JANUARY NEWSLETTER 2010

JANUARY NEWSLETTER 2010 A message from the Commodore: I wish you all Happy New Year and welcome to the Club’s first newsletter of 2010. We certainly had a White Christmas with snow and very low temperatures well into the New Year. I hope you all survived unscathed, without frost damage to house or boat. Our thoughts can now turn to warmer weather and to new choices and challenges. Some of you might be in the midst of anti-fouling and fitting out, others may still have that treat in store. You might even be about to take possession of your sparkling new boat. Whichever is the case, please note the dates of club events in your diary. The committee has planned an interesting programme for you, as usual, and we are looking forward to seeing you at club events during the year. Despite the recession, and some mediocre weather, the club had a good year last year culminating in a splendid turnout at the Glasgow Art Club for the Annual Dinner and Prize Giving. The meal at the Art Club was not quite up to their previous high standard and we have taken this up with the Club and understand that appropriate changes are to be made. I look forward to seeing you at the AGM which is being held on Monday 22nd Feb at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Clydebank. Iain Sinclair, Commodore ________________________________________________________________________

The Annual General Meeting of the Serpent Yacht Club will be held on Monday 22nd February 2010 in the Board Room at the Golden Jubilee Hospital, Beardmore Street, Clydebank. A buffet supper will be served at 7pm with the AGM starting at 7.30pm.
Thereafter there will be a presentation by Lorraine Toner on the work of the Ocean Youth Trust Scotland. The OYTS is a charity which operates three sailing ships and take young people aged between 12 and 24 to sea on youth development residentials.

New Members We are happy to welcome new club members. Subra Viswanathan and his wife Alexis, who live in Glasgow. Subra is a Consultant Radiologist at the Royal. Trevor Watson and his wife Barbara have also joined. Barbara is a GP practice manager and Tevor has a Jeanneau based in Upper Loch Fyne.

Finally, an e-mail from Jane Herbert, one of our members who moved south in 2002. She retired at Christmas and is looking forward to more sailing and she was wondering if there were any Serpent members who would like to "lend" Rob and her ( both Yachtmasters ) a boat on a bareboat charter basis for a week in May at a favourable rate. If so could they contact her directly on ejherbert@aol.com Finally some news from Robbie and Alyson Rodgers Just now we are still in Lagos, in the Algarve (along with Sapphire of Treshnish - Alan Faichney boat - however I’ve not seen him out here but have been keeping an eye on it for him). We are here until 31 March and I will be organising a lift out at Sopromar the local yard. After that a 160 mile sail to Gibralter mainly to refuel (diesel is 45p a litre -will save me about £300) After that we are going to Ceuta in North Africa (Spanish enclave) and work our way East along the Morocco coast to the other Spanish enclave Melilla. In June we must be at a convenient airport to come home for Katie's graduation. So we will cross to Almeria on the Costa del Sol for that. Thereafter we can either work our way up the Costas to winter near Taragona - possible taking in the Balearics if we ave time or plan B is to return to Lagos for next winter. We are now insured as far as East coast of Italy and have the paper, electronic charts and pilot guides to take us there. Happy fitting out and hope to see you all soon on the water.