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2007 Programme
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Secretary's Report on the Work of the Main Committee The most significant happening since the last Annual General Meeting has been work starting on the new slipway. Before Easter the slip was operational but I have deliberately used the word started because the work is not yet finished. We still have to concrete the apron. It was hoped that the hardcore would last but already it is washing away from the seaward and channel ends. Without any doubt the new slip has been welcomed by all and has transformed the facilities beyond our wildest hopes. The apron is a marvellous facility we must raise the money and have the will to complete it. After the last AGM Roger Armstrong went away, quietly drew up some plans and a specification, obtained planning permission and got three tenders out. Once the committee had decided that we should go ahead, a traumatic experience that was, Roger organised the contractor and did all the organising and chasing and delivered the slipway before the start of the season. We are all deeply indebted to Roger for all the work that he has done. A few of us supported him and kept him going but the nitty gritty and graft was all done by him. A major factor in raising the "wind" was the help and encouragement given to us by our Patron Mr Percy Hawtin. Many times over the years Mr Hawtin has come to our help when needed and we owe him a great debt as well, together with all those of the members who have given so generously. The consequences of the contractor's work are still with us and I must apologise for the state of the club and grounds and hope that by next season you will all have rallied round and helped Roger to tidy up the site. Another milestone was the Sailing School at the beginning of June. This was our first formal attempt at giving sailing instruction whilst I have been a member. It appeared to be a success thanks to Martin and his enthusiastic helpers from the dinghy racers. The RYA Instructor Training did not materialise but we managed never the less. We were not able to do all the training we planned but at least we have made a start. This year it has become so obvious to me that we need a Training Officer. I now have to convince the rest of you that this is so. It would be good if we could do this under the umbrella of the RYA but we have no "qualified", on paper that is, instructors. To qualify is not possible for some of us yet and for others it is expensive and humiliating. In many respects we are as good as if not better than the RYA. We need a programme or scheme to help people to get on the water with a list of achievements to aim for which they can progressively attain and develop themselves. I am thinking of drawing something up along these lines. We introduced a new dinghy race to our programme this year. The Ladies Race for the K M Topping Cup. We did not get any publicity and therefore very few entries but we held the race and have something to build on next year. With the help of the Rear-Commodore Racing, Martin Topping we have re-established
the Cruiser Lighthouse Races which all of those who took part seemed to
have enjoyed. We hope to introduce some new events for the cruisers next
year. Fred Johnson's grandchildren are going to donate a trophy in his
memory for an annual race and the committee have agreed to organise an
event in which the dinghies and cruisers will race against each other
for the trophy. Peter Bancroft is working on the brewery to present and sponsor a "Matthew Brown Challenge Trophy" which will be presented to the winner of a long distance cruiser race, for example starting at Lune River buoy racing round the Morecambe Bay buoy, Lightening Knoll and finishing across a transit of Walney Light and Bar buoy, followed by a knees up on Piel Island etc. Brian Roberts and Peter Bancroft have organised a couple of cruises in company and although not as successful as last year were well supported and provided many bar room tales and debates for ages afterwards. Out of these a series of talks is planned this winter. On the financial side we kept the subscription increases down to the cost of living index level, in fact we reduced the subs for Social and Junior members. Peter Bancroft is organising a "200" club to raise money for the club funds. If we get the 200 people to participate we will raise £1 200 ever year for the club. Please rally round and persuade all your friends and relatives to enter. The social side has been a disappointment in that we have not been able to recruit a social secretary but nevertheless several successful social events took place thanks to the efforts of Val and Peter Bancroft, Kath and Martin Topping, Stan and Frieda Ellison and Jean and Ann and their families. We have managed to make a little money behind the bar but once again we are short of helpers. Several new moorings have been laid on the East Quay and Rear-Commodore Moorings, Barry Owen-Smith is planning to lay further moorings for the club to let out to enable those members who have not the ability or means to lay their own to have the use of a mooring. We plan to rewire the clubhouse and grounds before next season, Roger Armstrong is well on the way with this. We hope to have a new club trailer built for this year's craning out which will eventually be developed for launching and recovering boats. We plan to reorganise the boat park to give us more room for boats, tents and cars. The membership, which had dropped continuously over the last ten years
