PORTLAND RNSA
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This Page will give you information on all Sailing Aspects.

About Me

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Sailing Secretary: Christopher Stonehouse.

Tel:
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Role: 

                                                                                                     Outline Job Description for Sailing Secretary

Purpose of the Job
To be the Primary point of contact for both Cruising and Racing activities.
To take soundings and feedback sailing matters in committee.
Main Responsibilities
  • Manage the branch annual sailing programme.
  • Market membership participation in the sailing programme.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with yacht clubs and sailing associations within the Weymouth and Portland area.
  • Develop sailing activities with other RNSA branches.
  • Report back on sailing matters to the AGM.
22nd July 2019
Weymouth LifeBoat Week/Parade of Sail 28 July 2019. Commences at 1100 hrs.
Dear Members,

You will recall my brief note about this event in the 2019 Branch Yearbook.

I attach below more details of the Parade of Boats ( taken from the RNLI Weymouth website).

All the key information is there and I hope that some of you will be able to attend.

I regret to say that I will be away on my summer cruise, but you will be pleased to hear that the organiser of the Parade of Boats, Gareth Peaston, has just become a Member of our Branch. He is due to return to Weymouth from his summer cruise around the 17th/18th July, if you wish to ask any last minute questions.

I hope you are making the best of the good weather.

Sailing Secretary:                                                                            Click on image

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22nd July 2019
Portland RNSA Cruise/Rally to Normandy Landings 75. 1st - 9th June 2019 By Christopher Stonehouse.
Success, but with one hiccup!
The highlight of the Branch’s cruising season attracted 5 Portland yachts plus 1 guest yacht.
The fleet comprised my family yacht “Gwendoline Grace”, Leigh Merrick’s “Fusion 111” with guest skipper John Edwards’ “Pilgrim”, Ian Walker’s “Pickle”, Peter Stone’s “Touchdown” and Bob Tuckwood’s Windhorse”. Peter and Bob had sailed the same yachts to the NL70 celebrations.
A couple of yachts set sail early but the majority crossed the Channel on or around the 1st June in light winds. They were, for us, ideal sailing conditions.
The RNVRYC had kindly invited us to join their pre-positioning Rally in St. Vaast between 1st to the 3rd June and many of our skippers took up the offer. Unfortunately, Ian and Alison Walker in “Pickle” suffered engine problems in Cherbourg which took several days to fix and had to drop out of NL75 entirely.
We also encountered a major problem in St. Vaast with “Gwendoline Grace”. She draws 2.4 metres and although we had been assured that the harbour had been dredged to 2.4 metres, the late closing of the harbour gates as the tide ebbed and ongoing leakage left our yacht at least 0.3 metres out of the water! We left after the formal dinner on the 2nd June and anchored just south of St. Vaast, ready for an early start for Ouistreham.
The good weather held until we were safely berthed in Ouistreham Marina, but we experienced some rain during our stay. Nevertheless, this did not spoil the atmosphere, with over 30 RNSA/RNVRYC and Service yachts crowded into our end of the Marina.
Apart from the RNSA/RNVRYC organised events, individual crews followed their own agendas, with some using hire cars or bicycles to travel inland to witness the air-drops or other formal events, whilst others were content to walk to Pegasus Bridge or Sword Beach to join impromptu celebrations in the company of visitors from around the world.
The return journey on Saturday 8th June started with 20-30 knot WSW winds, giving a fine reach for yachts returning to Cherbourg or Portland. It proved to be quite wet, however, and we saw 40 knots over the deck in one gust! Our log registered 79 nm by the time we arrived in Cherbourg Marina. Peter Stone, who had set out at the same time as us from Ouistreham, chose a shorter route home by anchoring overnight off Barfleur before catching the early tidal lift around the Pointe de Barfleur. “Touchdown” arrived back in Portland the next day (9th June) in windless motoring conditions at about the same time as us, despite a lower cruising speed under engine.
Leigh Merrick’s team had started from Ouistreham a few hours earlier than us in order to cross the Channel in one go, but found it hard going when the wind set in from the west, and this seemed to magnify the adverse impact of the tidal currents on the English side of the Channel
In conclusion, a great week was enjoyed by all, but the return journey proved once again that if you can delay a day or so until the weather is more settled, sailing is much more fun.
For more details about Ouistreham, look up NL70 on this website.
Please also see Photos of this Event in the Gallery

