From the Amateur Yacht Research Society

  • 21 Sep 2022 11:21
    Message # 12926760
    Anonymous member (Administrator)
    A reminder that Weymouth Speedweek https://www.speedsailing.com/ is from 15 to 21 October   Less than a month away now!   Although this is not an AYRS event our Society has a long association with Speedweek and many of our members have taken part with their experimental craft. If you do not intend to register as a competitor you will be welcome as a spectator, just come to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy during any day of the event or join us for the social evenings which happen each evening of the week in various local venues.- details will be in the Event Guide which should soon be on the Speedweek website.

    Speedweek Wednesday evening meeting - 19th October, 7:00pm at Weymouth Sailing Club. https://www.wsc.org.uk  We traditionally hold an AYRS meeting with short presentations on projects and technical aspects of sailing on the wednesday of each Speedweek..   All are welcome to this meeting, not just Speedweek competitors, so if you only have one day free to come to Speedweek consider making it Wednesday and stay for this evening meeting . Recent Speedweeks have been dominated by windsurfers and kite surfers but that does not mean that there are no techical aspects to discuss at the Wednesday meeting - last year we had a particularly lively meeting meeting with board and kite sailors explaining and discussing the technical development of their equipment, including hydrofoils which are now universal in olympic board and kite sailing.   

    A special competitor is expected at Speedweek this year!  This is James Grogono - one of the pioneers of hydrofoil sailing - his 'Icarus' hydrofoil catamaran was the first to sail on hydrofoils in UK waters. We understand that Icarus is still sailing, indeed it is being further developed by a new team and both Icarus and James will be at Speedweek in 2022.  Also, James has recently published his sailing memoirs - you can get it at ebay.co.uk for a very reasonable £10.00. Just do a search on ebay for the title 'A Dozen Tots of Grog', or maybe if you come to Speedweek you can buy a copy directly from the author..  As well as covering the development of Icarus and some of the other pioneer foilers, the book covers a wide variety of watery adventures in sailing craft big and small, fast and slow. Lots of pictures as well as text.  A review is due to appear in the next Catalyst.  

    AYRS Eastern Local Group Meeting - Sunday 2nd October 2022

    This is the second meeting of our new Eastern Local Group, many thanks to Kim Fisher for setting it up.  Kim has provided the following details:

    Meeting starts 10am in the Conference Room of the Alton Water Sports Centre, address: Alton Watersports Centre, Holbrook Road, Stutton, Ipswich, IP9 2RY, Car Park Opening Times are 09:00 to 18:00. Parking cost: (All Day) – £6:00

    Launching is permitted only when the Alton Watersports centre is open and before the last launch time. Pop into reception to pay a day launch fee, ‘Sign On’ to the water and grab a safety wristband. Note that you must hold adequate third party insurance for your craft.

    Contacts: Kim Fisher -Tel: 01473 328408  Alton Water contact: Andy Woolnough – awoolnough@anglianwater.co.uk

    The conference room has coffee/tea making facilities and a Video Projector/Screen. WiFi is also available. There is a cafe available BUT in another building on the reservoir site. Please bring your own packed lunch.  I suggest the meeting format for the indoor part of the meeting can be as the meetings we used to hold at Thorpe Village Hall, i.e. news, who has seen what? and ‘mini’ presentations from members and guests with lots of questions. + any boat/bits/demos.that people can bring along to show us. I am hoping to bring my latest contraption – SubSail – as I have now built it and should have a sail for it in time for the meeting.

    PLEASE CONFIRM by MY Phone (01473 625024) or email (kim.fisher@btinternet.com) if you intend to attend.

    Further AYRS meetings over the coming winter are as below - for latest information please refer to the Events section of our website: https://www.ayrs.org/events/

    • Saturday, 12 November - 'All day' meeting at Mytchett near Farnborough, Surrey (with possibility for a canal outing for canoes and other small boats on the Basingstoke Canal the following day)
    • Saturday 10 December - North West Local Group - meeting in Merseyside
    • Sunday 22 January 2023 - 'All day' meeting at Mytchett near Farnborough with AGM included during the afternoon.


       " ...there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in junk-rigged boats" 
                                                               - the Chinese Water Rat

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