2006 - Number 1

Commodore's comment

Welcome to the new sailing season which starts with the work party at the Loch of Skene 1000 Sat 4th March. The boat parking area has been improved hopefully making launching and recovery of boats easier. Please remember that we sail on the Loch of Skene by courtesy of the Honourable Charles Pearson of Dunecht Estates so please ensure that litter is put in the bins provided and also respect the privacy of the Tenants in the Lodge house.
Dave Sinclair

ASYC Committee 2006

Dates for your diary

Blue water thoughts

Spring time in Scotland. Wonderful light, brisk mornings. frost carpeted ground. It is a time of bright colours, remarkable light and wildlife spectacles. You should be aware our own Loch of Skene; a sight of special scientific interest, hosts it's own special treats. On the still mornings with a blanket of frog over the Loch take special care, over head, searching, seeking, the hunter is one the wind. If you are lucky, watch, you may just see an Osprey. Live with your environment, look around you. Sail and enjoy. Always respect the environs we inhabit.

Stonehaven Bay, the nations seabird colonies are still alive well into July with comical puffins zipping to and from their burrows with mouthfuls of sandeels, while great black backed gulls watch on with predatory interest. Stonehaven Bay is a myriad of species. Scotland's seas are moving with cetaceans of all shapes and sizes. Indeed some may be found at Skene in the dark shadows of the cloisters. Enough said of Skene. Early June our Stonehaven bottlenose dolphins may be seen when on the water. Pursuing fish shoals, or maybe just watching us with curiosity, who are those strangers playing (racing) on the water? Cutting the water in our sleek their white hulled craft; are we being watched?

Sailing what a great sport, what a great environ. Remember to respect. Anon.

Sailing duties

Please check when you are on duty (Click Here). Regretfully there were several instances last year when folk did not turn up for their allotted slot. We cannot run races etc. unless we have a full compliment. If you are unavailable please find another member to swap with and inform the OOD.

Power Boats and courses

The club will be running powerboat familiarization sessions and OOD training starting on the 11th March. Any members old or new interested in attending either or both, if they can contact John Styles (01330 860576 or sailingsec@asyc.org.uk) There will be RYA powerboat training to level 2 once we go to Stonehaven.

We had our annual inspection of the powerboat school in September last year and for the first time were inspected during a course. It all went very well with a good report on the instruction and level of equipment and facilities. This annual inspection has been carried out each year since we started the powerboat school and ensures that we meet the requirements laid down by the RYA for its approved training centers.

This year ASYC are having 4 people going on the powerboat instructors courses and Alex Taylor has just successfully completed his course held at North Berwick. The other three will attend a course at Port Edgar on the Forth in March.

First aid course are offered by the Red Cross, 22 Queens Rd, Aberdeen, tel: 01224 647741do regular first aid courses both basic first aid and four day HSE courses at a very reasonable cost, the one day basic first aid course costs less than £20.00

Skene Work Party Saturday 5th March

Over the winter the estate dredged the entrance to the boathouse and dumped the spoils onto the boat park. ASYC regraded and repositioned the spoils away from boat parking. The old muddy track to the dinghy park was excavated and filled with hardcore. This should make the boat park a lot more user friendly and allow for additional boat storage. Before we can start sailing at Skene we need to get the clubhouse and boat parking area ready. There will be a work party at Skene on Saturday 5th March starting at 10:00am. Tools needed for the work party will be the usual strimmers gardening tools rakes, spades etc.

Loch of Skene Sailing

The first sail of the season is set for Sunday 6th March, weather permitting. Please see program for rules, course layout. The duty rota is attached on the last sheet of this newsletter. Please check when it is your turn. Would the OOD phone or email the days sailing results and a brief description of the on goings to Ditta (Ditta_Neumann@yahoo.co.uk (that's an under_bar between first and second name) Tel: 01569-762206 to be published in “The Leader”. Deadline for article submission is on a Monday night, so I need the articles before then.

Open Regatta

The Open regatta will be held over the weekend 19th /20th August 2006. If you know of anyone or any organisation who maybe able to help by providing a Rescue Boat, please contact the Sailing Secretary, John Styles on 01330 860576(h).

Trophies awarded at the 2005 AGM

Alistair Peters Memorial Trophy (for services to the club) John Perry
Skene Regatta (Bruce Carey Trophy) Anna & Colin Ladd
Stonehaven Helmsmans Trophy D Smith & M Richardson
Capsize Trophy Ian Pittendreich
Catterline Race J Styles & W McKendrick
Commodores Prize E George & A Fraser
John Macdonald Trophy (overall series handicap) P Malcolm
Novice Trophy Dolf Driessen
Macdonald Trophy (overall club champion) P Malcolm
Skene Helmsman (Fiddes Quaich) C Ladd & T Stack
Wayfarer Cup J Styles & A Taylor
Willox Family Trophy (Stonehaven Regatta Laser) S Forteith
Fireball Plate (Stonehaven Regatta) D Smith & M Richardson

Thoughts on club strategy

The committee have produced some possible ideas to change the racing program The list is :-
Personal handicaps for some series to encourage participation.

