RNLI Water Safety Day

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.

RNLI Safety At Sea Evening

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!

To secure your spot, just fill in the form below

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If there are more than 5 people in your party, please contact us on publicity@pccsail.com

2024 Holms Race

The 2024 edition of the Holms Race will be on Saturday 28th September.

Entry Information

This annual race is for many a highlight of the Bristol Channel sailing calendar. The course leaves Portishead, rounds Flat Holm to port, Steep Holm to port and then returns to Portishead. Featuring a choose your own start time, it pits skippers and crews against the wind and tides of the Bristol Channel with the aim of being between the islands at slack water ready to race back on the new flood tide.

To encourage participation from all Bristol Channel Yacht Clubs, once again in 2024 will be the special prize for the ‘Top Club’. 

Currently held by PCC, the amazing rose-bowl trophy will be awarded to the top club in the Holms Race. The top three results from each club will be amalgamated and the best placed club will be pronounced as the ‘Top Club’. As the BCYA said themselves, ‘you’ve got to be in it to win it!

In addition, and new for 2024, we will be awarding a further prize to the overall IRC winner. Only boats racing under a 2024 IRC number will be eligible.

After the race, why not pop along to the post race BBQ kindly sponsored by Advance Marine and dissect the days racing over a beer and a burger!

If you’re visiting Portishead, our friends at Boatfolk are offering half price berthing. This offer is only available until 21st September so please contact the marina directly to take advantage of this offer once you’ve completed your entry form.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Bristol Harbour Cruise

Given the recent weather, a club social around Bristol Harbour may not have been a wise choice! However, for our summer social, the sun shone and everyone enjoyed a couple of hours cruising around the harbour, stopping off at the Grain Barge and chatting about the passing view or recent sailing adventures.

Boarding the Bristol Ferry Matilda at the Nova Scotia boarding stage and after dodging the many sailing dinghies, paddle boards and other craft enjoying the good weather, our cruise took in many of Bristol Harbour’s familiar sights.

From a glimpse of the MV Balmoral ensconced in dry dock as she undergoes an extensive refit to the passing of the impressively restored SS Great Britain through to sights of Bristol’s waterfront of yesteryear, it was the perfect venue for this year’s summer social.

If you’d like to join a club that has social events, cruising and racing but don’t know where to start, contact us to find out more! We have our weekly club night from 20h30 at the Old Mill pub at the seaward end of Portishead High Street on Wednesdays and new or prospective members can always be assured of a warm welcome.

Shanghai Cup 2024

In partnership with Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, PCC is happy to announce the dates for the Shanghai Cup 2024, Bristol Channel IRC Championships and Nimrod Cup.

The popular annual championship, held over two weekends, saw PCC boat Ctrl-J skippered by Andy Williams retain the Shanghai Cup in 2023 with Emma Peel and Checkmate XV coming in second and third places respectively. The 2023 Nimrod Cup was won by Hallucination with Pele and Glad Rags following in second and third place.

Back for another year, the Shanghai Cup will use IRC ratings and take place as follows:

  • Portishead weekend – 15th/ 16th June 2024
  • Cardiff weekend – 29th/ 30th June 2024

Social events at each location will be communicated at a later date. Note the Nimrod Cup will use NHC ratings and will run on the Cardiff weekend only.

The organising committee have now updated the event website at shanghai cup.co.uk and have posted the Conditions of Entry and the Notice of Race 2024 v0.1.

Further information including the entry form, can be found on the Shanghai and Nimrod Cup website. Members are also invited to spread the word and look forward to two weekends of competitive racing in June!

If you’re looking to join the action but aren’t a PCC member or don’t have a boat, contact us to find out about the latest crewing opportunities that may be available.

BCYA Rally & Shanty Festival

This years Bristol Channel Yachting Association (BCYA) English Coast Rally is coming to Portishead Marina. It promises to be a fun-filled weekend across the Whitsun Bank Holiday of 25th – 27th May as it will be at the same time as the Portishead Shanty Festival and the EAT Food Festival.

As with all BCYA Rallies, visitors can benefit from discounted berthing, a complimentary drinks reception, an official welcome from the town and a competition for the best dressed boat.

The BCYA have supplied us with the following information for the event so get involved and enjoy the fun!

Annual General Meeting

The club’s annual general meeting, which all members are encourage to attend, will this year take place at Portishead Bowling Club on Wednesday 13th March at 20h00.

 AGENDA

  1. Apologies for Absence
  2. Approval of 2023 AGM minutes
  3. Matters arising from 2023 AGM
  4. Honorary Treasurers report and adoption of Annual Audited Accounts for year ending 31st December 2023
  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 and Reminders.

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 2023 AGM and the ‘Audited Accounts’ will circulated electronically one week prior to the meeting to members. 

Nominations for the posts of Club Officers and for positions on the general committee are to be signed at least seven days before the AGM i.e. by 6th March. Nomination forms are available from the Club Secretary by emailing or at a Wednesday night meeting. 

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.

RNLI Sea Safety Evening

The RNLI have been in touch to offer members an evening focussed on lifejackets and the latest developments in safety at sea. Designed to be an informal event pitched at both novice and experienced sailors, we would encourage members to attend. Equally, if you’d like the RNLI to give your lifejacket a once over, bring it along!

The event will also feature a short presentation from the Deputy Duty Harbour Master from Royal Portbury Dock who will talk about the dangers associated with sailing in a busy shipping lane.

After the event, members are invited to retire to the nearby Royal Inn for drinks.

The event will take place on 14th March at 19h00 at the RNLI boathouse.

To reserve your spot, please register via the following link. Note that the event space has a capacity of 25 people so don’t delay, reserve your spot today!

Please contact Tim at PCC or Bernd at the RNLI if you have any questions.

Club Christmas Lunch

It’s time to start peeling the spuds, prepping the sprouts and getting those turkeys in the oven! Per club tradition, Val Bundell and her crew will be taking to the club kitchen to prepare the annual feast, hosted in the clubhouse. This year lunch will be served at 13h00 on Sunday 17th December and will comprise a main course, desert and cheese.

Demand for tables at this event is always high so get your booking in to Val as soon as possible. Our well stocked bar will be open too, ensuring you’ll be able to enjoy a beer, glass of wine or soft drink with your festive fare.

As our last social event for 2023, this is an event not to miss! Alternatively, if you’re considering joining the club, there’s no time like the present! Check out our membership page or contact our membership secretary, Dave Martin to learn more.

2024 Racing Calendar

It’s time to lock in the dates for the 2024 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 2024 season and to assist, we’ve also added the dates for the Shanghai Cup and the Holms Race.

New for 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.

The 2024 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 Nick Duppa-Miller.