Author: Jeff

Hello and welcome to what will hopefully become a regular HRSC sailing update.

The RYA have issued guidance on what sailing activities can happen vs the government’s timetable. In summary organised activities are permitted from 29 March, and changing rooms and toilets can open from 12 April – when we should also be able to enjoy a socially distanced drink on the balcony 😀. From 17 May the club should be open indoors (subject to the rule-of-6), until 21 June when all restrictions will hopefully be lifted.

There is now a temporary unlit buoy marking the August Rock. It will be sometime before a new lit buoy will be on station but negotiations are moving forward . 

In future the main lit buoy will be brought in during the winter months which is disappointing, but the Gedges in an easterly is not a fun place!

John Head
Chairman of Helford River Navigational Aids Committee

Dear Member

I have the honour of being elected Commodore of HRSC, so a little profile of my connection to the Helford River and HRSC.

I was born just outside of St Keverne, about a quarter of a mile from Coverack Bay. At 18 months old the family moved to Withan Farm which ran down to Frenchman’s Creek. We spent a few years at Treveador Farm again bordering Frenchman’s Creek and the Helford River, a short time at Trewothack Farm overlooking Falmouth Bay, back to Withan Farm where I lived until I moved to my own farm which overlooks Carn Creek, so all of my life has been within a short distance of the water.

Dear Members,

HRSC would like to show our support for the Cadgwith Fishing Cove Trust and the community in their endeavour to purchase the iconic buildings within the cove.

‘This Fishing Life’ shown on BBC TV recently gave a great insight into the work of this community of fishermen and their families.

crowdfunder.co.uk/cadgwith-fishing-cove-trust

The Club has one Drying Mooring suitable for boats up to 22ft available for rental.  It’s situated a short distance from the end of the Club pontoon and will dry out on a big spring tide.

The cost is £440 for the forthcoming season.

If you are interested in renting this mooring please give me a call in the Club office on 01326 231006 or email [email protected] to express your interest.

Thank you

Tracey

It is with sadness that we report the passing of past Commodore Adrian Miller on 1st February. Although suffering from a long term illness he was ultimately a victim of the Covid 19 pandemic. 

Adrian served as Commodore from 1998 until 2001, having previously served as Secretary and Vice Commodore.

During his first year he oversaw the club’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. The highlight was the Jubilee Regatta on the 6th June with races for allcomers. To compliment the celebrations Adrian produced the booklet “Helford River Sailing Club The first fifty years”, a general history of the club and clubhouse.

His second year saw the 40th anniversary of the annual race to L’Aber Wrac’h with over sixty boats taking part.

During his third year Adrian was instrumental in setting up the Charter of Friendship with L’Aber Wrac’h and Landeda. Copies of this Charter hang on the wall of the club and the wall of the Hotel de Ville in Landeda.

Adrian’s lasting legacy was at the time less noticeable, but has stood the test of time. He was keen to see the sailing facilities at the club improved and Adrian did a substantial amount of the groundwork and behind the scenes negotiations that resulted in the planning application for the dinghy park extension and the pontoons that we all enjoy today.

The club extends its sincerest condolences to his wife Pam and the rest of his family.

Rob Hewett – Trustee

We have regrettably decided to close the clubhouse until the current lockdown is eased. We will be working to open as soon as possible. Please keep an eye out for further updates.

Helford River Sailing Club

Despite the unprecedented year 2020 has turned out to be, surprisingly we have seen an increase in new members joining the cl ub. We’ve been lucky enough to employ Oliver Hassell as Club Steward. Ollie previously worked at the Prince of Wales in St. Martin and I think you’ll all agree that he offers a very warm welcome on arrival.

Tuesday’s Adult Sailing has been steady and Wednesday night’s Keel Boat Racing has seen a regular 4-6 boats throughout the summer season, with the sailors coming up to the clubhouse to enjoy a meal and a few drinks after their time on the water. My thanks go out to Sally and the junior sailing volunteers who have given up their spare time to ensure that our young sailors get to enjoy the river safely. Although we couldn’t host as we normally would, the Falmouth Week Regatta saw 116 boats in the water, which was a huge success.

