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BBQ on Friday Night of the VAC I have just booked my tickets for the Steak BBQ on Friday night at the RCYC during the Vice Admiral's
Cup. This might be a really nice occasion for all the QT crews to get together this
season. Why not come and join us. Get your tickets from
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Don't forget..... Vice Admiral's Cup This is being run by the Royal Corinthian as before and actually this year is a trials weekend for the
Commodore's Cup Teams, so it will be a good weekend on the water with lots of boats being run
with two start lines. The NOR and Entry form are up on their website. www.rcyc.co.uk, so get
entering guys ...... Warsash Spring Series Well a big welcome to Diarmuid Foley and his crew from Ireland who arrived in Cowes on Friday with
their boat Anchor Challenge and raced at the weekend. We weren't at all sure they were going to turn
up on Saturday morning as when we left the dock they were nowhere to be seen (after one of those Big Irish Nights in the pub). But they did, probably very grateful for the AP pennant flying from the Committee Boat having had to turn back and collect their mainsail battens from the dock! Anyway, they did a sterling job and went on to win three of the four races. Also out to play was Phoenix, Aquila - helmed this year by Sam Laidlaw, Runaway Bus - being helmed this year by David Ross, Espada and QT a Gibsea 80 plus, also under new ownership. Racing on both days started with the double doughnuts on the windspeed indicator and finished at over 25 on both days, so plenty of training was had by all.
The second weekend of the Spring Championship is 28/29 April, when we expect to also see Alice
out there. See you then.
Solent Safety Issues Yesterday, Solent Clubs and Classes were invited to a seminar about safety in the Solent, having in
mind the tanker collision with a racing yacht in Cowes Week last year. This was very informative
and interesting especially from the Harbour Master in Southampton and James Fulford, CEO of
Red Funnel. They presented a fascinating insight from their perspective of how we all rub along
together or not as the case may be, and there is no doubt that if there had been a fatality from that collision on 6th August, legislation would have been changed and it wouldn't be to the leisure sailors' advantage.
Cowes Week have put up on their website (from 16th April) a new safety video which has been
prepared by all the authorities and it is well worth watching before you take to the water,
as a skipper, navigator or even just a crewman. Take 10 minutes. I guarantee you will learn something. http://www.aamcowesweek.co.uk
I now have much more of an understanding of just how difficult it is for commercial traffic in the
Solent when we are all out there racing.
Warsash Spring Series Any one else coming out to play? So far we have four entrants - don't get me wrong, I am sure
we will have great racing, but where are the rest of you? Wanting Something to do in July? Check this out. Looks like a neat little regatta we could do in July. New Event for Small Racing Boats - www.scra.org.uk
for boats ratings under 0.960 - I think this is right up our street and they even mention us in the press release.
History of the Half and Quarter Tonners There is a very good website about the history of the half tonners and reference to quite a lot of information on the Quarter Tonners. See in particular the pages on the sail numbers. http://www.histoiredeshalfs.com/index%202.HTML
You may be able to fill in some of the gaps for them. Press Release in from Netherlands - March 2012 Berry Aarts and the brothers Andre en Theo Bakker joined together in the Dutch Quarter Ton sailing team. The team will compete in the successful revival of the Quarter Ton Class in the Solent (Uk). The two boat team consist of the 2004 Ims 4 Dutch overall winner The Itch and the Freres-sur-Mer and will join the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup, The Round the Island Race and Cowes Week. Overall target is to make recreational sailors more competitive minded. At the moment about 15 sailors will be sailing the two boats. Technical support comes from the Dutch sailors Philip Ruys and Sjoerd Mulder. Spring has arrived.... Look at the fantastic weather we have been having in Cowes this weekend, and it has encouraged
the first quarter tonner to get going with their fitting out. Here is Heinzy on Alice II in Cowes Yacht
Haven this afternoon. Really made me want to go sailing.....
Warsash Spring Series OK guys, so I have entered this regatta but I also see that I am the only one. I have spoken to a
number of you and I know you are all planning to do the Spring Championships. It would help
if you could get your entries in, as I am concerned they might withdraw the offer to put on our
own class start if we don't show willing. www.warsashspringseries.org.uk.
