Celebrating 100 Years of Sailing - The Centenary Cruiser Class Dinner

Published 21:01 on 3 Mar 2013

People have been crossing the Channel for thousands of years, for most of that time without the aid of the navigation instruments we take for granted. The challenge of the sea is what we all enjoy as sailors, and in this Centenary year we want to encourage Cruiser Class members to celebrate by participating as fully as possible in our sailing programme.Since I started sailing here in 1959, most of the people I grew up in admiration of as sailors have passed on, some to be remembered by name on trophies, others jogging the memory in old photographs brought out for this important year. So I have invited to the dinner two people whose sailing achievements I have admired since my childhood, and who represent between them 100 years of sailing at and from Weymouth, in order that they can share with us what sailing was like when they started out at the club.Their names will be familiar to some, and new to many Äì Keith Sullivan and Arthur Meech, keen racing men who developed a passion for cruising which has led each of them to log many thousands of sea miles in their boats over the years. Having shared a fair few of those miles with Keith, on ÄòWhitenotheÄô and ÄòPenzephyrÄô, I learned many valuable lessons for the time when I would be able to start cruising in my own boat, and look forward to his and ArthurÄôs recollections and cruising tips which I am sure we will all have something to learn from and apply to our own adventures at sea.Adventures at sea being the theme this year, I hope boat owners will want to join in the Centenary Challenge Äì logging at least 150 miles racing or cruising, taking part in the Cruiser Regatta in the summer and signing up to cross the Channel in June when we visit Cherbourg to share our special birthday with their 75th.I also hope members will feel able to complete the survey we have sent round, so that we can see more clearly how the Cruiser Class can develop most usefully in the future to help people sail more and develop their own seamanship skills as much as possible.Make sure you send in your booking forms for the dinner as soon as possible. The start time for the dinner is of course 1930 hours.Booking forms are available at the club or download from:http://www.wsc.org.uk/sites/all/files/documents/2013/2013-Cruiser-Class-Dinner-Booking-Form.pdfOh, and donÄôt forget your boom stickers Äì send in your photos of wherever you go with them this year!Steve FraserCruiser Class Captain

Last updated 15:13 on 28 July 2025