I’d like to thank all the Committee for their hard work during this difficult year, but especially Tracey, Penny and Jane for their work in preparing the club ready to welcome you all back after our first lockdown. I’d also like to thank our temporary chefs Chris and Adam who stood in at short notice and have done a sterling job feeding all the hungry sailors. Also thanks to Ed and Dave for their continued commitment to keeping the pontoon in a good state of repair. And last of all my thanks go to Peter, Mike and Tracey for their support on the financial side of the club which has been vital, especially during this unusual year.

I would like to wish all members a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a healthy New Year.

John Bolitho – Commodore

Winter Newsletter 2020Download

An invitation to join HRSC’s Keelboat Facebook page.

The purpose of this group is to promote cruising and racing from the Helford River.

Cruising takes place ad hock by members posting intentions to cruise to specific destinations in company.

Racing takes place each Wednesday 6.30pm from May till September subject to weather and tides.

NOR is announced on the Facebook page and the website each week.

Please feel free to contact HRSC by Facebook @ Helford River Sailing Club Keel boat sailing or email, [email protected] 

Dear Members,

As the end of the season is fast approaching, I just wanted to send a quick reminder that we require all vessels to be removed from their moorings and the pontoon by Saturday 31st October 2020.

Many thanks,

Tracey

Since opening on 4th July, the Club has sprung back into life in spite of limited hours which are under constant review depending on demand. As the main summer season gets under way, our opening hours will increase and with that an enhanced menu.  For the moment we are still in the experimental stage of re-opening whilst complying with the covid regulations, so watch this space for further details!

Single-handed dinghies can be taken out by competent sailors and 3 wayfarers are in the water so that family groups can sail together. 

Don’t forget the annual May Cup dinghy race is being held this Sunday 19th with a forecast steady northerly 9-14kts and lots of sunshine (at the time of writing!).  This usually attracts lots of participants, let’s hope so this year.

Please use the dinghy WhatsApp group for booking out boats as we have a disinfection and cleaning routine in operation and not all boats are available at any one time. 

For the reassurance of members and staff, we have invested in a so-called ‘fogging’ machine which can disinfect whole rooms and items against both viruses and bacteria with minimal disruption and without using harsh chemicals.Please follow the one-way system to the toilets marked by arrows and notices.For the moment, showers have to remain closed because of the need to clean between uses. As before a 2m distancing policy is in operation throughout the club premises.  Again, the Committee thank you for your patience over this extraordinary time – we aim to relax regulations and get back to normal as soon as it is considered safe to do so. 

We look forward to seeing you at the club and on the water – stay safe.

During these unusual times, the Committee are keen to enable you to use club dinghies at HRSC.  The RYA have advised us to proceed with caution, so as a first step we have decided to make club dinghies available to the Adult Sailing Group.

More info…

As is usual at this time of year the river gets to look a completely different place, where in the summer there is hardly a mooring not used, to now its just a few of the working fishing boats on their moorings. The summer has been favourable to sailing this year with few if any cancellations in any races, there were a few yacht races when we did wonder if we would ever get back to the mooring, thank goodness for the engine, and full credit to those who always sail to their moorings.

Dinghy racing has been well attended on most outings with two very good regattas run by Captain Dinghies and his team; the training taking place over the last few weeks of the season has been a great success thanks to Keith Wilkin and Linda, some rising stars in laser racing are benefiting gaining confidence and skills.

My own last sail of the season was a leisurely cruise up to Gull Rock and back with Andrew on Morgawr in mid October, a stunning day with a good steady WNW wind.

The junior sailing finished at the end of the summer holidays and was well attended, thanks must go to our great team of qualified instructors who turn up each week and give their time to teach the next generation of HRSC sailors.

