're also looking for books and games. If you have anything suitable to donate, please contact Hazel Green at greens@oldbakerymail.co.uk
WYC A Class success at A Class National Championships at Pwllheli Sailing Club
Posted: Monday, 28 September , 2015
All 3 of Whitstable Yacht Club’s A Cats attended the National Championships last weekend. The event was held at Pwllheli Sailing Club in North Wales, and was sailed over 3 days from 25th to 27th Sept. 6 of the 9 races were completed in winds that were mainly light and marginal with a slightly stronger breeze coming in for the final race.
Well done to Chris Fields, who won the event (discarding a 3rd place) and is now the A Class catamaran National Champion. Dave Williams got a very competitive 3rd place including a 1st place in the second race but lost second place overall due to a final race black flag. Mick Davidson got a very pleasing 6th the best of which was a 2nd in the 3rd race . There were 18 boats competing including 8 foiling boats.
The link to the Web site is www.a-cat.co.uk which has a link to the Facebook page were photos/results are posted.
WYC Dart 18 success at Weston Sailing Club Cat Open
Posted: Monday, 28 September , 2015
Well done to Whitstable Yacht Club sailor Tony Dod, who came in first single handed Dart 18 and 8th Dart 18 overall at the Dart 18 TT event, part of the Catamaran Open at Weston Sailing Club last weekend. Tony's best result over the weekend was 2nd place, just a few feet behind the current overall Dart 18 champion! For the full results, see http://www.weston.org.uk/site/results/cresults.htm
University of Kent Sailing and Windsurfing Club - Back for another year at WYC
Posted: Sunday, 27 September , 2015
The University of Kent Sailing and Windsurfing Club will be coming back to Whitstable Yacht Club again this October to kick off their sailing season. They're starting this year on 3rd October with a taster sessions for new students interested in sailing, then will be down at the club most weekends between now and the end of the academic year in June!
The UKC club has a fleet of Lasers, Toper Xenons, Topaz Unos, a Dart 16 and an array of windsurf equipment at Whitstable Yacht Club, and the students who take part are a range from absolute beginners to experienced instructors! Ruth Wilkinson, club Presendent also aims to get the UKC boats taking part in some WYC club racing this year.
As well as getting students out on the water, they do work for charity, and last year raised £4,000 for the RNLI through fundraising. They hope to run another fundraiser this year, so look out for it!
Club Development - Five Year Plan
Posted: Thursday, 24 September , 2015
Following on from the papers provided for the SGM to be held on 10th October, the summary of the 5 Year Development Plan for Whitstable Yacht Club can be downloaded here. This is a summary section from the full 5 Year Development Plan, which is available to members on request from the WYC Club Manager. Both the summary and the full document are in draft, and as with any 5 year plan, will be a working document subject to change as we move forward, but they will form a significant part of our bids for the funding grants available. We recommend that you read this summary ahead of the SGM to provide further background on the proposal being put to the membership.
Bart’s Bash Bosh! Results now available. #SailOnBart #BartsBash
Posted: Wednesday, 23 September , 2015
We had a great Bart's Bash event at WYC on Sunday 20th September. Over 50 boats entered the race, with sailors ranging from under 12 to over 80 years old! The event raised over £360 for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation through donations and a cake sale.
The provisional results are now available on the Bart's Bash website. Congratulations to Tudor Owen and Tom Bruton jnr in their 505 dinghy, for coming in top Whitstable boat! #SailOnBart
August Regatta - Amended Results
Posted: Wednesday, 23 September , 2015
The August Regatta results have been amended due to an error in the calculations. The winner of the race has not changed, but the boats in 2nd to 6th place have changed. Thanks to Mei Baker for spotting and reporting the error! The results can be seen at wyc.org.uk/on-the-water/results.
Club Development - Special General Meeting agenda and papers
Posted: Friday, 18 September , 2015
The agenda, postal vote papers and a summary document for the Special General Meeting to he held on 10th October at 2.30pm were posted out this week. If you haven't received your copy by the end of next week, please check that the club office has the correct address for you on file.
The agenda and summary document can also be downloaded from the website, along with an updated presentation on the plans. Further documents will be posted to the website in the weeks leading up to the SGM
The General Committee encourage all members to read through these documents before deciding how to vote at the SGM on the resolution put forward. We encourage all members to attend the meeting, but if you cannot attend the meeting in person, you can submit a postal voting slip to the club office with your vote by 8th October. Please ensure you follow the instructions on the form to ensure that your vote is counted.
WYC Sailors have success in the Pool
Posted: Thursday, 17 September , 2015
Congratulations to the Whitstable Yacht Club "A" and "B" pool teams who last night picked up their prizes from a long, hard fought season.
The B team won the division 2 league, ending the season 6 points clear of the Wall Tavern after a season best 13 wins, 3 draws and just 2 losses. They now move up to the first division next season.