• Class starts Wednesday evenings, i.e Fireball, Laser, general handicap starts.
• Set racing courses to help OOD's and provide unbiased racing.
• Flexible PY's to allow older boats to compete on a level playing field with more modern boats.
• Skene /Stonehaven winter series.
• Extend sailing season.
• Try to create more winners.
• Reallocate club trophies so all are awarded each year.
• Computerized race results (no more calculations).

The sailing club committee would appreciate feedback on these ideas from all club members regarding club strategy, related to catering, club, Junior sailing, membership, treasures or racing. For any racing related thoughts please contact John Styles. Remember this is your opportunity to change or vary the sailing programme or leave it as it is.

Laser Sailing

A Laser training weekend is to take place at Skene on 1st and 2nd April. Exact timing and format is still to be developed, but intention is all day both days - probably cover rigging, all points of sailing, boat handling/mark rounding, starting, rules/tactics - a little theory and hopefully lots of practice - and maybe joining in with club racing in the afternoons. The training will be aimed at those with sailing experience who want to get better at racing Lasers/Laser Radials. For details and registration please contact Pete Malcolm on peter.malcolm@uk.bp.com or 01224-647565 (hm).

For Sale

Laser 174533 first sold( 8/2/02) full documentation from Laser, grey hull, XD rig plus side cleats, Combi trolley/trailer top cover. £1950 ono. Please contact David Walton 01569 730313 evenings or 07810 868943 daytime, com130@abdn.ac.uk

A.S.Y.C. Clothing with embroidered Club Logo:

• Body Warmer (£19)
• Sweatshirt with collar ( £18)
• Sweatshirt ( £16)
• Polo Shirt( £14)

To order call Helen Sinclair 01224 480343 for colour availability.

Websites

For the latest information remember to check the ASYC website at www.asyc.org.uk. If you have any items for future newsletters contact Ditta as listed below, or post on the yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/asyc/ for instant distribution. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: asyc-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. The club has an excellent website maintained by John Perry. If you have any suggestions for the website or any information you would like posted please contact John at webmaster@asyc.org.uk or 01330 825209(h).

A web camera of Stonehaven bay can be found on http://www.stonehavenfireballs.co.uk/ follow the link on the top labelled web cam

Junior Sailing

Last year we had a very successful year with 60 children coming sailing with us on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The numbers in 2005 were on the "large" side - a big commitment from helpers to manage. After a long discussion at the managing committee a decision was made to "restricting numbers to 30 with club members' children having priority" (ASYC AGM Nov 2005). This decision was not taken lightly, but all the helpers have struggled balancing this commitment with other weekend obligations. Many thanks again to all volunteers who dedicated over 4 hours each weekend to this cause. The committee also felt that with only one and a half hours sailing times for each “lesson” the children had little time on the water to hone their skills.

• We realize that there will be very many disappointed children who we will be unable to offer places to. Much debate was had on the criteria of selection to make this as fair and transparent as possible.
• Priority will be given to returning children of last years club members.
• Very experienced Juniors will be encouraged to join the Junior race (separate start from the adult races) every Saturday afternoon. It is hoped the Junior race squad will continue to be run (Thursday evenings - details TBC) by Pete Malcolm, please let me know of interest so I can co-ordinate with Pete.
• Last year's attendance has been noted and very low attendance will not warrant a place on this years Junior list.
• If necessary a lower age limit may have to be applied (that goes for helpers' children as well).
• If any places remain after this selection these will be offered to returning children whose parents were not club members last year, again taking note of their attendance record.
• Should any places remain vacant they will be offered on a first come, first serve basis to Juniors new to ASYC kids sailing.

There will be a deadline of the 1st March at which the list will close. Please email the Junior Coordinator Ditta Rose on (Ditta_Neumann@yahoo.co.uk) ( under_bar between first and second name) or write to: 46 Arduthie Road, Stonehaven AB39 2DP to register your children, indicating if Saturdays or Sundays are more suitable plus your contact details. Please no registration by phone

Late comers will only be offered places if any vacancies remain after all the children who applied before the deadline have been offered places

A single session on each Saturday and Sunday morning will commence at a slightly later start of 10 am. This means we can all have a bit of a lie in, be off the water midday and clear by 12:30pm, so as not to get in the way of the adult sailors. As in previous years, parents will be required to stay for the duration of their children's lesson and are warmly encouraged to become involved as we are very short staffed this year. The first session will commence on Saturday 22nd April. The Junior Fun Regatta is planned for Sunday 27th May.

Any youngsters who joined the club are able to use the club boats free of charge (6 x Optimists, 5 x Toppers, 2 x Lasers, 1 x Laser 2, 1 x 420) can do so outside the Junior lessons as long as there is rescue boat cover and OOD approval

Skene Sailing Programme 2006

Please follow this link: ASYC Schedule and Events