club regattas

Birdseye

Birdseye

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when I first started sailing the bristol channel back in 1990, we routinely went to all the regattas of local clubs. And by we, I mean lots of members from each club. So for example Newport Uslmouth would get lots of visitors from Portishead and cardiff and chepstow and Barry - and vice versa.

One of my jobs when I briefly was chairman of the BCCC was to try and agree a program for all the various club regattas so that this visiting could happen.

Its seems to have dies a death. Why?
 
I struggle to get to my own clubs (NUSC) social events let alone others, not that I wouldn't want to. Unfortunately it's mainly due to work, having to work on a Saturday and a limit of 4 off a year pretty much screws up attending. I do try to get to one big thing a year.
 
A Bristol Channel calendar would be nice.

We missed lighting the boat up in Portishead Marina, and joining in with the Bristol Harbour (Cabot Cruising Club) one this year (we've not joined in so far after 2 years in the area) due to short notice and conflicting plans as a result.
 
The BCCC has evolved into the BCYC. .they organize 2 or 3 rallies each year supported by boats from many of the BC clubs.
 
yes I know Graham. It changed over to the BCYA after I handed it over to Robert Lee Warner, who made a much better job of running it than I ever did.

But its still a valid question - whatever happened to the idea of mass visits to other clubs regattas. I have fond memories of events all over the channel.
 
At the BCYA AGM every year they start the Bristol channel calendar. It's seen as an opportunity to avoid clashes between club regattas and races like the Holmes and Lundy races. Unlike other areas it not possible to for each club to have the same weekend every year.
Allan
 
Seems to be less interest in casual not too serious racing now.Events like the TV race organized by Barry YC would at one time attract dozens of visitors in a wide variety of boats from far and wide .
 
True Graham. Done that race a few times back when. But no one seems to do this sort of visiting / racing any longer. We have one or two biggish channel races like the Holms and round Lundy but the old fashioned idea of goint to another club for a few drinks, some socialising, maybe some dancing and a casual race has died
 
I would like to have a go at the Portishead around the Holmes race this year. Never been able to fit it in before. I like the idea of chosing your own start time.

We entered the CYC boxing day plus one race and CBYC New Years day pursuit. Both were a bit of fun but as far as I know no visitors from outside the Cardiff Bay area.
 
Difficult in the Bristol Channel. Hard for anyone to visit us as Weston/Uphill, nowadays most boat owners don't even know or dare to take the ground in their racing machines. Not many keen on mooring outside our other club at Pill either, and you can no longer get ashore at Barry except at High Tide.

All the old clubs are losing energy to racers in the Marinas with fancier boats and no real need of clubs. Cardiff Bay YC and CYC are fortunate in having the barrage.
 
1937rogerdon said:
Just a correction regarding getting ashore in Barry. You can land on the club slipway 3 hours either side of HW.
Click to expand...

Not much use if you leave Weston, Clevedon or Portishead Ihr before HT and get to Barry 3 hour after. I have rowed ashore to the breakwater and its not worth the effort and risk of damage to dinghy. Now when we could go up pilots steps ......
 
oldmanofthehills said:
Difficult in the Bristol Channel. Hard for anyone to visit us as Weston/Uphill, nowadays most boat owners don't even know or dare to take the ground in their racing machines. Not many keen on mooring outside our other club at Pill either, and you can no longer get ashore at Barry except at High Tide.
Click to expand...
Genuine question:
How is it done?
Starting from CBYB, bulb keel, 1.8m. Boat: more racing than cuising, unlike like her owner, mother to the VERY keen, "budding racer" teenage skipper! :)
 
Local knowledge really Anna. In many places in the channel there is a depth of soft mud and the fin keels effectively stay afloat as normal but in a mud "soup". But other places like Combe or Padstow are hard sand and you have to lean against the wall. You need to decide where you want to go and get some local knowledge first.

As an aside, I once read a book called " the last of the sailing coasters" by a guy called Edlington. It told the story of the sailing ships which plied the bristol channel in the says when sail was just giving over to steam and before the heavy goods vehicles arrived. It is fascinating to read of these old sailing boats going into places in the britol channel that I never dared go into when I had a bilge keeler.
 
01_Anna said:
Genuine question:
How is it done?
Starting from CBYB, bulb keel, 1.8m. Boat: more racing than cuising, unlike like her owner, mother to the VERY keen, "budding racer" teenage skipper! :)
Click to expand...

The pontoon at Uphill can only accomodate 2 boats or perhaps 3 and there is hump in the downstream slot. Rafting is hard as boat on outside drops much lower when tide out, but has been done. Its soft mud and both my bilge keelers and my old bulb keeler dug in nicely, though at 1.8m I might put halliard to pontoon to keep her uprigt as she dries, a bit like drying against a wall.

Depth is good over the bar ( the first red green pair) within 2 hours at springs, and must be approached via the dog legs (starting from the Juicy buoy near the end of Brean Down, keeping close to port but not too near as you leave dog leg as the upstream ones are on the bank. I lockout from Cardiff 1 hour after LT if I want rising tide at Uphill and 2 hours after if I want slack or falling. A good depth gauge is a comfort but large trading boats have been going in since roman times.

With no landing stage at Pill due to over hasting demolition the only way to visit is moor at the white club buoy at neaps (it dries at springs) or dry out on the grid at springs. I have anchored further off and used dinghy but would not advise that without local knowledge and am not sure I would advise the club buoy either
 
Oldmanofthehills,
Thank you very much for your comprehensive reply! This is a no-win situation as far as I am concerned.
Or rather a classic Catch 22.
My daughter would probably attempt it, I would not, knowing the risk. Without attempting...we would not know if we could.
Having experienced being towed from this "soft mud" I would rather willingly not repeat the experience.
NB It is a bulb, not "pure" finkeel.
Good sailor I could be, but with a teenager onboard, and mostly only doublehanded, I would not risk going to a location -I know beforehand- is difficult, and potentially very risky.
Birdseye,
we had spoken about it,
but it does tie up with the question you posed at the beginning of this thead.
Hardly anyone nowadays works a nine to five. Schools offer extra classes at weekends. Assembling a crew when each, and every one, is working at different times could not be done any more.
One is lucky to be able to go out at an odd weekend, if at all.

The "regattas" had their place in the past; but the society has moved on.
Whether it is a good thing, remains to be seen.
Tempora mutandur...
 
Most gatherings in the Bristol channel are now in Watchet, Cardiff or Portishead due to their marinas. The other good rally is Newport as access is easy to their pontoon and mud gloopy enough for any boat to sit in.

Watchet can be reached from Uphill or Cardiff by cracking on with engine starting about an hour before HT, but is not that suitable for regattas. The one regatta style race that might interest people is the Holms race starting at time of choice on ebb tide from Portishead and catching flood back up. Start too early and the tide wont turn as you round the Holmes so cunning comes into it. The after race is hosted by PCC at Portishead.
 
When I was a member, it used to be the case that you could sink into the mud at Chepstow and District YC, at least on the front moorings. But the mud moves so it would be wise to check that this still is the case.
 
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