VHF Repairs
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Recently, the club had need of a repair to a fixed VHF radio. A search of the internet revealed a number of companies but all wanted around half the value of the set just to look at it. Fortunately, a mountain rescue pal put me onto Willie Macpherson of Highland Signals Ltd. and they agreed a no fix no fee job. As it happened, it was not a big job but, even so, the price of £25 (plus VAT and carriage) seemed very reasonable indeed. They even threw in a new fuse holder and some connectors. Everything came back looking very neat. Their email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and the phone is 01463 226543.
Cartoon Competition
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The SYC Cartoon Competition
Each year, The Solway Yacht club have organised an “arts and crafts” competition with a prize awarded at our Annual Prize-giving.
This year, our Annual Prize-giving will be held virtually by Zoom on
Saturday January 23rd, 2021
The theme is:
CARTOONS
The rules:
Each cartoon should have a nautical theme,
Each cartoon must be an original drawing and have an identifiable author attached. This can be the person’s own name, a pseudonym or it can be “anonymous”.
You should place your cartoon on the Club’s Facebook page. This puts your entry into the public domain, which permits The SYC to publish it beyond this, with either the author’s name or “anonymous” attached, as you prefer.
The deadline for entries is Wednesday January 20th 2021.
The cartoon which attracts the most “Likes” on Facebook will be awarded a prize of £20.00 at the prize-giving. If a pseudonym or “anonymous” is used the same amount will be donated to Kippford RNLI
Jock Wishart
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Jock Wishart, intrepid explorer, sailor extraordinary and good friend of the club has sent us greetings. Like the rest of us, he has had a pretty quiet season and has never had his Thames Rater on the water. He has not even got any yachting in since January, when he and redoubtable Sandy Mair acted as race officers in Barbados.
The Thames Rater in the picture is 26 feet long and sports a 44 foot carbon mast and a 6 foot centreboard. She's a bit of a beast he says! The apparently disproportionate rig was designed to cope with the fickle winds and clutter on the river banks when racing on the Thames. As they are the second oldest class in the world, the carbon fibre used for the mast is a relatively recent adoption. It was originally bamboo and then aluminium. They were originally a lug rig, then gunter and finally Bermuda. Over the years, the masts got taller and the booms shorter giving the configuration seen in the photo.
As with everyone, Jock's plans are a little hazy but he hopes to pay us a visit when he can. You're always welcome Jock.
Lindsay Tosh
RYA Volunteer Award
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I am delighted to let you know that Lindsay Tosh has been awarded the RYA 2020 Scottish Regional Volunteer Award for outstanding services to the SYC, ASC and RYA Scotland over many years. This is one of the most prestigious RYA awards which are given annually throughout the UK. Hugely well deserved and many congratulations to him from all members of both clubs.
Robert Dinwiddie, Commodore
Photo : Jacquie Tosh
Barry Filer – an Obituary
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Barry Filer (2.7.1935 – 9.9.2020) was one of the longest serving members of the Solway Yacht Club (SYC). Early records show that he was already a member in 1950 thus making it 70 years of continuous association with the club. At this time he sailed GP14 235 and then Flying Fifteens with great success.
One little known fact about Barry is that he and his brother Peter gave Jackie Stewart his first ever racing cars in 1961. Initially this was a Marcos, followed by an Aston Martin with which he had immediate success, winning several races in his first year of competition. Jackie was eternally grateful to them for the start of his racing career and kept up with Barry throughout his life.
Barry also sailed for the Royal Gourock Yacht Club in 1970. He was Cadet Officer for the SYC both in 1979 and again in 1986. This showed his great interest in bringing forward the next generation of young sailors here at Kippford. He was also instrumental in the development, construction and funding of the new pier which was opened by Uffa Fox in 1958.
During his continued membership of the SYC he was also a distinguished member of the Clyde Cruising Club, being a Principal Race Officer and overseeing the Scottish Mirror and Flying Fifteen Championships in the mid 1990s.
Barry raced in many cruisers each of which was named “Off We Go”, these included a Bowman 46 and a Jaguar 22. In his later years his Sadler 29 was a familiar sight around Kippford, especially during Cadet and Kippford Weeks. During this time he was particularly helpful in towing boats out to race and supervising the races as they took place. His favourite site of observation was adjacent to the Torr buoy in Balcary Bay.
