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News

Thursday 4 February 2010

Charity project proposal

The only Indonesian words you need to know are "Ruang Mulati". Mark Henderson's four-page proposal shows in words and pictures how a little Irish money will go a long way. Read it here, then book your place at the Dinner on Saturday 27 February (details below).

Monday 1 February 2010

Charity project

Mark Henderson is working in a hospital in Maumere, Indonesia. Bray Sailing Club members are sponsoring the renovation of the children's ward.

Bray Sailing Club Charity Dinner, Saturday 27 February 2010
Please see below the menu for our charity event in support of Mark Henderson's project of refurbishing the children's ward in the hospital in Maumere where he works. Please note that "our" Chef Sing Chooi has very kindly agreed to provide this dinner at cost price. So all "overcharging" is going directly towards the project. There will also be a small raffle on the evening.

Please book early - 30 Euro per person (if you don't show you still need to pay!)
If you cannot make it we will accept your donation - put a cheque in the post.

Rosemary Zarka <rosemaryzarka at eircom dot net> 0876864322
9 Rectory Way, Bray, Co Wicklow

- Menu -

Starter: Savoury Seasonal Spring Salad
Mixed Leaves of Seasonal Salad Leaves topped with Roasted Pine Nuts and Parmesan Shavings served with Reduced Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

Main Course: Classical Beef in Rich Red Wine Sauce
Chef’s Choice of Beef with Sauté Mushrooms braised in Red Wine Sauce garnished with Fresh Chervil Herbs, served with Butter Pilaff Rice

Dessert: Apple Slice
served with pouring cream

Accident report

The report of the investigation into the loss of a man overboard from the yacht Alana and his subsequent death off Bray Head on the 14th September 2008 has been published.

A discussion on the report, its results and recommendations will be held on Friday 5th February in Bray Sailing Club at 20.00 hours.

All welcome but if you are attending it would be great if you could read the report before then. It is on the MCIB website www.mcib.ie/reports.

Martin D'Arcy

Tuesday 29 December 2009

Sailing supper

To whet your appetite, here is the menu for the sailing supper on 16 January 2010

Starter: Aromatic Duck Spring Rolls
Two Spring Rolls of Shredded Aromatic Duck served with Oriental Salad of Cucumber, Pineapple and Sweet Ginger in Plum Sauce on a bed of Iceberg Lettuce

Main Course: Smithwick’s Ale Beef Goulash
Chef’s Choice Strips of Beefs with Roasted Root Vegetables cooked in Smithwick’s Ale of Rich Paprika Sauce served with Butter Pilaff Rice

Dessert: Coffee Slice served with Pouring Cream

Only €17. You must book in advance:
Rosemary Zarka 087 6864322 <rosemaryzarka at eircom dot net>

Sunday 20 December 2009

Winter activities

A lot of things are going on over the winter months in Bray Sailing Club to help us shorten the wait till lift in. I just want to give you a summary over the next two months

Starting off with Sailing - see the note below from Martin D'Arcy about Sailing opportunities and the Sea Swim on January 1st

St Stephen's Day Walk to Greystones. It's really a tradition at this stage, starting at clubhouse at 12.00, walk to Greystones North Beach, have lunch and walk back to BSC for a drink. Organised by Marie Kavanagh

BSC Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday January 15 (see note below)

A recession beating Sailing Supper will be held on SATURDAY 16 January, starting at 19:30. Menu (3 Courses for 17 Euro) will be forwarded in due course and booking details will be confirmed after Christmas. Places will be limited to 55. If you book and don't show up without telling anybody at least a day in advance you still have to pay!

January 30 - Annual Poker Classic

On February 27 (Saturday) we will be holding a Charity Dinner for a project that Mark Henderson wants us to support in Indonesia (for those that do not know: Mark is working for VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) in a hospital in Indonesia - We will provide a VERY OVERPRICED three course meal and raffle- but you will be ripped off for a good cause. - limited to 55 people - details to follow (including description of project)

We also plan to hold more recession beating Sailing Suppers on 20 March (3 courses - 17 Euro a head) and 17 April. (something special for the season start).

And all of this on top of the usual activities like "normal" Bar Nights, Bridge, and some talks....

