from CRUISING ASSOCIATION – UK
Hello!
We are delighted to bring you our special mini version of the CA’s in-house magazine Cruising, whilst also using this opportunity to wish you a very Happy New Year from everyone at the CA!
In this issue we start with the CA President’s brief review of the past year which also touches on some of the issues that affect the cruising community and how the CA helps to tackle these.
Given the lack of a London Boat Show, the CA has taken the initiative to organise and host a much anticipated ‘Open Weekend’ at the end of February (Feb 29-March 1). All the details and booking info is on Pg 3. We’re including a packed line-up of speakers on a broad range of topics and introducing you to leading marine industry brands who can spend the time chatting with you about their products and services. A real treat for the Saturday evening is the talk by the popular author, broadcaster and cruising expert, Tom Cunliffe. We do hope you will join us at some point over the Open Weekend.
Sales of paper charts are falling and we increasingly depend on digital alternatives. In September, UKHO announced plans to withdraw Small Craft Folio packs. On Pg 4, in its response, the CA’s Regulations and Technical Services group (RATS), a CA committee, explains why leisure sailors are not yet ready to give up paper charts.
Meanwhile our ongoing series looking at ‘Greener Cruising’ offers up two articles that should be of interest on Pgs 6-7. Two of our members, at opposite ends of the age spectrum, are planning eco-friendly ocean trips. Veteran Jimmy Cornell, 80 next year, is setting off around the world in the track of Magellan on an electric-powered sailing boat, while Helena Schneider, 22, is undertaking a solo Atlantic crossing with a minimal carbon footprint.
If you’re interested in cruising in the Baltic, CA member David Rivett vividly describes a voyage from the Øresund to Göteborg. His account, of which we publish an extract on Pgs 8-11, won the CA’s Dolphin Cup for the best photographic log of a cruise in 2018.
Closer to home, CA London outlines its programme of Spring lectures on Pgs 12-13. Something of interest will surely catch your eye and whet your appetite to enjoy the experiences of our speakers. Topics range from Outer Space to the French canals, from the north of Scotland to the North West Passage.
Rounding off this mini edition of Cruising, the CA’s Honorary Local Representative (HLR) in Venice, Claude Dischly (who actually comes from France), explains that around 16 years ago he bought a boat in Brittany, sailed to Venice, and has never left.
If you are considering joining the CA, head over to www.theca.org.uk and browse through a fantastic range of benefits that could open up a whole new world of opportunity in 2020!
Again our best wishes to you for a Happy New Year.
Lucy Gray
General Manager
The Cruising Association,
CA House,
1 Northey Street, Limehouse Basin,
London E14 8BT
Registered in England Number 05838052