East Coast Area OGA

2005 Diary Dates East Coast Area

5 March Annual Dinner Royal Burnham Yacht Club (01621 783969)

1-2 May Foulness Rally (01621 783969)

28-30 May Crouch Rally/ Whitsun Regatta (01621 783969)

10-13 June Brigaff 05 ( incl. East Coast Old Gaffers Race) (01206 393537/ 308420)

(30 June-July 5) (International Festival of the Sea Portsmouth)

14-16 July Southwold Festival of the Sea (01206 393537)

23-24 July Swamazons ( open boats) (01629 540601)

24-31 July North Sea Passage, Zeeland Cruise, DCYR Hellevoetsluis (01206 393537)

21- 28 August August Cruise/ East Coast Classics (01473 832 808 / 01206 391870)

24 September OGA Anniversary Rally and Maldon Town Regatta (01621 852808)

2005 Programme

The committee is making some radical changes to the programme for 2005, both to reflect reaction to this last programme and to take account of events outside the OGA. The first part of the season will run more or less on previous lines, with the Annual Dinner at the Royal Burnham Yacht Club booked for 5 March, the date now approved by the Godfather, Foulness Rally 1-2 May, Crouch Rally/ Whitsun Regatta 28-30 May.

Then we have changes. We are moving Brigaff 05 to slightly earlier in June than previously announced- 10-13 June. We had a potential clash with the Rowhedge Regatta, and the committee is also mindful that many will wish to visit "IFOS" at Portsmouth (30 June-5 July) for the Bi-centenary of Trafalgar. We will not be running East Coast Classics between Brigaff and Southwold as in 2004, but instead Southwold will be run as a completely separate event 14-16 July. We hope some boats from the Solent Area and some from Netherlands will be able to join us there, in preparation for the North Sea Classic Passage Race/ Zeeland Cruise and Dutch Classic Yacht Regatta at Hellevoetsluis ( 24- 31 July). We are limited on options because of tides and clashes for the highly popular "Swamazons" event at Walton for open boats, but have opted to stage it on 23/24 July. 24 July is likely to also be the date for the North Sea Race, and as it is difficult for the OGA to be in two places at once, we are thinking about do the registration for that at Walton as well. So those big boats coming for that event could come to Walton and enjoy the sights and social of Swamazons on the Saturday, before setting off on the Sunday with the start of the North Sea Race off Pye-End.

It was felt that East Coast Classics, having spawned Brigaff and Southwold which have become big events in their own rights was probably too much for participants to handle combined with the other two events, it was getting up to nearly 3 weeks non- stop gaffing! So for 2005 we are going to combine it with the August Cruise, which will be the week leading up to the August Bank Holiday Week-end. Provisional dates are 21-28 August. We are still working on the combined title of the event!

Our final event, the OGA Anniversary Rally and Maldon Town Regatta, with all the other non OGA events in September looks like being on 24 September, which is pretty close to the anniversary date when the OGA (the whole OGA not just the East Coast) was formed.

There may well be other events to add to the above. Currently we are awaiting West Mersea Mersea Fisherman's Open Boats views on a possible Class 3 event at West Mersea on the Blackwater. The Dutch OGA will be holding an event in May at Enkhuizen.

We hope to be able to set up an email database to advise of arrangements as they develop. Please could you let me know at JRWainwright@aol.com if wish to be included. Otherwise keep an eye on eastcoastclassics.co.uk.