By the way - if anybody has a suitable picture for the cover of the 2010 Programme - contact Luke Fegan.

Merry Christmas to all in Bray Sailing Club and I hope to see you at one of those events.

Helmut Zarka
Commodore

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of Bray Sailing Club will take place at the clubhouse, Bray Sailing Club, The Harbour, Bray, Co. Wicklow at 8pm on Friday 15th January 2010.

Nominations for the 2009 Committee must be made in writing, proposed and seconded by current voting members, to be received by the Hon. Sec., Bray Sailing Club, before midnight on the 1st January 2010.

Motions for consideration at the Annual General Meeting must be made in writing, proposed and seconded by current voting members and must be received by the Hon. Sec., Bray Sailing Club before midnight on the 1st January 2010.

The accounts will be emailed to all members and hard copies will be available at the bar from Monday 21st December until 1st January 2010.

Caroline Long
Secretary

Christmas gifts

Hello Fellow Members

As you struggle to think what will I get HIM or HER for Christmas with only a few days left, have you thought of a Bray Sailing Club tie? Or have you considered treating yourself to one?

A silk tie costs €22 and a microfibre tie costs €15. Add €3 to the order for postage and packing.
For ladies, we also have a slightly smaller version of the microfibre tie.

Just trying to be helpful!

Happy Christmas
John Brownlee (01 280 5801)

Holiday dinghy sailing

There will be a safety boat in attendance so please let Martin D'Arcy or Helmut Zarka know so that we will have the correct ratio of safety boats to dinghies.

On Friday 1st January we would like as many to sail as possible to coincide with the Bray Lions Club New Year's Day swim so that attention may be drawn to the Club. We would like some volunteers to hand out leaflets to the spectators on the promenade introducing them to Bray Sailing Club. In return we would like club members to participate with sponsorship in the New Year's Day Swim. If you cannot participate then please sponsor John Stafford, BSC Club Member, so that a suitably sized donation may be made to the Lions Club for giving us permission to advertise ourselves in this way.

If you wish to see the Sea Swim from the water please let us know in advance and this can be arranged for a donation of €10 per person towards the Lions Club.

New Year Cruise

If you have a cruiser on the water, or access to one, here's an opportunity for a day sail in good company.

With the support of the Cruising Association of Ireland, Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club will run a charity event on 1st January 2010.

For details, see the Cruising Association's website.

Simon Parker 087 2497859

Thursday 12 November 2009

Tod Chadwick Memorial Trophy postponed

Owing to the inclement conditions which will be bracing our shores over the coming days, the race committee has decided to reschedule the event until next Spring, at which point we might get a little more light, water in the harbour and some good weather hopefully.

We look forward to your support at the rerun on Saturday 3rd April 2010.

Club prizegiving and the sailing supper will proceed as planned, starting at 17:30 on Saturday.

Luke Fegan

Thursday 5 November 2009

RIB run cancelled

According to current forecasts this weekend's weather will be very bad. The RIB run is postponed until the New Year. Thanks to those who volunteered, and we're sorry to disappoint you.

Martin D'Arcy

Reminder - Racing, prizegiving and supper

Next Saturday week, 14 November, will be a big day at Bray Sailing Club.

In the morning the inaugural Tod Chadwick Memorial Trophy will pit some of Ireland's top sailors against each other at Bray. Spectators on the clubhouse balcony will get a grandstand view.

At 17:30 prizes will be awarded for the season's racing in cruiser and dinghy classes.

After the speeches and before the football match a sailing supper will be served. This is nearly full, so book your places now.

Luke Fegan <lfegan at mjp dot ie> or phone 086 1622170

Saturday 31 October 2009

Charity event: RIB run

Bray Sailing Club are holding a Charity Rib Run on Saturday 7th November at 12.00 hours in conjunction with the Bray Sea Scouts.

This year the charities involved are:

The North Wicklow Special Olympics
The Bray Lakers

To support these causes it will cost you €20 per adult and €10 per child to have a seat in a boat to be part of this fun day. The format of the event is that the boats will have a number of tasks to perform and the boat that completes the tasks correctly and quickly will be awarded "some sort of prize"!

Those wishing to drive a boat will man the boat with their own personnel and will be responsible for collecting the money from their participants. A burger barbecue will be held after the event. If there is bad weather arrangements will have been made for a water/shore event in the harbour.

