Day Notes

Activity Days Notes 2023

Date

Notes

19/11/23	Every lock had a red board strong stream warning. No sailing but 13 at the club for tea & cakes.
12/11/23	Every lock had a red board strong stream warning. No sailing.
05/11/23	Every lock had a red board strong stream warning. Over 2knts stream and lower slip covered. No sailing but 16 at the club by 15:00.
29/10/23	Wet until 14:00, then sunny, there was a yellow board current warning, over 1 knot, tthere wasb't much wind, here was no sailing.
28/10/23	Around 28 member at the work party and 22 eating at the end. Work was interupted by rain showers.
22/10/23	A bit chilly fine day but not much SW wind. No possibility of sailing because there was over 2 knots current and a red board strong strreamwarning at every lock. 16 members were at the club for afternoon tea and cakes.
15/10/23	A fine cold day. Not much NW wind, 0.2knt current in the morning increasing to 0.4knt in the afternoon, difficult to make way upstream.
08/10/23	Fine hot day but no wind in morning, first race delayed until 12:00 when there was just enough wind to run short races.
01/10/23	Although the forecast was SW 10 to 20 mph there was only 3 to 5 mph on the weather station. Very slow racing, especially the last race; big lap tine differences.
24/09/23	The wind conditions were force 1 to 3 coming from the south, which produced maximum turbulence. One participant experienced a good wind at the level of his hull, but nothing at the level of the boom, which was attributed to a downdraught hitting and spreading out across the water. There were several capsizes of Lasers and one of the OK. All helms shared the confusion of the wind. A downstream start led to a starboard near the car park then upstream to a pair of ports. Despite a delay in starting racing in order to take down the quarterdeck cover, Alastair Gray was able to run all four races scheduled for the day.
17/09/23	AQSC 75th Anniversary event, 67 at the club. Some ten boats competed out of the twelve on the water. These were mostly a mixture of Lasers and Bosun’s and one Topper. The conditions throughout the event got progressively very windy resulting in a number of capsizes and near misses. Very entertaining for the audience but no doubt pretty hairy for the helms and their crews.
10/09/23	The club was very busy with preparations for the 75th anniversary party on 17th. The wind was fairly consistent but weak West force 0 to 1, weather station 3 to 7mph. The course set was upstream to a port, then downstream to a pair of ports in line with the car park All sailing was in una rigged boats, mainly Lasers with one Topper and Luca + visiting Australian Auntie + cousin getting around sedately on a Pico. The wind picked up quite nicely, just after the last race. Rob Britton was able to shoot video and stills from his drone while race officer. Graham Thompson and Mike Gatehouse enjoyed correcting a couple of passing paddle boarders who were paddling somewhat erratically skeg forwards. So overall a warm, lazy September day with a considerable challenge of keeping racing boats moving.
03/09/23	Very little wind, fortunately some East in it. SE 0 to 1.
27/08/23	There was good sailing in 5 to 10 mph westerly wind, sometimes with a bit of North or South in it. This was an unusual sailing day in that there was no formal series racing, but rather a series of fun races.The first race, which involved one boat sailing between an upstream port and a downstream port, while a second boat sailed between equivalent starboard marks. On passing the upstream marks they had to repeatedly remove the flag and replace it on returning to that mark. The second race was similar, but with relay teams of two boats The final two races consisted of an upwind slalom and downwind fun. On the water were Grahm Thompson in a Bosun, initially with Jack Fraser and later with Erica Mason. Nigel Knowles sailed a Bosun with Barbara Mackenzie, while John Botterill and Joan Courtney sailed the RS Vision. Steve Pishke and Rory Butler sailed Lasers and Mark Davy looked comfortable reclining on a Topper. Rory Butler, sailing a Laser for the second time recovered well from a capsize. Graham.
20/08/23	Saling in the 5-10 mph West wind was looking good but the sailors complained that it wasn't good and was all over the place.
19/08/23	21 members travelled to the Caribbean for an evening with a tropical flavor. Although the event was mainly organized by Jean Maracchi, she was more than ably assisted by Diana Carpenter, Erica Mason, Rodger Wheeler and Barbara McKenzie in various roles. Venezuelan, Cuban, Jamaican & Dominican cuisine were featured, with minor contributions from some of the other island cuisines. Jean.
13/08/23	Wvariable 2-3,8-12 mph, sasiling OK.
06/08/23	NW 1-3, 8-10 mph good sailing. OOD Trudi suggested Cundy long distance race for 14:00 race,; worked well going to Channel marker. Steve Pische won theCundy trophy.
30/07/23	SW wind but very varable., a reasonable sail for the first race but rain started at 12:00 and killed the wind until the afternoon when there were strong gusts and sqauls.. Strength and direction, very variable.
