The CruiseAbility forum has now opened within the member’s section of the CA website. Its aim is to ensure that the objects of the Cruising Association are inclusive of members with disabilities or impairments, and assist these keen people to sail yachts.
Hearty congratulations to CA member Jeanne Socrates who arrived in Cape Town (Royal Cape Y.C.) on Wednesday, 11th May at 5.10 p.m. local time at the successful conclusion of her third attempt to circumnavigate single-handed via Cape Horn. Her journey, via New Zealand, Hawaii, Canada/USA, Cape Horn, and the Falkland Islands took 14 months. At the age of 68, Jeanne is the oldest woman to complete a single-handed round-world voyage via Cape Horn and one of fewer than twenty women to have done so.
The entire membership of the Cruising Association is shocked to learn that Scott and Jean Adam and their crew Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle on board their sailing yacht Quest have been fatally shot by their captors following the hijacking by Somali pirates off the coast of Oman.
Scott Adam was a member of the Cruising Association and the yacht had been taking part in the round-the-world Blue Water Rally but had left the rally before the attack.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those who died.
Where did you cruise last year? Got a story to tell?
Members are encouraged to submit an account of their cruising antics of 2010 for the annual log competition. There are a range of categories and if you're lucky, you might even win a prize. All logs submitted are held in the library and information centre at CA House where we have an extensive collection of logs going back to the earliest days of the Associaiton.
CA London will hold a wine tasting and social evening to coincide with our traditional twice yearly welcome to new members. Tickets for the wine tasting at £7.50. Musical entertainment to follow led by our President, Stuart Bradley.
Henn Avasalu's letter (YM Dec p. 16) "Sail the Baltic" attracted our attention as it demonstrates the warm welcome British and other visiting yachtsmen receive all around the Baltic as well as highlighting some of the advantages of cruising this beautiful and interesting area. Henn has been unfortunate in meeting few of us because we are out there in considerable numbers but by October we have laid up our boats and returned home.
The Cruising Association is delighted that members Paul and Rachel Chandler have been released from captivity after 388 days. They are now at the British High Commissioner's residence in Nairobi and will be returning to the UK shortly. They were kidnapped from their 38ft yacht, Lynn Rival, in October last year in international waters some 600 miles from the coast of Somalia. Their yacht was returned to the UK by the Royal Navy in November, 2009.
The Cruising Association enjoyed a very successful London Boat Show this year. We were delighted to welcome almost 400 of our members to our stand, and we now have more than sixty new members who signed up at the show. Our Patron, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, visited the stand midway through the week and is pictured here with General Secretary Wendy Hodkinson and watch keepers Brian Hammett and David Beane. Thank you to all of our watch keepers for their time and enthusiasm.
CA members Rachel and Paul Chandler are believed to have been kidnapped by pirates in the Indian Ocean. The couple were cruising in their Rival 38 Lynn Rival and left the Seychelles last Wednesday, expecting to be at sea for about two weeks. They activated their EPIRB two days later and posted a message on their blog saying only ‘PLEASE RING SARAH’.
Hearty congratulations to CA member Jeanne Socrates who arrived in Cape Town (Royal Cape Y.C.) on Wednesday, 11th May at 5.10 p.m. local time at the successful conclusion of her third attempt to circumnavigate single-handed via Cape Horn. Her journey, via New Zealand, Hawaii, Canada/USA, Cape Horn, and the Falkland Islands took 14 months. At the age of 68, Jeanne is the oldest woman to complete a single-handed round-world voyage via Cape Horn and one of fewer than twenty women to have done so.
The Cruising Association enjoyed a very successful London Boat Show this year. We were delighted to welcome almost 400 of our members to our stand, and we now have more than sixty new members who signed up at the show. Our Patron, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, visited the stand midway through the week and is pictured here with General Secretary Wendy Hodkinson and watch keepers Brian Hammett and David Beane. Thank you to all of our watch keepers for their time and enthusiasm.