I look forward to seeing many of you in the club at our events throughout the winter months.

CHRIS HOSKEN – REAR COMMODORE SAILING

COMMODORE’S REPORT

What a fantastic season we have had at the sailing club, I would like to thank all the staff, committee members and people behind the scenes for all their hard work and commitment.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all the Lady Members who kindly donated the delicious cakes, scones, sandwiches sausage rolls and quiches for the regatta tea on Sunday! The tables were absolutely laden with homemade mouth-watering fayre to feed the hungry sailors! Thank you so much for all your help and generosity!

Kind Regards,

Penny Bolitho and Di Best

The August Rock buoy Fl green 5sec is now back on station after its winter overhaul. It has been moved slightly [50 metres] and an update for waypoint purposes will be published soon.

The winter gales do cause concern and we have put down a new mooring block with eye and new chain with welded shackles, expensive but very necessary.

John Head
Helford River Navigational Aids Committee.

The Club has 3 drying moorings suitable for boats up to 22ft available for rental.  They are situated a short distance from the end of the Club pontoon.  They will dry out on a big spring tide.

The cost is £440 for this season.

If you are interested in renting one of these moorings please contact Penny at the Club office – 01326 231006 or email [email protected].

Thank you

The Club slipway will be closed to all vehicles from 17.30 to 20.30 on Friday evenings from May to September. This is for the safety of our junior sailors.

Thank you for your co-operation.

This year the Committee is making a special effort to increase the membership of the Club. In particular we will be encouraging local residents to join.

With this in mind we will be taking out Temporary Event Notices, otherwise known as TENS licences for particular events. A TENS licence will allow non-members to attend the Club and purchase alcohol without being signed in by a Member. In other words it means that during these events the Club will open to non-members.

The first of these events will be the Big Spring Party on Saturday 21st April. ‘The Soundcasters’, a popular band from Kent, already known to many locals having played previously many times at The Shipwrights, will be headlining. Our new stewards Alex and Patrizia will be serving internationally inspired street food.

From Saturday May 26th to Friday 1st June the Club will be open to non-members. This will be a great opportunity to promote the Club at the start of the season. It will allow non-members to experience what the Club has to offer both on the water and in the clubhouse during a whole week. On the Saturday they will be able to try the activities we are organising for the ‘RYA Push the Boat Out’ event. You will be hearing a lot more about this event.

Invite your friends and neighbours so they can experience the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of HRSC.

We will ensure that non-members are aware that parking in the Club car park is only available for Members.

Angie Watson Vice Commodore

As many of you will be aware the tidal surge, caused by Storm Emma on 1st March, caused a lot of damage to the pontoon, the heart of the Club’s infrastructure. Then, the following day, a tree trunk was swept under the seaward pontoon. I am pleased to confirm that our insurers and the underwriters have reported that the loss is recoverable and have no objection to us authorising Falmouth Divers to commence work on the repairs, which we hope will start on Monday 26th March.
However the Club will be paying for elements considered to be part of general maintenance. Therefore we will be organising fundraising events to contribute towards this extra expenditure throughout the year.

I am pleased to see that our new stewards Alex and Patrizia are settling in so well. They are both good chefs and I am encouraged to see the Club is now busy with Members enjoying their food and drink.
I would like to thank all the Committee members for their support and hard work and wish all Members a successful and enjoyable year on and off the water.

John Bolitho Commodore

Spring Newsletter 2018

We are actively looking to increase our Safety Boat crews and would like to hear from any member who wishes to get involved.

Find out more…

Poorly marked lobster pots and fishing gear are a hazard to coastal sailors. Fishermen, too, report the loss of expensive gear as a result of entanglements. In one year alone the RNLI has dealt with 295 incidents of fouled propellers, and many encounters go unreported.

Find out more…

Fo Beresford will be restarting Yoga Classes at the Clubhouse from Friday 12th January for a six week period until 16th February from 09.30 to 11.00.

