We have welcomed a number of new members several of whom have been following the Club Sail Training programme and are now entering the Sunday racing. Our thanks to Richard for organising this training.
    On the social side we have indulged in a range of activities - most are reported elsewhere but I would highlight in particular the Regatta weekend when the combination of fine weather, good food and drink, a live Jazz band and some interesting sailing made for a very enjoyable time. It was very much a team effort and my thanks to all who contributed to its success.
    The social programme continues with a "charity dinner" on September 2 in support of Project Homerus - a project to encourage the blind to sail competitively. The object is to raise money to support this worthwhile cause whilst enjoying some good food, good company and a selection of wine specially produced for the project. For those with a technical bent there is also an interesting tale to hear about how sound signals are used to guide boats around the course. More details and a booking form are enclosed with this newsletter
    I close with a number of housekeeping issues. Firstly is the perennial issue of site security. Regrettably we are finding too many instances when the site is not secure. The recent unfortunate theft of a trailer from the car park highlights that it is in all our interests to follow the established protocol which is as follows:
The inner gate (i.e .the one adjacent to the car park) must be closed and locked at all times. The only exception is if there is a key holder present in the car park who has personally accepted responsibility to secure the gate on departure.
    The outer gate may be left unlocked, but closed, when there is someone on site.(The Club's lock must always be left locked in the chain so that it forms a continuous loop with the other lock). At other times it must be closed and locked.
    The green outer gate (which has no lock) may be left open when there is someone on the site.  
    The second issue concerns the disposal of rubbish: Rubbish is not collected from the site and it is therefore a help if we all take our own rubbish away with us. In the past we have burnt combustible rubbish, but having had a bonfire recently that got out of control, the committee have agreed that this practice should cease. In the future all toxic materials (e.g paint cans, resin bottles etc) must either be removed or put in the metal dustbin under the starter hut. Undergrowth cut back from around boat moorings should not be left on the bank but should be disposed of in the dip at the back of the car-park.
Enjoy the summer and good sailing!
Nigel Knowles