to an all time low of 114 last year, has suddenly taken an upturn and
we now have upwards of 160 members thanks to the efforts of Val and other
members. Our next task is keep these members next year. It is difficult
to see why the membership should have grown so rapidly this year. The
clubhouse and grounds have been particularly unattractive, perhaps Val
is more attractive. The only significant change has been the new slipway,
perhaps this is a reason. Another factor could be the excessive charges
and levies being placed in the Lake District and other places. Glasson Week and the Regatta were highly successful and enjoyed to the full by all those who took part. I have not mentioned our Treasurer yet who has also done some sterling work. He has not made much money but he has wrestled with the VAT people to try and get the slip zero rated, unfortunately without success. He has used his expertise together with Barry and Brian to negotiate with the Duchy over the "position" of the slip, without his advice we would have been disadvantaged. He has recruited more than a few of his friends in the marina too, he has made money in that respect. The attendance at committee meetings has not been as good as we hoped. These last six months we have sometimes struggled to get a quorum. It has been impossible to select a date when we could all attend. There are too many pressures on people these days. I have nearly crumbled lots of times over these last nine months. Working on a committee of volunteers, trying to run a large sailing club is a strain for all of us, after all it is supposed to be our hobby but because there are so few of us at times it is a nightmare. According to the saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions", we are well on the way to hell. However we have done our best. I have been called a fascist (this now elevates me to the illustrious line of former Secretaries) for doing things my way and for wanting to do things my way. In my spare time I am only able to do what I feel motivated to do, or that which other people motivate me to do. I and other "fascists" on the committee are more than willing to make way for someone else to take over and do the work. In summing up I am asking you to find someone else to be Secretary. I have enjoyed being Secretary for most of the time and I have made many new friends, but alas also a few enemies, I hope the word enemies is a bit strong but nevertheless things have not been as harmoniuous as I would like my leisure time to be. Thank you for all the help and encouragement that most of you have given me. I think it is worth spending some time talking about racing. I started dinghy racing this season. Since 1980 I have been sailing in a variety of cruisers and knew how to make the boat go. However all the boats had engines of some sort and it is recommended these days, because of crowded anchorages, that one does not sail to and from moorings. One is advised to use the motor in the interests of the greater safety of all. I knew that I could not sail even though out at sea in a cruiser I could "manage". I did not want to race but I wanted to learn to sail. Martin said the only way to learn to sail is to race. I am not competitive or rather I do not compete because I cant stand to lose. I wanted to master boat control under sail. I listened to Martin and had a go. If I was in front I was "racing", if I was at the back I was enjoying sailing to a plan. At first I kept out of the way at the start because it was all confusion and shouting but I gradually got braver and braver and now have a go, provided of course that there are not too many boats. Having to conform, to follow a course, forced me to learn to manoeuvre the boat. I am still a beginner but I really have learnt. OK I got laughed at, I hold the record for the highest number of capsizes in a season, but the experience has been worthwhile. Because I have had a go, because I was prepared to suffer providing "entertainment" I got lots of help from the experienced racers. I have been helped in so many ways, I know a bit about race organisation, course setting, I can manage to run a club race. I can operate the safety boat and know what to do, I can go where I want to (well if it is not too windy, I struggle with the wind behind). I have had some fantastic experiences planing on a reach, I can right my boat in all situations (that I have met so far). I have learnt so much and met so many people who have gone out of their way to help me. What I am trying to say is that having a go at racing helps you to learn to sail. You do not have to win you just need to take part. I win every time I complete a race, every time I get the boat back upright and carry on racing, (I have actually won a couple of races) but most of all I have made a lot of new friends. I suppose the highlight of my year was when someone asked me to show him how to make his cruiser go faster, I am not up to that standard yet but I will keep trying. October 1990 Michael Swarbrick.
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2007 Programme |
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