We have another great year ahead, with arrangements for Cowes – 16 to 18 May - ably organised by our Secretary again, well in hand: you should all have received the booking forms by now and I hope we will have an even larger gathering and fleet than before. Vice Commodore Michael Wilkey has again arranged for us to hold a rally at Burnham on Crouch over the weekend of 27 to 29 June. This year we have invited members of the Royal Burnham Yacht Club and the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club to join our celebrations and the racing.

In addition, Past Commodore Michael Slack has arranged a day’s sailing on 29 April and we hope to raise lots of money for

the RNLI at the City 100 guineas dinner next week. As you know, the City Livery Yacht Club is co-hosting this event with the City branch of the RNLI and sterling work has been done by Clifford Champion, with great support from Dennis Taylor, Roger Burroughs and Edward Sankey. We must also thank the Vintners’ Company for providing their Hall. I urge all members to seek additional funding from their Livery Companies for the Tamar lifeboat, City of London III, which is destined for Sennen Cove. (Update: those attending donated over £60,000 on the night.)

I will be seeking members of the Royal Lymington Yacht Club to compete against us in the race in scows I am organising for the weekend of 13 to 14 September and look forward to having you there, either as a competitor or a spectator. Janet has recently circulated an invitation to join Keith Clarke at The Windsor Yacht Club on 4 October. I hope this is something that London-based members will support.

As you may have heard, we are seeking a new Secretary. After several years of devoted support for our Club, Janet has told us that she wants to be relieved of her duties. If you know of anyone who may be interested in this work, please ask them to talk to Janet. I want to record my personal thanks to her for her help and support – it will certainly be a hard act to follow – but I hope we will have the pleasure of her company as a guest at future events.

It just remains for me to wish you all a very Happy Sailing Season in 2008. I look forward to seeing a goodly number of you in Cowes.

Peta Walmisley
Commodore

The Commodore's message appears on the front page of the April 2008 Newsletter. Pages 1, 2, 3, and 4 can be viewed by clicking on the page numbers.

You can see a brief report, with photos, of the Laying-Up Dinner, held on 12 November at the Royal Thames Yacht Club, by clicking here.

Click here to read a report of the Cowes 2008 weekend; click here to read a report of the Swatchways 2007 weekend, held on 13-15 July, and here to read a report of the ATYC Rally over the Bank Holiday weekend, when again Norman and Julie won the Narrow Boat Handling Competition. You can also see a report of the ATYC Dinner Dance held on 15 March by clicking here.

A list of the events for 2008 appears on the Events page.