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Programme 2023-2024

11 October 2023

Robert Smith:
'Tales of a Harbour Master'

In 2000, Robert became Wells Harbour Master. In 2016/7 he was recognised in the New Year’s Honours List and awarded an MBE for his services to the Port and Community of Wells. Tales of a Harbour Master not only take his audience on a journey of discovery of the history and workings of the Port, but also provide a light-hearted & amusing glimpse of his life as Harbour Master. He is often asked what he enjoys most about his work; his reply is always the same: ‘Fresh Air & Freedom’.

8 November 2023

Carl Lamb:
Racing the Fastnet in a First 40'

The Fastnet is a race of many challenges, including negotiating infamous headlands and tidal gates such as St Albans Head, Portland Bill, The Lizard and Land’s End, and facing prevailing south-westerlies and gales in the Celtic Sea. Carl has undertaken three Fastnet campaigns in First 40s, and will tell of what it is like competing in a normal sized yacht, which on most days is in cruising mode, and how the crew prepare for the challenge ahead of them.

13 December 2023

Members’ Evening

Camsail AGM; election of Committee for 2024; a chance to share sailing experiences and to get to know other members better (with Christmas refreshments), including reports from any Camsail trips since last season.

10 January 2024

Stuart Withington:
'Doctor At Sea'

Stuart finally realised his ambition to sail across the Atlantic when he signed up to do the ARC in 2013. Being the only medically qualified member of the crew, he was made the ship’s doctor and charged with preparing the medical kit. He will talk about how he decided on what instruments and medicines to take, and what preparations were made for that (and subsequent) voyages. The talk will cover various aspects of yacht design that may have medical consequences.

14 February 2024

Graham and Lorraine Parkinson:
'A Twenty Two Year Sabbatical'

This is the story of a couple of incurable dreamers who set out to build a round the world cruising yacht and embark on an epic voyage. The story includes some fantastic ocean sailing in some of the world’s most astonishingly beautiful locations, and more than a few little dramas along the way. A tale of amazing discoveries and an appreciation of this wonderful planet we call home, all helped along with a few songs written along the way to add to the story.

13 March 2024

(i) Graham Cox:
'Grafam Water Sailability'
RYA Sailability enables disabled people to sail. A range of disabilities, physical and mental, provide interesting challenges. GWS has a fleet of 12 Challenger trimarans, variously adapted, and other boats for particular requirements.

(ii) Mike Pearce:
Dawn Rose - Living Abroad
Departing from Ipswich Haven in May 2012, we have cruised Dawn Rose, our Hanse 370, down the Atlantic coast and across the Mediterranean over the past 11 years. She is currently based in the Argolic Gulf. Hear our experiences of the locations where we have stored Dawn Rose en route, including some of the pros and cons of being based in foreign waters.


Programme 2022-2023

12 October 2022

Sean Chenery:
'Galloper Offshore Wind Farm'

Galloper Offshore Wind Farm is situated off the Suffolk coast and produces 353MW which is enough to power 380,000 homes. Sean Chenery (the General Manager) will talk about day to day operations based from the Operations & Maintenance Base in Harwich, the future growth of offshore wind off the Suffolk coast and what requirements are placed on the operator to monitor and report the impacts of such operations.

9 November 2022

Dr Imre Vadasz:
'Fastnet 1979'

The 1979 Fastnet race proved a milestone in ocean racing history. An exceptional storm hit the fleet of 303 yachts in the Irish Sea, turning an amateur sailing event into a maritime disaster. 24 boats were abandoned and 15 participants lost their lives. The lessons learnt lead to improved designs, equipment and safety regulations. There have been great advances in technology, navigation, communication and weather forecasting. Even so, the forces of nature remain challenging and a story about how one boat coped with the storm, what life was like on board, should be of interest to all yachtsman, cruising or racing.

14 December 2022

Members’ Evening

Camsail AGM; election of Committee; a chance to share sailing experiences and to get to know other members better (with Christmas refreshments), including reports from any Camsail trips since last season.

11 January 2023

Charles Joint:
'Lessons Learnt'

In 1994 I was serving with the United Nations in Kuwait/Iraq. During my occasional time off, I joined the Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association which was being re-built following the Iraq invasion. I was invited to help with a yacht delivery from Dubai to Kuwait City. In hindsight I learnt a lot from a fishing net – come and hear what happened!

