Puffin Picnic Rally and Evening Party

Dear Members

Just a quick missive to let you all know what a great day we all had last Saturday. The Puffin Picnic Rally ran on schedule with the briefing on Friday evening at 2100 in the Club. Steve Gorst, our Sailing Captain, delivered the briefing to a good audience of boat skippers that intended to participate and took the names of volunteers! that were happy to host our Cadet Members that planned to sail with the fleet. The turnout of boats was extremely good with several new Members joining in which was fantastic to see. The bar take during the evening was gratifying to say the least although I am sure that any consequent thick heads the next morning were probably regretted. Saturday morning turned out to largely be as forecast, for a change, and the fleet got underway at approx 1130, as instructed by Steve, and made its way to seaward pushing a strong flood tide. Once out in the bay the breeze turned out to actually be fairly fresh from the east and although a number of us had contemplated the possibility of a wonderful cruising chute/spinnaker run over to puffin, none were actually hoisted. Irrespective of this we all made good passage in the stiff breeze arriving off Puffin at approx 1330. Several boats anchored as briefed on the Anglesey shore close to Trwyn Ddu Lighthouse for lunch with a few electing not to do so who made their way gently back to Conwy for a late lunch on their harbour berths. All in all a really good sail and an excellent check out for our boats prior to the longer passages ahead of us as the sailing programme really gets going in earnest with the Round Anglesey Rally on the Bank Holiday weekend 3 – 5 May. Well done Steve and thank you.

The Post Puffin Picnic Party took place that evening commencing at 2000 in the Club. All I can really say is that if you were not there then you really did miss a musical treat of some considerable magnitude. Hazel Sopalthwaite was our principal artiste for the evening and entertained us with country/folk music and song of an extraordinarily high quality. Hazels voice is simply superb and her talent with her quitar of the highest order. Hazel was wonderfully supported throughout the evening by Big John Broadhead, whose music we all appreciate so much, and , Andy Gallacher who so kindly brought his guitar with him and performed a whole series of country songs for our enjoyment. Thank you all so very much from all of us that were there, we really did have a great time and truly appreciated not only your talent but also your generosity of spirit by giving your time to entertain us so very well. The evening was really well attended by over 40 members including the majority of those that had sailed in the rally earlier in the day and also by a considerable number of others that had not been able to do so but came in support of the event.

Nibbles, German sausage Rolls, prepared by Jean were served during the evening. Thank you all for attending in support of our club, it really does make the effort that our musicians and everyone else contributed to the evening worthwhile.

That’s all for now. Don’t forget to sign up for the Round Anglesey Rally 3-5 May. I look forward to seeing you all soon, be it either afloat, in the club or hopefully both.

Yours in Sailing

Tony Mead
Commodore.