News Archive 2012

Boxing Day Regatta 2012

Photographs of the Annual free sailing "home made" boat regatta organised by the Royal Lymington Yacht Club can be seen via our Latest Photos gallery.

Setley Pond Extension: Stage 2
A panoramic image from Sunday 23rd December 2012 (click on photos to enlarge) - the car park is now a ford... or even a convenient place to use your model motor boat. Not long now and we will be sailing yachts over it - just like 2001!

Setley Pond Extension: Stage 1
Setley Pond on Friday 21st December 2012 (photograph: Graham Coombs). The pond is now beginning to cover a good part of the car park. With more rain forecast over the weekend (and for the festive period) the pond can only get larger!

In 2001 you could sail a yacht over the car park, as demonstrated by Reg Radley (right). At that time Roger Yeatman took some photos of "Setley on Sea 2001"! To see how the pond can vary over the years see our pond depth page.

Xmas lunch a big success!
Well attended and much enjoyed, the Club's Christmas Lunch was held at the South Lawns Hotel, Milford-on-Sea, on Saturday 15th December. The Charity Raffle raised £150 in aid of "Cancer Research UK" and "Dreams Come True". Thanks to all who contributed prizes and many thanks to Lorna for organising the event. (more photos of the event).

In Memoriam - Richard Densham It is with great regret that we have to report that one of our members, Richard Densham, sadly passed away on Saturday 15th December after suffering from a chest infection. Although Richard was confined to a wheelchair he was a keen model boat builder and, when his health allowed, he sailed at the pond in the Summer months when his family also came along to help him. He was also a very active contributor to the Forum on the Model Boat Mayhem website. Our sympathy goes out to his wife Gillian and family at this sad time.

Richard (in hat) can just be seen in the background of the photo taken during one of those incidents at the pond which he so much enjoyed. His Funeral will be on Thursday 3rd January 2013 at 2.30pm at the Wessex Vale crematorium, Bubb Lane, Hedge End, Southampton, SO30 2HL. Richard's Wife Gillian and family would be very happy if anyone would like to attend. The club will give a donation to The Southampton Hospital in memory of Richard.

Cold Day at the Pond!
Another panoramic image (click to enlarge) - this time the pond on Thursday 13th December with ice covering much of the area. According to the forecast it will soon have thawed! While contemplating the frozen pond we wondered, if we made the pond deeper, would the Marco Polo (see below) fit in it. The answer would seem to be NO! (click on image to right). We need a bigger pond!

Big Ship in Town! The largest ship yet to visit Southampton arrived on Sunday 9th December - the first of a new breed of container ships the CMA CGM Marco Polo is a nearly a quarter mile long. Your web-master took some photos from across the water at Eling: (more photos of the Marco Polo).

Paparazzi hound SRCMBC
- Leveson informed.

The Club's highly successful Charity Exhibition in September was featured in the New Milton Advertiser ( 8/9/2012 - see left). Over £1000 was raised and distributed between the various charities; two of the "thank you" letters received are shown right (Click to enlarge).

Surface Warship Explosions!

The Surface Warship Association held an exhibition of Warship Models at the Explosions Museum in Gosport over the weekend of 3rd/4th November and Solent Club members Dave Reith and David McNair-Taylor exhibited some 10 models. The show was well attended by the public, especially on the Sunday when the exhibition was kept open until 8pm to enable the crowds attending the large bonfire and firework display to be able to some and see the SWA Exhibition. (more photos of the display).

SRCMBC 2013 Calendar - last one or two...

The "Setley Pond Calendar 2013" features twelve photos of boats on Setley Pond taken during the past year, plus scenes from the Lymington exhibition on the title page. Opens to A3 size with plenty of space to write in your appointments etc. This is a high quality calendar - professionally printed on 250gsm card, wire bound with stiff translucent plastic covers, front and back - and a bargain at only £10 (same price as last year - similar quality calendars in the shops cost much more). This really is a "special offer" price and each year we sell out - don't be disappointed, only one or two are left - any unsold will be available at the Christmas lunch.

The total amount raised in donations on the door and in collecting buckets, plus the Wightlink sponsored raffle and the sales on the RNLI, Help for Heroes, and Hampshire Air Ambulance stalls to talled £949 some £119 more than last year's previous record. In addition HSBC have generously matched the bucket and door donations with a further £500 donation to Help for Heroes. As a result the show raised over £1000 in charity donations alone, with the profits from the sales on the Charity Stalls to be added on top of th at total. This was despite competition on the day from a number of other events including the Bournemouth Air Show!

