The end of the Kind Road series means it’s time for the annual Racing Fleet prize giving!
And the last race of the King Road series didn’t disappoint. With a perfect sailing breeze under bright blue skies, the fleet enjoyed the first sunny race of the year.
The gap in the never ending winter storms and grey gloom was also seized upon to host this year’s prize giving al fresco on C pontoon at Portishead Marina.
Prizes were awarded to Hero, Assassin, Scrumpy J, Blue Lobster and Ctrl-J who scooped a number of the series wins. Congratulations to all the crews on another year’s tight racing. For all the results, head over to the club racing page.
The next race will be Spring 3 on 3rd April. This is due to the scheduled Portishead Marina lock closures from 3rd to 28th March which means we’re unable to run Spring 1 and Spring 2 unless the scheduled works finish sooner than planned. Please keep an eye on the racing WhatsApp as if we can run the races, we will.
The non-racing club prizes will be presented at the forthcoming dinner dance, jointly hosted this year with PYSC. For more details, visit our dedicated page here.
The club’s annual general meeting, which all members are encourage to attend, will this year take place at Portishead Bowling Club on Wednesday 12th March2025 at 20h00.
AGENDA
Apologies for Absence
Approval of 2024 AGM minutes
Matters arising from 2024 AGM
Honorary Treasurers report and adoption of Annual Audited Accounts for year ending 31st December 2024
Commodore’s report
Election of Officers and Committee
Appointment of Auditors
Adoption of changes to the constitution
Any other business
AGM will be formally closed
Following the AGM after a short break a period of half hour will be set aside for a general discussion of matters raised from the floor.
Notices
This notice of AGM together with additional information has been emailed to all members. if you didn’t receive it, please email the Club Secretary.
Copies of the minutes of the 2024 AGM and the ‘Audited Accounts’ will circulated electronically one week prior to the meeting to members.
Members are reminded that membership renewal is due on the 1st of January each year and that only fully paid-up members will be entitled to vote at the AGM.
This year and for the first time, the club is joining forces with Portishead Yacht and Sailing Club for the annual dinner dance to reflect and celebrate on the 2024 sailing season.
This is a great opportunity for us to get dressed up, have a fabulous 2 or 3 course dinner and join in the swapping of sailing stories and celebrate those who have won prizes across the 2024 season with PYSC members.
The details are as follows:
When: Saturday 8th March 2025
Where: Nailsea Masonic Hall, Nailsea Park, BS48 1BA
Time: 19h00 for 19h30 start
Tickets are priced at £37 per person for three courses and £28 per person for two. Selections to be made from the following menu
Starters
Brie parcels wrapped in filo pastry served warm (v)
Smoked haddock fish cakes, pea shoots and tartar sauce
Leek and potato soup (v)
Main Courses
Slow cooked Nailsea beef, red wine and mushrooms
Plaice stuffed with prawns and a seafood cognac sauce
Roast butternut squash and mushroom wellington (v)
All mains served with a selection of fresh vegetables and potatoes.
Desserts
Profiteroles and caramel sauce
Sticky date and ginger pudding with vanilla ice cream
Raspberry crème brûlée
To finish
Coffee & chocolates
To make your menu selections and for payment details, please complete this PYSC form noting that you’re from PCC when you add your name – i.e. John Doe – PCC. Please contact Julia Filer if you have any questions.
Continuing the theme started in 2024, and in response to member requests, we’ve included a number of dates where there are no races but the tides are favourable for crews to go out for a practice, training or just a fun sail. You’ll see these dates on the calendar as Sail Training. You’ll also see some new races such as the Rum Cup and the Portishead Regatta; more details nearer the time!
The 2026 Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and other key documents will be added to the racing page in time for the start of the new season.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact the club sailing secretary, Matt Bundell.
With member’s boats coming out of the water for winter maintenance and the temperature dropping, there’s never been a better time for a pint in a warm pub and a discussion about the sailing exploits of the season just passed, the planned maintenance ahead and all the things you’re going to do next season that there wasn’t time for this year!
From Wednesday 4th December 2024, the club’s Wednesday social venue will change to the Siren’s Calling in Portishead Marina. Providing a wide range of craft and Belgian beers together with some fine local ciders, it provides the perfect waterside watering hole for club members to socialise.
While on the subject of socials, the club will also be co-hosting a social with Portishead Yacht and Sailing Club (PYSC) on 8th March 2025. If you have any other social ideas, let us know what you’re thinking. Even better, come and do it over a pint at the Siren’s!
With the sailing season coming to an end, many members are now ashore on the Parish Wharf. With a large demand this year, it’s thanks to the space planning skills of our Parish Wharf team that has ensured everyone who required a spot has been successful.
The one thing we didn’t see coming this year was that due to Health and Safety requirements, our cradles needed to be inspected prior to any boats being stored and this is something that will need to happen on an annual basis. While this came slightly out of the blue this year, the club is already busy working to secure a discounted option for next year. In the meantime, for those already ashore, cradle inspection fees should be paid directly to the club. Contact Pete Bundell with any questions.
If you haven’t yet lifted out, please note that there is a new padlock on the Parish Wharf gate with a combination code. If you don’t have it, please contact Pete in the first instance.
