Category: Lecture Summary

    Wednesday 17th November Tony Ayton and Isabel van der Ven Rowing the Thames      Join Tony, Isabel and their double sculled, hand-crafted boat Papillon as they rowed 125 miles down the Thames from Lechdale to Teddington Lock in 2018. They will tell us about their boat (which they plan to bring with…

    Wednesday 10th February Graham Thomas Passage Planning, Pilotage and Yacht Delivery in the Med     In October 2016, Graham helped in crewing and navigating a move of two sailing school yachts from Trapani in Sicily to San Miguel in Tenerife. The journey of approximately 2000nm takes between 4-5 weeks and includes long…

    Wednesday 3rd March Jenny Crickmore-Thompson and John Franklin The Right Knots for Red Knickers – and – The South Africa Route   John and Jenny are members of GXSA but live in South Africa for part of the year. Some years ago, having never sailed before, Jenny replied to a skipper’s advert for crew…

    Wednesday 24th February David and Andrea McKay Circumnavigation of New Zealand      Diomedea in the tradewinds – Pacific Circuit Rally © David McKay   David and Andrea McKay, s/v Diomedea, take us on a journey around New Zealand in their steel Van De Stadt Tasman 48. Their voyage took place in 2013-2014.…

    Wednesday 17th February Rob Johnstone Boat Building in Bucks     Unlike many of us, GXSA member Rob Johnstone has something to show from Lockdowns 1 and 2. He will tell us about trials and tribulations of creating the design, establishing a workshop space, building and (almost) finishing a 15ft lug sail dinghy.…

    Wednesday 10th February Ray Prowse Edward Allcard: Sailor, Adventurer   Sea Wanderer, courtesy of Clare Allcard Edward Allcard was an English naval architect, marine surveyor, yachtsman and author. Born in 1914, he pushed the boundaries and knowledge of small yacht, trans-ocean sailing, initially using his 34ft ketch to become the first person to cross…

    Wednesday 3rd February Clive Woodman Nordic Odyssey   For the first 30 years of his sailing career Clive Woodman was a keen offshore racing yachtsman, competing in 5 Fastnets, 2 Sydney Hobarts, and one Round Britain Race, along with 40,000 miles of other assorted RORC and JOG racing.  Over the past 15 years…

    Wednesday 27th January Stuart Gaunt Do we really need all those Instruments?     “I maintain that I was taken hostage by an idea…Sailing back [to New Jersey, USA] from the Azores, the light on the compass kept failing, and the windvane steering got broken. We sailed at night using the Pole Star…