Contact Victor

Club Charter Holiday in Greece

 Saturday 2nd to Saturday 9th October 2010

Saronic Islands south of Athens

Cost £375 each for yacht charter

      Flights to Athens  are £105 at present 

for more information of the area-

http://www.greeka.com/saronic

Contact   Victor Newton

So spring had almost arrived the clocks hadn’t quite changed but the days were definitely getting longer and thoughts of getting on the briny were starting to awaken in the hearts of the fair weather sailing fraternity. We salute those weather beaten hardened sailors amongst club members whose knarled knuckles never let go of the frosty tillers throughout the darkened winter months. The rest of us looked forward to the launch of the season with the “Skippers and Crew” annual gathering.

A feisty presentation of an extremely full and adventurous programme was hailed to all by our new commodore Stanley.

Having cast aside his trusty wet suit from his “Hail to the chief” speech at the close of the last season the forecast for the coming season would undoubtedly be unending sunshine from March to November – and so say all of us, and so say all of us, for he’s a jolly good fellow………..

The new years programme was stuffed full of ideas to widen the interest of the club for all age groups, all abilities and wider interpretations of getting us all onto the water as well as encouraging families to join in with all the fun.

The presentation of the new calendar included events such as canal boat racing for those that find the pace of offshore racing simply too slow and sedentary. Sailing in old gaff rigged boats on the Norfolk Broads for those that find sailing within the enclosed waters of the Solent too restricting. Even a Sunday lunch for all those that found their appetites had dropped off to an unacceptable level during the winter months – unacceptable for a Jewish sailing club that needs to sail on its stomach as that well known sailor Napoleon would have it. Oh if only they had listened to his advice at Trafalgar how history would have turned. Even a sail organised on the East Coast, the very periphery of sailing civilization for the lily livered south coast sailors. That would simply be the start of the year’s programme. Stanley continued laying out a veritable cornucopia of events that left members wide eyed and breathless. Some were heard humming the Eton boating song as they hastily scribbled dates into their dairies. Shouts were heard round the hall “take hold of that sheet”, “where’s the winch handle” and “keep grinding”. One could almost taste the sea spray in the air.

The club took great pleasure in welcoming back the Honeys, Neumans and the Tuckers to boost the family events and make the club a much more rounded organization.

Phil Sugarman ran through the on-the-water training events with boat handling weekends to given at a professional standard.

Gill introduced the ever popular Club Rally, sail in company around the cans, and dinner at the Royal London Yacht Club in Cowes. This ever popular event is really one of the most popular in the club programme.

Victor presented the blue water flotilla sail that would take place in Greece this year and would allow members to spend some time in Athens to visit the sites.

The whole evening was deemed to have been a great success by all who attended and rounded off by a staggeringly good feast arranged by Sandy Riegler.

Splice the main brace and haul on those ropes! Where’ my calendar was the shout from the highest cross tree!

Letter from your New Commodore

Dear Friends,

I think it is right that we should give a hearty thanks and congratulations to all of those who organised the AGM and the laying up supper on Sunday the 8th November.

I know that you were able to entice a substantial number of members who have not been along to a club event for some time and that clearly is encouraging in the hope that they had not forgotten about us and will come along to other future events.  The feedback from the evening was such that I believe everybody enjoyed it and was able to swap old sea stories with each other and catch up on their latest experiences.

 Of course, more than that was the fact that we now have me as your new Commodore.  As I said that evening I am somewhat flattered that the Club has chosen to allow me to be Commodore and I will clearly try to build a broader Club based on the solid foundations that all of my predecessors have set before me

We want to expand into a wider range of activities.  It has been pointed out that as we now are a Club of a fair number of members and that some people have a greater or lesser ability than others, we may even have a sailing event for the finest amongst us that they can truly pitch their skills against each other.

However, more important is the fact that we want to get young families on the water so that events can happen on school holidays as well as outside school holidays, and we might have contest between male and female crews, we might have more events on the water which are more varied than in the past.

Even more important than that is that we want to get all of the members to get to know each other.

With that last point in mind can I remind you all that we meet, as of course you are aware, on the first Wednesday of every month.  It is not a big event, but it allows people the opportunity to meet the others in the Club whom they will not have met before.  It allows people to think about joining other boats and may be even swapping crews around.

