MPSC Info update

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Metropolitan Police Sailing Club
Clubline: 020 8643 4292 Email: mpsc@hotmail.co.uk Internet: www.mpsc.uk.com

Rib For Sale

With the arrival of our new rib early next year, Danny Buoy is currently up for sale. I include below an extract from the Apollo Duck internet site where she is advertised. Only this year, the club has made significant investment in some engine work to make sure she is in good condition and she has also had completely new seating.

If interested, contact Steve Stevens on 07866 418532 or 07990774916.

‘For sale a Solent Rib 650
white hull grey tubes with light grey defender lifelines, 4x grab handles and anchor locker. underfloor 160 l fuel tank with gauge and sender. 2x 40" seat pods with cushions and s.steel back rests rear bench seat attached to tubes with deluxe s/steel frame raised bow with two lockers 2" A frame with ski point light guards and cleats. fully rigged Evinrude E-Tec 150 hp in blue long shaft.
Excellent condition well maintained, full service history, 1470 hrs on engine. Owned by police sailing club. Viewing essential to appreciate condition. fitted with Garmin 555S GPS/sounder. ICOM VHF radio. Echo max radar reflector. Twin Batteries. Compass. Raised windscreen. New seats. radio CD with speakers. Note the trailer is not included in the sale at this time.’ Price Ł16,995

Dear All,

As the new year draws to a close attention turns to next year and whilst things may appear quiet, your directors and committee have been busy sorting out a programme for next year. There’s quite a lot shown below, including a summary of some of our course, cruises, practical sailing and rib courses (hopefully on our new rib) mooring opportunities, Musto purchases, new dinghy sailing opportunities and of course most importantly at this time of year winter working party dates. There’s also a personal note from me at the end. Further info is on our internet site or phone the clubline before Christmas overtakes us all.

Shorebased Courses
We have set a number of dates for various shorebased activities and the following is by no means comprehensive.

Day Skipper Shorebased – Weekend Dates – A weekend course has been arranged for 26 & 27th Jan, 9th, 10th,16th & 17th February at Imber Court. If you are interested in this please reserve your place sooner rather than later as we need to finalise the arrangements.

Day Skipper Shorebased – 5 Day Intensive – Dates for these courses which are held at Hamble and include accommodation are 9th to 13th March, 13th to 17th April, 11th to 15th May

SRC Radio – The next date will be Sunday 17th February. Further dates will be published on the web site shortly.

RYA Radar Course – This is a 1 day course is designed to teach you how to operate and get the best from it. Radar is often referred to as the king of electronics, but more than others it required a little training to gain maximum benefit. Course date 19th January 2013.

Cruising Programme
We have a selection of cruises organised for 2013, however with the uncertainty over whether or not we will have a 4th boat, some aspects are uncertain. Details are currently shown on the internet site and as well as the normal Early Bird cruise, Easter and of course the never to forget Vice Commodores Rally, we have planned a Bastille Cruise to Cherbourg to show the French how to really celebrate Bastille Day. A great way to build up miles, get a cross channel or two done and possibly sample a bit of French hospitality and wine. I’m told that there’s a fantastic fireworks display.

Members moorings
There may be future vacancies for members to berth their boats on the club pontoon at Mercury Yacht Harbour. Members' moorings are rafted 2 abreast with boats of roughly similar length, therefore currently 26' is the smallest and 37' the largest we can accommodate. Moorings are charged at an annual rate per metre multiplied by the exact LOA of the boat. The rate for next year commencing 1 April 2013 is likely to be in the region of Ł330 per metre. Electric hook-ups are available at the berthholders expense & many MDL marina facilities are also available.

If you are interested in being placed on the Members' moorings waiting list please notify John Bailey @ mpsc@hotmail.co.uk of your & the boat details or call him for further information on 01590-623356.

Winter pontoon moorings
Now that three of the club yachts are out of the water there is some mooring space on the club pontoon available. If any boat-owning members would like to bring their boat to berth at Mercury for any period of time between now and the end of February we can offer very favourable rates. Please contact John Bailey as above if you may be interested.

Musto for Christmas
Musto will almost certainly raise prices in the New Year. The MPSC can currently offer members a discount of approx. 30% on Musto RRP. Delivery to your h/a is currently 3-4 days if in stock. Contact John Bailey as above to get a quote or to place your orders for Christmas.

Charter Availability – Yacht and Rib
For the last 3 years, we have been blessed with 4 yachts so charter dates were relatively easy to sort. With the proposed sale of Sovereign, we will only have three yachts for at least the first part of the year so please plan your charter dates in advance to avoid disappointment.

If things go as planned, we should have our new rib in action early next year and coupled with a new maintenance regime we hope this will prove a little more reliable than in the past.

Working Parties
Where would we be without your help and I’m grateful for those of you who have managed to come down and help out at working parties so far. We need your help on the following dates:-

13th January
19th January
27th January
2nd February
10th February
16th February
23rd February
2nd March

Those who attend will be provided with lunch at the Waters Edge Bar and will be entered into the draw for the Round the Island Race on 1st June and don’t forget, the more times you help, the greater your chances are!!

Practical Course Dates
As normal at this time of year, we have arranged yacht and rib courses at all levels. The earlier you book, the more chance you have of getting your chosen dates. Dates are all shown on the internet site and include:

If you want advice about which is for you, have a read of the course summary by going to the link on the practical training page or otherwise don’t hesitate to give me a ring on the clubline.

Dinghy Sailing
The following is a message from Nick Mason our Rear Commodore, Dinghies and Racing.