The cost will be £52 for the six week period or £10 per individual session.

This class is bookings only so please make sure you contact Fo if you would like to join in.

Fo has no internet at the moment so please call her on 01326 221353 or 079723 59261.

Beginners and returners welcome.

Died peacefully 12.12.2017 AGED 70 YEARS

We are very sad to report that Allen Benney, who was a long-standing Member of the HRSC and served on the Committee for many years, has passed away peacefully at Fairholme Nursing Home.

Allen loved the Helford River and sailing was his passion, with a boat and mooring on the river for over 53 years. He was an active member of the Club from 1972; racing his various yachts throughout the years, both on the Helford and in Falmouth, especially enjoying the Falmouth Week Regatta and the Sunday Pursuit Series, and into the Autumn as a Member of Flushing Sailing Club. He was fiercely competitive and had a regular crew of friends who put up with his yelling and determination to ‘stand on!’ for over 30 years.

Allen served as Hon Treasurer for many years when the Club was experiencing financial difficulties and through his determination and fortitude, being very sound and honest he guided the Club out of its problems and into a safe financial footing. He was also Rear Commodore Admin. and Vice Commodore. It was thanks to Allen that our deep-water moorings were all updated with larger sinker blocks that he had made up and brought out in his tractor and trailer from his farm in Helston at his own expense.

Allen was generous to a fault and incredibly kind. He never liked to see anyone alone and was always the first person to welcome visitors to the Cub. When Jane was Commodore he introduced himself as the ‘Commodores Wife’ and enjoyed entertaining at the bar! He was an enormous support during Jane’s time as Commodore.

Allen served on the WCORA (West Coast Offshore Racing Association) Committee with Wally Royal who remembers their trips to Plymouth in his Land Rover with great fondness.

Allen took enormous pleasure and pride in taking Privateer 20 years ago across the Atlantic, via The Canaries and Cape Verde Islands to the Caribbean and back, via Bermuda and the Azores. He had wonderful friends who accompanied him both ways and they had a lot of fun.

The funeral will be held at Helston Methodist Chapel, Coinagehall Street on Friday 22 December at 1.00pm and afterwards at the Clubhouse from 3.00pm

Now that most of the boats and yachts are on dry land for safety over the winter season, and waiting for repairs and servicing to be done before launching again for next summer which I hope goes well for all Members, we have time to reflect on the season which hopefully we have all enjoyed.

The Club has been very popular this year and our new stewards have done extremely well. Word has been spreading up and down the coast about the great atmosphere and food at the Club. As a result of this we have had visits from many visiting yachtsmen and women, other sailing clubs and South West Gaffers to name but a few, all enjoying the Club facilities. Members have also been making the Club really busy this year, so much so that it has been necessary to buy extra seating for the balcony. Not only have the clubhouse and balcony been really busy but all the activities the Club runs have gone very well this season. Our Social Committee has arranged a really good social calendar for 2017/2018 and Members should keep a close eye on the Club emails and also this Newsletter for details. The ladies on the Social Committee have done us proud this year.

You will see from this Newsletter that all Membership, Mooring and Berthing fees will increase for 2018. Last year the fees were not increased because of the poor service offered to Members due to the lack of stewards. The increase for next year is to keep in line with inflation and more importantly to keep the Club on a sound financial footing. If you look around at the other local sailing clubs you will find that they do not offer as many activities or sailing boats that can be used free of charge, so that Members still have a good deal financially. In order to secure any stewards for this year the Club had to subsidise them as another year without stewards would have badly damaged the Club’s reputation and been a financial disaster. As the Club has been extremely busy this summer the Committee feels that it was a good decision. The winter season is also always difficult for stewards to make a living and they lose most of the profit made in the summer, thus the need for a subsidy. This arrangement is however up for negotiation in December.

