Southern Area Rally 6th October 2018

The Southern region organized at rally at Hamble Point Marina but it was badly affected by the weather. The day before, Friday, was lovely, indeed unseasonaly warm, and the day after was also pleasant but the day itself suffered from torrential rain and 30 knots of bitterly cold northerly wind. Prudent seamanship kept members' boats secure in home berths. Despite the weather, eight of us enjoyed a meal and a convivial chat at the Ketch Locker, where we were well looked after. They also took the picture you see below which you can click on to get a larger image.

From left to right- Dave Edwards, Helen and Robert Sheridan, Tim Sharman, Ian Sinclair, Mike Carter, Kevin Cormell and Andy Merritt.

It was particularly good to see Dave Edwards at this event as he has had a difficult summer recovering from major surgery.

If you have any ideas that you would like the HOA to consider for the 2019 season then please get in touch with a committee member to discuss. Details are on the Contacts page. And if you would like to organize a rally please do so. Once again, a committee member will be happy to announce the event to the wider membership.

Mike Carter.
Mi-Solite(H24)

SW Area Season Planning Meeting Report 2018

After the annual General Meeting of the HOA at RPCYC (Plymouth), the SW area traditionally holds a meeting to put together member's ideas for events in the new season. This year it was on 17th February. there were nine people present and we exchanged ideas and proposals for activities on and off the water. A program has been printed to reflect these ideas.

However, we have found, increasingly over recent years that it is very difficult to achieve agreement on dates so far in advance, partly because most of us, those" retired" and those "at work", are on call for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is parenting, grandparenting and caring for the even more elderly! These things require a more pragmatic approach as much of the commitment is unpredictable.

Although the occasional date for regular annual events like the May Fowey rally is given, there are no other dates and the order of events is irrelevant It is hoped that members who proposed the idea, as well as anyone else, might propose a date at relatively short notice which suits them and then others may be able to join them. In doing this, due regard will be given to the weather at the proposed time, and it may be that a meet is arranged but at a curtailed event, or more shore based.

If members from other regions are coming to the west Country, please let us know, so that we might be able to meet up with you in an impromptu rally.

In short - any Hurley owner sailing in our area can contact me or any other member to see how many might be available to join in or accompany them for part or all of their trip. It's just about getting together with other enthusiasts for a while and sharing sailing experiences. Please look at the program and see if you might be able to join in or even propose a date for an event.

Wishing everyone a great sailing season

Best wishes

Tony and Hilary Littlewood H24 Gallivanti, Calstock

SW HOA Programme 2018

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HURLEY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
2018 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Hurley Owners Association took place on Saturday 17th February 2018 at the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club. Below are some picture taken at the meeting.

Gathering on the balcony before the meeting	Last minute preparations for the meeting

Bruce Carter stepped down from the Committee at the meeting. Phil presented him with a tide clock and theanked him for all his work on the Committee and for maintaining the Archive.

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The SW AREA HOA ANNUAL SOCIAL at RPCYC (Plymouth)
Friday November 17th 2017

Seventeen reservations were made for this dining event which took place in the Armada Room in the RPCYC at the same time as the club’s own awards evening was happening in the main room. We were well looked after by the club staff and it presented a good
opportunity to chat to new members and acknowledge some who have moved on.

The regular annual presentations of a half model Hurley 22 and a well polished trophy, both engraved with previous winners, were made for our SW area photo competition and achievement awards respectively. The new holder of the half model is Colin Spraggs for his delightful and, we think, unusual shot of a red sailed Hurley 22 crossing the bows of his own 22, “Vixen”. For the achievement trophy, Bruce Carter was unanimously accepted as a very worthy recipient after many years of organising, joining and encouraging Hurley activities, and exploring the region from the Isles of Scilly to well east of Plymouth. He also has maintained important records of Hurley ownership for the organisation. He has now moved on to a larger Sadler.

We were also lucky to be able to further acknowledge the lasting link between this club and the Hurley Association, now also represented by the newly framed large burgee on the club wall – the actual one used by Marion Hurley to unveil the blue plaque commemorating the site of the original Hurley production in Richmond Walk, Plymouth, in the presence of her family and members of the HOA at the highly successful fiftieth celebrations held last year. Very sadly, she has since passed away and the association was well represented at her funeral. We do know that she was very enthusiastic about the celebrations and was proud that her family’s involvement in the history of Plymouth city was being formally recognised.

Our thanks go the commodore of the RPCYC, Mr Geoffrey Wheeler, for his support for our association, coming in to speak to us and being photographed with Tony Littlewood, (SW member) with the original half model presented in 1986 by the club to George Hurley
which now resides at the club, and the framed burgee used to unveil the plaque.

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I have had a fair sailing season - all local in and around the Solent, with only one quick dash to Poole. Nothing to compare with last year's BYHH adventure. I was looking at my diary and wondering when to fit in a late-season trip - and then thought - what about a rally?

Last year we had a very successful rally to Bembridge over the 3rd weekend in September, so I sent out an 'all stations' email to South area members looking for expressions of interest. Wow - initially I had 12 positive replies - this would have been a record number (BYHH not included) - although 9 boats were confirmed and 8 made it to Bembridge.

It turned out that I had chosen probably the busiest weekend of the season (again as last year) when multiple rallies were being held and well over 100 boats packed into the marina. This is an impressive feat as the marina consists of one long pontoon and a few finger berths. Boats end up being rafted up 5 deep.

David and Justine Edwards (of H18 'Womble' restoration fame) in their newly rescued and renovated Westerly Tempest 'Jolly Womble' and I arrived first around midday and proceeded into the (rather exciting) approach channel. Once in the harbour proper there were boats everywhere and it was clear that the marina staff were at full stretch sorting out berthing - at one point Jolly Womble and Strider were put into a 'holding pattern' in the (rather narrow!) stream before being called alongside.

Over the next few hours our remaining boats arrived and we berthed in 2 rafts of 4. It is always good to see old friends again, Ian Sinclair in H22 'Desiree', Mike Carter in H24 'Mi Solite' and Mark Moranne in H22 'Hully Gully' but especially good to welcome new folk to our rallies - Angus and Joanne Claydon in H22 'Elf'; John and Margaret Lawes in their Bowman 'Bowman of Emsworth' (the Bowman was the forerunner of the H27) and Richard Parkins in H22 'La Lep La'.

The thing I always love about rallies is the way folk who have never met quickly start talking boats and boating and sharing their experiences. Jolly Womble's huge cockpit was full for 'sundowners', before we set off across the Duver causeway to the Brading Haven Yacht Club for dinner. This is a great little club, incredibly welcoming and the food good and excellent value for money.

The wind and weather were superb throughout the weekend and Sunday morning was a great opportunity for more boat chat and enjoying the sun over coffee and bacon rolls. By about 1200 the water over the bar was sufficient to enable boats to move and we quickly dispersed ahead of most of the huge yachts which surrounded us.

I have a feeling that this rally may become a 'feature'!

David & Justine Edwards in Jolly Womble, with Bowman alongside	Sundowners
Richard Parkin and David Edwards	Angus Claydon

Ian Sinclair and Mike Carter	Bembridge Harbour	"It flies for you..."

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Here's a link to the BYHH report

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Post BYHH visit to Calstock

AND AFTER? - THINGS DIDN'T QUITE GO TO PLAN….……………….

after the official end of festivities on Sunday afternoon, there were 17 people and 12 boats wanting to explore the upper reaches of the Tamar river to Calstock, and the tides were perfect for this, rising for most of the evening...... Read the rest of Tony Littlewood's report