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Newsletter 09 04 25

Published 13:00 on 9 Apr 2025

Welcome to WKSC Newsletter

A round up of Club news this week... including sailing, training and upcoming social events. Also included are links to the Galley on Friday menu and current boats for sale. ..

A View from the Bridge

A beautiful weeks weather may have been nice for the garden, but these flukey easterlies provided some 'interesting' gusts that made sailing pretty unpleasant for the novices and beginners. This is all due to the fact that the Jetstream is far north allowing a massive high pressure to sit over Northern Europe. A large low is developing in the Atlantic, but will it be sent North, who knows?!? Most importantly gentle anti-cyclonic winds coming from all the cardinal points will keep the top end of the fleet on their toes, but shouldn't be too bad for the beginners.

Everyone is welcome to join in with the Presidents Race is this Saturday (see poster below), 1030 start, open to all members. Come and make the most of the continuing weather!

Junior sailing started last Friday, well sort of.... The wind was all over the shop and not suitable for beginners, so I took them out in one of the RIBs to start their RYA Level 1. Officially the first step on the ladder to being a Master Mariner.... Parents, come down in your kit and we can train you all up to help with Junior Sailing, be that rescue, driving Tractors and wash down.

It saddens me to have to write this, but can we all take a moment to think how we address new faces at the Club. Over the weekend a new member signed in a guest who was challenged in a manner that was not befitting of West Kirby Sailing Club. I was annoyed and embarrassed. If you think you are a cut above other people, then prove it by displaying good manners.

To finish on a nicer note, it was lovely to attend the Hilbre Cocktail Party after Sailing on Sunday. Great weather, great food from Olivers and the wine kept on flowing.

Before I sign off, on the subject of food, I have to do a massive shout out to Paul and Helen, their Steaks on Friday were fabulous!

Stay Frosty,

Chris

News & Notices

200 Club Current Members - Urgent Action Required

We have been advised by Lloyds Bank we must change the bank account used for the 200 Club. Whether you pay monthly or annually please can you change your standing order as soon as possible to the new account details below.

Only you can do this the Club cannot do this for you.

Account Name: West Kirby Sailing
Club Sort Code: 30-54-66
Account Number: 33623068
Reference Your name

Standing Orders paid into the existing bank account after 14^th April 2025 will be returned to you. If you have any queries, please contact Bob Jarvis by email bobjarv@yahoo.co.uk or text 07759 272742

Anyone wishing to join or add numbers please text Bob Jarvis 07759 272742 to arrange a time to choose your numbers and start date.

The Lash

This year on the 22nd and 23rd of March the University of Liverpool Sailing Society alongside the University of Manchester Sailing society hosted their annual sailing event.

Universities from all over the country came for a whole weekend of sailing, competing against each other and it could not have gone better, despite some teams getting distracted at West Kirbys lovely bar in the sailing club and being late to the pontoon.

We also got to witness the University of Sheffield sailing team in some hilarious costumes over their sailing gear and the finish boat singing sea shanties in the early morning, keeping morale up after a fun night in Manchester.

Armed with decent wind, fireflies and blessed with good weather, an incredible 180 races were completed. A big congratulations goes to the University of Sheffield Alumni team for winning the event, Sheffield first team coming second and the University of Nottingham Greens for placing third.

We owe a massive thank you to all the volunteers who helped things run smoothly, as well as raising £150 for the RNLI by hosting a bake sale. All the goods were made by the University of Liverpool sailing team, including those who could not be there in person to help during the event. We also want to thank the hardworking umpires, David Battye, Jack Dolder, Craig Evens, and Charles Darley who without, we would not have an event at all.

Another big thank you must go to Helen and her team who kept all the hungover and hungry sailors fed throughout the entire weekend. The University of Liverpool and Manchester, of course, owe our biggest thanks to West Kirby SC who allow us to maintain our sailing teams with great kindness and guidance throughout the years.

Written by Livi Popplewell
(University of Liverpool)

Presidents Race

Galley

The Galley on Friday

This week The Seafood Shack will be serving their delicious menu

click here for the Menu

Sailing Matters

I've been trying to introduce some hyperlinks into the normal weekly report which would take you to more detail and a lot more pics on the club website..BUT I'm obviously to short on my knowledge of how the website works yet ... but I'll keep trying.

In the meantime let me cover the start of lake racing on the lake in pictures and a narrative by that pesky D-Zero 'Zippy Zero" as her owner negotiated, along with many others, the trick easterly winds of the last 10 days.

Tony Marston Sailing Sec.

Photo Credit to Alan Jenkins and Judith Carter

Sunday

Sunday

Sunday
(missing upload 1801025)

Steve Jardine and Andy Bell

John Carlin & Chris

He's under my boat now

There's someone under my boat

Testing for the shallow areas

Tuesday Evening

Tuesday Evening Lasers

Tuesday Evening's Sunset

Zippys Week of Naughtiness at WKSC.

Hello folks from Zippy the D-Zero reporting from the WKSC boat park after a long winter of hibernation and boredom. The week has involved a series of outings, with which my Owner was Not Pleased. Let me explain, your honour.

Last Wednesday was the start of evening racing for the handicap fleet. We were blessed with wind, but it was a very frisky Easterly, which gusted from 8-20 knots and spun randomly through 45 degrees as it flipped to a South-Easterly.

Race Officer Michelle Noronha and Judith Carter had the tricky job of setting a course and watching mayhem unfold. There were a limited number of takers. Between the spray and gusts, I recognised the Lasers of Steve and Wendy Shalcroft, Gill Hall in her Lightning, plus last years Novice Racer Pasi Hayrynen racing for the first time in his newly acquired Laser, with a full rig!

