NWVYC - North West Venturers Yacht Club 

Commodore's Welcome

The NWVYC at the beginning of 2008 is an active club in many diverse ways. The majority of members have yachts based in the Menai Strait, many close to the clubhouse during the season and stored on the Gallows Point during the winter. This offers the opportunity for members to get to know each other and share knowledge of boat maintenance and sailing experience. The Clubhouse itself is a warm sanctuary in which to rest for a time, compare notes and prepare either for sailing during the season or for the lengthy task of improving sea worthiness and comfort of the yacht for the next season.

Our Club Profile states that “the Club was founded in 1961 by a small group of local yachtsmen who wished to improve their sailing skills through cruising in company while establishing a shore base to serve as a training facility for theoretical aspects of navigation.” These aims are still held by the members of our club, reflected by an excellent sailing programme, an increasing number of winter events, including organisation of RYA training courses each year, well attended social evenings and good relations with other yacht clubs. The success of the club lies in the warmth and informality of its sailing and social events, combined with desire to sail competently and safely. The challenge of successfully navigating and sailing the waters of Anglesey and the Irish Sea offer sound experience for more extensive sailing.

The club’s sailing programme gives all members the opportunity to cruise in company and it has been pleasing in 2007 to see a group of new members take part in many cruises in company despite a very large number of weekend forecasts of strong winds.

Cruising in company with other experienced sailors enables all of us to test our yachts and ourselves in rough conditions, with the comforting thought that other members are nearby if assistance should be required. Some members continue to take part in many of the organised weekend cruises while others who have made friends prefer to cruise predominantly on their own after initially gaining confidence and knowledge from those who know the waters around Anglesey well.

In recent years a number of our members have headed for Britanny for the summer or kept their yachts in the Mediterranean. Nearer to home others have circumnavigated the United Kingdom or Ireland or had extensive sails round Scotland. Still more have made it to the Scilly Isles in the south or onto the South Coast. In fact wherever you go around the coasts of Western Europe you are in danger of bumping into a Venturer! Club racing has attracted some new entrants in the last season and Venturers over the last three years have had at least one entry in the Round Anglesey yacht race organised by the Menai Bridge Boat Club.
 
About 20% of Venturer members live on Anglesey but most live further away – many in the North West and Cheshire. The Club’s excellent publications are vital for keeping members in touch with one another through the Newsletter and Yearbook. In addition the Club’s existence is promoted via the website and by sales of the Anglesey Pilot.

I take up my post as Commodore with the strong desire to continue to promote this excellent Club.

Jean Lumb, Commodore