The A team were runners up in the Shield Cup competition being narrowly beaten by Savoy A in the final.
This year's B team were Robin South, Steve Keeler, Ali Nicolson, Anthony Keam, Peter Gowing, Chris Jarrett, Max Hunt, Dom Wade and Benny. The A team were Richard Ledger, Chris Leamon, Chris Lovett, John Wade, Ian Hender, Abby, Kris Z and Gavin.
If you want to get involved in the pool teams, speak to any of the team members.
Well done to both teams!
Bart’s Bash this Sunday - Have you registered? #Bartsbash #Sailonbart!
Posted: Thursday, 17 September , 2015
It's Bart's Bash this Sunday, and we're really looking forward to taking part in the world's largest sailing race! You can register on the day at Whitstable Yacht Club, but to speed up the entry and results process, sign up at my.bartsbash.com/registration. For more information, see wyc.org.uk/on-the-water/events.
Rugby World Cup 2015
Posted: Wednesday, 16 September , 2015
Whitstable Yacht Club will be showing the UK matches in the Sea Room, unless they clash with other booked events. The 1st match is England vs Fiji at Twickenham. Come and watch the match which starts at 8pm on Friday 18th September.
A Different sort of Sailing
Posted: Tuesday, 15 September , 2015
Imagine, no count down to the starting gun, no flogging round the buoys, no one shouting "Starboard!" or "Room at the mark!". Thanks to Richard Maltby and to Pete Gowing, for organising something different, just a pleasant sail in company to a planned destination - a dinghy cruise to the Swale on Friday 11th Sept.
Five boats gathered on Friday morning at around 1000, and after a short briefing we launched and set out for the Swale, on a rising tide, with a force 3 wind from the ESE behind us. We headed first for Shell Ness, quite a "rock and roll" ride, and once over the Pollard Spit bank we gybed and headed up the Swale for Sand End buoy, and thence to Faversham Spit North Cardinal. We sailed up Faversham Creek (making sure to keep in the buoyed channel), and moored to the bank near the Shipwright's Arms pub.
High water was too early to continue up the creek to Faversham Town Quay, and risk getting dried out for 12 hours, so we had our sandwich lunches, accompanied in some cases by a pint of "Shipwrecked" best bitter, and when the tide had turned and the ebb set in, we cast off and set out back to Whitstable. The ebb carried the little fleet down the Swale, and level with Shell Ness we tacked onto port, crossed the bank and headed home, being careful to keep in sight of each other and ready to render assistance if needed (luckily none was). The wind had risen by now, and it was wind against tide, so quite a hard and bumpy ride, but great fun. We reached Whitstable about 1530 after a great day's sailing.
Those taking part were: Wanderer 1561, Richard Maltby and Roger Warren (cruise leaders); Wanderer 1098, Ian and Glenda Nevill; Wanderer 1282, Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper; Wanderer 598, Ian Hay and Kate Ahern; Miracle 4055, Peter Heyes and Jo Phillips.
Good fun, dinghy cruising, why not give it a try next time?
Gavin Barr (Wanderer and General Handicap Class Representative)
What a (Forts) weekend!
Posted: Monday, 14 September , 2015
The Vattenfall Forts Race Weekend was held on 12th and 13th September at Whitstable Yacht Club. The premier catamaran long distance race was held on the Saturday, in a shifty F3-F5 southerly wind, giving the 20 catamarans taking part some tricky conditions on the initial tight kite leg out to the Red Sands Forts in the middle of the Thames Estuary. Nicholas Barnes and Neil Bladry were early casualties when they flipped their viper in a strong gust. They proved the benefit of carrying flares in a long distance race when one of the team was separated from the boat, to be picked up by Peter Wilson and Steve Hodges in their Tornado. Once returned to their boat, they righted it on their own, but headed for home.
Grant Piggott and Stu Smith were the first boat back to the gate at Whitstable Yacht Club in their foiling Nacra 20 FCS, narrowly beating Will Sunnucks and Chris Neal in their Flying Phantom Foiler. The race then headed out to a buoy off the newly finished Vattenfall Wind Farm extension , which actually started to generate electricity for the first time during the race! The Flying Phantom Foiler suffered gear failure on the way out to the Windfarm buoy, and had to retire, allowing the Nacra 20 FCS to lead the way for the rest of the race and take the Vattenfall Trophy for line honors.