Apart from being a superb sailor he was a person of great character who everyone enjoyed watching and learning from. His unique contributions to the SYC over so many years are greatly appreciated. It is a privilege to have known him and he will be greatly missed.
Robert Dinwiddie, Commodore
Barry Filer
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You may have noticed on the website or Facebook the sad news about the death of one of our longest-serving member Barry Filer. In these troubled times, we sadly cannot show our respect by attending his funeral but we have a plan to honour him within the current guidelines. The hearse and the family cars will pass in front of the clubhouse before the funeral and we can legitimately spread ourselves along the private road from the north end of the clubhouse and up the main road as the cortege heads for Colvend Church. We should not form into one group but should distance ourselves individually or in family groups widely spaced out. We may of course greet each other but should not come together in any way either before or after the cortege passes. In this way, we can honour our friend without breaching the regulations. We should be in position before 11:00 on Friday 18th September. The funeral is at Colvend Church half an hour later.
The format is:
- Cortege forms up in the public car park then, at 11:00, drives up between the car park and the Mariner and across the front of the clubhouse heading north
- Commodore stands by at the club flagpole on the balcony to do the honours
- Members and friends line the private road from the north end of the clubhouse to the main road, if necessary stretching up the main road
- Significant, well scattered distancing to be observed throughout; not just the 2 metre social distancing of a group
- Dress – sailing gear or similar e.g. sea boots and oilskins (assuming the usual west Scotland weather), club apparel if available
- Gentlemen way wish to wear headgear to remove at the appropriate moment.
Please may we have a good turnout for this doughty man of the sea.
Please address any queries to me via the club email address or by phone.
Lindsay Tosh
Barry Filer
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It is with great sadness that I have to announce the passing away of one of the Solway Yacht Club's most long-serving and distinguished members, Barry Filer. A private family funeral will take place at Colvend churchyard on Friday September 18th at 11.30am. The family has requested that donations in his memory be made to Kippford RNLI. Further details on how Club members can pay their formal respects on the day will be announced shortly.
Robert Dinwiddie, Commodore
COVID 19 Update
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CLOSURE OF SYC CLUBHOUSE
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Sailing and Other Activities During 2020
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Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the club is taking action to safeguard members and participants.
The situation is as follows (updated 30/03/20) and this will be updated as needed:
Craning In – cancelled
Challenger Open – cancelled
Laser/Finn/N12 Open – cancelled
Spring Training – cancelled
Club Racing – cancelled until further notice
5-Castles Regatta - cancelled
Other Club Activities - cancelled until further notice
Cadet Week – cancelled
Kippford Week – cancelled
*Individual Sailing – at responsible sailor’s discretion
*Note that there will be no safety boats available to rescue you or to tow you in. Please keep to all safety advice concerning lifejackets, secondary means of propulsion, weather forecast, tidal information, flares, radio/phone, advising others of your whereabouts, course, ETA, etc. Calling out RNLI may interfere with someone’s Covid-19 ‘lock-down’ period
RYA advice for clubs – https://www.rya.org.uk/training-support/Pages/coronavirus_guidance.aspx
RYA advice for recreational boaters - https://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/coronavirus-advice-and-information-for-recreational-boaters.aspx
NHS and Scottish Government advice– https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19
COVID-19
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COVID-19
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Yachts and Yachting
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Delighted to say that Yachts and Yachting have put a very nice report onto their homepage at "Yachts and Yachting". It will be on there for the next 48 hours or so.
Best regards,
Robert Dinwiddie, Commodore
https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/226090/Solway-YC-celebrates-2019-winners
Summer Weeks Dates
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Now that 2020 has arrived here are some important diary dates to note. Cadet Week racing days 20/07 to 24/07. RNLI Regatta is 02/08 and Kippford Week Racing days are 03/08 to 07/08.
For 2021 the dates are Cadet Week racing days 26/07 to 30/07. RNLI Regatta is 08/08 and Kippford Week Racing days are 09/08 to 13/08.