We started on a run, or a reach, or a run, depending where you were on the lake. I was first to mark 7 at the other end of the lake. Then the fun started as we reached off to 8 and then started numerous small beats made towards the dreaded prom where wind shifts increased to 60 degrees, or no wind at all. After one of these laps, most of my fellow dinghy park inhabitants had done some serious mud work on their upper bodies, and/or taken their Owners home for a hot shower and beer. The RO team sent us on for another round.

By the end of Lap two, only the Pasi Laser and me were still upright and I had one more buoy to round before the finish. Mark Number 1 was snuggled in a nasty little wind eddy, close to the rocks and prom wall and the wind veered unpleasantly as we approached. Ive got this Mum I mumbled optimistically.

Most of me made it, but my mainsheet dropped in the water in a sudden lull, and I scooped up Number 1 in my arms to cart home across the finish line.

Owner was frantic and a bit Tourettey with her language. It was amusing to experience her attempts to reverse me out of the problem, but the wind swung through 180 degrees at one point, pushing my nose towards the prom and rocks. The spectators gasped and took a step backwards. Owner managed to un-knot my mainsheet and let it go, so releasing my grip on the mark. She then spun me around through 360 by my boom for my penalty turn, catching my mainsheet as we swung through the gybe. The crowd swooned and stepped back up to the railings.

A huge gust caught us from the South-East and blew us through the line to finish a full 10 minutes on corrected time ahead of Pasi, who was the only other finisher in 2^nd place! Well survived us both! When Owner saw the state of the other mud-encased boats back at home, I think she realised how much naughtier I could have been!

My next race was the start of the Spring Lake Series on Sunday. The Beasterly Easterly was still with us and looking for more mud victims.

RO Stu Dawson gave us a special made up course, as my Number 1 Buoyfriend was still sulking out of position on the prom wall. 14 boats made the start line for at least one of the two races. After three laps of a square course, with wind blowing in every direction, 12 boats finished, with me leading the way home. I hoped to have appeased her Ownership by my steady performance, but she seemed in a super-alert state of fright and panic by the challenging conditions, even though I had done nothing wrong. Yet.

RO Stu changed the course for Race 2. As Owner tried to memorise the 5 numbers and direction of rounding of each mark, there was a data error in her small brain, with the 4 numbers of the previous course still occupying the limited brain capacity used for this activity. Two of the far end lake numbers stayed in situ in one brain cell, leaving the other brain cell to retain 3 mark numbers, balance me, deal with my sheet and the squalling windshifts, plus respond to the query from a flying yellow IC helmed by Steve Flemming as we were approaching the windward mark. Is it number 2 next? he yelled, and 9, or 4,8,7,6,1,3,5,10?

Yes folks, the 2-buoy brain cell stepped in and directed Steve and myself to the same wing mark I had rounded in Race 1. It was a glorious reach in plumes of spray and my daggerboard hummed a dinky tune. The Laser helmed by Mike Betteridge followed us.

RO Stu was laughing too much to mention our small error as we passed the line, so we completed another lap of the same course with same brain cell still firmly in control. Another boat was having a course error moment; John Carlins Albacore omitted Mark 3 on the second lap to join us in the DSQ roster.

So, Owner is not pleased. Im lying low under my cover for a while. Berth A20. Please bring cookies and cuddles.

Zippy DZero 333

Sailing and Club Calendar

What's on this week:

Wednesday 9th 12:30 - 14:00 Gentleman's Lunch
Wednesday 9th 18:45 W2 Fast Handicap Club Racing Lake
Wednesday 9th 18:48 W2 Novice Handicap Club Racing Lake
Wednesday 9th 18:51 W2 Slow Handicap Club Racing Lake
Thursday 10th 14:00 Radio Sailing Class
Thursday 10th 18:45 W2 GP14 Club Racing Lake
Thursday 10th 18:48 W2 Lightning Club Racing Lake
Friday 11th 14:00 Illusion
Friday 11th 18:00 W3 & W4 Coached Racing - Feva Club Racing Lake
Friday 11th 18:03 W3 & W4 Coached Racing - Optimist Club Racing Lake
Saturday 12th PRESIDENT'S RACE All Classes (T)
Saturday 12th 09:20 - 12:00 Saturday Junior Training RYA (1st Course) 2025 Training
Saturday 12th 09:20 - 12:00 Saturday Morning Adult Beginners and Improvers (1st Course) Training
Saturday 12th 19:00 - 23:30 Falcon Cocktail Party
Sunday 13th 10:30 Spring 1 & 2 St/Hi/Fa/IC Club Racing
Sunday 13th 10:45 Spring Tide 1 & 2 Fast Handicap (T) Club Racing
Sunday 13th 10:48 Spring Tide 1 & 2 Slow Handicap (T) Club Racing
Monday 14th 18:30 - 20:30 Monday Night Adult Beginners and Improvers RYA (1st Course) 2025 Training
Tuesday 15th 13:00 - 18:00 Stan Metcalf Funeral
Tuesday 15th 19:00 W3 Solo Club Racing Lake
Tuesday 15th 19:04 W3 Laser / Laser R Club Racing Lake
Tuesday 15th 19:07 W3 Illusion Club Racing Lake
Wednesday 16th 12:30 - 14:00 Gentleman's Lunch

Training

Please book online through SCM & if you need any help please email Training@WKSC.org.uk

Click HERE to book your training course.