It is remarkably easy! (PS If I don't see your entry, I will ring you up and start nagging and Morty
says that isn't much fun!)
New addition to fleet in Holland Freres sur Mer will be joining us at the QTC this year from The Netherlands. Looking forward
to welcoming her to the fleet. Well done guys, good job. Benodet Two boats now set for Benodet - Illegal Immigrant and Anchor Challenge. Anyone else out there? Alice II is showing interest.....
Jersey boys?
Programme for 2012 Warsash Spring Championships - 21st and 22nd April Warsash Spring Championships - 28th and 29th April
Vice Admiral's Cup, Cowes - 18th to 20th May Royal Southern Yacht Club 175th Anniversary Regatta (special invite to the QT Class) 9th and 10th June Coutts Quarter Ton Cup 2012, Cowes - 24th - 27th June JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, Cowes- 30th June Hamble River SC IRC Small Boats Regatta - 14th and 15th July
Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week - 11th to 18th August.
Location, Location, Location If anyone on the South Coast (of the UK) is wondering where to keep their boats this year,
you might be interested to note that there are some dry sailing 'slots' at Cowes Yacht
Haven available. 9 Quarter Tonners currently reside there and for those wanting the race
in the Solent, it is pretty convenient place. Call Ben at Cowes Yacht Haven on 01983 299975 for further information.
Hot news -
Full Circle for Sale.... Per Elisa Found it at last! Morty has been looking for this boat for the last 6 years and found it in
Italy recently. Having already bought Bullit, he has passed the boat on to Ian Travers of
Kinsale/Bandit fame. This boat won the last two IOR Quarter Ton Cups in 1995 and 1996
and is clearly a potent machine. It is a Ceccerelli design similar to Illegal Immigrant, beautifully
built in kevlar. Certainly one to watch out for in 2012. 2012 Happy New Year to all our Quarter Ton Owners, crew and friends. Judging by the amount of
activity with new boats arriving, we think this is going to be a great year and maybe we are
the only class growing in these dire economic times. We look forward to seeing you all out
there on the water. Following the success of the Autumn Series, Warsash Sailing Club have
agreed to put on a Spring Championships for Quarter Tonners over the weekends of the
21st/22nd April and 28th/29th April. The second weekend clashes with the Obelix Trophy
in Benodet but let's try and get as many boats as we can for both weekends. With Easter
being early this year it might well be that these two weekends are slightly more appealing
than the Easter Regatta (leaves on the trees etc) www.warsashspringseries.org.uk South America - Quarter Tonners
We know there are some Quarter Tonners on the River Plate in Argentina. Infact we saw
a couple this morning in Montevideo, Uruguay, so whilst we are down here we wanted to wish
all our South American QT owners a very Happy Christmas and fair winds for 2012. New Rule for 2012 Following a number of discussions, and the continued success of the Class (for example,
4 new boats have arrived in Cowes in the last 2 months) there have been a few rumblings about
carbon rigs. The Executive Committee have done some research and a High Modulus rig
for a Quarter Tonner can cost between 10,000 to 15,000 pounds. It has been decided that carbon rigs will be banned under the Class
Rules with a grandfathering clause so that the existing boat (45 Deg South) will not be
excluded from future events. The reason for this is to avoid any arms race as clearly that
cost would preclude the vast majority of our owners being competitive. The 'heart' of
this Class is the ability for people to acquire old boats and restore them without necessarily
spending huge amounts of money. We believe this is critical in maintaining the longevity
of the Class. If there is anyone else out there other than Laurent Beaurin who intends to compete in
any Quarter Ton event next year will you please get in contact with some proof that you have
been racing in 2011 with a carbon rig.
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Website Update With grateful thanks to David Schnackenberg, our website has been updated all the way
from New Zealand. My email address is:
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Please keep sending all your news and stories on QT's through....
For all other previous news and stories - see under the 'News' Section where they have been
filed.
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