Note that the 2020 RNLI Regatta is now on 02/08 and not 08/08 as shown in the 2019 handbook.
Best regards,
Robert Dinwiddie, Commodore
CADET ADVENTURE DAY
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Cadet Adventure Day Saturday 31st August 2019. 11:00am - 3:00pmKIPPFORD WEEK A GREAT SUCCESS
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Kippford Week and RNLI Regatta 2019
A week of mixed sunshine, showers and winds from nothing to “sailing perfect” produced another year of challenges for sailors young and not-so-young for the Solway Yacht Club’s main event of the year. As always led by the Club’s highly experienced team of Race Officers and safety crews, but in particular this year’s Club Commodore, Lindsay Tosh.
Day 1 quickly identified the leading crews in the various classes and the pace was set. Many familiar faces but several new ones going well, particularly among the young.
Tuesday, day 2, and as the fleet launched many were towed out to the start line with virtually no wind. An hour passed before a few slight zephyrs could be felt and after a wee while more, enough to get the races underway. Further offshore it was again the Hawks that dominated the Cruiser class with the David Henderson and David Butler crew winning again but back in action in the Flying Fifteens after the previous day’s breakage were Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne. They weren’t having it their way again, beaten by the Scott Train and Anne Stewart crew. In the dinghy fleet Stewart Mitchell led the fast handicap class to a win in his Olympic Finn, fresh back from a great performance in Denmark in the World Masters Championships. Medium handicap class saw a close finish with Emily Biggar and crew Mhairi McFadzean take “line honours’ but it was Ian Purkis and crew Emily Overend in their Firefly who won after handicap corrections. The slow handicap class was won by Megan Greaves in her Topper. With the light winds, the inshore races were finished “on the water” thanks to the safety boat of Duncan Gillespie and crew, pressed into timing the finishers ensuring there was a fair result.
Windy Wednesday brought a big change to the weather with a near perfect strong steady wind which got the leading boats really flying. Offshore again it was the Henderson/Butler Hawk but in the Flying Fifteens it was the Jim Holland and Dewi Williams crew that had a big lead at the first mark and were delighted to win by a narrow margin beating the fast closing Filer/Gascoigne boat. In the dinghy classes, Alex Gendinning in his Vortex won both races in the fast handicap class, while the medium handicap class the Biggar/McFadzean crew were really flying stretching out a big lead in their 420 boat (the Olympic training type), getting their first win. The slow handicap fleet again went to Megan Greaves, clearly now the one to beat.
Thursday and another day of light winds saw a similar pattern but by now in the medium handicap class it was getting very crowded at the top of the series with Stewart Biggar in his Laser 4.7, James Bishop in his Laser Radial and the GP14 crew of Mark Lewis and Beatrice Overend joining the Biggar/McFadzean crew, all in with the chance of an overall win.
With several fleets results already settled, interest was all in the medium handicap class. On the water, line honours went to the GP14 of Lewis/Overend, but the handicap win to the Laser Radial of Alex Noble but despite only finishing third, it was just enough to secure Biggar/McFadzean the overall series win.
Despite the domination of the cruisers by the Hawk yachts, all week the other cruisers were still having their own battles. Mention must be made of “Kintra”, skippered by John Searle and his crew Andrew Bodenham who consistently came out on top of the rest.
In a very crowded clubhouse, prizegiving celebrated all those series podium place winners and those who had made the whole week run so smoothly and successfully from the galley to the race office, the mark layers, the safety crews and many others. However special awards went to Jim Prentice for his immaculate and “very shiny bottomed” foiling catamaran and most especially to Deirdre Harding for her outstanding contribution to the whole of the Club and Club life, much behind the scenes, from her days as a cadet through to today. A massive “Thank You” from everyone.
Kippford Week overall podium results.