It was a very early start for this year’s Holms Race with 36 boats locking out from 06h30 before waiting for the right time to start their approach to the line. Wind conditions were predicted to be light and while the outbound upwind leg towards the islands had some stretches of solid breeze, as the fleet approached Flat Holm, the wind began to drop making for some testing conditions on the far side of the islands as spinnaker’s were hoisted to complete the rounding of Steep Holm.
On the spinnaker run back, the breeze filled in and the powered up fleet were fast approaching North West Elbow before once again a wind hole developed and bunched the fleet. With the wind absent and the new tide starting to run, crew skills were tested to ensure that when the breeze filled back in, they were in the right place (and facing the right direction!) from which to resume racing.
Approaching the line generated some more fluky conditions and of the 36 boats that started the race, 21 completed the full course. The skill of the Holms Race is to be between the islands at low water and for some of the fleet that had not factored in a dropping breeze, this meant that they could not round the islands before the tide turned.
After the usual lock scramble to get back into the marina (thanks to our friends at Boatfolk for once again perfecting the art of ‘lock Tetris’, it was off to Advance Marine who once again kindly hosted the post event BBQ and prize giving. This year, for the first time, a special award was made for the overall winner of the IRC boats and the BCYA rose bowl was once again awarded to the best placed club overall.
The winners were as follows:
Holms Race Winner Overall – Barefoot, CBYC
Holms Race IRC Winner – Just in Time, CBYC
BCYA Rose Bowl for Top Club, PCC
Click on the links to access all the detail from the overall, IRC and PY fleets.
A big thanks to the Race Control team who were based at Battery Point from the early hours, everyone that competed from clubs across the Bristol Channel and to our sponsors Boatfolk and Advance Marine. We’ll see everyone next year!
The club are pleased to support the RNLI Water Safety Day that will be held by the boat lift/ in front of Hall & Woodhouse on Saturday 5th October. See the RNLI undertake sea safety exercises with a life raft, understand more about the ‘Float to Live’ campaign and bring along your lifejacket to be checked. This must-attend starts at 11h00 so why not pop along and say hi?
The club will have a small stall where those looking to find out more about the club can meet with committee members and learn more about how to get on the water.
Can’t make it but want to know about how to get involved with PCC? Just contact us or pop down to one of the club evenings at The Old Mill on Wednesday nights from 20h30.
Lydney Yacht Club have invited members to attend their annual rally. The event will be on Saturday 7th September 2024. High Water is at 11:06 with a 7.5m tide and as an added incentive, the EA are allowing boats to stay in the harbour free of charge for the event.
Vessels can arrive on the Friday tide should they prefer – if so Will Gissing is planning a pre-Rally get together on Isis Tres. All vessels will need to leave on Sunday’s tide.
The Yacht Club will be holding a BBQ on Saturday evening and they invite any musicians to bring along their instruments for some live music. The bar will be open and camping is available to anyone that wises.
The EA are stating a maximum of 12 boats or so in the harbour so apply early to guarantee the space as LYC will apply a first-come first-served basis.
Please note that the EA require LYC to notify them 7 days in advance and then 24 hours before arrival (you’ll get an email to remind you!)
If you’d like to attend, please email Will Gissing (Will.Gissing@portishead.net) ASAP and let him know the following. An email confirmation will then be provided.
Details of the boat – name, LOA, draft, name of skipper & number of persons on board
Insurance certificates (EA requirement!)
EA Requirements
Please see below the conditions the EA require to be observed for visiting boats. In order to meet point 6 we need to ask you to provide insurance documents. You will note point 1 refers to the risk assessment which can be found here.
1) LYC will ensure full compliance with all Safety Parameters as discussed with the EA and as outlined in the attached Risk Assessment.
2) The overall responsibility for compliance with Lydney Harbour Safety regulations will remain with Lydney Yacht Club – so please behave or we’ll be in trouble!!
3) It will be necessary for all participants’ boat owners to sign a “Letter of Consent,” which the EA will provide to the club later.
4) The EA need details of incoming boats no later than 7 days prior to the event and then confirmation 24 hours before arrival. Will will do this and furnish EA & LYC with the final list including details of the visiting boats.
5) As a gesture of goodwill, this year there will be no mooring fee for the participants; however, please be aware that this may change in the future.
6) Please ensure that all invited boats are fully insured and compliant with local and national marine laws, including River Severn byelaws 1974.
Following on from the previous RNLI Safety At Sea Evening and ahead of this year’s Holms race, we’re giving members another opportunity to get their lifejackets checked and hear advice from the RNLI about how to stay safe when on the water.
On Thursday 19th September, the RNLI clubhouse will be open to PCC members from 18h30 with the presentation starting at 19h00. The evening will also include a tour of the RNLI boathouse after the presentations.
If you missed the last RNLI evening, why not pop along? As a club evening, the RNLI are also happy for you to take along a beer or two to further create a very convivial evening.
The last time members attended, we learnt a lot about the types of callout the volunteers receive and of the lifejackets checked by their water safety team, a staggering 66% failed for very basic reasons – 2 for example didn’t even have the gas canister screwed into the holder within the lifejacket!