23/07/23	Although the forecast was SW 12 to 24 mph on the water it was very variable, gusty and from any direction. Lap times varied from 5 to 15 minutes.
16/07/23	The forecast was SW 15 to 30 mph wind although the weather station displayed SW 10 mph wind but on the water it was very unpredictable, gusty and shifty. Some Molesey Rowing Regatta afternoon races were cancelled due to the wind conditions after a boat capsized..
09/07/23	SW but any direction, 0-1 extremely fluky, terrible sailing
02/07/23	The very gusty force 2-5 west wind gave super sailing providecf you didn’t mind getting wet; 17 recorded capsizes was probably the most we have had on a day. That didn’t include the capsizes during the Newcomers capsize recovery event early afternoon.
25/06/23	Although the forecast was 12 to 22 mph it was very gusty SSE and from any direction
18/06/23
11/06/23	Regatta Sunday, much less good than Saturday
10/06/23	Regatta Saturday. \ideal conditions, NNE 3 to 10 mph, sailing was E 1 -2.
04/06/23	Although the weather station displayed N 5-10 mph, on the water it was E force 0 to 3 and super sailing..
31/05/23	Wednersday sailing. We had 2 family groups to sail. Two Laser Radials had a cracking sail and Nigel took Lauren out in his Bosun. Both families said they would be down next Sunday. In addition Valerie came down and had a sail with Nigel in the Bosun. The Nettles family also put in an appearance and went out in canoes.
28/05/23	Very good sailing; ENE 7-15 mph.
21/05/23	Open day. Weather: Bright and sunny but clouded over late afternoon. Wind N,NNE Strength light to occasional gusts. Visitors: 12 family groups. Quite a few kids. Boats: 3 Bosuns, 1 Laser, 3 kayaks, 1 Pico Fairly busy day that picked up after lunch. Kids very keen on the kayaks. Safety boats busy running people around. Probably the busiest day of the three open days.
20/05/23	Mid Thames Trophy. best conditions for sailing we have had this year by a big margin, 0.5 knt current, NNE 6 to 12mph wind. In the afternoon there was a squall which caused a collision unfortunately resuling in a hole in an Enterprise.
14/05/23	Open day.
13/05/23	Open Day; Discover Sailing.
07/05/23	A warm and sunny day with a westerly wind which at times allowed Lasers to overcome the current, so in two of the day's three races boats were towed up river and released to run downstream in a one lap race. In one race, however, it was possible to set a course consisting of an upstream beat, downstream run and beat back up to the starting/finishing line - two boats managed two laps and two only one lap. We had a visit from a potential new member and Andy Ford brought to the club a recently purchased OK dinghy - Una cat rig and Andy's second dip into this class. Graham.
07/05/23	0-1 ?, difficult to make way against 1 knt current. First and last races towed to channel marker and allocated to the Fun series.
30/04/23	We finally managed to get our dinghies to overcome the stream that enabled us to race for the first time this season. A South Easterly enabled us to set a course creeping upstream along the Middlesex bank to a port mark near the ramp, followed by a midstream port where the current gave assistance, and a third port off the outlet to start creeping upstream to the finish line. Graham
29/04/23	Work Party. Ideal conditions, fine and warm, many tasks were completed by 28 members.
23/04/23	For the first time this season there was no high current warning board for our reach. Josh tried to sail but there was very little wind and he couldn't make way against the 1 knt current. There were some rain showers.
16/04/23	Red board high current warning at every lock; no sailing. Good social gathering for afternoon tea and cakes.
09/04/23	Easter Egg Trophy scheduled but postponed and no sailing because 1.5 knts current; every lock has a red board high current warning.
02/04/23	No sailing because 1.5 knots current and red board high current warnins at all locks. 15 members at the club for afternoon tea and cake. Fine day.
26/03/23	No sailing on the first day of the 2023 Series sailing season because 1.5 knot current and red board high current warnins at all locks.
12/02/23	Fine, about 10 at AQSC for tea and cakes, SSE 6 to 10 mph. no current but no one sailed. Bryan and Mike B did some work on Aquarius patrol boat electrics.
05/02/23	Very fine, but cold day, about 12 at AQSC, no current but no one sailed. Bryan and Mike B did some work on Aquarius patrol boat electrics.
29/01/23	Burns Night left over Haggis for lunch, taking part in the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) bird watch event; 12 Species & 50 birds seen. Diana did loads of cakes for tea. About 20 there.
08/01/23	Very wet day, high current, red board warning.
01/01/23	There was a current of 2 to 3 knots, every reach of the Thames had a Red Board strong stream warning and the Environment Agency advised that no craft should navigate; so there was no sailing. But around 20 members enjoyed the lunch of Tomato Soup, Jacket Potatos with chilli Con Carne, cheese and beans followed by Crumble or chocholate log. Thanks go to Nigel and all the helpers.