Some post-event thoughts and information.

BlueSkyNick

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In general terms it was a successful weekend (although at the time of writing I do not know if everybody has made it home, safe and sound). The hospitality in the 'yacht club' ie Equippage, was very good and certainly lively.

We had a cracking sail back - Petit Rade to Hythe in exactly 12 hours, on the same tack all the way - and I hope others had a similarly good trip.

It was great to meet a number of new faces, such as Talbot, DeeGee, Fergus, to name just a few.

The disappointing aspect for me was the attrition rate leading up to the event. In fairness there were some genuinely understandable and unavoidable reasons for some people failing to make it - there were others which were pretty weak, and even one boat who has still yet to tell me they won't be there !

For the record, when we asked for initial interest, the number exceeded 130. On the 9th September when we had asked everybody for a commitment, we had 110 people on the list so we booked the restaurant for 90. Last Tuesday, we were down to 90, so we sent a fax to the restaurant changing the number to 80. The day I set off, Thursday, we still had 78. How many actually turned up? 62

With the help of others, I conscripted the crew of 3 boats who happened to be in the marina, and persuaded them to join us to make up the numbers.

When we arrived at the restaurant, they claimed not to have received the second fax, had prepared for 90, and intended to charge us accordingly. Ken negotiated this down to 80 on the basis that we keep the full allocation of wine but not the food ! The consequence was that those of who turned up, including the conscripts on the day, had to pay a 5euro surcharge.

So what's this rant all about I hear you ask?

Well to those who turned up and paid without any argument, a very big apology and many thanks for your support. For those who didn't, it would be totally impractical to recover any money from yourselves, but can I invite you to make a donation to the charity for the night, 5girls in a boat - per EtapOwners thread on Scuttlebutt. PM Etap_Owner for more information.

The second serious point is that after 3 consecutive and relatively successful years, with the amount of effort required to manage the numbers, the forum, etc., I do not wish to be involved with the organisation again next year. I believe Twister_Ken - as the patriarch and originator of the idea - feels the same way, and of course he will add his own comments as appropriate.

If anybody else would like to take the helm, we would be pleased to provide them with a few tips, and would very much like to attend as a 'punter'.

To finish on a lighter note, you might be interested in the following:

10 people have attended all 3 years, namely

tome *
cutter*
lady in bed*
bedouin*
Twister_Ken**
parahandy
janeK
Jeremy_W
Sybarite
bignick

* These 4 fine fellows have brought their own boat every year
** This person has failed to bring his own boat on any occasion and in doing so, used 6 other vessels !

Apologies for any errors or omissions!

That's all folks!

bignick standing by on this channel. Out!
 

Cutter

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Nick
Quite understand and sympathise for your decision.
Just a big thankyou for the last three years - its been the best Yacht club in the world and it will continue in the future. Tom will organise somthing for next year - tho if its like his speeches all will be lost!!
Well done
Richard
 

Becky

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I have already posted a thank you for your hard work, and I can only re-iterate my comments. It was a wonderful weekend, well worth the fairly uncomfortable Friday crossing.

I have been involved in organising meetings in the past, and it really is very hard and thankless task getting people to commit. So to get as many people as you did was a considerable achievement, IMHO, anyway.

On a lighter note, we got back in 10.15 hours to the minute! Never sailed so fast for so long before; we simply tore across the Solent from Bembridge with full sail, and noticed everyone else was heavily reefed. We left our berth at 0600 and were moored in Haslar at 1615. So that was the icing on the cake! (In all fairness, I think we may have had stronger winds, as I think we left before you did.)

Thank you so much for organising the weekend, both you and TK
Love Becky
 

duncan

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NIck,

As a standing down speech that sounds pretty balanced!

Having enjoyed your organisation, albeit not on all three occasions, you have my thanks for a job well done.

If someone does take on the mantle next September I trust you will be able to attend and enjoy?

Duncan
 

Talbot

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Non-attendance is a skippers decision and is an individual requirement for each boat.

Failing to update the organiser ought to be a hanging offence. No excuse with todays comms systems.

Well understand your reluctance to carry on, but hope that the tradition you have started will be continued. (hopefully with better attendance)

Personally thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and provided that last needed impetous to get my SWMBO outside UK territorial waters - thank god the weather forecasts were not like those for next weekend!
 

BrendanS

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Having been to the event prematurely in year one with Zefender, Paddywackcocker, Nicho etc, as we couldn't do the actual weekend, attended actually last year, and gutted this year I couldn't attend. I can only confirm what a nightmare it is getting these sorts of events off the ground. I've run Mercury events for the forum for past two years with over 130 people each time. This year it didn't get off the ground.

