The training dates for 2012 have now been published.  This year's courses include:

• Learn to sail for Adults and Juniors
• Race training
• Power boat training
• Instructor training

Details here

First we must say that SOAP stands for Sailing Old Age Pensioners and this group of members meet at the Club every Thursday afternoon throughout the year as a social gathering for those of us who have Thursday afternoons free.  Although the group (there are no membership cards or agenda) is mainly made up of those of us who take our pensions, any club member who finds that they are free on Thursday afternoon are made welcome.  The main aim is to chat, and to drink tea!

It was a lovely November day with a brisk SW which proved challenging but the children were great with lots of  paddling, pushing and honest 360' s .

Derek Williams was race Officer

Maidenhead Sailing Clubs intrepid Junior Racing team competed in the RYA Eric Twiname Youth and Junior Team Racing Championships weekend on 15th16th October. The event, held at Oxford Sailing club’s water at Farmoor Reservoir was attended by over twenty junior (U16) teams of six from all over the country as far away as South Shields.

Around eighty young sailors spent the day racing in teams against each other at Maidenhead Sailing Club on 2nd July.   This was the third time the Thames Team Racing Challenge event has been run.  Teams from Black Swan Sailing Club, Goring on Thames SC, Maidenhead SC, Claires Court School, Abingdon School were joined by teams from Upper Thames Sailing Club, and Queen Mary Sailing Club.

In total twelve teams of six competed against each other during a day of almost continuous racing, in sunny testing light wind conditions.

This season the Thursday evening and 1st Sunday of the month handicap races have two sets of results.

The first set are the standard class based handicap, the second set of results are adjusted with a personal handicap being applied to the helm.  If you do well in a race, your handicap will be adjusted down, likewise if you do badly then your handicap is adjusted the other way.

Personal Handicap results are now included on the racing and results page.

On the windy but clear day following the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, nine visitors joined 3 locals for the second Maidenhead Sailing Club’s Comet Open. This year in line with the Taplow Lake Open, that it replaced, the event was held in early May (well close to it) and there was no sign of the weed that forced a rescheduling of the race last year.

Maidenhead Sailing Club’s Solo Open was once again held with brilliant sunshine but very light winds. The combination of the light winds, holidays and the new Southern area championships the day before meant only 4 visitors and 8 local boats lined up for the delayed first start.

Blue Sky Blue Water

The sun shone and the wind stayed reasonable for the 16 Albacores that entered this annual ‘blue water’ event (no, it’s not an April Fool - the lake water really had been dyed blue).

In each of the three races three different boats were first to the windward mark however none of these could beat the overall winners Neville Herbert and Mark Fowler in their brand new wooden decked boat ‘Gran Turisimo’ and winning with a race to spare.

With an brisk easterly wind measuring 2/4 in strength which was more than forecast, 25 boats lined up for the morning 30min short pursuit. The first leg was the whole length of the lake from mark "C" to mark "I". After a good beat the Miracle of James Gladwyn and children got around the first mark first followed by Barry Wicks (Solo), John Hirsh (Solo) and Ian Stone (Comet). The remainder of the course was a mixture of runs and reaches with 3 gybe marks.