This edition of OYT South’s weekly bulletin is a day early as I shall be on the boat tomorrow. I’m away for a couple of weeks, but the next edition in mid-July will carry the first instalment of Tall Ships race news.

Urgent notices

Tall Ships crew berths
Still a handful of places available: top priority is to fill the four berths left from Newcastle to Fredrikstad, as we don’t want to be racing across the North Sea short-handed: 27 Jul – 5 Aug, Newcastle to Fredrikstad, £585 (age 16-25). We also have one space on the trip starting this Saturday (2-7 July, Portsmouth to Waterford, £380), and four spaces 16-26 Jul, Cherbourg to Newcastle, £600 (age 16-25). If you would love to come but really cannot afford it, call the office on 0870 241 2252 and ask if there is any bursary money left.

Overseas crew members (and maybe some spaces for British crew)
A few places still left on a trip primarily aimed crew members from overseas: 3rd-8th September, Southampton to Southampton, age range 15-25, subsidised by an international crew donation so it will cost just £150 per head. Priority to non-British crew but if people from this country apply, they are eligible for any remaining spaces.

International Festival of the Sea (IFOS)
This has now started – thanks to everyone involved in helping with either the stand or the boat. Anyone else visiting the festival: please note that John Laing will be in Gunwharf and the stand is somewhere near No. 2 Basin – do come and say hello!

Voyage news
Another great new group booking this week: Devonport Grammar School for Boys. The sea staff all really enjoyed sailing with them and have insisted that the school must be encouraged to come again next year!

They left Southampton last Friday, hoping to sail across the Channel on the first night; but they were thwarted by fog and lack of wind, so went to Weymouth instead, arriving at what second mate Andy Royse described as “silly o’clock in the morning.” After a few hours in Weymouth, they went out and did some sail training in the bay, and then took off for Cherbourg, again arriving at silly o’clock. They had time to explore the town, and fly kites on the green.

Next day they headed back to Portsmouth, approaching via the western Solent after dark. With thousands of vessels ready for the Fleet Review and all the festivities this week, this was apparently a spectacular experience and an absolutely breathtaking sight, with all the ships lit up. It was, however, extremely nerve-wracking for the sea staff in such crowded waters, with the added difficulty of trying to pick out navigation buoys against the ships’ lights. But they made it safely into Gunwharf, yet again arriving at Andy Royse’s favourite time of day.

Several of the boys had done quite a lot of sailing before – some were experienced dinghy sailors – and a number of them earned their RYA Competent Crew certificates. The others all got their Start Yachting certificates. Their teacher, Andy Guy, was also well up to OYT watchleader standard and we are keen to get him back on board for an assessment as soon as we can!

Sea staff were relief skipper Nick Crawford, plus Dan Russell, Andy Royse and Princess Craig, and David d’Costa who made good progress with his third mate’s assessment – thanks to everyone for helping to make this voyage such a success.

Sea staff vacancies

First mates still needed for: 26 Aug-2 Sept; 12-16 Sept; 19-23 Sept; 24-30 Sept; 10-14 Oct; 15-20 Oct; 21-25 Oct; 26-31 Oct; 1-5 Nov.

Second mates needed for: 12-16 Sept; 18-23 Sept; 26-31 Oct; 1-5 Nov.

I’ve had a few provisional enquiries about some of these trips but we need to start getting things firmed up.

Third mates needed for: 3-8 Sept (overseas crew voyage); and 10-11 Sept (this is a marketing weekend so could just involve showing people round the boat in harbour – but we might use it for day sails and so would need mates on board).

Thanks to people who have enquired about various sea staff berths; I’ll start confirming things when I get back from the next trip. If other people want to volunteer, please email me; or if you need a quick answer over the next few days, you could try leaving a message for Wolf on 07771 771864.

Don’t forget that other sea staff, prospective sea staff and any other adults just interested in finding out how we work can book on the familiarisation (or re-familiarisation) voyage 12-16 September (£200); and there may just be a space or two on the mates’ training weekend 16-18 Sept (£100).

Crew bookings

Current vacancies as follows:

Jl05-28: 5 nights, 2-7 July, Portsmouth to Waterford, £380 (age 16-25) – 1 berth left
JL05-30: 10 nights, 16-26 Jul, Cherbourg to Newcastle, £600 (age 16-25) – 4 berths left
JL05-31: 9 nights, 27 Jul – 5 Aug, Newcastle to Fredrikstad, £585 (age 16-25) – 4 berths left

JL05-37: 5 nights, 3-8 September, Southampton, £150 – a few berths left
JL05-42: 4 nights, 19-23 Sep, Southampton, £220 – 6 berths left
JL05-47: 4 nights, 10-14 Oct, Southampton, £210 (whole boat group booking available)
JL05-48: 5 nights, 15-20 Oct, Southampton, £225 (whole boat group booking available)
JL05-49: 4 nights, 21-25 Oct, Southampton, £200 – 9 berths left
JL05-51: 4 nights, 1-5 Nov, Southampton, £160 -11 berths left

For information on latest vacancies, please contact the office on 0870 241 2252, or email office@oytsouth.org.

We are now taking bookings on the 2006 programme, also available from the office, or on the website at www.oytsouth.org.

Dates for your diaries

Thurs 11th August: John Laing maintenance day in Bremerhaven.

10th and 11th September: more John Laing Open Days.

Friday 16th Sept: OYT South annual dinner, Royal Southern YC, Hamble, held jointly with two local children’s hospices. Tickets £65 each.

16th – 25th September: Southampton Boat Show: volunteers needed for the OYT South stand.

Saturday 1st October: John Laing maintenance day, Southampton (call Wolf 07771 771864).

Saturday 5th November: End of season party and possible other weekend activities tbc. Individuals welcome aged 18+; crew members under 18 who have sailed this year and would like to keep in touch are welcome to come to the weekend with a parent or group leader.

For more information on any of this, email me or contact the office on 0870 241 2252, office@oytsouth.org.

Don’t forget the OYT South link to Amazon!
At the bottom of the OYT South home page (https://www.oytsouth.org/) is a link to Amazon. Use this link whenever you order anything from Amazon and they will give a percentage of the price to OYT South funds.