2018
Our Race Officer Enjoying his Duties
By the look of these two pics, our Race Officer Charles Adams is really enjoying his duties on the rescue boat. But we must rush to explain …
In the first pic he is not swigging rum! As a responsible Rescue Assistant, he has just retrieved a piece of floating litter – a plastic bottle – ready to place it in a rubbish bin.
In the second jaunty pic, he is with Louisa Hawker who kindly stood in as rescue assistant in place of her husband Simon, one summer evening sailing session. Notice there’s nowhere to stash any G & Ts.
Our Commodore - Breaking News in September 2018
Just as we’d trained up Nigel Davis to be a good Commodore (!) and taught him to become a decent Supernova sailor, he’s given us the sad news that he has to leave Welwyn Garden City for work reasons. He’s relocating to the Midlands.
Nigel will remain in post until the next AGM, and will endeavour to visit as often as he is able. He hopes to be at the Commodore’s Cup and Annual Dinner. In the meantime, committee members and past commodores will give cover whenever necessary.
IDRIS WURIE
Many of us can still remember the first Saturday Idris Wurie turned up at Stanborough Lake. He was a small lad wearing a blue knitted hat and looked a bit lost. To everyone’s amazement, he took to sailing like the proverbial duck to water. Scroll forward to 2010 and he was thoroughly enjoying himself camping with the club at Little Paxton. He did so well in the sailing that he won an award (to mark the 40th Anniversary of the 24hour Sailing Race) – a free sail bag from North Sails. He was absolutely thrilled. A year or two later, Idris also enjoyed an epic sail with Shaun Smale, crewing his Laser 3000 ‘out on the wire’ at Stewartby. He eventually disappeared off to University in Wales to study Psychology – his ultimate ambition is to be a doctor – and guess what … in August he called in and stood next to Val Newton and towered over her – he’s now 6ft 3in!
Welcome back to Jack & Idris 2018
Two juniors all grown up!
Mike Caddy’s son, Jack, used to be a junior sailor and a familiar sight on Saturday mornings. On 18th August, he reappeared after a long absence, as Rescue Assistant - all grown up and with a good job after graduating. He attended the University of Birmingham and studied English & Philosophy, and is now working in London as an account manager for a telecoms company called Zayo. These two pics, taken 12 years apart, tell the story. The one on the left was taken after the Punch Bowl Race back in 2006, the other at the Spring/Summer Handicap 15/16 race session on the 18th August 2018. Welcome back Jack!
JACK CADDY
Entente Cordiale with the Fishing Club
WelHat Times, 31st July
There was no sailing at Stanborough Lake on Saturday 14th July but it was all in a good cause. Race Officer, Charles Adams explains: “We racers gave up a week’s sailing (and the Mouse Club a Saturday morning of coffee and cake) to allow the anglers to have a major fishing competition over that weekend. It proved to be very successful and raised nearly £1,500 for charity. The biggest fish caught was a 24lb common carp landed by James Coffey.
· Val Newton commented: “Hard to believe THAT monster carp was swimming around when I capsized up to my neck the other week. Aaaaarrrggh!”
Oscar Hayward
Oscar and his Mum, Julie-Anne Clark, first arrived on the scene on Saturday 8th September. Roger Morse kindly took Oscar 9, out as crew in the Leader (here they are afterwards) and Oscar proved that the junior Level 3 qualification he gained in Greece had prepared him well. On Saturday 15th September he paired up with Ben Hawker 14, for the three-hour Punchbowl Pursuit. It was the first time he’d raced on his own with the club, and he sailed with confidence. Unfortunately, the wind picked up on his last lap and he had an unfortunate knock on the head from the boom. Rescue brought him ashore so he could be checked over by a first aider and have an ice pack applied. Ben finished off the sailing so the pair of them could still win a giant Toblerone each at the end!
Joan Thomas
Joan Thomas did a Level 2 course while on holiday earlier in the year and felt the club’s summer evening sailing sessions would be ideal to help her get a bit more practice. Her husband, Rory Scales, is a keen leisure sailor too but unfortunately has a heel injury at present restricting his sailing. We look forward to seeing more of Joan and Rory.
A Warm Welcome to our New Members New Members - Summer 2018
Letitia Matthews & Ian McCreery
Letitia (Tish) & Ian (and their children Millie 12, Finley 10 and Amelie 5) first appeared on a Saturday morning when Burgee racing was well under way which meant they were unable to have a proper sail. However, it gave them the chance to say ‘hello’ and practice rigging “Upsy Daisy”, their beloved Mirror 861 dinghy. A few weeks later, Tish and Ian arrived at one of our Summer Evening Sailing sessions and were well looked after by Shaun Smale and Paul McAlister who helped them rig and followed round in the safety boat. Tish learnt to sail on the Norfolk Broads in a boat belonging to her father. Tish and Ian are also keen on big boat sailing. She is currently redoing her Day Skipper and he is doing his Competent Crew qualifications in the hopes of going flotilla sailing at some point.