Martin D'Arcy 0872238594
Tom McDonald 0872370249
<rib at braysailingclub dot ie>

Wednesday 28 October 2009

Prizegiving, and a new event

This season we will be reverting to the old formula of a sailing supper and end of season prizegiving on the same night. The event will be held in the club on Saturday 14th November 2009. Prizegiving will be at 5.30 pm followed by the sailing supper, followed no doubt by a nil all draw with les bleus in the world cup qualifier at 8pm.

The sailing supper is limited to 60 persons in the clubhouse and will be offered at a cost of €17 per person, members are asked to book early. Bookings will be taken by email <lfegan at mjp dot ie> or phone 086 1622170.

In addition this year, the club will be hosting an inaugural invitational team racing event on Saturday 14th November ; namely the "Tod Chadwick Memorial Trophy", featuring 8 teams from Bray, Greystones, Dun Laoghaire, North Dublin and hopefully the North of Ireland. Racing will take the format of a qualifier stage followed by a knockout stage. The racing will take place in close quarters to the clubhouse and will be a great spectator event for all, first gun at 9am.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the prizegiving,
Helmut Zarka
Commodore

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Winter training

Beginning on Monday November 2nd at 0930 in Bray Sailing Club will be a Powerboat course lasting about two days.
The cost for this course is €250.

A VHF radio course (Short Range Certificate 1 and 2 ) will begin Monday the 2nd November in the evening in Bray Sailing Club. The same course offers an opportunity to upgrade from SRC 1 to SRC 2.
The full course costs €190, and the upgrade costs €120.

Martin D'Arcy 087 2238594

Thursday 22 October 2009

Sport, money and politics

Irish Sporting Organisations have joined together in a campaign "Why Irish Sport Matters" to highlight the importance of continued government funding. At a press conference yesterday the benefits and dividends to Irish society were highlighted. Sport in Ireland delivered its submission to Minister Cullen's office today and will meet with him early next week.
The Irish Sailing Association website has more.

Winter walking

During the winter, members who miss the great outdoors will assemble on Sundays for a convivial stroll or more energetic hike. Meet for the first walk of the season at 10.30am, Sunday 1 November, at Healy's Pottery, Rocky Valley, Kilmacanogue.

For further information contact: John Raughter, 086 2556355, or Marie Kavanagh, 087 6863642 (walks approximately 3-4 hours duration) or Diarmuid Kelly, 087 2942330 (shorter walks).

Friday 2 October

Cruiser Liftout Sunday 4th October

The bad weather forecast for Saturday has meant the cruiser lift has been postponed until Sunday 4th October.
On Saturday, a work party will prepare the pen starting at 4pm.
Lift out supper will now take place at 7.30pm and not 8pm as previously advertised.
Dinghy racing scheduled for Sunday 4th October is cancelled as a result.

Friday 4 September

Regatta schedule change

Experts agree that the weather on Sunday will be bad, so there will be no club racing on that day. Tomorrow looks good, though, so we'll try to complete all our sailing and social activities on Saturday instead.

The remaining races in the Bray Sailing Club Nivea Sun Dinghy Regatta and Enterprise Murdoch Trophy, postponed two weeks ago, will take place on Saturday 5 September. Briefing 10:00, first gun 11:00. This is a change to the Notice of Race. Existing competitors have already consented. The registration time limit has also changed to allow others to enter for the remaining four races.

The cruiser races to Malahide on Saturday and back on Sunday will be replaced by an alternative long distance race starting and finishing at Bray on Saturday. First gun 10:00, high water 12:48, course to be advised before then.

Unfortunately the Stedfast Band has a prior engagement and can't play for us, but a jazz band has stepped in at short notice. All the remaining social activities (barbecue, prizegiving, bar...) will follow racing on Saturday.

Wednesday 2 September 2009

Enterprise racing

The Enterprise Class will be racing in Bray this weekend. First gun for the Ents will be 11:00 on Saturday. Racing on Sunday will be in the continuation of the Club Regatta and Murdoch Trophy.