For the last 8 years we have had membership of Netley Sailing Club and have stored the two club dinghies at this location, the Laser Stratos and the RS Vision. This has serviced our needs in respect of our annual Dinghy day but raises other issues as follows;

Historically this has always been a difficult area for us. We have only ever owned 2 dinghies (aside from a couple of old Wayfarers at our base on the Hamble River in the 1990’s). These boats have always been underused and if you’ll forgive the term, policing their use has always been difficult. Last year each dinghy was used for one day only. The majority of our Dinghy members have their own boats and race at their own clubs or on the Open meeting circuits. The effect of this is that the two boats we currently own are gradually decaying on the South Coast with no one person locally providing the much needed TLC.

So we've done something about this. We identified that we needed, a secure venue to store the boats where they can be looked after properly, somewhere, when our members ring up and ask if there is anywhere they can go Dinghy Sailing we can offer a suitable location and also a training facility.

The MPSC will has now affiliated itself to Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club. This is located near Hampton Court and behind Imber Court Police Sports Club.

As an MPSC member you now have the following opportunities.

Our boats are already there but they are no ready for use yet. The Stratos has reached its sell by date and I envisage selling this boat to replace it with something that is more user friendly. The Vision needs some work done on it and we will look to do this over the Winter Months so the boats are ready for the spring.

For more details about Island Barn SC go to www.islandbarn.org.uk. Any other enquiries re bookings and boat usage please contact Nick Mason at Nick.Mason@met.police.uk

Resignation
For the last 12 years I have had the honour and privilege to hold the position of Principal of our sailing school activities. I hope in that time with the assistance of a fantastic team of instructors we have managed to deliver quality sail training to those members who wanted to improve their skills. For the most part it has been an absolute pleasure but I feel that the time has come for some new blood and I have informed the directors that I will be resigning from the post on 31st December 2012. To those I have been training with in the past I wish you all the very best sailing and fair winds for the future.

You’re not getting rid of me that easily though as I am continuing in my role as Operations Manager so you will still find me hopefully as the friendly voice on the end of the phone if you ring the clubline.

Best Wishes, Good Sailing and of course Seasons Greetings

Phil

Dear All,

As the season draws to a close it’s a good time to focus on next year. I’m a great believer that those who plan ahead get most from the club. Below is the formal notice of AGM which will be posted on our internet site shortly together with a copy of our accounts. Do make every effort to attend and support your club.

Whilst some of the activities have not yet been finalised, there are also some details of courses and cruises for next year and these can now be booked although in the interests of fairness, charter will have to wait till the AGM.

As usual, the clubline and email are there to support you so don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any queries.

The Executive Management Committee hereby gives notice that the Annual General Meeting of Metropolitan Police Sailing Club Ltd. will be held on:

Monday 26th November 2012 at 6.00pm
in the 5th floor briefing room at New Scotland Yard.

The meeting will deal with the usual business of the presentation of annual accounts, review of the past year, plans for the future, election of directors, awards of life membership and club colours and any other business. Importantly it is also your opportunity to ask questions about the way the club is run by the directors and influence planning for the future.

At least seven days’ notice must be given in writing to the company secretary of motions to be included in the agenda of the annual general meeting or of persons wishing to stand for election to the Executive Management Committee.

At the AGM all MPSC directors are required to retire from office on the Executive Management Committee but all are eligible for re-election. At present it is the intention of all current directors to stand for re-election with the exception of Stuart Davis (Rear Commodore Works), who will not be seeking re-election. Steve Rodman (current Rear Commodore Training) has been nominated as Rear Commodore Works and Alistair Mills (current Deputy Rear Commodore Training) has been nominated as Rear Commodore Training. Both will stand for election at the AGM. If there are any other nominations they need to be notified in writing to the company secretary at least seven days before the AGM.

In order that answers can be properly researched it would be appreciated if any questions to be asked of the Executive Management Committee were also notified to the company secretary with at least seven days notice.

Any notification as above must be sent to the Company Secretary, John Bailey, on mpsc@hotmail.co.uk or by post to MPSC, PO Box 308, Brockenhurst, SO42 7XR

The minutes of the last AGM are available to view or download from the MPSC intranet site or our website on www.mpsc.uk.com (on useful documents page). The club accounts to be presented at the meeting are also posted on the intranet and website as above. Members are encouraged to print their own copies of these documents to bring to the meeting, they will also be available at the meeting.

Following the AGM there will be a free buffet and cash bar available for you to meet informally with your fellow members. It will also be your first opportunity to book charters for next year, and also to book practical courses and club cruises, and to get your discounted Musto orders in for Christmas delivery.

Retired members attending and others requiring NSY visitors passes are requested to notify the Company Secretary as above at least 7 days prior to the meeting.

THIS IS YOUR CLUB – PLEASE ATTEND TO PLAY A PART IN SHAPING OUR FUTURE.

John Bailey 26th October 2012
MPSC Ltd. Company Secretary

Working Party and Yacht Charter
Sovereign is currently out of commission and advertised for sale. Throughout the winter, Blue Spirit will be available for charter and I am assured that the heating is working. At only Ł100 per day or Ł250 for a weekend during December Jan and Feb that represents excellent value. Whilst we are happy to take bookings for other activities as soon as the arrangements are finalised, your first opportunity to book charter after 1st March next year will be at the AGM. We do this to try and make it fair to all. At present, we will only have 3 yachts available next year so give some thought to planning ahead to secure your choice of dates.

Sapphire and Pride are due to be lifted at the end of November and we need working parties to assist us on the following dates.
Saturday 17th November
Saturday 1st December
Sunday 9th December

If you’re able to help on any of these dates please give the clubline a ring as your help at this time of year is most valuable. No special skills are necessary and we provide a lunch for you

Membership on Retirement
I’m always perplexed when members allow their membership to lapse on retirement – what better time to get in a bit of sailing. When you retire, your subs are likely to lapse so positive action is needed by you to continue. Either an annual standing order needs to be set up for Ł45 or arrangements can now be made to have subs deducted from your pension but they do not automatically transfer across. If you’re not sure what to do, then do give us a ring or email.