8 February 2023

Eric Reynolds:
'The Woodbridge Boatyard'

A.A Everson began boat building in Woodbridge in 1889. Well known for a number of “one-off” yachts and motor launches, Everson’s also produced one of the first series production yachts on the East Coast, the 21ft. “Cherub” Class built between 1924 and 1937. In 2010 the name was changed to ‘The Woodbridge Boatyard Ltd.’ Many improvements were implemented. In April 2019, The Woodbridge Boatyard was acquired by Eric Reynolds, Founder of ‘Evolution Yachts’, current Chairman of ‘Save Britain’s Heritage’.

8 March 2023

Paul Constantine:
'How did the Anglo Saxons cross the North Sea'

This question is one which intrigues historians and archaeologists, for the answer remains unknown. The Anglo-Saxons must have arrived in boats, but none had been found. There was a 500 year, Roman – Viking gap in ship-construction discoveries. A mystery called the Dark Ages obscured the very people who gave their name ‘Angle-land’ to this country. Only a single Anglo-Saxon ship has been found and this is its story.

Programme 2021-2022

13 October 2021

Bryan Davies:
'Nancy Blackett Trust'

Bryan is a volunteer Skipper for the Nancy Blackett Trust which has restored and now operates the 1931 Hillyard cutter once owned by Arthur Ransome, author of Swallows and Amazons and many other sailing titles. The talk will cover the restoration of ‘Nancy’ from near derelict to her current as-new condition and also the work of the Trust in operating her to provide sailing opportunities to a wide variety of people. Bryan has been ‘messing about with boats’ for most of his adult life. Although a cruising man at heart, he has participated in several ocean races and an Atlantic crossing. In 2015 he completed a round Britain sail. Bryan currently owns a 36’ yacht based at Ipswich. 

10 November 2021

Ben Edwards:
'Polar Ocean Challenge'

Ben was 14 when in 2016 he completed Polar Ocean Challenge, a circumnavigation of the globe around the North Pole, through the North East and North West Passages in one season, on the sailing yacht Northabout, highlighting the decreasing sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. He is the youngest person, and the only British person, to have done this trip in a single season. He spent 4½ months as a member of the 7 person crew, and was the only person to be on board for the entire trip. Ben talks of excitement and boredom: sea ice, polar bears, a hurricane off the coast of Russia, and the realities of 4.5 months on board a 49 ft yacht.

8 December 2021

Members’ Evening

Camsail AGM; election of Committee for 2022; a chance to get to know other members better, with Christmas refreshments.

9 February 2022

Ian Jewry & Simon Daws:
'The work of the
East Anglian Sailing Trust'

Ian is a cruising yachtsman, yachtmaster instructor and former trustee of EAST. Simon worked for the Border Force until his career was cut short by sight loss. Together they will illustrate how the charity provides sailing opportunities to people with disabilities, including the challenges and solutions, and the joy brought to people who thought they never could sail or sail again.

9 March 2022

Jonathan Dyke:
'The Big Dig: Suffolk Yacht Harbour'

”The Big Dig” is a history of the planning and development of Suffolk Yacht Harbour and the dream of turning flooded salt marshes into a marina. The talk will cover over fifty years of mud, blood, sweat and tears: starting with the excavation of the earliest yacht basin, through the expansion of facilities afloat and ashore, highlighting the current facilities offered by the largest independent marina in the UK.

13 April 2022

Peter Jones:
'From Marseille to Honfleur by the Inland Waterways'

Within 6 weeks of buying Allegria I had recruited three crew for a journey of unknown length. About halfway between leaving Gosport on 12.05.09 and reaching Marseille on the 20.04 11 I had no difficulty in deciding to return home via the inland waterways of France. It seemed a simple way of avoiding the NW trade winds along the Atlantic coast, and the rivers Rhone, Saone, Marne and several canals connecting to the magnificent Seine proved a wonderful journey. Apart from no sailing, it was a journey of endless delights: gastronomy in Lyon, vineyards of Hermitage, sur le pont d'Avignon, Pt. De Arsenal next the Bastille, battlefields of the Marne, and an infinite variety of canal locks.
No boat trip is without its problems! The raw water filter jammed with weed in the narrower canals, and clingfilm, thrown in the water from unwrapping the mast in Honfleur, caused engine failure mid-river approaching Le Havre!

