Happy New Year to all!

New Year Celebrations

Club revellers met on New Year's Eve to see out the old year and welcome 2013 in style. The clubhouse has one of the best views in Saundersfoot, even at night, and members took full advantage of the grandstand position - and comfy seats - to enjoy a festive evening topped off by the fantastic firework display.

January 1 dawned bright and sunny if somewhat bracing, and once again our intrepid members showed themselves undaunted by the conditions by taking part in the annual NYD swim... some in fancy dress and some just in swim wear and goose-pimples. Congratulations to all who took part, and a special 'well done' to David on achieving his 21st New Year dipping. Hot soup at the club afterwards proved very welcome for swimmers and spectators alike. Plans are already afoot for a team entry next year, although that could just be the beer talking, but if you're up for it let us know.

A programme of social events will be finalised soon and we can promise you some enjoyable evenings in the months ahead.

In the meantime, don't forget the clubhouse is open on Fridays from 8.30 pm. Darts matches have just begun again too so come along and support your team, play some cards, drink some ale and have a natter.

Race Officers Ahoy

We are in need of more race officers and at very short notice this is to invite members to a free one day course for would be race officers at Mumbles YC from 9.30 am to 4 pm tomorrow (Saturday).

This will be of benefit to all those interested in running club racing and those coaching sailors who wish to participate in racing.

Please contact Sam Healy at [email protected]">[email protected]

Darts

The darts team emerged fighting from Christmas and New Year's revelries with a very close match away against Tudor Lodge, Jameston last week. It was five all with only a double needed to win but it sadly eluded us. Nevertheless, it was a good night. With the regulars depleted with a shoulder injury and a Caribbean cruise we would welcome new darters - it does not have to be a commitment every week. Please contact Ian on 01437 532562 or [email protected]">[email protected]

Tonight (Friday), we are away to Castle B.

Lost property

No not 'Wrong Trousers' - the thought does not bear thinking about! But someone took a Gant jacket and it should have been a Barbour on New Year's Eve.... I don't know who has got the better deal. Please could the wearer of the wrong jacket please contact Rob on (01834) 814424 or email [email protected]">[email protected] so we can get the correct owners sorted out!

Membership

Membership renewals are now due and completed forms with cheques should be posted to the club for membership secretary Jackie Riby. Renewal forms are available in the clubhouse and on the website - http://www.saundersfootsailingclub.org.uk">www.saundersfootsailingclub.org.uk

Clubhouse Door Code

A new code for the inside door has been introduced for 2013 and will be advised to all members on renewal of membership. The old code will also remain operative until January 31 after which only the new code will give access.

Nautical Nip - Improving Communications for the New Year

The major purpose of this weekly news is to communicate with more people more effectively and a feasibility study from the EU may facilitate this considerably. Many people have difficulty with English spelling such as cough, plough, here, hear, bow, bough, through and thorough, etc. What is clearly needed is a phased program of changes to iron out these anomalies.

In the first year, it is suggested using 's' instead of soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants in all sities would resieve this news with joy. The hard 'c' could be replaced by 'k', sinse both letters are pronounsed alike. This would not only klear up konfusion in the minds of klerikal workers, but typewriters and keyboards kould be made with one less letter giving signifikant savings.

In the second year, because of growing enthusiasm, it kould be announced that the troublesome 'ph', would henceforth be written 'f'. This would make words like 'fotograf' 20 persent shorter in print.

In the third year, public akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated shanges are possible. Governments would enkourage the removal of double leters which have always been a deterent to akurate speling. We would al agre that the horible mes of silent 'e's and 'w's in the language is disgrasful. Therefor, we kould drop thes and kontinu to read and rit as though nothing had hapend.

By this time it would be four years sins the skem began and people would be reseptiv to steps sush as replasing 'th' by 'z'. Perhaps zen ze funktion of 'w' kould be taken on by the 'v', vitsh is after al, half the 'w' anivay.

Finaly ze unesesary 'o' kuld be dropd from words containing 'u'. Similar arguments vud of kors be aplid to ozer combinatons of leters. Kontinuing zis proses yer aftr yer, ve vud eventuli hav a reli sensibl riten stil.

Aftr tventi yers zer vud be no mor trubls or difikultis and evri on vud fin it ezi tu understan esh ozer. Ze drems of ze EU vud finali kum tru.

Vud dis komplikat maters for yu?

Skipper's Mate