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
Picnic Cancelled
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The weather forecast for Monday 6th May is awful with cool northerly winds making a picnic pretty uninviting. It has therefore been cancelled. Sorry.
John Broadbent, Sailing Secretary
Kippford Week
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Entries are now invited for Kippford Week, which starts on Monday 29th July. As usual, there are six days of racing in glorious surroundings. Racing takes in dinghies (PN 600 to 1450), Flying Fifteens and cruisers. As ever, there is a very full social programme.
We prefer online entries via Webcollect (here) but we will accept paper entries if required. You can download the Notice of Race and an entry form from Webcollect or contact the Sailing Secretary, John Broadbent.
I look forward to seeing you.
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.
2018 AGM Report
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New Commodore for Solway Yacht Club and shortlisted for Awards
After two successful years, Ian Purkis retired as Commodore of the Solway Yacht Club at the AGM on 17thNovember. He “handed the helm” to Lindsay Tosh, himself a longstanding and highly experienced sailor and member of the Club Committee. Summarizing his time in office, Ian said how he’s been particularly pleased to have worked with the local community in bringing more awareness of our local seafaring heritage and the modern sport of sailing to a wider audience, in particular the young children of the new Dalbeattie Learning Campus. “The Everest Skye play-boat, once an Olympic Laser class racing dinghy, is a great introduction and we hope many of those in the playground today will be the sailors of tomorrow”
Lindsay echoed the comments when accepting his election as the incoming Commodore, keen to develop these links further with the Club’s increasing involvement the the local “Active Schools” programme.
As if anyone needed reminding, the Club has been enjoying much success in recent years and expanding its activities in training, racing, sail cruising off shore and power boating. So much so that the Club was nominated for “Club of the Year” in the 2018 Annual Awards run by the sport’s governing body, RYA Scotland. Marc Turner from RYAS arrived to congratulate the Committee with the news that the Solway Yacht Club has made the shortlist, the winner to be announced at a special event in January.
More good news followed for Jock Wishart who was originally from Kirkcudbright, and, in his youth, a former Solway Yacht Club Cadet Captain. Over the years he has achieved great success not only in yachting but as an expedition leader with several polar adventures to his name. He had also been nominated and shortlisted for the RYAS 2018 “Performance of the Year” Award. Earlier in the year, he put together and led the winning, all-Scottish team in sailing’s prestigious “Commodores Cup”; he was particularly proud of the fact that the international competition was held in English sailing’s home waters, in and around the Solent. “Jock’s Celtic Team” not only won, they won handsomely with the Netherlands team a distant second.
The AGM also gave Club members the opportunity, which they took with great pleasure, to elect both Gordon and Liz Daly as Honorary Members. As the husband and wife team they have given enormous service to the Club over many years. Gordon, a retired Master Mariner, in accepting the Honorary membership, commented how grateful he’s been for the Club’s very existence, having first joined in 1953! Congratulations to Gordon and Liz!