In the non-foiling boats, the Shockwave F18 of Simon Northrop and Simon Fraz Farren separated early from the pack to build up a lead on the water of over 12 minutes on the next placed boat over the following 2 legs, to Herne Bay Pier, and out to Spile Buoy. The Tornado of Paul Mines and Stu Smith chased them around the course, but couldn’t quite catch them up, coming home third on the water. Further back, Peter Wilson and Stephen Hodges lead the main pack in their Tornado after returning to the race following their rescue of the Viper sailor. Robert Govier and David Figgis in their Capricorn F18, Ghislan Melaine and Greg Crease in their Cirius F18 and Richard Ledger and Tom Bruton in their Nacra 17 had a close race for the next place, regularly swapping places on the water. After falling back on the Herne Bay leg, Robert and David managed to catch up and overtake the other two boats on the final punishing leg out to Spile Buoy, to come in fifth on the water, with the Cirius in sixth and Nacra 17 in seventh.
On corrected time, Simon Northrop and Simon Fraz Farren came first overall in their Nacra F18, with Grant Piggot and Adam Kay in second on their Nacra 20 FCS, and Paul Mines and Stu Smith in third on their Tornado. Forth boat, and first Whitstable Yacht Club boat was Peter Wilson and Steve Hodges on their Tornado, and Robert Govier and David Figgis came in fifth on their Capricorn F18
In the ‘Short Race’, six Dart 18s set off to do the Forts and Wind Farm legs, with three making it around the two legs. After 2 ¾ hours on the water, less than 5 minutes separated the boats on the water, and only 16 seconds between 2nd and 3rd! Mark Robson and Kerra Pearce lead the group round to take line honours, with Mark and Stephanie Howleger in second place, and Tony Dod and Lugh Horner in third.
The finishing boats on the full course had raced on a course over 47 miles long, with the leading boat finishing in just over three hours, and the last placed finished taking a little over 4 hours, sailing at all wind angles in a mix of sea states from very choppy to almost flat, and got to see all the sights in the Thames Estuary off the Whitstable coast. The Dart 18s racing the ‘Short Course’ covered over 26 miles in 2 ¾ hours.
On Sunday Whitstable Yacht Club hosted a shorter single lap race around the Ham Gat buoy, in very light conditions. The conditions didn’t suit the foiling boats, and the race was won both on the water, and on corrected time, by Simon Northrop and Simon Fraz Farren on their Nacra F18.
A great time was had by all, including those who had to cut their race short. There’s nothing quite like sailing to a point on the horizon at full speed under race conditions, and the race is set to return in September 2016. For the full results, see wyc.org.uk/on-the-water/results. Photos will be posted shortly at championmarinephotography.co.uk.
Unpaid kit
Posted: Sunday, 13 September , 2015
The kit listed below has been identified as either abandoned and/or unpaid for. It is currently situated on Reeves beach and unless claimed and/or paid for it will be removed and disposed of in accordance with the club storage policy using the RYA recommended process, 3 months from the date of publication of this notification.
Road trailer
Laser launching trolley with damaged wheels - this could be associated with the road trailer as it is stacked on top but may be a separate item
Blue trailer with suspension (appears home built)
Yamaha Seahopper (orange)
Laser (yellow)
Photographs are available here, and will also be displayed on the club noticeboard in the Sea Room.
If you recognise the kit and wish to claim it please contact the sailing secretary to arrange payment. If you have have queries regarding the process please contact either the Sailing Secretary or the Beachmaster. More
Well done to Iggy McNally, sailing at the RS Tera Nationals last weekend!
Posted: Sunday, 06 September , 2015
Whitstable Yacht Club Cadet Iggy McNally took part in the Magic Marine RS Tera Nationals at Weymouth Portland National Sailing Academy last weekend. 9 year old Iggy was the youngest competitor in the Championship Fleet, and had a great time competing amongst the top Cadet sailors in the country, taking home the Selden Trophy for 1st competitor under 10! There's a full write up, with results, at the RS Tera UK Class Association website.
20 days to go!
Posted: Tuesday, 01 September , 2015
Wow, it's now just 20 days until Bart's Bash on 20th September 2015!! There are already 1112 sailors signed up from 377 clubs in over 48 countries, covering all inhabited continents, but by the time you read this, the figures will be out of date because each day the numbers signing up are increasing! Sign up for the race at Whitstable Yacht Club at my.bartsbash.com/registration to tell everyone you're going to be sailing, and come down to the club on 20th September to be part of the World's Largest Sailing Race! For more information, see wyc.org.uk/on-the-water/events.
Reminder: 3pm race starts this weekend
Posted: Tuesday, 01 September , 2015
The Autumn Series starts this weekend (5th & 6th September), and due to the late tides, the start time for both races is 3pm.
CLUB NEWS ARCHIVE
- All news
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
HIGHLIGHTS
- Sailing Schedule
- Race results
- Sailing events
- Weather
- Membership Information
- Learn to Sail
- Cadets & Families
- Club location and contacts
- Food, Drink and Social events
Comments and suggestions for this site should sent to the webmaster.
Keep up to date with WYC news
- Subscribe by:
- RSS (What is this?)
-