Bembridge Rally Report

17 &18th June

This was an innovation for the Solent Section of the MOA, a mid-week rally to coincide with midsummer, and the season certainly smiled on us with warmth, sunshine, good breezes and only five minutes of very light rain at 0700 on the 18th! Nine boats, (Morfran, Lookin for Kloos, Blue Lightning, Maxima, Fenix Flyer, Suive, Leda of Hamble, Neroli & Walk of Life. Eighteen owners and crew participants with many spending the afternoon walking in the delightful environment of the Duver and adjacent coast, before assembling for the “pontoon party” in the evening. This was hosted by Richard and Lorraine Sams on Suive who had organised the social events and Peter and Joan Lloyd on Walk of LIfe . Conversation and wine flowed as did a stream of wonderful canapes from Suive’s galley. Suitably warmed up, we were taken by water taxi to the Brading Haven Yacht Club where we were given a very friendly welcome by a club member and then served an excellent dinner by Tara and her catering team. Ten o’ clock saw us back on the water taxi, although a few chose to walk back in the last of the ebbing light. We hope that the obvious success of the event will confirm it as an annual one but with even more boats attending next year.

Dinner at Brading Haven Yacht Club

Waiting for the water taxi

RALLY TO SOUTHSEA MARINA

16TH & 17TH MAY

In an otherwise indifferent May we were blessed with  a sunny weekend for this first visit to Southsea by the MOA. Pictured above is the pontoon get together prior to eating at the Bombay Bay restaurant with its excellent modern Bangladeshi cuisine .

Sign up for the next rally

The next rally is to Bembridge on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18^th June (H.W. 1249 &1337 4.6m.) to coincide with the long hours of daylight and the less congested more relaxed atmosphere before the boats start piling in on Friday. Four boats have already signed up and we hope that more of you will take the time off to spend a couple of days in this delightful spot. Our hosts for the event will be Richard and Lorraine Sams of Suive (extreme right in picture)

If you are interested please contact Graham Bremer at grahambarry00@gmail.com who is coordinating the event.

Maxi Rally to Poole – 14^th-15^th June 2014

When Neil Niven on Rubymax offered to help organise a rally in Poole, we jumped at the opportunity as Maxi Owners have not had a rally in Poole for some years.  Neil secured berths at the Parkstone Yacht Haven and booked South Deep for the evening meal while I co-ordinated with members and Carolyn prepared the pontoon refreshments – an excellent division of labour which made organising the rally simple.

Saturday saw light winds, first from the South East and later from the southwest.  While some got enough wind for a sail, Lookin Foor Kloos  motorsailed  from Lymington to Poole so that we would be in time to get organised to host the pontoon party.  We had 4 visiting boats in the marina with Lookin Foor Kloos, Suive, Blue Rider and Leda of Hamble – the last 2 having only just got back from the D-day celebrations in France.  The afternoon was spent with the usual boat hopping and catching up followed by the pontoon party at 6pm when we were joined by Neil and Debbie Niven (Rubymax), Rob and Trisha Ware (Maxi Magic) both from Poole and Andy and Sara Horwood (Asante) who had driven down.  While showers threatened (indeed we had Rob Ware standing over the food with his umbrella just after we got it out), just after 6pm the skies cleared and we had a lovely evening.  The South Deep proved an excellent choice with good food and excellent company.

Back on the pontoon after the meal, we said our goodbyes with Suive, Blue Rider and Leda of Hamble all having 6am starts to make the most of the tide with further to go.

The following morning after what would have been a very restful night except for a noisy, territorial oyster catcher, we had a more leisurely start on Lookin Foor Kloos.  When we eventually stuck our heads out, we were surprised to see Suive and Leda of Hamble still on the pontoon.  With the spring tides, we were all aground in the mud!  Blue Rider had been on the other side of G pontoon and was able to slip out.  In the Maxi, stress-free way, we waited for the tide to fill and one by one departed to travel back to the Solent.   The weather on Sunday was fair with a north-easterly force 4 to take us back in 3 tacks to Lymington.

With a successful and enjoyable Poole rally accomplished, let’s hope we can include a Poole rally in the programme for 2015.

Julian Trimming – Lookin Foor Kloos.

Participants

Asante                         Andy and Sara Horwood

Blue Rider                   Peter and Sue Stonestreet

Leda of Hamble          David Brown

Lookin Foor Kloos      Carolyn and Julian Trimming

Maxi Magic                 Trisha and Rob Ware

Ruby Max                   Neil and Debbie Niven

Suive                          Richard and Lorraine Sams, Rowena

27/28^th April 2013 Rally – Island Harbour Medina, Cowes

Those booked in for the Rally were rewarded with a splendid outing following the months of rain and chill winds. Till the last moment it seemed threatening, but the sun had been shining amid April showers, which were kept at bay for the important pontoon party. 25 crew and 10 boats berthed at the midday tide through the lock. As well as regular ralliers we welcomed new members and occasional attendees. The Island Harbour staff made us all very welcome berthing all together on one pontoon and checking we were satisfied. This was the Spring Rally testing all skippers to complete the winter refit. This location is a change from the usual spring rally at Bembridge and the response was favourable.

Island Harbour is now a lovely setting, well managed with the feel of berthing onto a village green in the quiet countryside. Members took the opportunity to visit Newport, some by a 1½ mile walk, others by ferry. Did they find the tea & cake shop waiting for them? In the other direction was a round the lanes walk to Whippingham and its interesting church looking like the Tardis with 4 rocket boosters on the corners of the tower.

Sue and Peter Stonestreet from Blue Rider prepared a super pontoon party, where tradition was maintained. There were great refreshments and nibbles, which everyone enjoyed as they chatted on the pontoon and an enthusiastic Maxi crowd was rewarded with some lovely Spring sunshine.

The restaurant at Island Harbour has now been taken under the site management, which is a good plan. The chef and staff set out to effectively please all. We selected from the menu early in the afternoon and they produced excellent service to each of the tables without delay.

Peter prepared a challenge to all as a study on an MAIB yacht collision report in order to study the lessons and enigmas that face sailors on dark foggy nights at sea. The synopsis can be seen elsewhere on the website. 

Boats present were:  Blue Rider,  Maxi Magic , Juliette , Lookin for Kloos, Moonshine Blues, Asante, Sea Wolf,  Resolute, Maxima and  Suive.