Category Archives: PCC News

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Blue Skies Sailing

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In a remarkable twist of good luck, the racing fleet’s last race of the King Road series landed on a gap in the weather meaning the fleet enjoyed brisk winds and blue skies as they took to the water for a fine day’s racing.

Heading for Newcombe as the first mark, followed by Cockburn on a fast spinnaker run before hardening up to round Denny Island, the fleet then headed back to Cockburn before crossing the finish line between the club racing mark and Portbury Dock Outer.

With close quarter racing around the final mark between Assassin and Ctrl-J, the race provided fun racing before crews retired to C pontoon for the annual racing prize giving.

As ever, if you have any pictures taken of the fleet on the water, please send them in so we can update the rest of the club about the racing activities.

As the season starts up again, don’t forget that our weekly club nights at the Sirens Calling from 20h30 are the perfect place to discuss upcoming plans. Members are also reminded of the upcoming AGM on the 12th March too.

Racing Prize Giving

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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.

Annual General Meeting

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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 March 2025 at 20h00.

 AGENDA

  1. Apologies for Absence
  2. Approval of 2024 AGM minutes
  3. Matters arising from 2024 AGM
  4. Honorary Treasurers report and adoption of Annual Audited Accounts for year ending 31st December 2024
  5. Commodore’s report
  6. Election of Officers and Committee
  7. Appointment of Auditors
  8. Adoption of changes to the constitution
  9. 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.

Dinner Dance

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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.

2025 Racing Calendar

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It’s time to lock in the dates for the 2025 season! You can find all the details over on the club racing page. The schedule includes all the key dates you need to plan your 2025 season and to assist, we’ve also added the dates for the Shanghai Cup and the Holms Race.

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 2025 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.

The Siren’s Calling…

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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!

Parish Wharf Lift Outs

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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.

Holms Race Results 2024

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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!

Cork Craic 2024

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Back in July, four PCC boats headed for the bi-annnual International Cork Week. Promising an exhilarating weeks sailing alongside the buzz of an international regatta, PCC crews enjoyed some great time on the water. Of course, this was after they’d made the delivery run from Portishead to Cork which itself can take up to 36 hours of non-stop sailing.

Assembling for a club party at one of the crew houses, conversations focussed on the variable conditions that the teams had this year – from heavy fog to large Atlantic swells through all variations in-between – it certainly was an action packed few days!

Despite the international crowd, PCC boats also held their own in the regatta leaderboard. Ctrl-J and Hero scored 4th and 5th overall in IRC 1, while Scrumpy-J, in their first trip to Cork, secured 5th overall in IRC 2. Assassin, this year racing in the Coastal Fleet, came in 9th overall. With this years total fleet in excess of 110 boats, these are great results for PCC. Congratulations to all the crews that participated!

Turning attention more locally, the club’s major Bristol Channel regatta is rapidly approaching. The Holms Race, where boats from all the local clubs compete, will take place this year on 28th September. Find out more here.

Sail Practice Events

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Amongst the racing calendar this year, the sailing committee have introduced Sail Practice Events. These are favourable tides where members can practice sailing manoeuvres such as spinnaker hoist and drops, tacking, gybing, sail trimming and helming outside of race conditions.

The remaining sail practice events for 2024 are as shown below. If your boat hasn’t been beyond the lock for a while and you’d like to practice your sailing manoeuvres in the company of other boats, these may be the events for you! Non-racing members and other Portishead Marina users are all welcome. If you are planning to go out, please let our Sailing Secretary, Matt Bundell know so he can let you know how many other boats will be joining you.

The remaining Sail Practice Events for 2024 are:

  • 1st September, HW 19h21, HT12.1m
  • 14th September, HW 16h57, HT 10.2m

Ordinarily we leave the marina approximately an hour or so before high water and return to the marina an hour or so after high water. This is then typically followed by a pint or two at the sirens to debrief on what was seen from fellow vessels on the water!