Christmas goes Caribbean!
Saturday 16th December 2006
Time for a change so it's out with the tinsel, the turkey and the trimmings.....and three cheers for the rum punch,exotic flowers and a steel band!
Musto Skiff Event
Saturday 9th December 2006
The Musto Performance Skiffs held a one day Exhibition Regatta at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club on Saturday, organised by Paul Manning of Victor Boats, the Burnham based distributors of these single handers.
Cruiser Lunch
25th November 2006
We had a fine turn out for the first of our off season Cruiser Lunches with fifty-one sitting down to a fine Roast Beef and Apple Pie menu.
It's Clanger Time!
18th November 2006
It's that time of the year when the Dragon sailors meekly turn up to dinner just to have their various sailing sins revealed to a curious world! Although the Dragon Fleet must contain some of the most experienced sailors and racers in the country, it's surprising what they can get up to when the heat of competition takes hold.
Laying Up and Prizegiving Dinner
Saturday 28th October 2006
The Laying Up and Prizegiving Dinner on Saturday 28th October was a celebration of the winners over the Sailing Season. And the menu? Why, Steak and Kidney, of course!
Squib 'Last Chance' Regatta
21st & 22nd October 2006
Once again the Squib Last Chance Regatta had the desired affect of getting Squib owners to re-launch their boats after the Inland Championships at Rutland and sail the club autumn series followed by this event. Eleven boats entered for the weekend despite very strong winds being forecast for the two days, earlier in the week.
Team Phoebe's Big Adventure
13th -15th October 2006
Phoebe and her crew, Edwin and Pat Buckley and Jeane Horner, set sail from Burnham-on-Crouch at 0800 on Tuesday 10th October bound for Portland Harbour in Dorset. We were part of the RCYC/Plym Yacht Club Race Officer team for the 'Sail for Gold' Event to be held there over the 13-15th October.
Off to Brandy Hole
8th October 2006
The Cruiser Fleet had their final outing of the season on Sunday 8th October to Brandy Hole. Six yachts took part and two crews with two past and two present members went by wind over tarmac. A total of 23 people, which was the best turn out of the season and a credit to the SOD, Derek Stowe.
The Endeavour Trophy Championships 2006
7th & 8th October
Nick Craig, crewed by James Stewart, stamped his mark on the Endeavour Trophy with a convincing win for the third successive year.
RCYC Dragon Sailors visit Moscow
7 - 10th October 2006
Our flight from Heathrow to Moscow's Domodedovo airport took three hours and there we were met by Anastasia and Ekaterina who is a leader in the Yngling Olympic Sailing Challenge. Our party numbered 21 and with our luggage we just managed to fit into the Taxi-Bus provided by our hosts..l.
Team Coriander buzz the Corinthian
Sunday 24th September
The ladies fancied a spot of shopping and lunch so we hopped over to Le Touquet in Michael's Piper Warrior. This little model has a substantial luggage compartment which we could pack out with booze and Camembert as well as the ladies' shopping.
RCYC retains the St Mathew Cup
23rd September 2006
The St Mathew Cup was postponed from the Sunday after Burnham Week when conditions were considered too rough to sail in borrowed boats!
Little Britain Challenge Cup
14th - 16th September 2006
Several RCYC members were at the Little Britain Challenge Cup at Cowes, 14th - 16th September, the annual Construction Industry Regatta, now in its 19th year.
707s at the Nationals
9th September 2006
Six Burnham boats travelled down to the Royal Southern Yacht Club for this year's Nationals and found a warm welcome from the town of Hamble.
Lady Penelope leads the fleet!
Sunday 3rd September 2006
Lady Penelope (819), with Malcolm Hutchings and Sarah Hastwell on board, won every Squib trophy on offer during Burnham Week 2006.
Record-breaking RCOD Fleet
2nd September 2006
This year's Burnham Week saw the biggest RCOD fleet for years. Eight boats on the line for the Bank Holiday Weekend must have gladdened the heart of the Fleet Captain, John Heathfield, who has been leading an intensive restoration programme for the past three years.
707 Phantom Trophy Series
Saturday 5th August 2006
This demanding series was sailed over three weekends in August. 5th/6th August concentrated on inshore racing, the following weekend offshore and the final race on the 19th offered a long distance race. Last year the racing was close; John Lewis in Baby Beluga, did not win until the last leg of the last race. How will he fare this year?
707s at Cork Week
17th -21st July 2006
The weather Gods provided perfect sailing conditions for the second day the 707 Nationals 2006 at Cork Week. A 15 knot breeze, blazing sunshine, and dolphins leaping from the bow wave. What could be better than this?
RCYC Clubhouse reaches 75 years
25th July 2006
1930 was a year of dilemma and discussion. Since 1911 the Club had occupied the building now known as 'The Old Clubhouse' but increasing numbers meant that the building was hopelessly inadequate and the only space allotted to the ladies was the balcony. Should they expand or re-locate?
Dragon Team Racing in Hamburg
15th & 16th July 2006
For the fourth year we have held a team match with 'Norddeutscher Regatta Verein', with the current score before this year 2-1 to NRV. Such an event was originally talked about in the 1980's but never took place. It was during a discussion with Rob Campbell at an overseas regatta, that the event finally came to fruition and has been sailed annually ever since, alternating between Hamburg and Burnham.
The Cruiser Fleet greets Roger
15th July 2006
Roger Taylor was an unexpected member at the Cruiser Fleet's Annual Pontoon Party.The last we heard he was out in the Atlantic.
