This Page:-
January, 2024 onwards
(the latest news  -  immediately below)

Len Gooch

I was browsing through some recent copies of the London Police Pensioner magazine and came across a record of the death of Len Gooch which took place exactly a year ago today.

I first met Len in 1957 when we were both serving at Cannon Row P/Stn. In those days he was organising car rallies and later transferred to TDV - traffic.

I met Len again in 1973 at the very first National Police Regatta being held at Queen Mary Sailing Club. At this time police sailing was not yet recognised by the then Police Athletic Association, although a number of Forces were starting to organise their own regattas. These were the days before the Internet, when publicity and communication relied on post and telephone. During this time Len travelled to a number of the events with his Albacore and faithful crew Clive Bishop, providing reports and results for publishing in the Met's own magazine 'Gybe Oh'. This being the sole means of recording events, it was then circulated to the Met's burgeoning sailing section and other interested forces. Some old copies of the magazine appear on this website and provide some records of regattas held including Len's involvement over the years.

He retired from the Met in 1987 but continued to take part in police regattas during the summer and assisting at an orphan's village in Zimbabwe during the winter.

I last met him in 2015 at Poole YC by which time Len had finished competitive sailing.

Considering the input Len had, not only in the MPSC but in police sailing nationally, belated though this is, I felt that Len's passing should not go by without remark.

BB

PSUK Offshore Championships 2024

Latest circulation from the organiser:

Hi All,

Please find the entry form for the PSUK Offshore Sailing Championships 2024.

The regatta is being held between Monday 13th May and Friday 17th May 2024 with the boats available on the evening of Sunday 12th May 2024.

If you wish to take part and have not yet booked your boat, Fairview have one or two boats still available. Please contact Prue Nash at Fairview, Tel: 02380457023 or email prue@fairviewsailing.co.uk.

Please let me know if you do book a boat and I will send you the NoR which was previously circulated.

For those of you who have booked your boats, it would be helpful if you could complete the application form and submit it and transfer the entry fee to the account specified.

Owen.Poplett
Owen.Poplett@sussex.police.uk

PSUK Offshore Championships 2024

Latest circulation from the organiser:

Please find the Notice of Race for the 2024 PSUK Offshore Sailing National Championships to be held between 13th and 17th May 2024.

The yachts will be the Beneteau Oceanis 37’s from Fairview Sailing.

Please book your boat direct through Prue at Fairview Sailing tel 02380457023. When you have booked your boat please email me so we know who is entering.

I will be away from today until 5th February, I apologise for not being available to answer any questions until then.

I look forward to a lot of entries on my return.

Owen Poplett

PSUK Dinghy Championships 2024

Latest circulation from the organisers:

I hope the New Year is treating you all well.

The PSUK National Dinghy Championships is back for 2024 at Shustoke SC on the 12th and 13th June, 2024.

We hope to pick up where we left off last year with another great event.

Booking is now open on the Shustoke SC website here. .

Prices remain the same as last year and all the same camping, food and most importantly bar arrangements are in place.

I’ve attached a poster that can be shared with force Sports and Social Clubs. (See PSUK Dinghy Championships page ..)

If you have any contacts with police sailors that didn’t come last year, please let them know as they may not get this email. Also, if you have any contacts in northern forces, could you pass them on or give them mine? It would be great to grow the fleet again this year if we can.

I’m sure there will be more emails as we get nearer to the summer, but if you have any questions, please message Harvey or I and we will hopefully be able to help.

Cheers

Olly
Oliver.Saunders@northants.police.uk

Avon & Somerset Sailing Section are still deliberating whether they will hold their annual Police Open regatta in 2024.

It costs quite a lot of money to put these events on and they made a loss last year.

They will be holding a committee meeting hopefully some time later this month to decide on what they do going forward.

Anyone interested in the continued support for this event might indicate their interest by contacting the A&S sailing secretary Kim Huxtable

A Happy New Year to all from Barnacle Bill

- Below are reminders of events to follow in 2024

PSUK Dinghy Championships 2024

- Wednesday/Thursday, 12th-13th June, 2024 at Shustoke S.C. hosted by West Midlands Police

WPSC 2024

The latest message from Franjo plus the initial Enrolment form for the next year's event can be viewed via the World Police Sailing Championships page.

Devon and Cornwall Regatta 2024

Please note 15th June 2024 which is the Devon and Cornwall Regatta in Brixham

November, 2002 to November, 2003

March - September, 2005

October, 2007 - December, 2008