Wessex

We are happy to offer one more opportunity to get together at the end of this Winter Season. A CA Wessex Fitting-Out Lunch will be held on Sunday 7th April, 12.00 for 12.30pm, at the Royal Motor Yacht Club on the beautiful Sandbanks Peninsula, with magnificent Poole Harbour views. We will be treated to the carvery menu (£18.95pp) (beef, plus either lamb or pork) with a vegetarian option as well as optional starters, deserts, tea and coffee, and drinks from the bar; bills will be settled individually on the day.

As requested by members in January, we have arranged a Tour of the RNLI All Weather Lifeboat Centre. This facility was purpose-built in 2015 to enable the RNLI to manufacture its own high specification, self-righting, lifeboats. Up to 12 participants will be able to see lifeboat construction work on a one-hour tour at 2.30pm.

Participants will be very welcome to join to together for a self-service lunch in the College restaurant, with panoramic views of Holes Bay, at 1.00pm. 

Date and Time: Wednesday 29 November 2023, tour begins at 14:30

This is our pre- Christmas social evening and the last event of the year.  Come along for some seasonal treats of mince pies and mulled wine and a fun photo competition with some prizes. The bar will be open for those who don’t fancy mulled wine. Here’s how the photo competition will work….There will be three categories - Nautical, Non-nautical, and Humorous. Each person can enter up to 4 images in total, across any of the categories, by bringing along prints on the night,  no larger than 10x8. Voting for winners will be by the event attendees.

Please join us for Lunch on Sunday 3rd December in the wonderful location of Parkstone Yacht Club. We look forward to a lovely occasion with all our members - whether we've met you several times before, or if this is your first time - all are very welcome, we're a friendly bunch!

Pip is based in Poole, belongs to Poole Yacht Club, and is an honorary member of the CA. After delivering an incredible performance as the underdog in the 20/21 Vendée Globe, Pip is now working with a professional team and preparing a new boat for the 2024 Edition of the race. You can read much more about Pip, her racing and her inspiring talks, at piphare.com.

After dinner, Pip will talk about her preparations for Vendee Globe 2024; the training, fundraising and support required in the lead up to this prestigious event.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is a national charity that takes young people aged 8-24 on sailing and outdoor adventures to inspire them to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer. Every day around 12 young people under 25 are diagnosed with cancer. For many young people simply picking up where they left off before their diagnosis just isn’t possible. That is why when treatment ends the Trust’s work begins.

Some say they represent the true Corinthian spirit of sailing others think they are crazy, but the Jester Challenge truly provides challenges to all who participate. Named after Blondie Haslar’s boat which he sailed in the first Observer Single Handed Transatlantic Rally (OSTAR), Jester Challenges now exist on the original transatlantic route plus events to the Azores and Baltimore, Ireland. They are low budget and minimally regulated events for single handed sailors in small boats, typically less than 30’.

At our annual Near and Far evening Wessex members share a part of their 2023 cruising season. We have four presentations and a chance to mingle in the break.

Peter and Hilary bought a boat in Scotland then decided not to bring her home.  They will talk about the wonderful cruising area of the West Coast of Scotland.

Starting out from Dartmouth in March 2019 in his 34ft boat Good Dog, Mark has completed a 5 year challenge to visit every Harbour Master in the British Isles including the whole of Ireland. He has sailed 9,000 nautical miles, visited 310 harbours and interviewed 256 Harbour Masters in places ranging from Cornish fishing villages, remote Irish Atlantic islands, urban container ports and everything in between. All is in support of The Seafarers’ Charity.

The RNLI College in Poole opens its doors to provide a fascinating insight to the training of its lifeboat crews and lifeguards. CA Wessex Section has arranged a tour for CA members only, 90 minutes behind the scenes, on Tuesday, 4th April at 1400. Please visit the RNLI College website for more information about the College.