April 2008 Newsletter

2. Vice Commodore – David Read

 

Events for 2008 so far have been very well attended by both old and new members and because of this, GREAT FUN!

Here are a few more future events.

With all these events keep your eye on the notice board and website to keep abreast of news and information.

Thanks again for your continued support, for more details on the above see me!

The racing season is well under way now, and promises to be another interesting one. The first series of Sundays - the Icebreaker series - was still wide-open coming into the final day's racing. Congratulations to Dave Haswell, who somehow squeezed past Mark Forrester in the very last race.

We have now completed two of the 14 Netley race days, and the pursuit race series starts on May 4^th. It might be a good opportunity for some of the more confident novices to have a go with the noisy lot without the stress of a massed startline. In the pursuit starts are staggered for each class of boat. And you don’t have to fight at each mark, just sail fast and stay in clear air.

It was most encouraging to see so many novice racers out last Sunday for the first races of the Novice series - the ages of the competitors ranged from past retirement (being tactful ! ) down to junior school pupil. There will be one Novice Sunday a month until September –

The Next Novice Race Day is on May 25th - so do come and join in if you've never tried racing. You might even like it ! It's often possible to arrange to have a more experienced crew to guide you round if you're in a 2 man boat.

Check the website for information about racing etc. (Duty Rota shows dates and which race series is happening each week).

The start sailing course on Tuesday nights has proved very popular, with 20 people attending. We have just a couple more nights to do before the Saturday afternoon practical sessions start. Hopefully in warmer dryer weather. I have also had lots of support from experienced club members to help on the nights and practical days, and very much appreciated it is.

The first of the Saturday practical sessions start this Saturday 3^rd May at 13:30 till 17:00

The Endeavour trophy was won this year by Mick Peake. He was awarded it for his services as Treasurer, doing a complex job efficiently within his limited spare time, also for his perseverance and sportsmanlike attitude during racing. This is not the only award he has gained. He has recently been presented with a National Award for Thoracic Medicine for his achievements in this field. Congratulations Mick.

The Cadet that has been sitting in a lonely corner of the compound for this last year, has been sold and the money donated to Club funds. The new owner is a beginner and will hopefully enjoy sailing it for many years. He plans to sail at Ferry Meadows, so maybe some Wanlip Members will see it when visiting those waters.

One swallow doesn't make a summer, but on Thursday (17th) there were a succession of groups of about a dozen swallows drifting in from over the river, hawking for insects across our water, and then moving on over the fields to the right of the clubhouse. You needed to be watching them for 5 or 10 minutes to be sure it wasn't just the same group coming back, but no, this was definitely daytime migration - all the birds heading steadily northwards. During the afternoon a party of about 50 sand martins moved through as well - some sand martins will stay to breed round here, but these were pressing north. Summer must be on the way!

Our swans certainly believe summer is coming - they've got a nest on the Long Island again, and had 3 eggs in it quite a while ago. They'll probably have a full clutch by now. And we have Canada geese nesting on number 8 island (they'll have to get used to boats and bells ! ), and perhaps less welcome, there are crows nesting in one of the trees on the long island. We seem to have aquired a pair of moorhens, and there were about 20 tufted duck on the water, as well as the usual grebes, coots, and mallards. A pair of oyster catchers were back for the summer, and a redshank was about too.

The bird ringers who work our patch have told me that they've re-trapped a pair of Cetti's warblers, (pronounced "Chetty's" ) that they first ringed in 2006. This is a small secretive nondescript brown bird, but a species that has moved its range northwards dramatically in recent years. I think it first bred in Britain in the 1970's, and the Midlands now seems to be at about the northern edge of its range. It doesn't migrate ( unlike most of our warblers ), so it can be badly affected by hard winters. It's the bird ringers, too, who have found a new use for the old raft. They've transformed it into a des res for the terns, even incuding a little fence attached to the edge to help deter mink. All we need now is for the terns to return, but they should be here any day now - keep you eyes peeled!