Hello Sailors. A Merry Christmas to you all. To those still sailing "Have you thawed out yet".

It is a great shame that the weather has not been a little more amenable to those of you still on the water but that is winter sailing for you - all or nothing. I think most things have been said about our first full year as a Sailability organisation. A pretty hectic year, but also a great year.

Officially, sailing finishes on Saturday 21st Dec. We will then meet, as last year, on the first Saturday of each month until April when we will start our new season on Thursday 3rd April 2003. So, on Saturday 4th January, we will meet at the Club house at 1.00 p.m. and then, depending on the weather, we will either sail or have a chat on racing rules or sail theory, or it might be an idea to view a race from the race box where you get a totally different perspective of the race.

For those of you who could not manage our first AGM here are some dates to put in your diary for next year :-

Friday Jan 17	Racing Rules - talk by Graham Howlett, FPSC Racing Secretary
Friday Jan 31	FPSC AGM - 8.00pm
Friday Feb 21	Race Management - talk by Graham Howlett, FPSC Racing Secretary
End March	Sailability 'Fitting Our Supper' - date to be agreed
Thursday April 3	Start of Sailability 2003 sailing season
Saturday May 3	Waverley Inter Town Sailing Competition
Wednesday May 7	Access Open Meeting
Saturday June 7	FPSC 10 Hour Race & BBQ (fund-raising for FP Sailability)
Saturday July 12	FPSC Golden Anniversary Celebrations
Monday Aug 25	FPSC Sailing Regatta
Saturday Sept 27	2.4m Open Meeting

We have been very lucky to have been offered a grant from RYA Sailability to enable us to purchase another single seat Access. So we now will have four single seat Access boats. We have also been offered a share in a two seat Access from the HemiHelp group who started sailing with us this last summer. And likewise a two seat Access from the Hydon Hill Cheshire Home. The sponsors of these two boats will have first call in their use but there will be at least one day a week when other Sailability members will be able to use them. This will go a long way in helping to speed up our training.

To those of who have donated prizes for the forthcoming FDSAD lunch may I say a very big THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

And on that note I will bid you farewell and enjoy your sailing in 2003

Ted.

...and a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from me also!

As most of you will be aware, our first AGM was held at the Sailing Club in mid-November. It was a very successful evening, with over 70 people present (probably a record for an AGM at Frensham!). It was an opportunity to review a very successful first year. It was also an opportunity to thank every one involved - sailors, helpers, supporters, who helped to make 2002 such a successful and eventful year. For those of you who were unable to attend the AGM, a very big thank-you also.

However, it is now time to look ahead to 2003. The winter 'break' provides the opportunity to plan ahead for next year. This planning will be led by your first 'democratically elected' General Committee. For the record, the Sailability General Committee members are as follows:

• Brian Grimwood (Chairman)
• Michael Blosse (Vice Chairman & Chairman FDSAD)
• Ted Bonner (Sailing Captain)
• Jim Steventon (Training Officer)
• Yvonne Cockett (Secretary)
• Rachel Morris (Finance Officer)
• Clive Jourdain (Committee Member)
• Alan Johnson (Committee Member)
• David Cooper (Committee Member)
• Chris Ellis (Committee Member)

Although the 2003 sailing programme will not start until April, there is a large of amount of preparatory work to be done. The first meeting of the new Committee, held at the end of November, was largely devoted to agreeing a more detailed list of Responsibilities and Roles for 2003 and the major tasks to be worked.

Again, a big thank-you for everyone who has 'volunteered' for one of the listed roles. If you are not on the list, but would like to help with or be responsible for a specific area, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Regards

Brian