WELCOME TO ESQUIBBER MARCH www,squibs.co.uk

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1 WELCOME TO ESQUIBBER MARCH 2018 NATIONAL SQUIB OWNERS ASSOCIATION www,squibs.co.uk

2 The Concept MAIN & JIB from Hyde Sails

3 JACK GROGAN ANSWERS QUESTIONS ON THE CONCEPT SAILS After some discussion about sails Nigel suggested Hyde could come up with some concept sails which used a mix of white and mace to show how a transition away from mace could be achieved. Below are a few details about the sails that Hyde came up with and were subsequently displayed at the dinghy show. I must add the sails are purely a concept!!! I shall start with the jib. In my opinion the problem with the current jib is the lack of windows. In order to get optimum sail performance it requires the sails to be designed with a certain panel layout, which is also somewhat limited by the rules. As a result the window is pretty much in the only place it can go. The current window works well if the boat is bolt upright but not so well when say sailing around between races. Problem number two is the tell tales, or the lack of being able to see them. Again the reason for this is simple. The squib class rules only allows one window in the jib, which means either you have a collision window or a tell-tale window, but not both, how silly! Our solution: What we have done is add an extra collision window and also add three windows for all the tell-tales. For this to be legal we would require a simple rule change, which would be; allow tell-tale windows and two windows in the jib. Or something similar. There would be no performance gain. It would be safer and also save you squinting to see that leeward tell-tale in the jib. Another complaint about the jib is longevity. I personally feel that this is not such a serious problem since the introduction of the new cloth in 2015, which is much improved. So in order to keep in touch with class heritage we decided to leave the cloth as it is, however, we did add two leech battens, which could extend the life of a jib. Finally, we changed the head, tack and clew of the sail to white cloth. This was purely done to create a more modern look and make the class appeal to the emerging new generation of sailors. The mainsail: Again I will start with windows. The current window rules only allows one window, like above, this means that the current window is located so the helm and crew can see through it upwind to avoid a collision. This works well upwind, however the window is too low for the helm to see through when sat behind the boom sailing downwind. So we added an extra window above the old one to solve this problem. We also added a luff window which means you can check your jib trim without going to leeward simple! Draft stripes (black) - also added to make the sails more modern and to improve sail trim. In order to update the look of the boat we simple changed the cloth to white, but kept the head, tack and clew mace along with the battens, to keep that nod to the heritage.

4 At Hyde we also felt it necessary to add the name of the class underneath the logo. A) this is modern B) this will help spectators know what class it is when they see one and want to buy one. Finally, we made the mainsail loose footed, this means it does not have a bolt rope, which means it s easier trim of the outhaul plus allows quicker rigging and easier launching from moorings and pontoons. Loose foot has one other benefit, it is cheaper to make. Window cloth is also cheaper than sailcloth. I hope this goes some way to explaining the concept sails. From the response s at the dinghy show and also on Facebook it all seems very positive. We shall leave it to you, the members, to decide but we have to take a look at the class and recognise that we are lacking new sailors in the class and why is this? We have a new boat/builder and a great circuit and I think we are all friendly. So maybe the squib is just not modern/glamorous enough? Footnote: There has been much discussion on the concept sails displayed at the Dinghy Show and the vast majority of comments were positive! Generally members approved of the suggested enhancements to the existing sails and liked the mix of colours displayed. So next step (perhaps) is to ask the whole membership whether we as a class should adopt the new design, Interesting times!

THE DINGHY SHOW FEATURES THE SQUIB CONCEPT SAILS Despite the weather, the Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace was a great success with record numbers of visitors to the Squib stand.

Squibbers liked the larger windows, the added small windows to show tell-tails and most felt that the mixture of mace and white worked well.

6 THE DINGHY SHOW FEATURES THE SQUIB CONCEPT SAILS Despite the weather, the Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace was a great success with record numbers of visitors to the Squib stand. The concept sails from Hyde were featured on the Squib stand at The dinghy Show and, almost without any exception, were favourably received. Squibbers liked the larger windows, the added small windows to show tell-tails and most felt that the mixture of mace and white worked well. Many thanks went out to Portsmouth Squib fleet who provided five young squibbers to man the stand - which was a great success. The Squib on display was Simon Vines new which was brought up from South-West England, through snow, wind and rain by Paul Young of Rondar. By contrast, the display team of Tony and Marian didn t get to Alexandra Palace until Saturday morning! Rusty, MC and Salty.. all from Portsmouth THE AQL SPONSORED SPINNAKER

