Nigel Irens is a leading yacht designer, perhaps best known as creator of the trimaran used by Ellen MacArthur to break the world record for solo circumnavigation in 2005. His portfolio is wide-ranging, from racing yachts to innovative cruising designs, typically synthesising traditional forms with modern materials and methods of construction. In this talk he will cover a couple of his most famous designs before going on to explain the background to his latest projects.
Date: Wednesday 27 March. Lectures and talks start promptly at 1900 hrs.
Recounting the latest in a series of adventures that began with an east-west transit of the North West Passage in 2014, in this talk Steve Brown will cover two sailing and ski mountaineering expeditions to South Georgia and Antarctica in the southern spring and summer of 2017-18.
Offered a berth in the South of France for no more than the cost of his Gosport marina fees, Ken Munn decided to move Snowbird to the sun without delay. He planned his voyage for a maximum of three day legs with stopovers to refuel and replenish. With three crew change ports-of-call, and other pitstops, the trip of 2100nm was made in five weeks, with 21 nights at sea. Ken will describe the planning, the boat preparation and the pitfalls. And how he arrived on the Côte d’Azur in June wearing full oilskins and dodging garden furniture.
The designer Albert Strange (1855-1917) was a seminal figure in the development of the small cruising yacht, in addition to being an accomplished sailor, marine artist, and writer. He is best known for his refinement, along with his friend George Holmes, of the Canoe Yawl type — arguably the most suitable for single- or short-handed cruising under sail. His designs have enjoyed a resurgence of interest in recent years; Dick Wynne, a former Chairman of the Albert Strange Association, is on his third (and possibly final) Strange yacht.
Wondering what to do if you don’t have the luxury of taking many weeks or months off work to go sailing each summer? In one, two or three weeks, there are so many options for fantastic cruising from the South Coast that there really is no reason to think that other commitments will spoil your sailing. In this talk, illustrated with numerous photos and videos, Paul will explore some of the highlights of Brittany that are easily accessible in a shorter trip, ideal for the busy sailor. With a stunning coastline, amazing islands and wonderful cuisine, there is no need to go any further.
Frances & Ed Maggs are engaged on a very slow circumnavigation of the British Isles in their gaff ketch Betty Alan. The last two summers have seen them in the SW and W of Ireland, and they will be showing pictures and bragging about their good fortune in having spent nearly a month in Connemara this last June, in a remarkable once-in-a-century summer. Irrespective of the weather, they are both absolutely smote with the landscapes, the culture and the sailing, and you are not going to get an impartial account.
For 10 years Caroline has been crewing for CA members, making great friends along the way and often sailing with them three to four years running. This talk will cover her two most memorable trips, from manoeuvring through shifting pack ice in Svalbard to dodging unlit fishing boats with huge bamboo structures in Indonesia, as well as the many trips to the Baltic and the Med. The joys of arriving in new destinations and exploring inland. The wonderful opportunity to sail so many different boats and learn about different rigging layouts.
The world's most powerful warship (in three different centuries) and its first high-voltage power station, the largest palace in Europe, the headquarters of Trinity House and the East India Company, together with London's Royal Dockyards, Arsenal, Observatory, Seamen's Hospital, Naval College, first steam railway and only nuclear reactor have all - at one time or another - been found along the south bank of the River Thames in Greenwich, Woolwich and Deptford.
The CA will be holding a barbecue on Sunday 29 July during the celebrations of the "Limehouse Social" programme, which will include the motor tug Kent visiting Limehouse Basin over the weekend of 27-30 July.
Our monthly summer club suppers start again in May again this year. The dates for your diary are:
9 May
6 June
4 July
8 August
5 September
Our suppers are quite informal. Timing is 7pm for 7.30pm. Venue is CA House. Guests are welcome. One, two or three courses are available depending on how hungry you are. Order at the bar, and we'll pull a few tables together for a sociable evening.
Date: Sunday 29 July