As I said above, the whole idea is to now spread our wings.  We have a very mixed patronage and it would be somewhat narrow of us if we did not exploit all the different areas which we now go to.  We will obviously, in the next couple of months, print and send out our annual calendar of events, but you must remember that over and above the calendar there is nothing to stop various members on their own getting together and going out on the water.  For this purpose we have a crewing officer, Diana Bader-Clynes who most of you already know.  If you telephone her and say that you have a spare weekend and is there anyone going out, she will do her best to match you up with someone who needs crew or if you are a skipper looking for crew.

I know that we are planning 2 or 3 training courses during the year and again these are items that you ought to contact us about so that we can explain fully all that is happening.

Please keep in touch via the Website, keep in touch with the newsletter and if you ever, at any stage, feel that you are being left out, then contact any Member of the Committee who will relay your worries to me and we will try and organise something that suits your needs.

Those of you who were at the dinner on the 8th will of course remember Gill’s witty rendition from her all female line up.  That clearly indicates that there is no reason why we should not have a boat race where we have male and female crews pitting against each other.  It could be for a day or it could be for several days or it may even be in the Mediterranean where the climate is warmer and the wine is more fulsome.

Whatever your boating ambition is, please stay in touch with the group so that we can find ways in which to get you on the water.

I look forward to sailing with you and meeting with you in the year to come.

Britain’s only Sailing Club of Jewish Affinity and Friendship cruised through its AGM and  20th Anniversary Laying Up Dinner  in great style last week with an attendance of 90 past and present members, including 3 of the original founders and a 4- week old baby! .

Coinciding with the end of her term as Commodore, Sandy Riegler was enraptured by the outstanding attendance and the array of club sailing memorabilia, which members had brought along.

Incoming Commodore, Stanley Saffer, made a fabulous entry to the dinner in full ocean-going wet suit and entertained the gathering with his slick, witty and most entertaining inaugural speech. He paid tribute to the outgoing Commodore and the worthy committee members who have served the club so well these past three years and, moreover, welcomed all of those loyal members back for a further term of office. Stanley presented Sandy with a beautiful miniature sextant and a bottle of excellent Whisky to ward of the cold of the winter seas! (Sure….she’s going sailing in mid-winter!!!! There’s the Chanukah sail isn’t there?)

A fabulous meal followed with the seafaring guests catching up with old friends and a happy and excited buzz of conversation and laughter filling the pleasant and beautifully laid out venue if the Apollonia Restaurant in Stanmore.

Dinner speakers included Dr Ron Shanson, and David Weisfeld, who along with Gill Woodbridge and Nigel Reese, were there from the off, when the late Michael Doctors hatched the plan way back in 1989. Nigel, who was otherwise detained at his brother’s pleasure,.. I mean wedding.. in Washington, USA, spoke to the gathering on the phone via the efficient PA system, sounding like he were only on the next door pontoon, not thousands of miles away!

Having partaken of a very tasty meal, all served piping hot and all tables at the same time by the ever-so-efficient and friendly staff, the assembly was treated to accounts of epic voyages to far off shores of the World, by Steve Moss, skipper of Yamma, and Frank Yantin of Shemesh, both of whom have been making passages of Odyssian proportions since 2004. 

Followed by Fastnet Phil who gave a short update about his expereinces having successfully completed this years Rolex  Fastnet Race as skipper, and in an admirable time!

Gill Woodbridge, by way of a little entertainment, introduced several of her all-lady crew members to join in a song with accompanying actions, in celebration of the HSSC’s nine all-lady entries into the annual Round the Island Race and five entries into the RSYC Two-handed Round the Island Race.

Diana Bader-Clynes, Rita Baumal, Uta Gosling, Jo Kurt, Louise du Bosky and  Michelle Honey were all up for joining in the fun and the Audience heartily joined in the Chorus lines to the tune of ‘What do you do with a Drunken Sailor?’

We are the High Seas Racing Ladies
Off to the Start Line bright and early
Waiting for the Big Bang to send us awa-ay
Earl-AYE in the morning

Hell for leather on the homeward Strai-aight
Onward to the madness of the finishing bu-oys
EXHILARATING Feelings as we BLAST the Finish Line
Earl-AYE in the EVENING

The HSSC Racing Ladies then took great pleasure in presenting their Rear Commodore Sandy Reigler with a bouquet in thanks for the wonderful way she has presided over the Club during the past three years.
There’s definitely promise there! Eurovision next?
 

