TROON CRUISING CLUB NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2015
COMMODORE’S NOTES
The Scottish summer weather has been mixed at best, and sometimes terrible. I hope you have managed to get some sailing done, and not been too badly affected. Our summer cruise was curtailed but we made it to Tarbert for the seafood festival and again for the traditional boat festival.
Thanks to everyone who helped with the Club’s 60th Anniversary Celebrations in June. Sadly the gale force wind meant that the activities on the water had to be cancelled, but the teas were a great success, and the dance in the evening helped to save the day. One success was the fly past by HMS Gannet’s search and rescue helicopter which braved the weather, and thanks to the lifeboat crew members Caroline and Cox Tom who opened the lifeboat and gave some of us a guided tour.
The club is making improvements to the slip and another dinghy rack is in hand.
A future development being considered is a power supply to the island pontoon. This could be a generator or mains supply. Watch this space for more details.
Also, in the clubhouse there is decaf tea and coffee and fruit tea available for a trial. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to see.
Fair winds
John Haston – Commodore
COMPOUND
There have been numerous incidences recently when the compound and clubhouse have been left unsecured. Could I remind everyone to abide by the protocol with regards to compound security. Also several items have gone missing from the compound one being a ‘z’ spar spinnaker pole. This was silver in colour with a ‘z’ spar sticker and blue rope attached. The other items is a large Mercedes gel battery. Anyone with any information with regards to these items please contact me. There have also been reports of fenders going missing, but it is difficult to monitor the area along the wall, unless members see something untoward going on and report it to myself, or any member of the Council.
Some of you may be aware that the Yale lock on the clubhouse door has been removed – this was because some members were experiencing difficulty with their keys, and there appears to be something wrong with the mechanism. So meantime please be vigilant and use the padlock when leaving the clubhouse unless there is someone else still in it. Carry your padlock key with you at all times.
In view of recent events and a general consensus that there could be an improvement in security, the Committee has decided to install a cctv system, which will record onto hard drive. This should benefit us all, and particularly going forward to when the boats are stored in the compound.
LIFT OUT
Lift out will take place on Saturday 17 October. Start time 7 am. If you have any special requirements and wish to use the Dantent please contact me as soon as possible. The board will open on Saturday 5 September at 10 am and will remain open for two weeks.
Kyle Stewart
Compound Convenor.
August Newsletter Racing Input
The Spring Series was completed in May and although only a limited number of boats competed, it was close racing with Hunter’s Moon winning over Green Kestrel only on countback followed by Incitatus.
Our attempts to encourage higher handicap boats out with the Inshore Series has been thwarted by the weather with only 1 out of the scheduled 4 races completed. However it was the RNLI race that was run, won by Argento with Incitatus second followed by 3 retirees putting £50 in the lifeboat box.
We have managed 7 out of 9 Offshore Series races to date including the reinstatement of the Round Arran Trophy won by Green Kestrel. Hoodlum claimed the first four wins in the series but with the boat now enjoying the west coast for the summer this has opened up the competition. The series is presently lead by Hydra following wins at Hamilton Rock and the UFG, just ahead of Green Kestrel on countback followed by Hoodlum. With only the Thistle Trophy to Kip and the Tarbert Trophy to go any of the 3 could win.
With only limited numbers of cruisers attending the musters to date we have only had 1 Fast Cruising award so far which was to Rosie B at Largs. Still Tarbert and Kip to go!
The Wednesday Wackies continue to be well attended, at least when the sun is shining! Hydra won in May, Seascape in June and most recently Hunter’s Moon won for July. The introduction of the Gailes’ mark creating a triangular course has been well received and has created a fairer sailing platform. Still 2 months of Wackies to go so let’s hope for that Indian summer!
August is a quiet month on the home racing front with boats and crew attending West Highland Week and Largs Regatta Week so best of luck to any from TCC competing there. Our own Autumn Series however does start on Sunday 16th August.
Arran Cameron – Racing Secretary
CRUISING REPORT
Largs 25/26 April
The season opener took place up in Largs Yacht Haven. 12 boats and 30 members participated. A good weekend was enjoyed by all.
Lamlash 9/10 May
5 Boats made the trip to Lamlash but due to adverse weather conditions forecast for Sunday all boats returned on Saturday.
Kings Cross 20/23 June
The Kings Cross muster was moved to Lamlash at the request of the 6 boats that made the trip. The BBQ was set upon Lamlash pier, and then onto the Lamlash Bay Hotel.
Rothesay 3/4/5 July
After having high winds on Friday night, 5 boats made the trip to Rothesay on Saturday. A meal was enjoyed by club members in the Esplanade Hotel. On Sunday engines were needed to get back to Troon as the wind was coming from the south. All those who went to Rothesay had a chance to see Abramovich’s super yacht.
The next club trip away is to Tarbert on 22/23 August. Please see the list up on the clubhouse notice board for those who wish to attend.
Ewan Black
Cruising Convenor
SOCIAL
As John Haston has mentioned, despite the weather our 60th Anniversary Day went well and around 70 of us enjoyed the dance in the evening at the Railway Club.
John Steel has volunteered to give a talk on the Fastnet Race over the winter months – this will be held on a Wednesday evening and a firm date will be advised in due course.
I would like to arrange a Whiskey Tasting evening for anyone interested. The local whiskey shop – The Jar – would come along and provide up to 5 tasters of some extremely good whiskies, along with a talk on the history of the particular brand they bring. The cost would be in the region of £20 for an inhouse visit, but bear in mind that the whiskies you would enjoy would cost anything up to £10 or more per nip. An alternative way to do it, would be for The Jar to host the tasting in the shop which would probably cost around £10. I really need some feedback here before I make any arrangements.
The weekend away (Dry Weekend) at the Loch Fyne Hotel and Spa is almost full, but there may be one or two vacancies still available so if you are interested please let me know as soon as possible as I need to firm the numbers up soon with the hotel. The date is 6/7 November and the cost £170 per couple for dinner bed and breakfast for two nights. The leisure and spa facilities, not to mention the food, are second to none.
The Burns Supper will be held in January or February of 2016 – date and venue not fixed yet – but we are open to volunteers to participate in the entertainment. Again, please contact me if you feel willing and able. We have someone to do the Toast to the Club, a possible for the Address to the Haggis, and hopefully David Lacy can help us out with this event too.
This is your club and if you have any suggestions as to what we could include in our programme for the winter evenings, please feel free to let us know and we will do our best to satisfy all tastes.
My mobile number is 07955853558 and my email address is jwoodsjnr@aol.com. You can also get me on the landline – 01292 311908.
John Woods
Social Convenor