Cruiser Class
1st David Henderson and David Butler (Hawk 20)
2nd Angus Campbell and David Henderson (Hawk 20)
3rd Sandy Mair and Alison Young (Hawk 20)
Flying Fifteens
1st Scott Train and Anne Scott
2nd Jim Holland and Dewi Williams
3rd Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne
Fast Handicap
1st Stewart Mitchell (Finn)
2nd Rhys Williams (Laser)
3rd Steve Brisley (Laser)
Medium Handicap
1st Emily Biggar and Mhairi McFadzean (420)
2nd Mark Lewis and Bearice Overend (GP14)
3rd Stewart Biggar (Laser 4.7)
Slow Handicap
1st Megan Greaves (Topper)
2nd Tamsin Wallace and Mollie Keiley (RS Feva)
3rd Louisa Birdsall and Alice Parker (RS Feva)
The Kippford RNLI Regatta
With all entry fees being donated to the local Kippford RNLI, the Regatta races are a separate event but linked to the main Kippford week sailing. With several crew changes and new entrants, boats were in the same classes as the main Kippford Week. This time all the races, including for the larger cruising yachts and Flying Fifteen keelboats were started from the same inshore start line. This made for a very crowded water and quite a spectacle for those ashore. With the Kippford lifeboat doing the lead boat turn, assisting sailors to follow the correct course, the races got underway.
In the light wind it was a test of sail trim, balance and patience but in the glorious summer weather, the beautiful Colvend coast was looking its best. One feature, welcomed by some, was the larger cruising yachts breaking the stranglehold previously held by the Hawk yachts in the class, with Fiona Blandford and her crew taking second.
With no sign of the wind increasing the Race Committee again called on the Safety crews to provide “on the water” finish lines between a convenient course mark buoy and their safety boat, something that had already become a feature of Kippford Week 2019
So concluded another Kippford Week with huge thanks to all those who made the whole event possible from the Race Committees, the safety crews and many more to everyone who kept the sailors fed and watered in the galley and the bar.
Kippford RNLI Regatta overall podium results.
Cruiser Class
1st David Henderson and David Butler (Hawk 20)
2nd Fiona Blandford and crew (Delpha Classic 700)
3rd Sandy Mair and Alison Young (Hawk 20)
Flying Fifteens
1st Scott Train and Anne Scott
2nd Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne
3rd Jim Holland and Dewi Williams
Fast Handicap
1st Stewart Mitchell (Finn)
2nd Mark and Anna Simpson (National 12)
3rd Mark Crowther (Laser)
Medium Handicap
1st Mark Lewis and Bearice Overend (GP14)
2nd Ian Purkis and Emily Overend (Firefly)
3rd James Bishop (Laser Radial)
Slow Handicap
1st Tamsin Wallace and Mollie Keiley (RS Feva)
No other finishers
Open Day Success
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Willie Patterson's meticulous plan came to fruition today with a most successful Open Day. We had 115 folk from outwith the club go on the water and we got 8 new memberships. We had even more visitors who did not go out including local MSP Finlay Carson and Marc Turner from RYA Scotland, whose photographs we are agog to see. We even had the Kippford lifeboat in for a cup of tea and a bun; good to see you.
Such events rely on a huge effort from many members so can I thank all who turned up to help. We had members in the kitchen, bringing bakery, at the pierhead, in the boat park, giving joyrides, manning safety boats and much else besides. Publicity is vital and Becky, Ian and Anna arranged posters and banners. Becky has already posted some great photos on Facebook. Thank you all.
Lastly, thanks go to the RYA for their help and the materials allowing us to link the national Push the Boat Out initiative to our Open Day.
Now the task is to consolidate the gains made. We have new members, we have a raised profile locally and we need to use that to develop our great club even further.
Lindsay Tosh, Commodore
Success at RYAS Awards
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The club came away from the RYA Scotland Awards evening with one direct success and one indirect.
The trophy for Club of the Year was brought home to Kippford and the honour was all the sweeter when you consider the quality of the other two clubs on the shortlist; Royal Northern and Clyde YC and East Lothian YC. East Lothian now head for London as a shortlisted club for the UK awards and we wish them well.
Our one time cadet captain Jock Wishart was successful in the competition for Performance of the Year. Jock took the trophy with his Commodore's Cup team, who went to Cowes and came back not only victorious but very clearly the top team. Jock was kind enough to mention the club in his acceptance speech.
One thing we learned was that, should you be at a Burns Supper and Jock is addressing the Great Chieftain o' the Puddin Race, you'll hear and see a lively address; just keep out of claymore range! See Jock in full cry on the Facebook page.