People need to communicate to the people organising, or a lot of effort goes to waste.
 

jrt

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I hope it goes without saying that Becky's sentiments are mine also. We both thouroughly enjoyed putting faces to names and making new friends. A very enjoyable weekend and looking forward to many more.
 

zefender

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Sorry to hear it all became a bit of a pain. It can be very frustrating. I think it's probably best to insist on money up front to avoid problems with those who can't be arsed to communicate the fact that they've backed out. Inevitably wind/sea conditions might cause some last minute changes but that's just hard luck. You could always overcharge by 10% and then return the surplus pot if people make such a decision (and communicate it say, 12 hours before the dinner).

I wasn't there this year (grr, grrr) but it seems to have been a success. Why you even arranged a fab sail back! Of course this is a forum event and so there's no reason why you should have to continue to manage if you don't want to. Maybe call on a bit more help to lessen the load? Praps a transition year to avoid repeating the same difficulties? But it'd be a shame to get all committee(ish) since then nothing would get done (!).
 

BlueSkyNick

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[ QUOTE ]
Non-attendance is a skippers decision and is an individual requirement for each boat.



[/ QUOTE ]

Agree 100%. The last thing I would want is anybody to set off on an unsafe passage, just because they had committed to attending a meal, and for it to end in tears. We made allowances for this, in under booking the restaurant.

There were others who had serious illness in the family a couple of days before hand, also understandable.

Then there is all the blighters ...... there's nowt so strange as folk .... 'nuff said! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Twister_Ken

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From my POV

Like le Grand Nick, I shall bow out from organising duties at this point, not that mine were particularly onerous this year, it's just that work is busy and getting busier. For whoever takes on i/c catering, I'd say that l'Equipier where we ate is especially painless, as long as you have half-decent French. They understand the trials and tribulations of getting sailors across the channel (herding cats) and weren't half as difficult as a pukka restaurant or hotel would have been at the shortfall in numbers. Nor do they object when people jump on chairs and make fools of themselves, start dancing to the tune of "Slow Boat to China", or go Gluten-free (Qu'est-que c'est le Gluten?).

Having been i/c attendance in the past I'll willing confirm that Nick had a much greater cross to bear and if we want to continue doing this (and why wouldn't we?) it's probably only fair that the task should be rotated annually. IMHO it's best to keep the 'organisers' down to two to avoid too many comms breakdowns/misunderstandings.

So I guess our final task will be to ask for two volunteers to take on the 2006 jolly.

Luvnkisses, BarfleurKen

PS - Thank you everyone for getting the money right. We ended the evening with a shortfall of only 20€, which the restaurant wrote off sans problèm.
 

graham

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Re: From my POV

Having crewed for Nick on the last 2 CB weekends I have observed the stress the organisers are under re numbers for the meal.

Would it be feasible to take the meal money from those going perhaps 2 weeks before the event.At least that source of stress would be eliminated.If only 30 or 40 were willing to do this then so be it.?
 

Talbot

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Re: From my POV

[ QUOTE ]
Would it be feasible to take the meal money from those going perhaps 2 weeks before the event.

[/ QUOTE ]

While I see where you are coming from, I think this would end up putting enormous pressure on skippers to sail in order to avoid loss of funds, when otherwise they would not. Perhaps a negotiation with the cafe for sliding scale of fee reduction against time - i.e. cancel before 48 hrs and no extra cost., cancel before 24 hrs = 10% etc
 

graham

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Re: From my POV

The sliding scale of charges sounds a good idea.

Do you really think though that any skipper would sail in unsuitable conditions for the price of a dinner?
 

Talbot

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Re: From my POV

[ QUOTE ]
Do you really think that any skipper would sail in unsuitable conditions for the price of a dinner?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well I would not, but stranger things have happened, so why not eradicate the temptation whilst maintaining a viable system.
 

thomas1

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Re: Nigel Luther.

Hi every one,I know that Nigel was very dissapointed about having to make the decission not to chance the crossing,both Nigel and Hugh considered the problems of wind over tide and being banged about all night, so they thought that sailing around the solent was the best thing to do, It was my first meeting with him and hugh and I know that Nigel was very dissapointed about not being able to meet with so many that were just names I know he will be back next year to give it a try perhaps this time with 2 people that can sail instead of me who was just going along for the ride
 
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