No, not that type of pole and most certainly not that. No, Jane and I spent a few days visiting family in Cambridge and decided to try a new flavour of boating, punting on the Cam. Out with the old wet suit and the smelly boots and in with the blazer and bags! A leisurely life on the river. What could possibly be more jolly.
The reality of course is different. Have you tried pushing a square fronted boat into a headwind with a heavy wooden pole?No. Then there is the problem of the long pole and the very low bridges, throw in a headwind for good measure and I wished I was back on the helm! It would appear we got off lightly however because the following day the newspaper headlines read, “Punting pirate gangs ambush and hold tourists to ransom on iconic Cambridge waterway!” Gosh! Apparently the bounders had been snatching poles from bridges and demanding ransoms for their return and even going so far as to capsize the passing punts. Pretty rotten, what?

Returning to Hedgecourt once again and seeking more peaceful waters we found Junior Helm Week in full swing. Adrian, Joanna, Marilyn and their teams were conducting. The Oppies were busy in the undergrowth seeking the source of the Hedgecourt river and picnicking in the alligator swamp. The very stuff of adventure, think Bogart, Hepburn and the African Queen. I just hope there were no leeches! On the Topper front, battles raged with sponge balls but on closer inspection there were a number of new sailors determined to quietly master this sailing thing. They did. One of the pleasures of  the week was meeting up with the young adult helpers who started at Junior Helm Week years ago and return year on year to offer their help. The winner of the Bob Ferguson Award for the most improved Oppie sailor went to Luke Taylor.  On the Friday every  small boy seemed to be armed with some form of water pistol, the bigger the better. The best description of what followed was “safe orchestrated chaos!” Great fun was had by all. Thanks everyone.
            The club has now received the certificate of permitted development for the proposed improvements to the dam at Mill Lane, we have invited a number of companies to tender for the works and hope that these will take place with minimal disturbance to the sailing in 2009.
            The CMYC Topper Open is coming up on Saturday 13th September. This is one of the Topper SE region circuit events and is the ideal event for club sailors to try and improve their game and see what the standards are like at the front of the fleet. Do come and take part, you may not win but you will certainly learn a lot from observing the regions top Topper sailors in action!

Finally, you might be interested in the ultimate “must have accessory” for the pet owning sailor. The “Paws aboard”, boarding ladder for dogs!         
“The fastest and safest way out of the water for our four-legged friends. Reduces danger of injury for dogs of all ages. Extremely safe non-slip rungs. Fast and simple to fit.  UV and corrosion-resistant material.
            A mere snip at £ 179.95! I don’t know how I ever managed without one!         

See you on the water.  Donal