Programme 2020-2021

14 October 2020

DVD 'Life on the Deben'

This film was made in 2017 by Tim Curtis, and presented by John McCarthy.

11 November 2020

Four members

Four members gave short presentations on sailing subjects:
1: a cruise along the South Coast Summer '20;
2: a dramatic RNLI rescue;
3: reviews of some books of interest to sailors;
4: cruising in the Stockholm archipelago.

9 December 2020

Members’ Evening

Chairperson's and Treasurer's reports for 2019/2020;
A sailing quiz!

13 January 2021

Keith Swinburne:
'Crossing Biscay two ways'

The Bay of Biscay has something of a reputation; feared by generations sailors and classed as ocean by yacht insurers. In 2019 husband and wife team Keith and Gilly Swinburne took Mystic Breeze from her home port in south Brittany to explore the Rías of Galicia and the Costa Da Morte. Hear what the outbound passage in late March and the return just ahead of storm Miguel had to offer.

10 February 2021

Four members

Four members gave short presentations on sailing subjects:
1: many years of sailing  on the East Coast;
2: review of 'Team Spirit' by Brendan Hall;
3 a yacht delivery: Dubai to Kuwait;
4: meeting 'Peacefleet' in Croatia.

10 March 2021

DVD: Don Street
'Antigua Race Week'

A one hour award winning documentary which lets you share the intense sailing action on-board 'Iolaire' - the legendary 46 foot engineless wooden yawl then 80 years old - during Antigua Race Week 1985, her last entry to one of the world's top sailing events.

Programme 2019-2020

9 October 2019

Bob Bradfield:
'Antares Charts for Scottish Islands'

Bob has spent the last 10 years creating his Antares Charts of the West Coast of Scotland. They are very large scale electronic charts with related pilotage information and are aimed at experienced yachtsmen, to supplement information available from the official charts and sailing directions.
He says that the authorities have resurveyed very few of the more interesting channels and anchorages of the West of Scotland since the advent of satellite positioning and hardly ever publish charts to a sufficiently large scale to meet the needs of yachtsman when close to hazards.
To date he has published 461 charts, which can run seamlessly with UKHO-type charts on PCs, Macs, iPads, iPhones and Android tablets and phones. He was awarded an MBE for them in this year’s New Year Honours.
Before retiring he worked in finance in the City, retiring at 50 and spending the first few retired years sailing in all oceans of the world, including to the Arctic and Antarctic as well as on Gipsy Moth IV.

13 November 2019

Glenn Machett:
'Tying the knot: circumnavigation with Clipper Ventures'

Glenn hadn’t sailed until preparing for this 11 month trip across the oceans, but his background in vehicle repair fitted him for the role of Engineer on board. Racing with a changing international team of amateurs under Australian skipper Wendy Tuck, much of the year was spent at 45 degrees. From mending glasses to mast repairs, Glenn was kept busy throughout the journey and finally crossed the finish line in Liverpool to achieve a hard-fought first place on Sanya Serenity Coast. 

11 December 2019

Members’ Evening

Our first (brief!) Camsail AGM; election of the committee; mainly a chance to share sailing experiences, hear reports of Camsail trips since last season, and get to know other members better (with Christmas refreshments).

8 January 2020

Stephen Burgess:
'Sail Training and Tall Ships Races'

The Rona Sailing Project has taken part in Tall Ships Races for over 50 years, racing its large yachts alongside mighty tall ships of many nationalities. This talk will focus on a number of these races - some with all female crews, others with all male crews; and whether that makes any difference! The RSP also enters all four of its boats, with mixed crews, in the Small Ships Races in the Solent each Autumn, when sail training yachts battle it out between themselves. A few additional special RSP voyages will also get a mention.

12 February 2020

Garth Cooper:
'East Coast Pilot' 

Garth is an ex-BBC and Fleet Street journalist, has worked on Sailing Today, edited Anglia Afloat, and served 20 years on the RYA Eastern Regional Committee. He is a member of the CA and East Anglian Sailing Trust, with whom he takes blind people cruising. He sails a Contest 33 after 22 years owning a Holman classic. He is co-author of East Coast Pilot and author of North Sea Passage Pilot. There’s a new edition of ECP out and he’ll be taking us through the work involved in producing it and also be revealing changes to NSPP and touching on an exciting new project to help blind people get more enjoyment from their sailing.