Membership – The Grim Reaper
Andy Gardiner who is our membership Secretary is normally a happy and jovial sort of guy but around this time of year, he transforms into the grim reaper, and whilst the badger cull may have been postponed, the membership one hasn’t. Those who haven’t paid their subs are electronically placed in the longboat with Captain Bligh and cast adrift. If you don’t receive an email from me each month, then you are in this boat. You may have retired or changed bank account, email or other circumstance, but you are in that boat. Rescue is easily effected with a phone call or email and I know that he has a list of people to whom this is the last mail and he is lowering a number of longboats to cast adrift shortly. If you don’t get your December update….start rowing (or phone a friend).

Course, Cruise and Charter Dates 2013
Details of many of our course and cruise dates are now available on our internet site. Others will be added as the arrangements are finalised. Courses and cruises may be booked immediately, but the first opportunity to book charter dates will be at the AGM.

As well as the schedule of Day Skipper and Competent Crew practical, I would highlight the following :-

Day Skipper Shorebased Intensive Courses
9th to 13th March
12th to 17th April
11th to 15th May

Day Skipper Weekend Course
26th/27th January
9th/10th February
16th/17th February
Venue for this will be at Imber Court.

Cruises
Early Bird - 22nd to 24th March
Easter – 28th March to 1st April

If you’re not sure what’s entailed for any of our activities then don’t hesitate to give me a ring on the clubline and I’ll happily talk things through with you.

Good Sailing……oh and Happy Christmas (thought I’d get that in early)

Phil

Dear All,

Now that the Olympics is over, just a short reminder of the courses and cruises still available to book before the end of the year.

Day Skipper Shorebased
Our evening classes start on Tuesday 25th September at 1830hrs at NSY. The cost is Ł225 which includes the course pack, training almanac and a days sailing at the end of the course.

We still have places on the 5 day intensive courses from 6th to 10th October and 17th to 21st November. This is a little more expensive at Ł275 as it includes accommodation but with a days sailing on 11th Oct and 22nd November still represents excellent value.

Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Shorebased
Our evening classes start on Wednesday 26th September at 1830hrs at NSY. The cost is Ł210 which includes the course pack and training almanac if you don’t have one.

Practical Courses – Day Skipper or Competent Crew
We still have a few vacancies on existing courses but have scheduled 2 extra courses from 21st to 26th October and 28th October to 2nd November. The all inclusive cost of these courses is Ł360

Cruises
There are still places on our Laying Up cruise from 7th to 9th November. The cost is Ł99.

All these courses and cruises are open to family members and if there is space we can accommodate friends as your guest.

If you want to book or have any queries, contact the clubline or email.

Kind Regards

Phil

Dear All

I normally send out information around the beginning of each month, but I’m sending this out early due to the break between the Olympic and Paralympics and the nature of one of the items.

Shorebased Courses
An important time in the training programme is the start of the shorebased evening classes. Like Christmas, it only comes around once a year so if you have aspirations to do a practical Day Skipper next year, then you might like to think about a shorebased course over the winter. It’s one of the most important courses in the RYA scheme and provides a foundation of knowledge to progress to the practical. You learn about navigation (so that you get to the right pub), meteorology (so you get there before the wind and rain) and safety/seamanship (so that you get there safely).

The classes are held on Tuesday evenings at NSY starting on 25th September. To book your place, call the clubline. The cost including the pack of charts etc., training almanac and a day’s sailing at the end of the course is just Ł225

We also run this as an intensive 5 day course at Hamble and the cost for that is a little more at Ł275. It does include accommodation and also the days sailing. Call clubline or see internet site for dates.

The natural progression is the yachtmaster shorebased. Many are frightened at the word yachtmaster but if you have completed the Day Skipper shorebased, then you probably have the necessary skills and knowledge to do the yachtmaster and it’s often a mistake to leave it a year or so as you’re more likely to forget what you’ve recently learned.

These classes are held on Wednesday evenings at NSY starting on 26th September and the cost is Ł210.

Practical Courses
It may only be August but all our autumn Day Skipper and Competent Crew practical courses were full so I have arranged for an extra course. This will be 14th to 19th October. To avoid disappointment and to enable us to lay on sufficient courses to suit members, if you are interested in either Competent Crew or Day Skipper, please give us a ring on the clubline without delay.

‘Lost Property’
A couple of members recently left property on the yachts consisting or a Musto Ocean jacket and a pair of Dubarry boots. Both of these are expensive items and they belong to Mark Benbow and Bob Wale. They were kept at Mercury awaiting collection by their owners but now appear to have gone missing. The most likely explanation is that they’ve been taken either accidently or by someone who has intended to pass them on to their proper owners.

If anyone can assist regarding their whereabouts (the boots and jacket not Mark and Bob) please get in touch as soon as possible.

Good Sailing

Phil

Dear All

With all the commitments of the Olympics, I appreciate how busy most of you are so I have shortened this month’s news to highlight a few timely features. Full details can be found for most on the internet site.

Training
Details of some recently arranged shorebased courses including evening classes for Day Skipper and yachtmaster, 5 day intensive Day Skipper as well as SRC radio are now available.

Broadway Base working Party Day – Saturday 18th August
We have a number of jobs need doing around the base. Including Painting: guttering: fencing amongst others. Stuart also needs a sparks for some outside lighting with PIR's. Lunch provided. Stuart needs to know who's coming prior to the day so he can get materials in.

