Format

One P.Y. race to be held at 4.30pm approx. Entries for this race are limited to helms over 50 years old and the sum of the ages of the helm and crew must total at least 100 years. Helm and crew cannot change during the event.

History

This was presented by Cyril Richards who took up sailing rather late in life and in 1955, during the Club's second racing season on Calf Heath Reservoir he found that no matter how hard he tried he never quite managed to win a race in his GP14 NO. 419 'MARCASHEE'. He decided to present a trophy that he would have a chance of winning. The helm had to be 50 or over and the combined ages of the helm and crew had to be 100 or more. He won it the first two years of its existence, 1956 and 1957.

Cyril and his life - long friend John Bill were both in the R.A.F. Corps during the 1914 - 1918 war, Cyril being an R.N. Air Service Pilot. They always used to arrive at the Club smartly dressed in reefer jackets and flannels with their yachting caps with white covers. One day they were chatting in the car park when a new member was surprised to see we had a carpark attendant! Cyril passed away in 1958 having spent all his working life with Tarmac. The trophy has been sailed for each year since it was presented and has created a lot of interest in the Club.

History

This Trophy has recently been found, having been mislaid after it was damaged several years ago. We are now attempting to have it repaired so that it can be raced for again.

It is a greatly admired Trophy, presented to the Club by Mrs. Jean Webb, who had suffered a sad period in her life, her husband Ron having passed away in 1969 and her only son Paul in 1972 in a cycle accident. The trophy was hand made by local craftsmen and bears a silver plated model of Paul's Mirror dinghy, No. 673. This generous gift fired our interest into teaching children again, the older volunteers having given up. A meeting was held in January 1978, led by Rod Jones, with a new team of volunteer helpers. A sponsored walk by the children, in pouring rain, raised £100, which financed the restart of the junior fleet. Mirror No. 673 is still in use in the Club fleet (the green one) and must be one of the oldest Mirrors still sailing. It has done sterling work for the Club over 22 years and a little 'tender loving care' could keep her going for more years.

Junior Sailing 22 years ago

We started with a small group of children from sailing families who were already familiar with the sport. They sailed their parents' boats, and only an occasional child needed to borrow a boat. In those days there were no such things as qualified sailing instructors, so all training was done by normal Club members. We could get sailing more quickly then, as there were fewer children, rigging their own family boats. Most were aware of Right of Way rules and thus avoided expensive collisions or damage to family boats.

Present Club members (now expert sailors) such as Sue Mellor, Justin Jones and John Stones could relay some of their early sailing experiences with us better than myself. All Juniors in those days used to work on the boats in the winter months, cleaning down, sanding and painting the few Club owned boats we then owned. Nowadays it is difficult to get youngsters to put the boats away properly, and store the gear without leaving anything lying in the grass. It is pleasing that some of our ex-Juniors have brought their own children back to us to learn to sail, so we must be doing something right!

Back to the Sailing Calendar

Format

Three P.Y. races, two to count. Trophy awarded to the overall winner, vouchers to the first four helms.

History

One or two members have wondered how the Club came to have a Beattie trophy. My memory has failed me as I had not realised that it started 40 years ago. Luckily we still have some members who CAN remember those days. These include Malcolm Timmins, and Joan (then Williams), Mike Moscardi, Rod Jones and Ernie Wilkinson (who now lives near Coventry, still keeps his membership running and sailed in the first race 45 years ago)

We had a member, Norma Hitchens, who worked for Beatties as a buyer in the glass and china department, and it is thought that she may have approached the company for a trophy. Initially Beatties gave the presentation in a business-like manner with the idea of advertising the company, and each year a senior executive arrived and stood up on a dais that lifted him well above our sailors. Each corner had a Beatties flag flying and the woodwork was covered with baize or artificial grass.

The first winner was Stanley Berriman, who sadly passed away last year. The second was Ernie Wilkinson and he was able to confirm this story and added that he received a £5 voucher which he spent on nappies for their second son (both becoming good Firefly sailors when they grew up)

The Club records show that at first it was going to be sailed against an Army & R.A.F. team, who had recently joined our Club, but Beatties decided it should be sailed for by Club members on a handicap basis. It is interesting to note that with only two classes sailing in the Club at that time, we had 100 GP14’s and 32 Fireflies on the 19 acre Calf Heath reservoir, and both boats, new from the builders, were only a pound or so above £100 complete and ready to sail (and some builders included oars!)

The Trophy was sailed for on Commodore's Day, which already was a fun day, and once the senior executive had left the younger members threw the dais in the lake and paddled around on it.

Peter Waine

Format

Will be awarded to the overall winner of the three Bank Holiday races calculated on a Personal Handicap basis. Nine races to be sailed with a total of six races to count.

Format

Three P.Y. races, two to count. The helm must be female crewed by a close relative. The first race to start at 1.00pm.

Format

Three personal handicap races, two to count.

Format

Both helm and crew must be female. One P.Y. race commencing at 5.00pm.

Format

To be sailed at Newquay on Saturday and Sunday. If possible four P.Y. races to be sailed, three to count.

Format

To be sailed at Aberdovey on Saturday and Sunday. If possible four races to be sailed, three to count.

Format

Three P.Y. races, two to count.

Format

Three Class races, two to count, the first race to start at 11.00am, the second to start at 1.15pm.

Format

Applicable to Firefly, GP14 and Lark classes only. One P.Y. race to be held at 5.00pm approx.

Format

Applicable to Firefly, GP14 and Lark classes only. One P.Y. race to be held at 5.30pm approx.

Format

One P.Y. race commencing a 7.30pm.

Format

One Personal Handicap race, 2.00pm start.

Format

One P.Y. race, 2.00pm start.

Back to the Sailing Calendar
 

Format

11.30am Commodores Bottle Race.
2.30pm Commodores P.Y. Race with The H.V. Gough Commodore's Trophy awarded to the winner, and The J.Clement Jones Commodore's Salver awarded to the runner up.

Format

Spring Series. 11 Races, 6 to count.
Summer Series. 12 Races, 7 to count.
Frostbite Series. 12 Races, 7 to count.
Icicle Series. 7 Races, 4 to count.

Format

When held, the day will be totally devoted to team racing. It will not be restricted to one type of class. The format will be decided on the day depending on numbers.
Team Racing is excellent for honing rule knowledge and boat handling skills. Everybody should give it a go. The club sends a team to the Major Team Racing events during the year. You never know you may catch the bug and break into the team.
Click for an introduction to team racing on the Firefly Website

Back to the Sailing Calendar
 

Format