11 March 2020

'Border Force'

The talk will start with a brief history of Customs and Immigration work and the eventual merger of the two. It will then cover the work they currently undertake and the assets they have to help achieve their aims. They will explain the current setup of their local intelligence and the area they cover. We will see a few examples of the lengths smugglers will go to in order to transport their goods, and the vessels they use. Very important to them is how the maritime community can help and the various methods by which information can be passed.

Programme 2018-2019

10 October 2018

Paul Heiney:
'A Quick Dash for the Horn'

Paul Heiney has been a writer and broadcaster for all of his working life, having worked on all the UK’s major radio and television channels.
But his career as an ocean sailor is less well known. His most recent adventure, described as an epic, was to Cape Horn and back, largely single-handed.
After the early death of his son, aged 23, Paul made this voyage in his son’s honour, and in the hope of understanding more of his life and death. Far from being a maudlin tale, this is a story of high adventure on the seas and fitting memoir of his late son. 

14 November 2018

14 November 2018
Jim Bacon: Sailing and the weather

Jim Bacon has been a meteorologist since 1968 and is still thoroughly fascinated by all things weather. In 1986 he moved back to East Anglia to become a member of the Anglia Television weather team. This lasted until 1997 when Jim rejoined the Met Office for a period before setting up Weatherquest in 2001 when the local Norwich Weather Centre was closed down.
Jim will explain how modern meteorology utilises mathematical models of the atmosphere to provide forecasts for increasingly long time periods, but begs the question about how to interpret the huge variability between models when planning a sailing trip.
Help is at hand… it’s called ensemble forecasting.

12 December 2018

Members’ Evening

A chance to share sailing experiences and to get to know other members better (with Christmas refreshments).

9 January 2019

Keith Swinburne:
'Round Britain - if we can, you can' 

 With many flitting off to foreign waters for their sailing adventures, come and see how, in 2017, husband and wife, Keith and Gilly Swinburne, took their 1987 Oyster 406 ‘Round Britain’ and hear about the wonderful people and places they discovered around our own Isles.

13 February 2019

Stephen Burgess:
'The Rona Sailing Project' 

The Rona Sailing Project (formerly the London Sailing Project) is one of the oldest sail training organisations in the country, established nearly 60 years ago.
Crews come from a wide variety of social backgrounds: from the well-adjusted to those in the care of Social and Probation services, as well as those in between. Voyages are also undertaken for adults with learning difficulties, visually impaired, deaf, and more recently for those recovering from drug and alcohol dependency.
This illustrated talk will concern Stephen’s involvement in the RSP since 1970.

13 March 2019

Keith Pettican:
'Sailing in the Mediterranean'

This is an illustrated talk of Keith’s sailing experiences in the Eastern Mediterranean over 12 years, visiting Croatia, Greece and Turkey.
The talk focuses on the historic and world heritage sites easy visited from the comfort of your own boat. The talk includes a passage through the Corinth Canal.
He will also discuss how sailing in the Mediterranean differs somewhat from the sailing in the UK.

Programme 2017-2018

11 October 2017

Mike and Lyn Tupper:
‘International Boatbuilding Training College in Lowestoft’ 


Mike and Lyn Tupper are directors of the I.B.T,C, 'perched on the edge of the Broads' in Lowestoft. Mike will tell us about the College which was set up in 1975 to train craftsmen for East Anglian Boatyards, but nowadays also offers courses varying from 47 weeks to less than a week on a wide range of boatbuilding skills. It does sound a wonderful place. 

8 November 2017

Alan Eade:
‘A cavalcade of sail - a history of the Northern European sailing ship’

The talk will describe with illustrations the development of the Northern European sailing ship through 12 centuries from Viking times to the era of the clipper ship in the late C19, thence to its demise in the 20th. The various innovations, such as the introduction of the stern rudder, and wheel steering and the advances in hull construction and rigs which made this possible will be covered. The principal stages will be exemplified by ship types known to all such as the Tudor galleon and the Cutty Sark.

6 December 2017

Members’ Evening

A good chance to get to know other members, with Christmas refreshments!!