Yachts
On completing a charter can skippers complete the defect book, as usual, and also take a few minutes to call the pager number on the defect book. This is a new trial system of streamlining defect reporting. There's now a small Hoover in the wet weather store to assist with cleaning the boats after charters and courses.

Retired and Retiring Members
The facility is now available for retired MPS members to have their subs paid directly from pension rather than an annual standing order. Andy Gardiner our membership Sec will be contacting those concerned as the date of their renewal approaches. When a member retires, if he or she wants to continue membership, arrangements must be made for the payment of their subs. They are not automatically taken from pension.

Social Evening and Presentation
Mason King is giving a lecture on Yacht Racing on Tuesday 2nd October at NSY

I look out of my window and it is now raining but lets think positive and I’m sure the warm weather will return.

There’s lots to interest you below including a rescheduled date for our club evening, al opportunity to watch the Olympic sailing and of course the course and cruise opportunities as well as much more. I have to admit to a slight mistake in my sailing diary which means that both John and I who manage the club phone and email are away sailing next week. If you want to book or have another query then still drop us a mail and we’ll respond as soon as we’re back

Club Evening – Reschedules Date – Tuesday 26th June
Clear your diary for Tuesday 26th June when we have a club evening at NSY with a guest speaker. Chris and Carol Evans will be giving a presentation entitled, Sailing - Your Dream?. Chris has sailed extensively all around the world on his own yacht and now acts as a professional advisor to skippers who are looking to undertake extended passages. I'm told by someone who has had a preview of his presentation that it is very interesting and rather than just a lecture, he hopes to be more interactive with his audience.

There is a buffet provided and the event is free for members although a small charge of 5 pounds per person for guests. If you are planning to attend, can you book your place by email with Peter Cox who is the organiser and he can be contacted at petercox@blueyonder.co.uk . We need to get the catering right so that we are not eating egg and cress sandwiches for a month afterwards and also to ensure that you get more than a cheese stick to sustain you during the evening. This should be an interesting club evening of which sadly we have very few so please make every effort to attend and support us.

New Yacht and Rib
At the end of last month we presented a bid for a new yacht and rib to the MPAA. They have agreed to the funding of a new rib and we hope to order that soon and have it up and running before the end of the season. Because of the present uncertain financial climate, we weren’t at this stage given the green light in relation to the yacht, but hope to make our case again early next year.

Olympic Sailing Opportunity
The London 2012 games are not the only Olympic events taking place this year.
Weymouth and Portland host the Olympic Sailing events between the opening ceremony on Saturday 28th July and the closing ceremony on Sunday 12th August.
With this once in a lifetime event happening, “Pride of Broadway” is going to be there!
If you want to get away from the smoke and grab a slice of the action, it’s not too late to book a berth, but be quick as only a few weekend dates are available.

For more information or to reserve a berth, please contact:
Martin Humphreys on 07951 240549 or e-mail jollyjack360@gmail.com

RYA Courses – Competent Crew – Day Skipper – Coastal Skipper and Exam Prep
This is your last chance to book Day Skipper or Competent Crew practical courses before the autumn. With the Olympics in mind, we need these courses filled early or we have to cancel them in good time and reschedule. If you’re interested in doing a course after the Olympics then please let us know early. These are already well booked from September, but if you let us know in good time, we can arrange further dates.

We have an exam prep course set for 23rd to 28th September. This is suitable for any member who wants to take their yachtmaster coastal or yachtmaster offshore exam. These are not easily arranged as we have to engage the services of an independent examiner so if you’re interested book in the next 28 days, or the boat will have sailed so to speak.

Spinnaker module
One of our more popular modules deals with spinnaker and sail trim. This is run by Roger Glass, a seasoned campaigner of many a racing series and an accomplished race winner. I can thoroughly recommend this module and I get many favourable comments from previous students.

The dates are 19th to 21st August and the cost is Ł125

Racing Module
On the same theme is our racing module and this is excellent grounding for those entering our offshore championships in October. We like to get 2 crews together and run our identical HR34’s including some starting sequences run by a committee boat. It also includes a thorough grounding in some of the key points to racing strategy.

The dates are 5th to 7th September and the cost is Ł125

Club Cruises
Now that a new sponsor has been found, the Cowes Fireworks Cruise will go ahead as normal. This is usually a good jolly and this year will take place on 17th to 19th August. Bit of a conflict here with the Olympics so if you are interested, please let us know asap as otherwise we’ll cut down on the number of boats.

See internet site for further details.

MPSC Dinghy Day Saturday 23rd June 2012
The annual Club Dinghy day is on Saturday 23rd June 2012 with activities starting at around 10am This is a great fun weekend for members and there families and links in with our Open meeting which is on Thursday 21st June 2012.

The venue is Netley Sailing Club, Southampton Water which is in the grounds of The Victoria Country Park, Netley Abbey on the Eastern shore of Southampton Water. The full address is

Netley Sailing Club, Victoria Country Park, Netley Abbey, Southampton. SO1 5GA. Tel. 023 8045 4272.

Some members who compete in the open meeting will be staying down on the Friday and then assisting with our Dinghy Day on the Saturday, so they’ll be plenty of people on hand to provide advice around Dinghy Sailing.

Members are welcome to come down and camp (for free) at the Sailing Club (No Caravans). The two MPSC club dinghies, a Laser Stratos and a Vision will be available to use and there will be trips out on one of the Club Yachts and the Club ‘Rib’.

Assuming good weather we will have a BBQ on the Saturday evening. If the weather is kind to us this is a great event.

For further details please email Nick Mason MPSC Rear Commodore Dinghies and Racing - Nick.Mason@met.police.uk

RIB Level 2 and Intermediate
The warmer weather is here (trust me it will be back) so now is a good time to schedule some rib training. We’ve a new schedule for rib maintenance and of course a brand new rib in the pipeline but there is still a chance to do your level 2 before the Olympics. We currently have availability on the following days.

