To: KOA Members and Kestrel sailors
From: Chris Grice, President, KOA
Date: January 24, 2019
Subject: Happy New Year
Hello All,
A belated Happy New Year to you all!
Our main two UK fleets cleaned up in their respective off season events, with Paul Barnett and Stewart Murdoch finishing 1st and 2nd in the Boxing Day race on the Tay, and Paul Gray winning both the Maylandsea Winter Series and the 43 boat Blackwater Icicle fleet with Howie third in Glenn’s boat and me fifth. Winning handicap series wins people over to us, so well done and keep it up.
Paul Barnett has also been busy stirring up people and getting them prepped for the new season up on the Tay (see enclosed newsletter). Great job.
We have another Hartley boat added to the Kestrel fleet at Maylandsea, a keen racer, welcome Miles, and we are working on others….
Larry King has been busy building on the good work done by Richard Roberts on the KOA website. Take a look when you get a chance:-
If you are looking for set-up tips on a new boat, or unhappy with what you have, there is a rig tuning guide on the About Kestrels page (done by Tim Rush, I believe), and if you are thinking of pushing the boundaries, the class rules are on there as well!
What is especially nice are the video clips running on the home page, they really show what a great boat it is. Planing breeze, sunshine, competition, what more could you ask for? I have looked at Lake Saratoga from Google Earth before, but when you see it on a video clip you realise that it is a big stretch of water – bet you get a nasty chop in there when it’s windy.
Preparations are continuing for the 2019 Kestrel Nationals at Pwllheli. to be shared with the Miracles and Signets. Racing starts on Sunday 11th August and finishes on Friday 16th August. The camping on site can be booked:-
As of today, on site in the main compound for campervans/motorhomes there are still 9 serviced and 8 unserviced pitches and quayside 8 camping pitches still available. The Centre have indicated that there may well be further land available next to site for camping, that they can open up if it is required, so if the regular pitches have gone when you come to book, get in contact with the Centre, or me. There is also a major campsite a short walk up the beach, so we should have no problems getting accommodation.
Unfortunately, the cost is more than I had originally indicated, as I had believed that dinner etc was included. Including the Welcome Reception and Prize Giving Dinner for crews, the cost is likely to be £210. This includes the provision of 2 quad bikes for helping to get boats up the beach. I appreciate this is a fair bit more than the original figures and more than we are used to paying, but it is for a week rather than a long weekend, and looking around at other classes, it is about average for the big sea venues. If you have not sailed at Pwllheli or at Abersoch before, it is one of the best sailing areas in the country. If we get the usual good Westerlies it will be fantastic sailing. Since we were last there in 2008 the clubhouse/centre has been built. This offers vastly better facilities than we had last time, is overlooking the sailing area, with balconies from the bar and restaurant which should allow spectators to see all the racing. The Welcome Reception and Prize Giving Dinner will be held upstairs in the Centre. The website is :- https://plasheli.org/
Dates for Frostbite and North American Championships at Lake Saratoga are already on the website. Other UK events for your diaries, not fully confirmed yet, I believe, are :-
June 22nd/23rd Scottish Championships at RTYC July 6th/7th Medway Dinghy Regatta at Wilsonian SC September 28th/29th Kestrel Eastern Areas Maylandsea Bay SC
These will go on the website when confirmed. Looking forward to the end of winter and that spring sailing!
See you on the water,
Chris Grice