Finally the awards.. that annual deliberation that gives Commodore and Committee great challenges to select the right man, or woman for each award! Well, this time was no easier than any other, in fact, in one or two of the categories, including Cruising Cup, there was even a contest for the winner. However, the final results of the sea-faring jury are:-

Most Promising Newcomer:-   Uri Flowers 

Crewman Of The Year  Richard Sotnik

Crewwoman Of The Year Janet Butchins                     

Yachtsperson Of The Year Louise Du Bosky 

Round The Island Cup  Robert Falk, Victor  Newton, Avi Riegler

Skipper Of The Year Philip Sugarman

Cruising Cup Steve Moss

Commodore’s Trophy Laurence Factor

Special Award For Completing the Odyssey To Israel

Frank Yantin, Carole Sinclair       

Hearty congratulations to all

to view all the photos click here    

Having started out the Odyssey in July 2004, Frank and Carole  sailed over 7,000 miles and stopped in  tens and tens and tens of interesting ports through out the Med.

Happily, and by good fortune and timing,  Rear Commodore Sandy and husband Avi were in Israel when  the call came through that Shemesh had finally made landfall. They got over to see them at the earliest opportunity and with great hugs and back slapping we were able to take the valedictory photos you see here.

Many, many congratulations Frank and Carole; you have realized your dream.

Now lets have some lines for Wavelength and the web about your adventures along the way.

Read Stanley's verses describing the HSSC September flotilla to the Southern Adriatic…..

Twelve sailors from the HSSC,

On the 6^th September, sailed from Dubrovnik

All were experienced folk of the sea,

But none were prepared for the Adriatic

All twelve sailors, trusty and true,

Anchored first night in a bay seemed so calm,

But the wind that night it just blew and it blew

And at 7 next morning Stan spread the alarm.

We’re shifting he cried, get out of your bed

Captain Avi looked up, he said don’t panic

Commodore Sandy replied what is the dread

Whilst Avi conceded he’d rather be static

The winds they roared and the waves they raged,

The anchor had drifted and the boat was askew

But the boat was still floating and the crew were amazed

And as they toiled with valour, the boat flag still flew

The engines switched on and the anchor was raised

Whilst the storm itself ravaged the sea all around

But the boat started way and the skipper was praised,

And the crew they re-anchored and the boat made well found

The crew scratched their heads and waited and waited,

Whilst contact was made with their other sea farers,

By 12.00 of that day the storm had abated

And all decided to seek safer shores

That day all 12 crew agreed in both boats

To seek the safety of a comfortable mooring,

They found a safe haven in Slow for both boats

And the exhausted crews gave a gusty cheering.

That night was spent in a tavern for 12

And the rum it went round and around and around

The hero’s deserved every drop from the shelf,

Relieved in the knowledge the boats not aground

Day number  2 they were up with the lark,

Both boats were made ready to sail to Okuklje

The weather still windy and the sky looking dark

But the crew were all eager and therefore made way

Although very stormy the crews braved it out

Seeking an anchorage close to an inn

The staff in the kitchen gave rations of sprouts,

So supper was paramount in the hearts of our kin

On a wing and a prayer they sailed further on

And the weather relented in the first half of the day

A mooring was sighted where they could tie on

And at last the crew rested in the Isle of Sipon

They all felt safe that night in the boats

And the kitchen staff slaved to make a great feast

Many a drink was passed down their throats

And the crew they ate well that night of the feast

Five nights on the boat and six days at sea,

The trusty crews were feeling weary and tired

On the seventh day it was time to return

So they turned the boats round with their hearts re-fired

The day was spent sailing back to the base,

They were not racing just testing their skills

The sea was good and the wind quite a brace

And the boats were speeding through waters not still

Constant sailing for a full 7 hours 

Home base was sighted and the boats made ready

The crew, though exhausted, were thinking of showers

But at last the boats moored steadfast and steady.

To see more pictures of  Steve, Louise and Yamma when they met up with HSSC members, click here.

http://www.wileynautical.com/view/0/almanac.html

Give it a try.