9th and 10th June

14th and 15th July

29th and 30th July

We’ve an intermediate course for later in the year on 27th and 28th September and this is a chance for those of you who have passed their level to to develop some skills with a view to visiting new places.

Phone clubline to make bookings for either of these.

Offshore Racing Championships
Details of our offshore racing championships is now available on the news page including a downloadable booking form.

Good Sailing

Phil

Dear All,

If you haven’t been washed away by the drought (now that’s an oxymoron) there’s still plenty of sailing to be done. This news comes a bit hot on the heels of last month's, but that was late and I’m away shortly so this is early and there are a few important things to bring to your attention. Details below include information about a really interesting club evening, new sea Survival and SRC Radio courses as well as some other more general information.

Further details are on our internet site but as usual, don’t hesitate to ring the clubline or email if you have any questions or queries.

Club Evening
Clear your diary for Thursday May 17th when we have a club evening at NSY with a guest speaker. Chris and Carol Evans will be giving a presentation entitled, ‘Sailing – Your Dream?’. Chris has sailed extensively all around the world on his own yacht and now acts as a professional advisor to skippers who are looking to undertake extended passages. I’m told by someone who has had a preview of his presentation that it is very interesting and rather than just a lecture, he hopes to be more interactive with his audience.

There is a buffet provided and the event is free for members although a small charge of Ł5 per person for guests. If you are planning to attend, can you book your place by email with Peter Cox who is the organiser and he can be contacted at petercox@blueyonder.co.uk . We need to get the catering right so that we are not eating egg and cress sandwiches for a month afterwards and also to ensure that you get more than a cheese stick to sustain you during the evening. This should be an interesting club evening of which sadly we have very few so please make every effort to attend and support us.

Sea Survival Course
At last we have managed to get all the bits together to run another Sea Survival Course. These courses are a requirement for those who want to operate commercially and they are of course an opportunity to learn skills which you hope you’ll never need, but they can save your life if things go wrong. It is being held at Hamble and we hope to use our new lounge as a classroom with the obligatory fun and games in the swimming pool nearby, all under the guidance of our own instructor Karoline George. We run very few of these courses and places are limited so if you’re interested, please get in touch my phone or email asap. Course date - Sunday 1st July. Cost Ł70

SRC Radio
These are a requirement for those who want to charter our rib or yachts and the course leads to the issue of a certificate which lasts a lifetime. With current technology, marine radios have so much to offer and the course also includes information on other safety equipment. The cost of the course, which is being held at NSY is Ł55 although there is an additional fee of Ł30 which students have to pay to the RYA for their certificate. The RYA are currently reviewing this course and it is likely to increase in time and cost. Course date – Sunday, 10th June

Club Cruises
These have now started to pick up and some are sole out. As I write, there are spaces on the trip to Weymouth on 18th to 22nd May which provides an opportunity to visit the Olympic Sailing venue, and the return leg of the summer cruise from 8th to 15th July which starts at Cherbourg and finishes at Hamble and we hope can visit the Channel Islands on the way (well sort of on the way but my navigation was never up to much).

Practical Courses
Our Competent Crew and Day Skipper course dates are shown on our internet site and will be running as usual throughout the year. The Competent Crew is ideal for those with little or no experience and as well as being informative, they are great fun. The Day Skipper is there to cater for those who have completed the shorebased course, although this isn’t mandatory if you have sufficient sailing experience. We still have vacancies on the non-assessed Coastal course from 17th to 22nd June. This is a great opportunity for those who have completed the coastal skipper/yachtmaster shorebased course to undertake some slightly longer passages with one of our experienced yachtmaster instructors. There’s a link to some frequently asked questions on the practical course page and I would urge you to have a look, but don’t hesitate to give the clubline a ring if you want more information.

Roger Glass is running his spinnaker handling course from 19th to 21st August for those interested. This is always well received and I get nothing but positive feedback from students of previous courses. Cost Ł125.

Yacht Charter
Current availability is shown on our internet site, which is regularly updated when changes are made. We’re expecting the summer to be quiet with all that Olympic activity but that may provide opportunities for those not involved to get their choice of dates a bit easier. We’re hopeful that the late summer and early autumn will provide opportunities for members involved with the games to get a bit of sailing in and as with most things, the better you plan ahead, the more chance you will have of getting your dates and also making our planning much easier.

RIB Charter and Courses
Our rib diary is available on a link from our rib charter internet page and this is updated regularly. Danny Buoy is fully up and running and can often be available at short notice which is ideal for those who keep an eye on future weather, although less appealing as I’m currently writing. Course dates are also available and the completion of a level 2 course, which is 2 days, and SRC course, which is just one day, gives you access at very reasonable rates to charter our rib.

Friends and Family
I’m often asked by members if they can bring their wife, partner, son, daughter, father, mother, second cousin once removed or neighbour with them on a course, cruise or charter. Your membership covers your immediate family and our view is that to exclude family members would be divisive and so we positively encourage immediate family to become involved. Distant family and friends can often be accommodated but we sometimes need to make a small extra charge for this as they are not required to pay any membership subs.

Finally, I hope you have a goodtime over the forthcoming Bank Holidays and manage to get in some fun time on the water.

Good Sailing and Fair winds.

Phil Onslow

Dear All,

Well a couple of weeks ago I thought it was summer but seems I was a bit premature. All our yachts are now back in commission and we’re hoping for a good season ahead. Our course and cruise programmes are available on the internet so I won’t repeat all of that but I just wanted to highlight a few of the activities below. Our early Bird went well with all 4 yachts out and as far as I can make out, a good time was had. Far be it for me to divulge what went on though.