Comments on the day showed that the Show also succeeded in the Club's aim to promote Model Boats as a hobby, as well as providing an enjoyable get together for members.

Exciting New Invention

Ever thought you were getting in too deep for your Wellies? It's happened to us all but now SRCMBC member David Edwards has the answer. Dave is here seen modelling his latest invention* while preparing to launch his wool trade clipper "Salamis". In an exclusive interview for this web site, Dave said he is planning to bring his invention to market under the new trade name "Waders" once he has worked out how the wearer can bend their knees.
(*click photo to enlarge)

Special thanks to Lorna , Andrew, Shelley,Paul Nixon and Tug Wilson and to everyone who helped on the gate, the raffle selling ladies, to all those whom came and helped setting up and packing up. Thank you to The 'RNLI' and 'H&IOW Air Ambulance' for their support and the Masonic Hall staff for the cafe arrangements and help with hall access etc .

Annual Charity Exhibition

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Lymington RNLI Day

The Lymington RNLI and Bath Race was again well attended (despite the Olympic sailing at Weymouth!) and was lucky to have good weather. Photos of the event can be seen in our latest p hotos gallery.

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June/July 2012:

Luscombe Valley Railway

We have been asked to publicise these Charity Events held by Luscombe Valley Railway. This private steam collection has mostly trains but also boats (model and full size) and vehicles. It is open to the public four times a year in aid of charity which this year is the Prostate Cancer Support Group for East Dorset. The Autumn Gala is on 8th/9th September. The poster (right) is also available as a pdf file.

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SRCMBC Summer Newsletter

The latest Club Newsletter is now available on the Newsletters page. Our next Charity event is the Lymington Bath Race and Lifeboat Day on the 5th August. The poster (left) can be downloaded as a pdf file. Please print and display!

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Those were the Days! Your "web-master" has been re-rigging an antique pond yacht on behalf of a neighbour. Sadly, the plank on frame hull would need a lot of refurbishment if it were ever to float again. However the yacht is going to spend it's retirement as a much appreciated static model. Having been stored in an under-stairs cupboard as a bundle of hull, sails and spars, most of the rigging was missing and had to be replaced. However the few parts that existed from its pond-rac er past have been preserved.

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May 2012:

in Memoriam
	With great regret we have to report that Don Brazier passed away on the morning of Thursday, 31st May, 2012. Despite recently suffering from ill health, Don had remained a regular participant at the pond with his wide range of models. He will be very sadly missed. The funeral was at Bournemouth Crematorium on Wednesday 13th June.
	Recently the Club has also mourned the sad and unexpected loss (on Sunday 13th May) of Vera Winters, who had so often visited the lake with her brother Dennis, helping with his boats and taking her black poodle "Jay" for a walk. The pond will not seem the same without these well-known and popular members.

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Navy Day 2012

Navy Day 2012 was held on 20th May. The cold and blustery weather resulted in a very slow start with few attendees but proceedings warmed up around ten o clock with many visitors and a few more members arriving. We did manage to get models onto the water and put on a show for the visitors. Here are a few more photographs of the event.

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Surface Warship Association at Bursledon Brickworks

SRCMBC members Dave Reith and David McNair-Taylor showed their models in the Surface Warship Association exhibition at Bursledon Brickworks Museum on Sunday (13th May 2012). The stand had a large number of visitors and they received many favourable comments on the standard of the models. Here are more photographs and you can read David McN-T's Report on the event.

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R36R Metropolitan & Southern Championship

The Sailing Section of the club held the Metropolitan & Southern Championship Competition for the R36R class at Setley Pond on Saturday 12th May 2012. Club member Alan Maynard racing sail no. 24 won the trophy with Mike Rostance second and Shaun Harris third. Martin Houlton was Officer of the Day. Photos of the event are in the Latest Photos gallery and (eventually) there will be a movie!

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April 2012:

Andy Davis wins Richard Graham Steering Competition
- Delighted with Prize

22nd April: The steering competition for the Richard Graham Trophy was won by Andy Davis, David McNair-Taylor was second and Chris Chattaway third. As Scale Section Captain, David (right in photo) presented Andy (left) with a bottle of wine. Andy is obviously thrilled at learning that the bottle contains an excellent vintage of Setley Pond water. John Frost, who is retiring after many years of setting fiendish steering tests, observes from higher ground. His organisation of the steering competitions has been much appreciated! More photos in the Steering Competitions Photo Gallery.

