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News from Lancing Sailing Club
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In this issue
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 It's going to be busy at Lancing Sailing Club in the next few weeks.
During the Bank Holiday weekend, on 25th and 26th May, a new series is introduced, the Whitsun Challenge.
It is a mini-series similar to the A&O Regatta in August. The competition spans 8 races over two days, with 2 races back-to-back in the morning and another 2 races in the afternoon. Sailors who cannot commit to a longer series such as the AM or the Wednesday evenings will enjoy the challenge of racing for two days solid!
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As soon as we'll have recovered from the Whitsun Challenge, it's going to be time to get ready for the first two open events of this season. The Topper Open is taking place on the 31st May and the Laser Open follows on the 1st June. Some people have volunteered to help with the event but an extra pair of hands is always welcome. If you're planning to take part in one of the events, why not come and help for the other? That's fair enough, isn't it?
Along with the Laser South-East Grand Prix meeting, we're happy to welcome Rooster 8.1 sailors. They'll be following the same format as the Lasers but will be given a separate start. There should be some interesting action along the lines!
Notices of race and posters are now available on the Racing page of this website.
Reminder - Silly hats barbecue
Niki and Gary Austin are preparing a barbecue for club members and visitors on Saturday night after the Topper Open. The theme is "Silly Hats" and we're all expected to wear some kind of unusual headgear. It's a Pay-as-you-go barbecue with the added bonus of a chocolate fountain for dessert. Yummy!
The barbecue starts at 7pm but the bar will be open well before that, so you're more than welcome to turn up early. See you there!
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With summertime sunshine and basking temperatures, the club was a hive of activity during the first two weekends of May. The Bank holiday weekend attracted many families and it was such a great sight to see mums and dads taking the little ones for a sail! In some cases, the little one have also taken mum and dad to the shop (eh, Jessica...) and it won't be long before she joins Topper racing and shows us all how it's done!
It was great to see so many members coming to the club that weekend. Some were racing while others came to play with boats. Many youngsters went out with their parents and came back grinning after a few dunks and splashes. As the old quote goes: "There is absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
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Wednesday evening series
 The Wednesday evening series 2008 has seen its first race on 7th May and will finish on 4th September. Spanning the best part of the spring and summer seasons, this series holds a very special place in our calendar. Racing in a mellow sunset light helps to forget about busy days at work and a portion of fish & chips after racing, plus a pint of Don's excellent beer, provides a well-earned comfort. Every week, regardless of the weather, many people turn up, some to sail, other to see friends and have a good time. Great atmosphere at all times.
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Success story
 Anyone walking past the sailing club on the evening of the 10th May could have heard a whole bunch of people shouting at the top of their voice "COME ON, QUACK QUACK!!".
Quack-Quack was a dead cert' in the 4th but it took more than powerful lungs to be a real winner at our Race Night. Luck and plenty of it (some call it skill) was also required. As it was, over 30 members, their friends and families came to place a few play chips on the horse they liked best and watch the film of the race. With a simple meal and plenty of enthusiasm, success was a sure bet!
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Some brought their Topper, some brought their daughter... David Trout brought his knowledge, his kindness and his patience; everyone brought their enthusiasm to the informal training afternoon the took place on 10th May.
Starting with a quick word about theory and planning on the black board, the afternoon was packed with action, advice, tips and hints. David took a group of Laser sailors (plus a Topper who finished the day with a big grin and well-improved technique) round a couple of buoys for various sailing practice. From the basic tacks and gybes, he moved on to roll-tacks and the odd capsize proved that everyone was trying hard. People were refining their runs, reaches and beats under David's watchful eye and Gary's good advice. The session ended with a few race starts in a perfect force 2 to 3 breeze and glorious sunshine. After such a success, I hope we'll see more of those training days!
A photo-gallery of the day is available on the Galleries page on this website.
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