As usual, our contact details are as shown below if you have any queries. We do have a small problem with our internet site but it should be fully up and running shortly.

Cruises
We’ve just a couple of places left on the Vice Commodores Rally. This should be a good event over the early May bank holiday as I understand that there are some members joining us in their own boats.

Later in May there is the chance to visit Weymouth before the Olympics and as well as experiencing a pleasant extended weekend cruising along the Dorset coast, it’s a chance to visit somewhere out of the Solent and build up the experience and miles.

In June there is our cross channel run where I’m going to turn off all the instruments and see if I can still find France, or whether someone’s recently moved it. Members of the flat earth society are especially welcome on this one.

Finally, a few places on the return leg of our Channel Islands cruise from 8th to 15th July

To book any of these cruises, or to enquire further give the clubline a ring. I don’t bite….well not very hard anyway.

RIB Courses
We’ve rib courses throughout the year although not as many scheduled. We’re fully booked until 9th June though so it you’re wanting to do the entry level course (level 2) then do get in touch soon and we can probably sort dates to suit..

We’ve a couple of dates in April and September for intermediate but to some extent we run these according to demand, so if you’re interested then do give us a ring to register your interest.

Day Skipper Shorebased
Most of our shorebased courses are complete for the winter although there is a space on the Intensive Day Skipper shorebased course from 28th April to 2nd May. This is a really good course and excellent value at Ł275 including accommodation.

Day Skipper/Competent Crew Practical
Dates for Day Skipper practical are shown on our internet site. Do get your diary out and book early as it’s particularly difficult assessing demand this year and if we don’t get the take up, we have to cancel in good time. We hate cancelling especially as these courses are the cornerstone of our training programme

Module - Day Skipper Refresher
Many members do their day skipper practical but leave it a bit long before their first charter, or in some cases there’s just a gap in their sailing. This 2 day module is an ideal opportunity to brush up on those basic skills.

Sale of ex-MPSC Wet Weathers to members
Following our annual re-stocking of Club Musto wet-weathers there are a limited number of serviceable jackets and salopettes (about 12 of each) which are being offered for sale to MPSC members. All garments are red Musto and between 5-7 years old and showing signs of wear. Most kit is Musto Breathable BR2 but some older items are Musto MPX. Size ranges from Small through to Extra Large and due to disposal of damaged or worn out items there are not always matching sized pairs available.

The jackets are for sale at Ł20 and the salopettes at Ł15.

If you are interested in any items please email your requirements to mpsc@hotmail.co.uk by 20 April 2012. If we are oversubscribed a draw will then be made and successful applicants will need to pay by cheque or credit/debit card in order to receive a voucher to collect the goods from the Broadway Base at Hamble.

Any enquiries should be directed to John Bailey .

Round the Island Race
We’ve recently sent out details of the round the island race to those who we have recorded as helping on our maintenance days over the winter. If you did help and haven’t received an invite, please do get in touch.

Yacht Charter
Dates when the yachts are available are shown on our internet site and are updated most days, unless there are no changes. If you are interested in chartering the process is very straightforward. Check for availability and phone the clubline. If you have any queries about charter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re there to help.

Good Sailing

Phil

Dear All,

Well the sun is shining and the boats are due to go back in the water tomorrow. Life is good. As the season swings into life, this is a difficult year for us trying to assess members’ demands. The early cruises sold out and we had to lay on extra boats and regrettably disappoint some people.

Below is information on cruising charter, rib, radio and first aid training, and an important snippet on red diesel. Please do your best to support the petition mentioned below. As ever, the internet site and clubline are the fountains of all knowledge so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re here to help.

Practical Training
As well as our regular RYA training courses for all levels from Competent Crew to Yachtmaster, we have also scheduled some short training modules to cover areas where in the past members have requested more input.

Close Quarters Boat Handling – When learning to sail, most people find that the most nerve racking bit is getting the boat into and out of marina and other berths, This course is an ideal opportunity to practice those skills and to push back the boundaries of close quarters sailing as well. Date: 22nd to 24th April. Cost Ł125

Day Skipper Refresher – We have a busy training programme at Day Skipper level yet many are apprehensive of their first charter. That’s such a shame as the confidence to charter a boat and take it where you want is so rewarding, even if it’s just for an evening at the folly Inn. This module is aimed at those who have done their Day Skipper practical and want a bit more experience or practice. There’s no set syllabus but the instructor will gladly run through any of the areas in which you want more skill and knowledge. Date: 13th to 15th May. Cost Ł125.

First Aid Course
We have arranged a first aid course at NSY on Sat 31st March. This course is tailored towards sailing and focusses on the type of situation you are likely to encounter when sailing. Cost Ł55

SRC Radio
We have arranged an SRC radio course for Sunday 25th March at NSY. This course is required for those who use the yachts and rib to enable you to use the VHF radio. The cost is Ł55

Cruising
Our early cruising has been well supported and instead of the usual 2 boats for the early bird cruise, we have all 4. We still have spaces on the following cruises

18th to 22nd May – Weymouth Experience

10th to 15th June – Cross Channel the Traditional Way

1st to 8th July – Hamble to Cherbourg (they’re the changeover points, but it is a Channel Islands cruise)

8th to 15th July – Cherbourg to Hamble (that’s likely to go via the Channel Islands as well)

Chartering
Despite the cold weather, we hope to launch the boats on time this Friday and have them in service from the middle of March. After the favourable comments about the excellent work done by Stuart Davis to refurbish the cushions and boards on Blue Spirit, we have taken the plunge and had Sapphire tarted up a bit. She looks really good. Whilst most things seem to be going up in price, we’ve kept the charter rates for our boats the same as last year so that’s good news in a year of probable austerity. Pride has been in service throughout the winter and will be lifted in the spring for a bit of antifoul and maintenance. In general terms, the boats are working well and are in good order. My thanks go to all those who helped by attending working parties. Our charter availability is usually updated daily on the internet site although if there are no new bookings the date may be a few days in the past. To reserve a yacht, it’s just a simple phone call to the clubline.