7 UPCOMING EVENTS The 2018 sailing season is on the horizon and there are lots of choices for you and your club members to get into. It s easy to just sit back and say I ll book something later but often later never seems to arrive! So check out the choices below and make the effort - it will be good for both you and your club! BROADLAND REGATTA SQUIB SPRING OPEN SQUIB WELSH OPEN 7-8 April 2018 Oulton Broad 7-8 April 2018 Rutland June 2018 Abersoch GOLD CUP 5-6 May 2018 Burnham On Crouch EAST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS May 2018 Burnham SCOTTISH & NORTHERNS June 2018 Royal Tay YC FOR 2018 So, interested? then click on the link below to take you to the Events page on the website and take it from there! Most events include links to get entry forms and NORs. Enter Event

8 QUALITY, SPEED, HERITAGE AND VALUE. Hyde Sails are an internationally renowned racing sailmaker. Be it the carefully designed sails for your Squib or sails that take you around the World Hyde will be there for you throughout your sailing life. Why not match your race winning sails with Hyde Sails Squib accessory range at Contact: Jack Grogan MAKING SAILS THE WAY YOU WANT e s t

WIN A NEW SQUIB TIME TO CHOOSE YOUR RACES The sailing season is about to start and a number of fleets have chosen the twenty races which they want to be included in the prize draw for a new Rondar

9 WIN A NEW SQUIB TIME TO CHOOSE YOUR RACES The sailing season is about to start and a number of fleets have chosen the twenty races which they want to be included in the prize draw for a new Rondar Squib - but many haven t yet. If your club still needs to make the selection then give your Class Captain a firm nudge and get him/her to talk to Marian Gibson. WHICH RACES? Any 20 of your club/fleets races in 2018 If an event doesn t happen for some reason select a replacement HOW MANY? Participate in nominated events to win The more squib events you sail in the more tickets you are awarded WHO GETS TICKET Either or both helm / crew - if NSOA member NSOA membership costs 35 (full) or 25 (associate) NON-CLUB EVENT All Squib Open Events apply - more tickets! If you sail in any of the open events or even the Nationals you win more Imagine being the lucky squibber whose ticket is pulled out of the hat by Oliver Lee s daughter at the end-of-season dinner at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Burnham-on-Crouch, a brand-new Squib is yours, you choose colour, fittings, configuration etc., etc. What a prize - and you can win it if you sail a Squib during 2018!

10 STILL THINKING ABOUT WHETHER TO GO OR NOT? It s going to be an amazing event, with currently 82 boats entered there are still a few spaces left before entries are closed. Why not bite the bullet and sign up today. Think of the benefits; a free spinnaker, discounted entry fee, amazing low ferry cost - and probably 100+ Squibs at the start!

THEY RE HARDY IN IRELAND While most of us were huddled up

some squibbers in Ireland were scraping the snow and ice

This is the hardy crew of Allegro (134) creating the

11 THEY RE HARDY IN IRELAND While most of us were huddled up in front of a fire with the family watching daytime TV, some squibbers in Ireland were scraping the snow and ice off their boats and racing! This is the hardy crew of Allegro (134) creating the squibber snowman - while they sail!.. as I said, they build em hardy! Here he is, the new crew member!

Secretary of the National Squib Class Association, and Tony Gibson, Class Captain of the Stone Sailing Club fleet, about the 50th Anniversary Celebrations the class are enjoying in 2018.

12 Squibbers set for stunning 50th plus your chance to win a new Squib! During the RYA Dinghy Show 2018 Mark Jardine of Yachts & Yachting spoke to Paul Young, MD of Rondar Boats, who build Squibs, Marian Gibson, Hon. Secretary of the National Squib Class Association, and Tony Gibson, Class Captain of the Stone Sailing Club fleet, about the 50th Anniversary Celebrations the class are enjoying in At the show a new Rondar boat was on display which Paul was rightly proud of, not just of the workmanship, but also getting to the show in the first place: We managed to dig ourselves out of the drifting snow in Wiltshire and get to Alexandra Palace and the reaction to the boat from people here has been great. The show is very important to many classes and the Squibs are no exception. The Squib on display was for Simon Vines at Weymouth Town SC, and was exhibited showing a set of concept sails, with a number of new features, as well as a colour change away from the traditional Mace. Marian told us the reaction they ve had at the show: It s been amazing. It s been very busy, and we ve had a lot of people coming up to look at the boat, the concept sails, lots of questions and they are not all Squibbers. It s a milestone year for the Squib, but the class hasn t been static at all, displaying the new selfdraining design, which is now fully RYA approved, as well as the concept sails as Tony explained: There s an awful lot happening in the class, such as demonstrating these concept sails in white with a touch of mace for the traditionalists. It shows the class has the opportunity and will to move