As from the AGM on 19th January 2018 you will have a new Commodore who I hope will enjoy the job as much as I have and I am sure he or she will make a great success of it. All is looking good for 2018 here at the Club and better weather next summer would be a bonus.

Finally I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a successful New Year.

Mark Buckley – Commodore

Download Winter 2017 Newsletter

I would like to say a huge thank you to all the Members, tea helpers, Committee, safety boat crew, liberty boat crew, office, kitchen and bar staff for making Sunday such a huge success. Our reputation as the best day of Falmouth Week has certainly  been upheld.

The tables were groaning with the quantity of delicious tea that was donated and there was not a crumb left!

The Club has received many congratulations on the hospitality provided.

Thank you – we could not have done it without you

Heather Ibotson
Vice Commodore

In the last week anchors and ground tackle have gone missing from the Committee Boat and Fun Yak without the knowledge of Captain Safety Boats. Chris Hosken makes a considerable effort to maintain the boats so that members can sail in safety. It is vitally important that the boats are maintained and carry the correct equipment. As an RYA recognised training centre the Club and its equipment have to pass a rigorous inspection by the RYA and the lack of anchors on safety boats would result in a fail and curtail of Junior Sailing.

Accidents do happen – for instance throwing the anchor without ensuring it is tied to the boat – embarrassing it may be but someone needs to be told so that it is replaced.

Please note that the anchors and tackle at the Club be they on boats or sailing marks are there for a reason. Should you consider such items are required elsewhere ask your team leader – just don’t do what you think is right as it impacts others.

Should anyone have any information concerning the whereabouts of the missing items please contact me [email protected]

Regards
Clive Dudley
Rear Commodore Sailing

Dear All

Our pontoon has served us well for over 15 years now, but is getting old. Like all things old it needs to be looked after and cared for. We are doing our bit and hope you will as well.

Please click here for more…

There is currently a vacancy on the Club Committee for a Captain Social. This position would be ideal for someone who likes organising and attending social events at the Club and can be very rewarding.

If you feel you would like to be involved in the running of your Club please contact Mark Buckley at [email protected] or email the Club office at [email protected].

The time has come to report to Members regarding the problems the Club has experienced this summer which have affected many of you.

more..

A big thank you to everyone who helped make yesterday’s Regatta Day such a success.

To everyone who made food contributions for the teas, the barbecue helpers and the washer uppers, the bar staff, the liberty boat crews and everyone else who gave up their time to help out.

Many thanks again –

We couldn’t have done it without you!

Bids must be sent in by post to HRSC,  Helford, Helston TR12 6LB, or delivered by hand to the Club office no later than 1stJuly 2016.  Please include your name, email address and/or mobile or home phone number with your bid.
All bids will be kept secret and we will select a qualified person to oversee that honesty and fair play takes place when bids are opened and the integrity of the Club cannot be questioned.
The Q20 may not be taken from Club premises until full payment has been made by the successful bidder.
The Q20 can be seen by appointment with Chris Hosken. Please contact him on 01326 231240 or email [email protected].
The Q20 boat is sold as seen and the Club takes no responsibility for it after the sale.

To all HRSC members from Helford River Navigational Aids Committee

Just an update on the navigational buoys in the river as at June 2016.

August Rock buoy replaced with a “new” buoy. New Light that is longer range. Green flash every 5 seconds
( Picked it up 3.2 miles out on a clear night at beginning of June)

Voose buoy rebuilt in stainless steel and base repainted.

Car Croc replaced with brand new east cardinal buoy. In addition it is now lit. Flash Quick (3) 10 seconds.

Bar buoy. Cleaned and repaired

A special thanks to HRSC for their help and to all those individuals who have contributed. If you have been meaning to contribute financially but just not got down to it, then it isn’t too late! There are continual ongoing running costs for this voluntary committee.

Email John Head (chairman HRNAC) at [email protected] for details

Last weekend’s cruise in company to Fowey was most enjoyable despite the lack of wind on Friday and Saturday.
 