We have boats and crewing positions available. If you would like to get involved please contact Ger Dempsey (0879841769)

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Cruiser Regatta

Our Annual Keelboat Regatta will be held at the club on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August. 1st Gun on Saturday will be at 11:30 hrs and on Sunday at 12:00 noon. There will be a barbeque held in the club after we come off the water on Saturday evening.
Luke Fegan has kindly agreed to act as Race Officer again for the event. The “Notice of Race” can be downloaded here.
We look forward to seeing as many boats as possible taking part - and let’s hope we get some decent weather!!

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Midsummer twilights

Sailors in Bray took advantage of the long evenings to sail the second edition of the Bray Sailing Club Midsummer Twilight Regatta from Thursday 18th June to Saturday 20th June. With boats finishing the last race on Saturday just as the sun set, this regatta fully lived up to its name.

Full report on the event page...

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Midsummer twilights

The Bray Midsummer Twilight Regatta starts tomorrow 18th June.
Entry fees are 35 euros (25 euros for single-handed classes).
Register between 17.15 and 18.15.
First Gun is at 19.00.

For all the details, including new information about food, see the event page (Contents > sailing > events > Midsummer twilights)

Hope to see you all tomorrow
Gordon Davies <braymidsummer at gmail dot com> +353861501220

Friday 12 June 2009

Commodore's reception

This years Commodore's Reception will be held on 28 June, at 4pm in Bray Sailing Club.

I look forward to seeing you all there for a glass of wine and a chat. Any contributions of finger food will be very gratefully accepted.

Helmut Zarka

Remembering Tod Chadwick

Bray Sailing Club was a very different place in 1986 when I completed the ‘Adult Training Course’ and joined a very mad and very Irish group of people who loved to sail. [more...]

Kevin Whelan

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Midsummer twilights

The second edition of the Midsummer Twilight Regatta will be sailed from 18th to 20th June. Taking advantage of the long days as we approach the summer solstice, this is an evening regatta. First gun each day will be at 19.00.

This regatta is open to all dinghies, including the Flying 15s. Last year, for instance, Simon Parker excelled, sailing one of the club Picos, competing successfully against the Lasers.

As last year, if there are sufficient entries, the fleet will split between single-handed and two handed boats.

After racing on Thursday and Friday the barbecue will be fired up for burgers, sausages and other delights. A sailing supper will be available, at a modest fee, on Saturday evening.

This regatta was greatly enjoyed by all those who took part last year. We hope that you will come and join us this year.

For all the details, see the event page (Contents > sailing > events > Midsummer twilights)

Gordon Davies <braymidsummer at gmail dot com> +353861501220

Cruise to Caernarfon

Eight boats plan to leave Bray on the rising tide after 0100 Saturday 29 May, arriving at Caernarfon in the early afternoon. We shall return on Monday, departing 0600 to arrive at Bray in the evening.

Confirmed so far: Faoilean, Pangur Ban, Mumma, Deryn Du, Macalla, Stefine, Sea B, Celtic Star.
There's room for more; we welcome company from other clubs.

Here is a summary of tides, gate times and other information that might help with your planning.

Barbecue

My thanks to the members of the Sailing Club who supported my fund raising barbeque last Saturday. As you know, I am trying to raise funds for the Niall Mellon Township Trust (For more details go to www.irishtownship.com)

The Gods were smiling on us. We had lovely weather, Leinster had won the Heineken Cup and the barbeque worked perfectly.

Thanks to the generosity of the members I am well on my way to achieving my target.

John Sheehan

Cruiser racing: First across the line

A month into the season, five boats are tied for the coveted Fat Lady trophy with one point each

• Aslan
• Chase Me
• Fastnet
• Mumma
• Soubrette

Larry McCarthy reckons that it is noticable that cruisers are faster to the line!

Gallery opens

Thanks to Grahame for the first pictures this year in the gallery

Friday 22 May 2009

VHF Course

A VHF Course will begin next Monday evening in the Club and continue for the rest of the week with the exam on Friday.

Martin D'Arcy <martin.darcy at braysailingclub dot ie> 087 2238594

Club and boatpen access numbers

Next Friday 29 May or later, the access numbers for the clubhouse and the boatpens will change. At the same time, new padlocks will be fitted.

If you don't learn the new numbers by email or word of mouth, contact me.
Remember: keep the numbers secret. After opening a gate, close the lock and shuffle the numbers.

