The meeting paused for a silent remembrance of Matthew Bennett and Arthur Lister who had tragically died recently. (Tributes to Mathew and Arthur here )

Notes from the AGM, and the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurers' Reports

    2011 SAILING PROGRAMME

Nigel Harrison’s programme of encouragement continues to prove effective in keeping up attendances at most venues.

Bala and Bassenthwaite still top the popularity stakes, and Carsington enjoyed a sizeable boost to 10 boats last year.
Bassenthwaite is booked for the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, and we will be trying to book Bewl for an early season event and Netley SC on Southampton Water.

It was agreed that Rutland, the Bala Gala and the Carsington and Grafham Cat Opens, all of which had attracted sizeable fleets, should be retained in the programme.

The timing of the Bala Gala at Lake Bala will return to the last weekend in July.

Those who went to Pagham spoke fairly highly of it. Stuart had received several suggestions for other venues (in Co.Durham, Yorkshire, the South coast, Kent, and Wales) and would look into these.

A European championship should be retained, less frequently than biannually, and held on the continent. (The cheaper sea crossings at the eastern end of the Channel (particularly Dunkirk) make venues in northern France, Belgium or Holland attractive.)

   CATAPULT SAILS, PARTS, and SALES


    Sails

  There were too few takers for a second batch of 5 super Northrop sails, is at least as fast as our original RH Sobstad.
However David Woodward’s new sail from Hydes looks very good with its clean leach by using screw batten tensioners rather than straps.
Another very good point is the introductory price of £500 inc.VAT ex Southampton - Hydes Tel: 0800 389

    Used Catapult sales and values

    5 Catapults have been on the boat list this year and all have sold except the older Cannon to date
   Generally used boat values are holding as follows:

            Classic, Comet, Cannon for spares                       up to £500
            TI’s for upgrade & cruising                                  up to £1000
            Round Heads in good condition and with race spec  up to £2000
   Catapult parts held by the Association

  Our stock of bare extrusions remains as last year –
          4 lower masts (soft) (See also below re stiffening)
         10 upper masts (hard)
          6 cross beams
          4 main beams

  Hull Tubes – Hypalon tubes available from Henshaws at approximately £400 each.

   Bow Boards -There a good stock of 25 plus grey bow boards and are available to members at £60 each.

  Bow board tool

   John has collected the bow board tool from the rotational moulder, and it is in serviceable condition and stored. We need a contact with a rotational moulder willing to mould small batches (say 30 boards)

  Soft mast stiffening

Nigel’s soft mast has been successfully stiffened and now bends the same as a hard mast under the same loads. John made up a 1 metre length balsa cruciform section with foam filled quarters, placed in the lower mast centred at the w/boom bearing point.
The insert weighs only 8 oz, and we now have a method of stiffening the stock of soft masts without adding weight aloft.

  Mast frost damage

   John has had 3 reports of frost damage to lower masts, left outside during the very cold winter. They were internally flooded, or flooded in the luff groove The mast repaired earlier this year had a 3 inch split in the luff wall, so a mast outside over winter must be off the ground and not holding water

   Catapult’s Racing Number under SCHRS

The Catapult SCHRS number has hardened from 1.25 to 1.235, with the inclusion of trapezing helms in the calculation. (The Catapult is still slower on paper than the Sprint 15 (trap) - 1.218 and the Prindle 15 - 1.206.)
However the sailing weight used for the SCHRS needs to be discussed in committee at a later date.

 COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND OFFICERS

The following members and their additional responsibilities were confirmed in the Association posts.

     Chairman                        Stuart Ede                       Sailing Programme Planner 

     Secretary                       John Peperell                Measurement Officer  

     Treasurer                     Paul Ellis                         Membership Secretary

     Committee Members     Nigel Harrison               Event Liaison and Social Secretary

                                               Alastair Forrest             Minutes Secretary and Website 

                                         Dave Jennings       

As open events might insist on class measurement certificates, the meeting gratefully accepted John’s volunteering for the role of Measurement Officer.    ( See also  Committee gallery )

MEMBERSHIP and FINANCES

Membership and prize levy income were up slightly on 2008, while expenditure had stayed at much the same level so that the Association broke even in 2009.

     Subscriptions

The meeting agreed the full subscription should stay at £20 for 2011, (with a general feeling that £20 is broadly in line with other associations)

It was also agreed that we could offer reduced Associate membership at £10 to former members who wish to keep in touch.
It was agreed that for applications for membership, the Membership Secretary will not have the power to refuse an applicant, but may refer applications to the Committee whose decision will be final.

   Prizes.

Winners of major events such as the Nationals and TT Series will continue to receive mantelpiece prizes, and Stan Tobin, our Prizes Officer, has sourced some excellent etched glassware trophies. In 2007 pewter prizes were dropped in favour of wine, but wins by some members less used to being on the podium led to a request for mantelpiece prizes to be reinstated alongside wine, and there are still some cups available.

As a more informal approach to TT Prizes, it was decided to award a bottle of wine only to the winner, the 2nd prize would be two miniature bottles and 3rd prize one miniature. Winners should have the option of taking a £5 yacht chandlery gift voucher in lieu of wine.

   COMMUNICATIONS

Now that the website has become the primary source and reports are e-mailed on a more ad hoc basis soon after each event. This trend is to be welcomed, since the combination of website and e-mail provides a more dynamic means of communicating with members.

   Class Association Website inquiries

Over the past year new interest in Catapult sailing coming through from the website has remained steady with 40 email inquiries to the Secretary – most from the UK (36) with 4 from overseas.

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