Wessex

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is a national charity that takes young people aged 8-24 on sailing and outdoor adventures to inspire them to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer. Every day around 12 young people under 25 are diagnosed with cancer. For many young people simply picking up where they left off before their diagnosis just isn’t possible. That is why when treatment ends the Trust’s work begins.

Some say they represent the true Corinthian spirit of sailing others think they are crazy, but the Jester Challenge truly provides challenges to all who participate. Named after Blondie Haslar’s boat which he sailed in the first Observer Single Handed Transatlantic Rally (OSTAR), Jester Challenges now exist on the original transatlantic route plus events to the Azores and Baltimore, Ireland. They are low budget and minimally regulated events for single handed sailors in small boats, typically less than 30’.

At our annual Near and Far evening Wessex members share a part of their 2023 cruising season. We have four presentations and a chance to mingle in the break.

Peter and Hilary bought a boat in Scotland then decided not to bring her home.  They will talk about the wonderful cruising area of the West Coast of Scotland.

Starting out from Dartmouth in March 2019 in his 34ft boat Good Dog, Mark has completed a 5 year challenge to visit every Harbour Master in the British Isles including the whole of Ireland. He has sailed 9,000 nautical miles, visited 310 harbours and interviewed 256 Harbour Masters in places ranging from Cornish fishing villages, remote Irish Atlantic islands, urban container ports and everything in between. All is in support of The Seafarers’ Charity.

The RNLI College in Poole opens its doors to provide a fascinating insight to the training of its lifeboat crews and lifeguards. CA Wessex Section has arranged a tour for CA members only, 90 minutes behind the scenes, on Tuesday, 4th April at 1400. Please visit the RNLI College website for more information about the College.

Learn how some understanding of modern weather forecasting methods can help you get the most out of your sailing and stay safe. Andrew’s talk will cover sources of weather information useful for offshore sailors to help you achieve this. He will include examples of ‘official’ forecasts as well as the wide range of commercial sources now available. The talk will conclude with a weather routing exercise for a Channel crossing from Poole.

CA members Bob & Elaine Hazell left the UK in 2008 on their yacht ‘Pipistrelle’ to realise a life’s ambition. Here they recall 9 months’ fantastic experience of the best sailing they have ever had in crossing the South Pacific from the Panama Canal to New Zealand, and visiting many stunning islands on route. Included is not only information about their yacht, but also the importance of route planning, weather forecasting, and how to prepare for an ocean passage.

We are sure to enjoy stunning photos and tales of remote locations.

Join with old friends and make new acquaintances at an informal evening of socialising and sharing with fellow sailors. The new Wessex Section Secretaries will kick off the evening by introducing themselves and sharing the highs (and lows!) of their 2022 sailing season. Continuing the tradition of “Near and Far”, we’d love if others would do the same – please contact us to book if you would like to present.

Duncan Wells is the principal of Westview Sailing School, a features writer in the sailing press, and the author of several books which score four and a half or five stars on Amazon. I’ve only got one of them, but I’d score that one highly as well. Four, five years ago - well in distant pre-Covid times - Duncan gave us a very popular talk, “Stress Free Sailing.” Since then, Duncan has written a couple more books, and this talk will be a follow-on from the first, and incorporate some of the ideas in his recent books.