The April meeting, (Second Thursday in the Month), unfortunately fell on the Thursday Night before the Eater Holiday weekend. Therefore the attendance was not as high as we would normally expect because most members, it is suspected, would have been taking advantage of the long weekend to either go sailing or to prepare their vessels. The members who did attend enjoyed the various topics but nobody reached “Mastermind” status in their answers.
The 2022 Fitting out Lunch was held this year at the Crown Aston End.
The event was well attended and the food, and company, was enjoyed by all present. A personal recommendation for the food and service which was first class.
Due to a road closure on Long Lane it meant that some attendees had a chance to refresh their navigation skills.
Holding the event at lunchtime rather than in the evening seems to be very popular so holding them at this time in the future will likely be the way forward.
As well as general chit chat it gave the attendees the opportunity to discuss their plans for the future sailing season, a topic that will continue at the next meeting to be held on Thursday 14th April to be held at the RNA Welwyn Garden City 7:30pm.
Honfleur a Nauticat 33 recently purchased by Alex Nicholas joins the Soca fleet.
After being boatless for three seasons Alex has now taken ownership of a well found Nauticat.
Having spent the end of August aboard at Southwold getting to know the boat,
Alex with the help of Andrew Davidson then brought her down to her permanent mooring at Walton.
The Soca committee hope she will be out with other boats next season enjoying the sailing.
Martyn Reed
Bringing Natsumi a Sunbeam 37 back from the Baltic.
A phone call from my sailing friend David informing me that he had successfully purchased a replacement yacht after recently selling his Moody 336 leaving him without a boat for the summer.
After looking at a number of different yachts in various countries David had settled on an Austrian built Sunbeam.
Although nearer than the other Sunbeam 37 he had seen in Croatia, Natsumi was still some distance from its new home port of Tollesbury.
To hear about the trip from Laboe in Germany back to Amsterdam you will have to come to SOCA in the new year when I will talk about the first half of the trip home.
Martyn Reed