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Stop Press:
Titanic encounters Iceberg!

Sunday 15th April; it was reported today that the luxury liner RMS Titanic had approached, and then been chased by, a large iceberg. The incident took place some 250 miles south of Halifax, Yorkshire.

SRCMBC Exclusive... View the movie: Titanic and the Iceberg!

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Club success at Poole Vikings Model Show

As members of the Surface Warship Association, SRCMBC members exhibited warship models at the 2012 Poole Vikings Model Show in Poole on the 12th April. David McNair Taylor was awarded the "The Carol Lowe Memorial Trophy" for the most outstanding modeller in the show (David's comments). More photos of the event.

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March 2012:

South West Model and Hobby Show 2012

Although the Club was not exhibiting, a number of members attended the Model Show at the Bath and West Showground near Shepton Mallet over the end of March weekend. There was a lot going on (including the SWAMBC model boat pool) but some of us found the exhibition rather jumbled!

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In Memoriam: Louis Vaisey We are very sorry to have to report that Louis Vaisey, one of our stalwart members, has sadly passed away after an accident at his home during the weekend of 10th March, our deepest sympathy goes to his family. His Funeral was on Tuesday 20th March 2012 at Hinton Park Woodland Burial Ground, Christchurch, Dorset. Donations if wished may be made to the Guide Dogs for the Blind. The illustration shows one of Louis's many models which can be seen on the various videos which he made.

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2012 Highcliffe Show

The SRCMBC annual Model Boat Show took place in Highcliffe on Saturday, 10th March 2012. This marked 20 years of holding the show at the Methodist Hall in collaboration with the local RNLI Supporters Branch during which time well over £10,000 must have been raised for the Lifeboats. Photos of the event are in the Latest Photos gallery.

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Ton Class Association Book Launch

David Reith and David McNair-Taylor were invited to display their models at an event in the Princess Royal Gallery of the Royal Naval Museum, in Portsmouth Dockyard, to celebrate the launch of two new books on the Ton Class Minesweepers, "Last of the Wooden Walls" and "Jacks of All Trades".

On display were their models of HMS Sir Galahad (WW2 Round Table Class Minesweeper), HMS Kirkliston (Ton Class Minehunter), HMS Penzance (Sandown Class Mine Countermeasures Vessel) and HMS Lancaster (Type 23 Frigate) which were very well received by the guests. Photos and David's comments are in the Latest Photos gallery.

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February 2012:

My Boat's bigger than yours!

On 28th February, SRCMBC members Andy Griggs and John Tybjerg went to the Timsbury Lake site of the Warsash Maritime Academy following a request from Ben Meakins of Practical Boat Owner magazine which is planning a feature on avoiding collisions at sea. Andy Griggs (of Models By Design) took his Fishing Boat, Pilot Boat and also a catamaran on which they fixed a small cine camera. John Tybjerg took his Sea Queen Cruiser and there were also 6 Micro-Magic yachts. The purpose was to film various nautical "rule of the road" scenarios encountered in the approaching, crossing and overtaking of one vessel by another. The photo shows John's cruiser approaching one of the Academy's large training tankers - which are about 10 metres long. Ben was very grateful for their efforts and has promised to let them know when the results have been edited and published - both in the magazine and on video.

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Pond Frozen Unfrozen!

Update: 16th February The ice has melted and the pond is fluid once more!
Update: 12th February As you might guess, the pond is still frozen! Looks like it melted around the edges, then refroze. Reg had his R/C car out there at buoy 6 (and it came back)!

By Saturday 4th February the pond was covered in ice, mostly an inch thick or more. Overnight rain meant that by Sunday the ice had melted around the edges but there was no water for model boating - time to get the RC cars out!

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January 2012:

In Memoriam Peter Soffe It is with great regret that we have to give the sad news that Club Committee Member Peter Soffe passed away peacefully on Friday 20th January. Our thoughts are with Sheila, Andrew and Lorna. Peter's funeral was on Wednesday, 1st February, at Bournemouth Crematorium. Donations in memory of Peter may be made to The League of Friends of Lymington & New Forest Hospital through Tapper Funeral Service (28 High Street, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QD). An appreciation of Peter is in the latest Club Newsletter

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Previous Archives: 2011; 2010; 2009; 2008.

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