RIB Activities
We’ve scheduled in our usual programme of Level 2 and intermediate rib courses. Level 2 is suitable for novices and those with little experience, whilst intermediate requires some pre course knowledge. With the Olympics, it’s difficult for us to assess demand this year so it would be helpful to us and avoid disappointment to you if bookings were made in good time.

On the charter front, the internet site contains an easy to read diary which shows when she is available and it’s worth bearing in mind that we can often take charters at short notice which is always useful if you’re at a loose end and the forecast is good.

Red Diesel
Well does it really matter what colour your diesel is. Well yes it does and if the proposals put forward by the government this week go ahead, it will render any yachtsman who travels abroad liable to prosecution if they have red diesel in their tank. Can I urge you all to visit our internet site, click on the link on the news page and sign the petition. This is an important issue.

Good Sailing to you all

Phil Onslow

As we start an Olympic year, I know that leave and other demands on your time are going to be difficult and take their toll. We still want to provide the right level of service to our club members so please help us to do this by making your views known early. We’ve slightly front loaded the early part of the season as we’re expecting things to be quiet for us (but busy for you) later on.

When I speak to members on the phone there is sometimes some confusion in relation to our web sites so let me try and clarify things for you. The internal intranet site has basic information and can be used to get booking forms etc. to confirm courses, charter etc. We don’t tend to put too much time sensitive information here as it is more difficult to update.

As well as the general information, the external internet site carries up to date information about news items, charter availability for yachts and rib and is updated most days and has the advantage that it is available to you at home or even on your smartphone. I really must join 21st century myself sometime.

As usual don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries or require further information.

Working Parties
We still need volunteers for some of our working party dates and especially so on 3rd March which is just after the boats are launched. We have to get all the cushions and kit back on board and it’s definitely a case of many hands making light work. If that date’s not convenient 18th and 25th Feb are also dates when help would be good. If you’re able to assist, please let me know on the clubline. It saves me having to grovel closer to the date and I know you’ll all hate to see a grown man cry. We buy you lunch in the Waters Edge and enter your name in the crew list for Round the Island race in June when we hope the weather will be a bit warmer.

Cruises
Despite the temperature out there, the sailing season is close to starting and there are some excellent cruises on offer. The season starter is well supported and we have increased the number of boats from 2 to 4 for this so it should be a good party in the evening. There are a couple of places if anyone is still interested. The dates are 23rd to 25th March and the cost is only Ł99

Following on from that is the Easter Cruise and is scheduled to run from 5th to 9th May which rather luckily for us covers the Easter period. At Ł150 it represents excellent value and is a good opportunity to get a few more miles and experience under your belt whilst enjoying a bit (or maybe a lot) of socialising.

The early season would not be complete without the Vice Commodores Rally. This will run in the normal format with places available on our club boats, whilst boat owners are very welcome to bring their boat and join in. If there is a group of you, some members have in the past chartered other boats and joined in the festivities which are once again being organised by Vic George. Contact Vic or the club if interested in bringing your own or chartered boat whilst places on club boats can be booked in the normal way through the clubline. Further details will be published when finalised.

Shorebased Day Skipper
As our evening classes come to an end, our 5 day intensive shorebased Day Skipper classes are about to start. These courses are based at Hamble and we provide accommodation there for you. They run from Saturday morning to Wednesday afternoon and there is also a free day sailing on the Thursday for those able. The cost (including accommodation) is just Ł275 and the available dates are 31st March to 4th April and 28th April to 2nd May.

Practical Course Opportunities
As well as our RYA practical courses for Competent Crew, Day Skipper, coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Exam Prep, we have a selection of training modules as follows.

22nd to 24th April – Close Quarters Boat Handling

13th to 15th May – Day Skipper Refresher

Many experienced and competent sailors find their biggest concern is that tight marina berth, so this is a good opportunity to practice that and other close manoeuvres. The refresher is ideal for those who have passed their day skipper and would like a little more practice under the direction of an instructor before they push the boat out so to speak and charter themselves. The two day courses are Ł125.

SRC Radio
A further SRC Radio course has been arranged. This is a requirement for yacht and rib charters but once completed, it is valid for life. The cost is Ł55 (plus Ł30 to the RYA for the issue of the certificate) and the new date is 23rd March.

Yacht Charter
Provided Jack Frost gives us a bit of a brake in the weather, the yachts will all be available for charter from 16th March. Before this date, Pride is available at the special winter rate of Ł100 per day or Ł250 for a weekend, and I’m assured that the heater works very efficiently.

RIB Courses
We have a programme of level 2 and intermediate rib courses scheduled for this year. The first level 2 is due to run on 24th and 25th March and still has places. Some later courses are already booked.

Intermediate course dates are 23rd and 24th April and 27th and 28th September.

Further details on the Rib courses page of the internet site.

Good Sailing

Phil

Well I hope you all had a good Christmas and new year and managed to get up to all of the things that you know you shouldn’t have but which are so much fun. Wouldn’t life be dull if we all conformed all of the time.

The good news is that the days are now getting longer and that’s going to continue till June so let’s make the most of it as now’s a good time to plan ahead for a year which will no doubt be greatly affected by the Olympics and the constraints on time off, so why not sort something early. I’ve included rather a lot this month including details of our shorebased and practical training opportunities as well as out cruise programme and some important information regarding enhanced family membership.