10 January 2018

Simon Durrant:
‘Sailing in Brittany’

 Come and explore the fantastic islands of Brittany. Starting in the Les Iles Chausey, we will sail along North Brittany taking in Ile de Brehat, Ile de Batz and Ouessant. We will then proceed through South Brittany covering Iles de Glenan, the beautiful Ile de Groix and many others. We will also take in some of the rivers of Brittany. See lots of photographs and get some great navigational tips for anyone going for the first time.

14 February 2018

Ann Jackson:
‘To the Caribbean and back’

How a pint of water, a picnic table and a force 11 changed my life! The tale of a gullible young lady who stupidly agreed to follow in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus in a 31 ft yacht. An illustrated account of the 1989 4th Atlantic rally for Cruisers (The Arc). The preparation, the basic navigational equipment used for the crossing, compass, sextant and log, the mishaps that occurred along the way and the more eventful return journey.

14 March 2018

Paul Rodhouse:
‘State of the Oceans’

We exploit the oceans for energy, communications, fishing, transport, waste disposal and defence. Yachtsmen and women are among the few people who ever venture beyond the coastal fringes for recreation and sport, but as a group seem to be ambivalent about environmental concerns. This presentation is intended to inform the yachting community about the global problems in the oceans and to explain the science behind global climate change in particular. To date overfishing has done most to degrade marine ecosystems but the effects of climate change and pollution of the seas threaten to have an overwhelming influence in the future.

Programme 2016-2017

12 October 2016

Mike Inglis:
‘Clipper Round the World Yacht Race’ 


After 12 years at local company ARM, Mike took a year’s break before the next phase of his life to take part in the Clipper 2013/14 race. The race is the world's longest ocean race at 40,000 miles for amateur sailors who sail individual legs or the whole race. Mike sailed 10,000 miles training and on the GB yacht, crossed the Atlantic twice finishing a 1st, 2nd and 8th in three races. Mike will describe the race, training, life on board and racing of a 70-foot yacht.

9 November 2016

Jeremy Batch:
‘Invaders, Explorers and Shipbuilders’

From near Limehouse on the Thames, the China Company despatched its first fleet in search of the North East Passage, and Nelson’s first flagship was built. A mile further down-river, Brunel (eventually) launched the Great Eastern. But why had he brought her predecessor, the Great Western, all the way from Bristol to Blackwall just to have her engine installed? Why did Henry VIII decide to build the Mary Rose’s bigger sister at Woolwich instead of Portsmouth, and how did Thames Ironworks win the contract for her 19th century equivalent? Why was the Archbishop of Canterbury murdered at Greenwich Yacht Club? How did the Dutch sneak up the Medway to raid Chatham?

7 December 2016

Members’ Evening

A chance for members to tell of recent voyages (including a day on the Thames Barge, Centaur), with Christmas refreshments!!

11 January 2017

Chris Edwards:
‘The Royal Yachting Association’

Recreational boating in the UK has a long and established tradition of self-reliance and individual responsibility. Consequently, we continue to enjoy relative freedom to pursue our boating activities, but this freedom cannot be taken for granted. Today, our coastal waterways face increasing pressure from competing commercial, environmental and leisure activities. In addition, National security, public safety and progressive European and International regulatory initiatives are more significant in today’s political agenda. The RYA provides a robust, articulate and intelligent voice to represent recreational boating.

8 February 2017

Robert Simper:
‘Voyage Around East Anglia’

This is a voyage through history rather than a navigation account, but it is based on a series of short trips along the coast, from Kings Lynn to Tower Bridge. The presentation charts the changing character of the coast line and how it has altered over time. There is a great variety of scenery, with sandy cliffs, occasional shallow estuaries or harbours, busy ports and low lying marshland.. Nowhere is the small boat sailor ever in deep water but for centuries people have used the North Sea and Thames Estuary as a commercial highway.

8 March 2017

Paul Rodhouse:
‘Yachting in the Antarctic: the pioneers’

During its early history, yachting was a competitive leisure activity for the wealthy but, with the advent of cruising towards the end of the 19th century, it became an adventure sport. By the mid-20th century yachtsmen had ventured into the Southern Ocean and made circumnavigations via the great capes. But apart from Shackleton’s desperate small boat crossing of the Scotia Sea in 1916, no yachts reached the Antarctic until the 1960s. The early pioneers achieved extraordinary voyages in yachts with less than kit than most yachtsmen today would consider essential for a Channel crossing.

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