Winter Wheels Rally, Cafe Lulworth – Sat 24^th February 2007

Our 2007 Solent  “Winter Wheels Rally” went ahead on Saturday at Cafe Lulworth which is located in Universal Marina on the East bank of the Hamble.  Cafe Lulworth takes it’s name from one of the "Big Class" 43m yachts that led to the famous J-Class yachts.   Although driving is not as convenient as having a boat within walking distance to fall in to at the end of the evening, we had a total of 12 people and a good time was had by all.

The 6 boats were:-

	Blue Demon,  Guy and Ros Warner
	Mischief Maker,  Douglas Mursell and Rachel
	Walk of Life,  Peter and Joan Lloyd
	Good Time Girl,  Kevin and Annie Brown
	Blue Lightning,  Peter and Sarah Sands
	SD Marine,  John and Nahoko Haskins

All in all, we were made very welcome with good food, good company and a good start to the sailing social season.

Peter Sands

Shepards Wharf  – June 9th and 10th 2007

Following the success of last years rally to Shepards Wharf at Cowes, we organised another visit.  Ten Maxi’s booked in with an eleventh squeezed in on the day.  (Apparently 11 boats on a Maxi rally is a record!)

We were blessed with fantastic sunny weather, and for those that left the trip to the afternoon, the wind picked up and a good sail could be found!  If only that weather could be guaranteed for all rallies!

As the boats gathered during the afternoon we were also treated to a Red Arrows display – it would be nice to take credit for that but we suspect the IOW festival organisers might have had something to do with!

Drinks & nibbles were provided on the pontoon near Asante, courtesy of M-O-A and the beautiful warm evening made it a very social occasion with both new faces and “old” mingling.  We then all – 24 of us – went off to the Island Sailing Club for an excellent meal with very good service and enjoyed by all.

Sunday morning dawned hot and sunny again, and boats left at intervals to catch tides east and west.  For us it was nice to meet lots of new faces, and meet up with old friends.

Boats attending were:

Asante, Bilton Garth, Blue Rider, Caribou, Good Time Girl, Les Alizes, Looking for Kloos, Magewind, Maxima, Sapphire, Walk of Like

       Andy and Sara

Lymington Rally  –  September 22nd & 23rd  2007.

After a poor summer of weather this year, M-O-A were blessed with excellent weather for the end of season rally in Lymington.

A total of 10 Maxi rafted up on the Dan Bran pontoon (a new harbour masters pontoon with shore access) and a further 2 were represented – Topsey with her home mooring in the river and Reflection from Salcombe with Richard and Rosemary Gatehouse dropping in on the evening meet having been up to the boat show.  So, a grand total of 12 boats and 31 crew, a great turnout!

Drinks and nibbles were on the pontoon (courtesy of M-O-A) on a wonderfully sunny and still September evening followed by dinner at the Mayflower – a stagger of all of 100 yards from the pontoon entrance.

Sunday the weather turned and although dry, a brisk south westerly wind had kicked in, good to blow the Solent boats back but a bit more of a challenge to those from Poole.

Boats represented were:-

	Maxi 1000’s… Blue Rider, Good Time Girl, Pace, Lookin Foor Kloos, Leda of Hamble, Saphire, Reflection
	Maxi 34’s… Eye of Horus, Topsey
	Maxi 1050’s… Max, Bilton Garth
	Maxi 1100… Out of the Blue

Many thanks to all those who came and made our Lymington event into yet another success.

Julian Trimming

This event had been postponed from May due to the terrible forecast and limited access at Bembridge, so it was re-planned for October…  This report by Don Lucas of Footloose is reproduced from the Nimbus Owner’s Association newsletter with their permission…