Chichester Yacht Club Magazine January 2020 | Page 11

New Year’s Eve Dinner & Dance
By Simon Benson
Chichester Yacht Club knows how to throw a
party and the team didn’t let us down for the
CYC New Year’s Eve black-tie event.
A large number of members from all sections
gathered together to celebrate not only the
end of 2019 but the beginning of a new
decade. The ladies looked glamorous and the
gentlemen were dashing for the club’s premier
black tie party night.
Andy, Keith and the team served up a
fabulous meal, while New Year’s Eve regular
Willie Austen and his band played firm favourites that kept
the members up on the dance floor into the early hours.
Hearty thanks to Tara, Tom and the team for working so
hard to make the evening such a success.
New Year’s Day Sail to Emsworth
By Simon Benson
The Motor Section generally don’t like to rough it, so I was surprised to be
invited to their first ‘Pop-up’ cruise of the year right at the start of January.
With no wind in the forecast, Misty Blue would be right at home and the well
used Iron Sail made light work of the flood tide on the journey up to the visi-
tors’ pontoon at Emsworth.
We’d come prepared with jacket potatoes, beans, cheese and a steaming
bowl of soup each but that was nothing compared with the preparations made
by our Motor Section friends: salmon, pigs in blankets, rolls, cakes, potatoes, pâte
and more, a feast was laid out on a teak table set up on the pontoon, BBQs lit
and we soon all tucked in. The weather was reasonable, chilly, somewhat over-
cast but no rain and no wind.
When it came to the time to leave, the impromptu camp was disbanded and we
left together, the daylight beginning to fade. We had a good view of what
we believe was a peregrine falcon roosting on a moored yacht’s rigging, and
some seals at a distance. Unfortunately, Arkaig had some gearbox
issues and was taken under tow by Ian and 6 o’clock.
We all made it back safely with it not only being the first cruise of the sea-
son from Chichester Yacht Club but the first which had to utilise navigation
lights! Thank you to all who attended; Nick and Louise on Nola, Nicki and
Buster on Black Pearl, Jennie and James on Arkaig and Ally and Jerry on
Misty Blue. Not forgetting the knight in shining armour, Nick in 6 o’clock.
Thanks to Nicki for the photos!
11