Simon Parker <simon.parker at braysailingclub dot ie> 087 2497859

Thursday 21 May 2009

Cruise to Caernarfon

As in previous years, several Bray boats intend to cruise to Caernarfon on the Spring bank holiday weekend.
The port authority at Caernarfon is ready for our visit. We have a relationship with the Royal Welsh Yacht Club in Caernarfon, and a social event is likely.
This trip is part of the Cruising Association of Ireland's calendar too, so the fleet might include cruisers from other clubs too.

Based on past events, here is a general schedule.

• Friday 29 May, evening: depart from Bray
• Saturday 30 May, morning: arrive in Caernarfon
• Sunday 31 May, evening: depart from Caernarfon
• Monday 1 June, morning: arrive in Bray

Depending on boatspeed and conditions, it might be feasible to make the return passage in daylight on Monday 1 June instead. A return passage through the Menai Strait and along the North coast of Anglesey has also been mentioned.

More details will be worked out at a meeting at Bray Sailing Club at 20:30 tomorrow, Friday 22 May. The meeting will probably last an hour or so, and the bar will be open by then.

If you intend to participate, or you just think you might be interested, then try to get to the meeting. In any case, let us know now.
Simon <simon.parker at braysailingclub dot ie> +353872497859
Torren <torren.gale at braysailingclub dot ie> +353878199400

Sunday 03 May 2009

Adult Sail Training Weekend Course

Bray Sailing Club will be running an Adult Sail Training Course across the week-ends May 9th & 10th, and May 16th & 17th. This is a 4 session course leading to ISA Level 1 or ISA Level 2. The course is aimed at beginners who wish to receive comprehensive training and will be limited to 4 participants. The cost for the course will be: Bray Sailing Club members €180; Non members €210.
For bookings and further details please contact Steve Conlon (steve@dmm.ie 087 6472746)

Adult Sail Training Week 18th-22nd May

The Annual BSC Adult Training Week takes place every evening from Monday May 18th to Friday May 22nd. Activities start at 6pm each evening and the week is intended to provide an introduction to sailing and powerboats. The ISA 'Taste of Sailing' certificate will be awarded to participants who qualify and the possibility of progressing to ISA Level 1 for those who show particular skills. The course is intended to provide a variety of sailing experiences so we will be calling on the generosity of the BSC membership to provide boats so that the course participants can try different classes.
The cost for the course is €350 per person and gives membership of Bray Sailing Club for the 2009 season. Registration and course introduction will take place in BSC on Friday evening May 15th.
For bookings and further details please contact Steve Conlon (steve@dmm.ie 087 6472746).

Junior Training Programme 2009

Bray Sailing Club is pleased to confirm that it is once again offering its Junior Sailing Programme this summer, catering for young people aged 9 to 18 years. Courses will run every week from Monday 1st June until Friday 21st August.

Lots of sailing, with training on and off the water - and fun as well. For more information, you can download the information pack.

Wednesday 15 April 2009

Friday evening presentation

The Friday Evening talks at Bray Sailing Club will resume on Friday week, 24th April (the evening before the lift-in) with a presentation about First Aid by Ian Clarke.

Ian is a qualified and experienced professional First Aid instructor, and we are very pleased that he can take this opportunity to share his skills with his fellow club members.

The talk will include demonstrations, and opportunities to practice the techniques involved. Given the importance of safety, we hope that there will be a big turnout.

• Date: Friday 24th April
• Time: 20:00
• Location: Bray Sailing Club
• Subject: First Aid
• Presenter: Ian Clarke

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Sailing

The season's already under way for dinghies, and cruisers lift in at the end of next week. The steady stream of owners in wellies trudging into the boatpen on a rainy Easter Monday suggest great enthusiasm for the preparations, and last week's low tides enticed the seasonal flock of Chainwaders to make an appearance.

NO SAILING ON WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL.
There's not yet enough light for evening sailing, and tomorrow's diary entry showing the first midweek race is a mistake. The first race will be sailed on Tuesday 5 May.

Wednesday 28 January 2009

Tod Chadwick

With great sadness we report that Tod Chadwick died recently. A funeral service and burial took place on Monday, and afterwards his many friends met at Bray Sailing Club.

More from the news archive...