13 with the times. The new Rondar boats are magic and I ve got one! It s a really special boat which has moved the Squib from a relatively high-maintenance fun boat, to one which is lowmaintenance and more fun as I have more time to sail. To mark the 50th year, Rondar Boats and the National Squib Class Association are conducting a boat giveaway during the 2018 season. Paul described how sailors can get involved: To win the new Squib, all you have to do is sail a Squib. You have to belong to the Association and then you every time you sail in either club racing, open meetings or National Championship races and you get allocated tickets for each level of race that you take part in. At the end of the year all those tickets will go into a big pot and there will be a winner drawn. The nice thing from our perspective is that the person who wins the new Squib will be a Squib sailor. The class are hosting their 50th Anniversary National Championship during Lendy Cowes Week and currently have 82 boats entered from 17 different clubs. Marian was very excited about the event: There are rumours that quite a few more will be entering and we believe final entries could top a hundred boats. This is the year of the Squib! If you re interested in joining then contact us via the website and we can put you in touch with the relevant local people to get you out on the water. It s as simple as that. The Squib class have also secured sponsorship from the Leeds based telecommunications company aql, who are providing free spinnakers for all Squibs who race at the Anniversary Nationals. What more incentive could you want to enter? Tony reinforced the point about how accessible the class is: Anybody pitching up at a club that has Squibs and says I d like to go for a sail will be welcomed and taken out for a sail, either crewing or helming. At Stone we hold a Try Sailing Day, as part of the RYA Push the Boat Out initiative, where you ll see youngsters from 7 or 8 through to adults all going out in the Squib and realising just how fun the boat is. It s a great way to attract new people into the fleet and the sport.

The Squib has active racing all around the country, with the bigger fleets at Burnham, the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Weymouth, South Caernarvonshire YC at Abersoch,

14 The Squib has active racing all around the country, with the bigger fleets at Burnham, the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Weymouth, South Caernarvonshire YC at Abersoch, Lowestoft, as well as in Ireland at Kinsale, Dun Laoghaire and the royal Forth and the Royal Tay up in Scotland in Scotland. For a full list of clubs, activities and events for Squibs, please visit the website www. squibs.co.uk, or the class Facebook page. Simon Vine s New Squib (903) - And the 50th Anniversary Teashirt on display A limited number of 50th Anniversary Tea-Shirts are available for purchase at each. Contact Tony at tonygib@squibs.co.uk for details

GOLD CUP & EAST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS This year Royal Corinthian at Burnham-on-Crouch are featuring two early Squib events, The Squib Gold Cup on Saturday 5th / Sunday 6th of May then The Squib East

15 GOLD CUP & EAST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS This year Royal Corinthian at Burnham-on-Crouch are featuring two early Squib events, The Squib Gold Cup on Saturday 5th / Sunday 6th of May then The Squib East Coast Championships on Saturday 26th / Sunday 27th of May. Both of these are well worth attending and a special discounted entry fee of has been created for those who enter both events at the same time. For those who have not raced at Burnham-on-Crouch, launching and recovery occurs in front of the club house using their own crane. Typically eight to ten boats are launched in an hour - very efficient! A fast and efficient service takes you from jetty to your boat - without even getting your feet wet! Book yourself by going to royalcorinthian.co.uk/

INTRODUCING SQUIB No. 1 Built from wood Imagine my surprise when I met Squib No.1 in Suffolk when attending the Squib 50th Lunch at Levington Marina.

level with other squibs. Apparently No.1 pointed higher than all other normal squibs and was refused a certificate by the RYA.

17 INTRODUCING SQUIB No. 1 Built from wood Imagine my surprise when I met Squib No.1 in Suffolk when attending the Squib 50th Lunch at Levington Marina. This beautiful craft was acquired by Mark Wincer and Andy Harding some years ago having found it in a barn, they lovingly restored it and then competed at club level with other squibs. Apparently No.1 pointed higher than all other normal squibs and was refused a certificate by the RYA. H aving said that, this beautiful craft was built by Oliver Lee and by all accounts was used to form the original mould fifty years ago - so all of our squibs are probably grandchildren of this beautiful boat.

18 SMILE OF THE DAY

Sonar Tuning Guide. Jud Smith Tomas Hornos Send order forms to:

Sonar Tuning Guide. Jud Smith Tomas Hornos Send order forms to: Sonar Tuning Guide Jud Smith jsmith@doylesails Tomas Hornos tomas@doylesails.com Send order forms to: onedesign@doylesails..com Rig Tune We recommend checking your shroud tuning before going sailing. Start