The Squib Nationals finished with an exciting but tiring final day.  Two races back to back in a stiff breeze made up for a frustrating day of black flags and flukey conditions the previous day; the lift-out of the fleet in Portland Marina went flawlessly and the competitors finished the day at the final prizegiving party at the Riviera Hotel.  The Nationals took months of planning and involved over 100 volunteers from the Club during the week. Congratulations to all who took part, either sailing in the event or helping in the support teams.

Full reports of the racing can be read in Yachts and Yachting.

Overall Results Squib Nationals 2009

Photos: Squibs at rest on pontoon specially constructed for the event.  Royal Vic team spell out what it's all about.

On Sunday afternoon 14 June, in wonderful sunshine, guests joined members for the Commodore's Summer Drinks Party.  Commodore Melita Biggs told the guests in her welcome speech that it was a change in tradition to have the party during the summer months and she hoped that they had enjoyed coming to WSC in daylight.   Local authority representatives, marine agencies, Commodore's of affiliated Clubs and businesses who have helped the Club during the year, were treated to Pimms with sandwiches and strawberry scones.

During the party Melita made a presentation of a cheque from Weymouth Sailing Club for £1,000 to the RNLI.  TThe cheque was received by Secretary of RNLI Weymouth Station John Harvey.

SQUIB NATIONAL ENTRIES HAVE BEEN CLOSED AT 108 BOATS (27 June - 3 July) 

This is the highest number of boats that has been achieved in a National Squib Championships and is a sure sign of the popularity of Weymouth as a sailing venue.

Well done to Peter Hopford and team the  who have been working hard to put the show together and to the sponsors for supporting the event.

The Squib despite being a boat of some vintage continues to attract top sailors and regularly achieves high turnouts for Club racing - 20 boats were on the start line on Thursday evening.  Good luck to the Weymouth fleet in the Championships.

In wonderful sunshine, club member Dr Geoffrey Bath gave a demonstration into how gravitational fields are formed in cataclysmic variable or CV stars, which consist of a primary white dwarf and a secondary mass transferring star.

Doctor Bath has lectured in physics at Merton and Wolfson Colleges, Oxford University, and worked as a research fellow with Nasa at Princeton University in America.

His complex experiment, using vessels containing water, elastic and a siphon, attempts to simulate and explain gravitational anomalies found in certain types of stars.

Dr Bath admitted that his work has no practical applications and isn't going to make him into a millionaire.  Commodore Melita Biggs thanked him very much for a very interesting and informative talk.