I’ve done some updating recently and there may be some of you who were omitted from our circulation list. Hope all is right now. As a useful guide, I usually send out an information mail close to the first of the month. If you don’t receive it (and want to) then do get in touch. I have around 2000 addresses to send it to so occasionally something falls of the end.

Those of you who visit the London Boat Show this year, do look in and say hello at the Cruising Chute/Spinnaker demonstration I have the pleasure of doing again this year. It does mean that you won’t get me on the clubline for many periods during the day but leave a message and I’ll get back to you promptly.

Internet www.mpsc.uk.com Email mpsc@hotmail.co.uk Clubline 020 8643 4292

Shorebased Day Skipper
We have laid on a number of intensive Day Skipper shorebased classes in the spring. These are held in our classroom at Hamble and we provide accommodation for you for the duration of the course. This is especially suitable for those who aren’t able to get to evening classes regularly and is suitable to you if you’ve little experience and want to improve your theory knowledge before embarking on some more practical sailing. The cost including accommodation is Ł275 for the 5 days and the dates are.

17th to 21st March
31st March to 4th April
28th April to 2nd May

At the end of this period, there is an optional days free sailing.

Weekend Yachtmaster Shorebased Classes
We have arranged a weekend Yachtmaster shorebased course to be held at NSY. You must be able to make all of the dates and they are

11th & 12th February, 25th & 26th February, 10th & 11th March. To reserve your place, please contact the clubline.

Practical Courses
Our practical courses for competent Crew, Day Skipper and coastal Skipper will be starting in April. These courses are the cornerstone of our training programme and a Day Skipper practical is all that you need to charter our yachts. We also have a programme of 2 day training modules which are ideal for developing skills. See the training page on our internet site for dates and further details.

Working Parties
An important factor in keeping our yachts available and reliable for members relates to the winter maintenance program. It keeps the cost of courses, charter and cruises down as well. We have working parties scheduled for the following dates and if anyone can help on any of the dates, please let us know, preferably in good time so we can schedule the tasks to the number of volunteers. You don’t need any special skills and we provide lunch for you and enter your name as potential crew for the Round the Island Race und unlike the majority of advertised draws, we have 4 boats worth of places to fill so you have a good chance of selection. We really need some more volunteers on the following dates:-

7th January
14th January
21st January
28th January
4th February
11th February
18th February
25th and 26th February
3rd March

If you are able to help on any of these dates, please contact the clubline.

Advanced Rib Course
We currently have no advanced rib courses scheduled as we lay these on subject to demand. I have been approached by a member requesting a course in early spring. If there are any others who are interested in such a course, give the clubline a ring or email and we’ll sort out suitable dates.

Cruises
As usual we have a varied cruising programme for 2012. We start off with a short weekend early bird cruise from 23rd to 25th March which is a comfortable way to start the season and shake out those cobwebs. The cost is only Ł99.

We’ve a cruise organised for Easter. This used to be one of our most heavily subscribed events of the year with many members chartering boats. We now only use out club yachts but we have set aside two of them from Thursday evening 5th April to Monday 9th April.

Later cruises include our Vice Commodores Rally, a trip to Weymouth, the Olympic venue for sailing, our summer cruise to the Channel Islands and of course Cowes Fireworks. More details are shown on our internet site.

Charters
The availability of our yachts and rib is shown on our internet site and is regularly updated. Danny Buoy is available during the winter as is Pride which has a fantastic heating system. These can both be reserved at short notice on the basis of a phone call to the clubline. What is clear is that most members are likely to have severe restrictions on their leave during 2012 so this may place greater demand on the availability outside the Olympic period. If you book early, you stand greater chance of getting the dates you want and it makes it so much easier for us to manage. For those who may not have chartered before, have a read of the following item about support from club members on their first charter.

“We have had a very positive response to last month’s request for volunteers to assist newly qualified Day Skippers make the leap to completing their first charter, so thank you to all those who responded. We all remember our first charter and recognize at the club that having completed your Day Skipper practical course you are often faced with the prospect of taking out one of the boats for the first time with a crew made up of your partner and a couple of friends. That crew is likely to be low on experience and you find yourself going from a crew made up of three other Day Skippers and an Instructor to one made up of first time Sailors. The club has a cadre of volunteers whose experience varies but will be at least Day Skipper and will have completed many charters on their own who are willing to come out on your first charter as moral support. They are neither instructors nor will they take over your charter but are fellow club members who are happy to help you through the challenge of your first charter. If you are interested in borrowing one of our “First Mates” for your charter please contact Peter Cox at petercox@blueyonder.co.uk likewise if you are interested in adding your name to our volunteer list please e-mail Peter”

Introduction of Family Plus Membership
At their meeting on 5 December the MPSC Executive Committee passed a resolution to alter the Club Byelaws from 1st January 2012 to introduce a Family Plus category of Family membership. Family Plus membership will be available upon application to one immediate family member per Full, Life or Associate Member for the Full member annual subscription fee applicable at the time of application. Family Plus membership will afford all the membership benefits of Associate Membership, i.e. chartering MPSC boats providing they fulfil the charter conditions prescribed. The annual subscription fee will be payable by Standing Order. The Executive Committee reserve the right to consider each application and to suspend the Family Plus membership category if appropriate.

A Family Plus application form is available to download from the useful documents page of the club website or if you email us we can send you one.

The existing free Family Membership category will continue unchanged whereby family members may attend MPSC courses or book club cruises etc.

FridgesRus
We’re looking to refit the kitchen area at the base and wondered if any member has a low level fridge to replace the current one. We’ll arrange transport if it’s suitable. If you have one then do get back to us.

Happy New Year and I hope you have good sailing weather in 2012

Phil Onslow
Ops Manager MPSC