30th May 2018
Portland RNSA Cruise/Rally to Brixham and Lyme Regis 23 June 2018.
This cruise is planed for a departure on Saturday 23rd June stay 2 nights in Brixham MDL Marina (Events Pontoon) to allow a day ashore, departing for Lyme Regis on Monday 25th. After a night moored up in Lyme Regis on the summer pontoons or a visitor's buoy, we will return to Portland on Tuesday 26th June. Further detail will be issued to interested members closer to the day. If you would like to take part in some or all of the planned cruise, please contact me as soon as possible by e-mail so that I can confirm my provisional booking with Brixham Marina.
Regards Christopher Stonehouse Sailing Secretary.

30th May 2018
The Yarmouth Trophy
The Yarmouth Trophy weekend being organised by RNSA Portsmouth Branch for racing and cruising yachts will take place on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June. 
If you are interested in joining in, please contact Mr Haydn Chappell (details on RNSA website/Portsmouth Branch) as soon as possible.
Regards Christopher Stonehouse Sailing Secretary.

18th May 2018
Friday Night Racing starting 1st June: Notice from Castle Cove Sailing Club: I am pleased to say we are all organised and ready to start the casual Friday night series, aimed at those who don’t really race but would like to have a go.
 The sailing Instructions and Notice of race are detailed in the PDF to the right.
 Following the racing if anyone would like to meet up at the clubhouse after wards for a drink and bring your own food for a barbecue you would be most welcome.
 All we need from you are details of boats wishing to participate with the skippers name, these will be entered into our scoring system to be able to produce some results.
 I do hope a few will be interested in joining us on these evenings so will look forward to hearing from you very soon.
 Kind Regards
Neil Stroud and endorsed by Peter Goss Branch Captain Portland RNSA.

2018 Notice of Friday Night Races.pdf
File Size: 43 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

23rd November 2017
Yacht Clubs of Weymouth regatta 2018 has been set for the 8/9th September.
22nd November 2017
​Event 2018. Racing. Info rx hnts001@googlemail.com​. Simon Hunt.
JUNIOR OFFSHORE
GROUP
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PORTLAND VISIT

Central RCC  Terry Corner latest

24 September 2017
​How do you feel about putting together something for NL75. Hopefully the bruises from NL70 have faded. Short piece I have sent to a RNVR YC contact having found a RNSA member who had already signed up a crew for 2019.
I am wondering about changing the venues . Change is as good as a rest. Ouistreham is the safest bet but would lead me to say same again but perhaps a change would give build on our past  experience.
 
“. On a different tack have just started to think about NL75 in June 2019.  Whilst In Hornet Services Sailing Club this week got into conversation with a member who told me he already had a crew signed up for NL75. I have put a wake up call to the RNSA Cruising Secretaries to see if any would join a small working party. My initial thoughts are to try a different location. Any road movement on 6th June requires pass over Pegasus Bridge with long delays. I believe you visited Deauville/Trouville before NL70. I visited after the event and was struck how attractive is was. Also the severe lack of water in the outer harbour at low water. On our coach trip for NL70 we called at Dives-Sur-Mer which would be on the west of Pegasus Bridge with easy access to Arromanche giving us a completely different experience to Ouistreham but we all know our way round the Ouistreham Club, marina and large restaurants making it easier for the organisers. Perhaps the peace museum at Caen should be included. Any thoughts/comments? 
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