SOCA 2025 Calendar Orders required by 30th November
Our 2025 calendar features some of the photographs which were entered into last year’s photo competition by SOCA members.
Please be generous with your ordering so that we can make a good profit for the Commodore’s Charity.
Perhaps you have family and friends who would like to place an order.
£6 A5 Small calendars £10 A4 Medium calendars £18 A3 Large calendars
We will be printing to order so please reserve your calendars today.
Email your order to:socasailing@me.com
Your calendars will be available at the 12th December meeting or Stevenage collection or posted. (We will need to cover costs on orders that require p&p).
Direct transfer to SOCA bank account preferred, or cash on collection.
Bank details will be sent with order confirmation.
The topic for the December meeting was as usual the 2023 Photo competition. The format of the meeting was slightly changed from previous years with the meeting being a combination of physical attendance at the RNA Welwyn Garden City and with some participants joining in via ZOOM. It was a very well attended meeting with one of the highest in person attendance of the year, including guests from our sister organisation BOSG. As part of the Christmas Meeting a raffle for the Commodore’s Charity was held that raised a £70 contribution to his 2023 fund..
The competition for best photo was, as usual, broken into six different Categories:-
1) Club People since the club was formed. 2) Seascapes 3) Artistic (with a nautical flavour) 4) Boats 5) Weather and Sunsets 6) Sailing Holiday
The meeting was hosted by Terry, all the photos were displayed both in the venue and on ZOOM for attendees to vote on with the results being announced after the last picture was shown. Below is a summary of the photo completion for 2023, watch out for future calendars when some of these pictures will re-appear.
Club People Category The entries for this category are all in this collage.
The winner of this category was George Whitchurch with his picture taken whilst racing.
George Says: about the winning photo “A number of people asked me what dinghy I was in. I was in one of six Blackwater S.C. owned identical R.S. Zest`s, which were used for the Cock of the River trophy at the end of the August 2023 Club Week of racing. I had won the “Slow Handicap” cruiser series in a friends Hunter 19. But apart from the Fast cruiser class winner, I was up against the young dinghy class winners, a few of whom are world class! Although I came last in the final, I enjoyed the publicity and did not capsize!”
Seascapes Category The entries for this category are all in this collage. The winner of this category was Dave Arnold with his picture taken whilst on holiday.
Artistic Category The entries for this category are all in this collage.
The winner of this category was Stewart Warren with his picture taken whilst sailing in Greece.
Boats Category The entries for this category are all in this collage. The winner of this category was John Robinson taking part in the competition via ZOOM with his picture of PS Waverley taken in the Solent.
Weather and Sunsets Holidays Category The entries for this category are all in this collage.
The winner of this category was Paul Bragg with his picture taken whilst on holiday.
Sailing Holidays Category The entries for this category are all in this collage. The winner of this category was Lesley Stevenswith her picture taken in Greece whilst on holiday. Terry picked up the prize on her behalf.
It’s been another interesting sailing season, and as usual numbers at the summer monthly meetings have been low, reflecting everyone’s nautical activities. However with the shortening nights and the run into end of year it’s time to catch up on future events.
10th-July-Honfleur-in-Dunkirk
In October your HONFLEUR crew will present a short slide show off their recent “expeditionary force” to the continent... all is well, the natives are friendly, and the required paperwork proved to be no hindrance.
The traditional Photo Comp will be held in December – only digital entries, details soon.
Soca is 40 next year and the RNLI will be 200. We plan a very very short AGM in March followed by a SOCA 40th party – with accompanying photo show….. dig out your old pics please.
RNLI…? We’ll think of something.
The Laying Up Supper will be held at the Station Arms Pub in Knebworth on either 4th or 11th November.
The December meeting was held on the 8th of December and was well attended despite the weather conditions. This was the annual nautical themed photo contest which included the opportunity for a pre-Christmas social. Nearly 120 photos from over 20 members were submitted into the competition, this made the voting very close with ties-breaking decisions having to be made in 4 of the categories.
The winners in the 2022 Photo Competition
Above are the six winners in the 2022 photo competition. From left to right :- Terry, George (at front), Paul, Tanya, Stewart & Geff
The competition for best photo was broken into six different Categories:- 1) Club People since the club was formed. 2) Seascapes 3) Artistic (with a nautical flavour) 4) Boats 5) Weather and Sunsets 6) Sailing Holiday
Below are the winning photos from the 2022 Photo Competition.
Categories for the Photo Competition:
1) Club People since the club was formed.
Club People – A very old Printed Photo that required scanning from Tanya
2) Seascapes
SEASCAPES – A photo taken by Stewart off Plymouth
3) Artistic (with a nautical flavour)
Artistic – A photo that could have been entered into (and won) many of the categories by Terry
4) Boats
BOATS – A picture from Paul from high on the mast.
5) Weather and Sunsets
Weather & Sunsets – A picture from George on the East Coast.
6) Sailing Holiday
Sailing Holiday – a picture taken on the wharf in Oban whilst Geff was on holiday in Scotland
Note a selection from the entries will form the basis of next year’s calendar 2024 which seeing the quality of this year’s entries means it will be highly desirable. Also a raffle etc was held which made a healthy boost to the funds for the Commodores chosen charity which this year is BTAC.
The August 2022 SOCA Committee meeting was held on Thursday 18th August at the RNA in Welwyn Garden City. Despite it being the peak holiday season it was a very well attended meeting with only one apology received.
SOCA Committee Meeting August 2022
All members commented that it was good to see the Commodore, Alex, in good health after his recent hip operation.
The committee discussed various topics including new requirements from our bank to stop money laundering??, the future programme of presentations and events, potential training, items for the website, and how to attract new members, plus general chit chat on sailing related topics. One of the new items on the agenda was two significant upcoming events in 2024.
If you have any thoughts on anything to do with the running of SOCA especially on future events/presentations, training requirements or increasing the membership plus if you have any ideas or information or anecdotes on SOCA in the last 40 years the committee would like to hear your thoughts.
Around 100 photos were submitted from members for the competition on the night held at the RNA club in Welwyn Garden City. No longer laid out on tables but displayed digitally for the attendees to choose their favourite picture in each category. No doubt the winning photographs, plus some of the other submitted images, which came close to winning, will form the basis of the 2023 Calendar.
The competition for best photo was broken into six different Categories:- 1) Club People since the club was formed. 2) Seascapes 3) Artistic (with a nautical flavour) 4) Boats 5) Weather and Sunsets 6) Sailing Holiday
Winning Photograph for Catagory Club People since the club was formed.Winning Photograph for Catagory SeascapesWinning Photograph for Catagory Artistic (with a nautical flavour)Winning Photograph for Catagory Boats Winning Photograph for Catagory Weather and SunsetsWinning Photograph for Catagory Sailing Holiday
The winner of this category was Dave Arnold with his picture taken whilst on holiday.
The winner of this category was John Robinson taking part in the competition via ZOOM with his picture of PS Waverley taken in the Solent.
The winner of this category was 
In November we are experimenting with a Zoom presentation by Jeremy Batch.