Mingming returns to Burnham
11th July 2006
Roger Taylor crossed the start-line for the Jester Challenge in Plymouth on 3rd June, prepared for a crossing that would last about six weeks. In the event progress was slower than he had hoped and he would be entering the likely zone for hurricanes by the beginning of August. He had to make a decision before 'the point of no return'. This is Roger's account of how he came to that decision.
The RCODs try a picnic
9th July 2006
After a month of glorious sailing weather, our nominated day for the picnic arrived with rain showers and a force 7! The escort vessel, Victor and Jill Maller's Sadler Seaspray, had arrived safely from Levington the previous evening. The fleet convened in the bar at 09.30 and the majority decided to continue with the excursion to the Ferry Boat Inn, Fambridge,
but by Land Yacht.
The Wallasea Island Wetlands Project
4th July 2006
Coastal flood defences in Essex were breached on July 4th to create the UK's largest man-made marine wetland in a government-funded scheme to protect endangered wading birds such as avocets...
Squib Nationals at RVYC
1st - 8th July 2006
The 11 strong entry of Burnham based boats won the prize for the largest visiting fleet at Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight, which was impressively hosted by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. In a week that saw the full trickery of the Solent winds and the associated exasperation of several competitors, Peter Marchant & Andy Biddle in Tears for Fears were top Burnham boat with a highly commendable 6th overall.
Ella Rose wins the Plodders' Pot
Saturday 24th June 2006
Mick King decided to race Ella Rose along the East Coast but it all took rather longer than he had imagined!
Celebrating 75 years
21st June 2006
"Twenty-four hours before the time appointed for the official opening, there seemed very little prospect of the Clubhouse being ready for the members, all of the floors still being in the possession of the builders..."
RCOD Regatta 2006
16th - 18th June 2006
A fleet of six RCODs started their Regatta with no previous experience of windward/leeward courses. They faced three races back to back from a Committee Boat start near the Roach. They were joined by two Royal Burnham ODs, Will Dallimore in Mandarin and David Beale in Blue Jacket. Kim Allen did a great job on Friday afternoon fitting in the planned three races, all with excellent courses despite the variable winds which are a Race Officer's nightmare.
RCYC member takes up 'The Jester Challenge'
3rd June 2006
Roger Taylor left Plymouth on Saturday June 3rd bound for Newport, Rhode Island, USA, taking part in 'The Jester Challenge' in Mingming his 21ft junk-rigged Corribee.
The idea for the race came from Blondie Haslar and just five boats took part in this transatlantic race in 1960 which was won by Francis Chichester in his Gipsy Moth III.
Why the 'Jester' Challenge? That was Haslar's own boat, Jester, so-called because "she was such a bloody joke!"
Jubilee wins her class
Saturday 3rd of June
Jubilee wins the Round the Island Race 3rd June 2006. How apt that Jubilee, the 75th Anniversary Lottery Dragon, should win her class in the 75th Round the Island Race.
Hoj - Jensen wins the Edinburgh Cup
27th -30th May 2006
Congratulations to Poul-Richard Hoj-Jensen who has won the Edinburgh Cup, crewed by Chris Brittain and Andrew Norden. This is the fifth time Poul-Richard's name will be engraved on this trophy which is in fact the open British Dragon National Championship, but the 2006 event will probably be remembered for strong conditions and plenty of incident amongst the 35 competitors from six nations.
Amok Sinks
29th May 2006
It was on the Monday of the 2006 Edinburgh Cup that the conditions got really nasty. Sullen skies, lumpy seas and sudden squalls made sailing conditions difficult and in one exceptional squall, Amok dived!
2006 Squib Gold Cup
29th April - 1st May 2006
The Royal Corinthian hosted the Squib Gold Cup over the bank holiday weekend of 29th April - 1st May which attracted 14 entries, including 3 visitors. The event consisted of 6 races on windward / leeward type courses with fairly short laps providing action packed, close quarters racing..
Peter's Letter to the Corinthians
Monday 1st May 2006
Peter Willoughby is starting his second season with Coriander in the RCOD Fleet. So far the winning gun has eluded him, inspiring him to report his problems in his "Letter to the Corinthians"
707 East Coast Championships 2006
29th April - 1st May 2006
The venue for this year's Hunter 707 East Coast Area Championships held over the May bank holiday weekend was the lively Royal Corinthian Yacht Club at Burnham on Crouch.
Quicksilver III quashes competition
Easter Weekend
The Dragon Eastern Championships 2006, hosted by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, quickly became a two way fight for first place that was only resolved in the last race of the Easter weekend event.
RCYC Clubhouse stars in Anglia TV series
Sunday 26th March 2006
Paul Gogarty, a travel journalist, spent the summer of 2003 touring the English coastline, exploring, meeting people and recording his observations in his book "The Coast Road". He visited Burnham and was intrigued by the not-to-be-missed, squat 'shoebox' that is the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. I was fortunate to be able to show him around the building and that's how it all began.
Fastest boat on the river?
February 2006
A river empty of moorings and a gentle breeze is the ideal setting to try out the 18' skiff, Pica Flooring. Jamie Mears and Matt Gill, fresh from their Sydney success in a B14 together with Stewart Mears, were caught by the ever-watchful lens of local photographer Derek Argent as they reached back and forth across the open spaces of the Crouch.
Ex Otters compete in Sydney B14 Worlds
January 7th to 13th 2006
It's years since Jamie Mears and Matt Gill sailed in the Otters, but they met again at the B14 World Championships held at Woollahra Sailing Club in Sydney. Richard Edwards was also there.