Poole Yacht Club's Kate Macgregor and her all-female team win the RYA National Match Racing Championship 2021

The process has taken several turns this year. We have regularly updated the General Committee and we now feel that it’s time for an update for all of us, while we wait for more clarity from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO)

For those of who would like more detailed information, the briefing has a link to the MMO’s full document.

We will continue to work with and through the RYA, and the other Clubs in the area, to make sure that our right to use Studland Bay is maintained, and at an affordable price.

If you have any questions or comments, please email StudlandBayMCZ@pooleyc.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you

Thanks and regards

Brian Snelgrove

Sailing and General Committee

Brian Snelgrove (Sailing and General Committee) and Howard Davidson on behalf of the General Committee

Suggestions from Thursday 24th February 2022

Thank you for playing your part in keeping us safe during the pandemic

The worst of Covid-19 seems to be behind us. The virus is still active but for most people it is the equivalent of influenza or a cold. As we return to more normal events at the Club, please consider the following suggestions

• Consider wearing a mask when the Club is busy
• Use the hand sanitizers
• Do not come if you are unwell, even if it is “just a cold” or sore throat
• Avoid crowded queues at the bar
• Accept that the doors and windows may need to be open for ventilation
• Continue to be kind and considerate to others

Hi Folks
Welcome to the first edition of Safety Boat News!

What’s to tell

• There is a new engine ordered for Safety 10, a delivery date has not been given as COVID 19 is causing logistical problems in all areas of world industry. The old engine had failed and was beyond economical repair.
• We are in the process of replacing Safety 06 in its entirety. This has been approved by GC as part of our budgeted safety boat and engine replacement plan. We are currently at the quotes stage with potential suppliers and will advise progress in future updates.
• Slowly but surely there is an MLU going on (mid Life Upgrade)
  • Nav Lights will be replaced with LED based Nav Lights like those on Safety 8 & 15. They are bomb-proof, I have never had an issue with light failure on those two boats.
  • Bilge Pumps – we will be trialling a Whale Bilge pump on Safety 03, to see if it’s more reliable than the existing Rule pumps. Three bilges pumps have been replaced recently. In one bilge pump there was a whistle from a life Jacket wrapped around the impeller which burnt out the motor.
  • Lastly, new cable (fully tinned) is being used to rewire the cables to the bilge pumps, with easy change connectors, this is all in an effort to improve bilge pump reliability.
• We have a number of rope boarding ladders available to use for duties, they are in the bottom of the radio cupboard in the sailing office.
• The weather has not been very nice through the spring, let’s hope better weather is coming.

The On-Going issues

In my recent Safety Boat inspections there are a lot of issues turning up that I thought we had buried long ago. I thought that a reminder may be timely and also impart the knowledge to some of our newer volunteers.

Please, when you have finished using a rib, can you check the following and leave the boats in the condition that makes it easy for the next volunteer to use the boat?

1. Please make sure that the boat keys are returned to the club at the end of your duty.
2. Do not set the engine tilt lock, its only use is when the boat is being transported on a trailer
3. Leave the safety kill cord in place on the boat.
4. Take all your litter and recyclables away when you have finished using the boat.
5. Check the under-seat lockers and remove any rubbish.
6. Moor the boat with the aft mooring line going through the first rung of the A frame to keep to line from rubbing on the tube.
7. Wash down the control console with fresh water, including the radio mike, just play the water across the hand mike for some time in order to wash the salt out, the hose is on the pontoon.
8. When you pick up a safety boat for your duty shake the radio mike to get rid of any residual water.
9. Remember ‘OXO’ when mooring the boat to a cleat, wind the mooring rope once around the cleat then do the cross so that there is one cross only and then wind the remainder of the mooring line around the cleat, at the end give the line a tug so that it sets. I have seen ropes with 4 or more locking turns on the cross.
10. Check for rubbish in the bilge pump pit at the rear of the boat and clear it out.
11. If the anchor hatch will not close, especially on Safety 08 and 15, you need to take out all the mooring warp and place the anchor in the bottom of the anchor well., then place the warp around the anchor. This will allow the hatch to close easily. Applying too much force on the hatch lid may lead to a breakage, we’ve had to replace a few.

Don’t forget the information that we have available on the website, see Volunteering. Please scroll through to the bottom of the page!

Lastly, many thanks for your support to Club Racing by volunteering, it is very much appreciated. Please respect club property as if it is your own and report faults on the sign- out form so that we can progress the repair. There is much dedication behind the scenes to ensure that you have the correct working equipment to fulfil your club duty

Happy Sailing and enjoy your time on the water, Simon


Simon Lawson
Club Safety Boat Bosun

The forecast was for light winds but warmer than the arctic spring we have endured.
In fact, it was "Champagne Sailing". Anyone who did not come because of the forecast missed a treat. Outside of the harbour, the wind was 4 knots but inside, the sea breeze gave us 14 knots in the sun. Registration was very swift thanks to the online booking and no grubby notes had to change hands. Tracey Lee, our vice commodore welcomed us to the first open meeting at Poole for a long time. Race Officer Steve Thompson led a superb team and explored our stamina with 4 races on the Saturday (in case the forecast for Sunday came true) and 2 on Sunday similarly perfect conditions. 15 Ospreys set off 5 minutes ahead of the 3 Fireballs on each occasion with very little waiting between races and perfect reaches, occasioning many whoops of joy.

Matt Burge and Vyv Townend took the honours with 3 firsts and 3 seconds, narrowly edging Terry Curtis and Peter Grieg into second place whose 6th and a discarded 8th places to held them back. Previous victors, Piers Strong and Phil Angrave were third coming fairly consistently second or third but were hampered by a seventh place in the first race and fifth in the third race.

Places changed very frequently and there was competition throughout the fleet, with a few Poole boats battling it out at the rear but having no less fun. When asked what happened in the races quite a few competitors admitted to knowing they had enjoyed a memorably wonderful series of races but the details were a blur. This was possibly due to the salt-water spray we enjoyed on the reaches.

Mike Atkinson was most upset to find his sail obeying the laws of gravity during the third race but in the end, it was academic as he had failed to follow the laws of starting (he was OCS). Robber’s Alley treated us to a spectacular capsize as their new spinnaker ropes escaped from their cleats. Pete Smith decided to exchange Osprey Sailing for a spot of water skiing when his trapeze wire snapped. Basher did not seem to notice and carried on regardless. It was probably the crew’s fault anyway! Ian Hart and Andy Edmonds were desperate to climb up the rankings but their equipment put them out of the final race, just as they were about to reach warp speed on the reach. Nick Willis, with local guest helm, Andy Brewer, were never far from the front, and showed great form given that they met for the first time on Saturday morning. Also, Roger and Jamie Blake showed their potential with a couple of really strong races, including leading the fleet around the first 2 laps of race 3, until a couple of shifts went against them.

One very welcome competitor was Richard Hartley who joined his son Mark and came seventh overall. We are eternally indebted to Hartley Laminates for injecting new life into our fleet and delighted to hear Richard saying that he enjoyed it so much he would be back. He also put in a plug for his (excellent) boats!

The Fireball's under Derian and Andy Scott had hoped for a strong fleet but in the end only 3 boats joined us. They contacted the rest of their fleet to tell them what they had missed. Derian and Andy won all of their 6 races. It was great to sail with the Fireballs and in the hope that Covid fears will be gone by next year, we have pencilled in a repeat event, dates to be confirmed