Friday’s gentle float in the sunshine was very pleasant and we all had a very good afternoon and evening in Fowey, all looking lovely in the evening light.
 
Many thanks to those of you who joined us and commiserations to those who had to cancel at the last minute for various social and work obligations. We will certainly repeat the venture later in the summer.
 
I will be away cruising in Brittany for the rest of this month but if anyone wishes to organise a cruise in my absence that would be great.
 
Let’s hope for good sailing weather in the weeks to come.
 
Nick Gough
Captain Yachts

The Club Wayfarers are now available for Members to use at any time, during daylight hours, with the exception of Tuesdays and certain special event days.  …more

Now that the winter is over, we will hopefully enjoy a far better summer than last year which will enable us all to get out onto the water and have lots of fun.

We have new Stewards who started at the Club just before Easter and we wish George and Linda Dykes the very best in their new venture. As we all know working here at the Club and keeping everyone happy is a challenging job! If you have any comments or suggestions please pass them on to our Vice Commodore, Heather Ibotson. May we take this opportunity to remind Members that only food purchased from the Stewards may be consumed on Club premises.

Training courses at the clubhouse are back on the agenda so please sign up to learn new skills or to refresh existing ones. The initial course run this year was the First Aid course on 2nd April. Please keep an eye on the Club website and emails for future courses.

We have now provided some facilities for children in the end room of the clubhouse so the whole family can now come down and enjoy time together at the Club. Parents are reminded that children do need to be supervised at all times please.

The ever popular adult dinghy training on Tuesday nights will continue. Wednesday evening keelboat racing needs a lot more support this year. Handicap, 707 and white sail racing can all be accommodated so please come along and join in. Dinghy racing on Thursday evenings has a strong and active contingent and is very competitive and will no doubt thrive again this season. Junior sailing will take place again on Friday evenings and is, as always, very well supported.

During the winter months Yoga classes have been held at the clubhouse and these will soon be joined by Art and Spanish classes. Please look out for notices about these and possible other classes on the website and emails.

Now is a particularly good time to join the Helford River Sailing Club as the joining fee has been reduced to £10 so please encourage your friends to join.

We have an active social calendar planned for this summer as you will see later on in this Newsletter. Notable amongst the events are the L’Aber Wrac’h Champagne Party on Thursday 23rd June and the Falmouth Week Helford Regatta Day on Sunday 7th August. Please come along and support your Club and our new Stewards.

Finally may I wish all Members a very happy and fun-packed summer both on and off the water and I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible down at the clubhouse.

Mark Buckley – Commodore

Download Spring Newsletter

Winter Newsletter 2015

The Committee is currently seeking to appoint new Stewards to run the Club.  If you would like to be considered for these positions or know of anyone who might like to apply, please contact Penny in the Club office on 01326 231006 or email [email protected].

Would any Members be interested in taking part in model yacht racing during the winter months? 

We already have some Members who are keen but it would be good to have more to make up regular racing sessions.

If so there could be two series, one before Christmas and one after the New Year. 

 If you are interested in becoming involved in this very enjoyable pastime, please contact Penny in the Club office on 01326 231006 or send an email.

The following positions on the General Committee will be vacant as from the AGM in January 2016:

Rear Commodore Sailing
Honorary Secretary
Captain Dinghies
Captain Juniors
Captain Social
Captain Amenities

If you would be interested in any of these positions or need any further information please contact the Commodore, Mark Buckley, on 01326 281057 or email [email protected].

The Commodore and Committee would like to say a big ‘THANK YOU’ to everyone who gave up their time to make yesterday’s Regatta Day so successful.

Those who contributed to the teas or helped to prepare, serve and clear them up.  Those who drove the liberty boats to bring the racing crews to and from their boats.  Those who put up and took down the marquee.  Those who helped out with Regatta administration.

In fact everyone who was involved.

We do appreciate your help – thank you.