Julian
The weather forecast for the w/e of the Weymouth Rally was marginal; even so all seven boats registered for the rally were not deterred.
Strong winds were forecast on Friday but being easterly made the journey from the Solent slightly less challenging.
Blue Lightning left Hamble on Friday morning and had a boisterous sail arriving in Weymouth mid afternoon, seeing gusts up to 36knots. The other boats leaving from the Solent (Asante, Leda, Lapis Lady and Ariam), perhaps more sensibly, decided to sail on Saturday, and positioned themselves in Yarmouth for an early departure to avoid the mayhem of the Round the Island Race.
Eye of Horus sailed from Poole and Suive arrived from Portland marina having stopped over there from a West Country Cruise. All arrived by mid afternoon having enjoyed a great sail
Saturday continued with a pontoon party where we all enjoyed Fizz & Nibbles, followed by a delicious meal in the Galley Bistro…..
Sunday saw a slightly overcast start to the day with winds having swung round to the South West which was great for those of us going East, but Asante was heading West at the start of a summer cruise and had a lively sail to Brixham.
All the boats arrived safely at their chosen destination on Sunday having enjoyed a fantastic w/e with the MOA in Weymouth.
Six yachts mustered with twelve people for a chilly May rally. There was some hesitancy due to the high wind forecast for the return trip. The forecast proved correct as we departed on Wednesday in a force 7!
All the yachts left the pontoon without any incidents, although, for those being blown on, it did test our springing-off skills. All yachts made their home berths safely, reinforcing our confidence in the seagoing qualities of Maxi Yachts (and their close relatives).
Yachts present were: Suive (Sams), Ariam (Verdon), Aloni (Harridge), Topsy (Hedges), Leda of Hamble (Brown & friend) & Blue Rider (Stonestreet) – 12 people.
After the pontoon party, held on board “Suive” due to the cool evening temperature, we all took the water taxi to Brading Haven Yacht Club for the rally dinner. We raised a glass to Rod Minkey, our recently deceased committee member, sadly missed by us all. The catering staff, led by Emily Cox, did us proud. We negotiated the causeway back to the marina with all present and correct. All went according to plan and an enjoyable time was had by all.
We are pleased to welcome Cliff & Anita Hedges (Topsy) who have bought a Maxi 34 and have just joined the MOA.
The next MOA rally is to Weymouth on the weekend commencing June 28th. Sarah and Peter Sands will be hosting. We hope to see you there.
Richard and Lorraine Sams “Suive”
Sadly, Rod died on Good Friday after a long illness, which he faced with fortitude. Rod had a very positive outlook on life and he retained this characteristic to the end.
The MOA owes much to Rod and his wife, Carole, who were very early members of the association. They kept their Maxi 1000, Neroli, on the east coast at Ipswich, before moving to the Solent. Rod contributed significantly to the East Coast MOA section, becoming E C Rally Co-ordinator. He arranged memorable rallies, such as the one to Nieuwpoort in Belgium in 2005 as well as complex racing events in the Orwell.
In the days before the internet became our principle news source, the MOA issued a regular newsletter, complete with brilliant full colour sailing pictures. These were formatted and printed by Rod, a talented graphic designer. He was also instrumental in shaping the appearance of the MOA website and the current website banner is entirely due to his talent.
Rod loved sailing and he loved being part of the MOA, especially the rallies, where his gregarious nature came to the fore. We all enjoyed his company and he took every opportunity to promote the MOA.
He is greatly missed. Sincere condolences to Carole from all in the MOA.
