The Westerly Owners' Association - National Cruises and Rallys

National Rally - May 2008 - Isle of Man

Calling all Irish, Welsh, Scottish and NW English Boats!! Have you ever been to the Isle of Man?

Take part in an historic event - the first ever Westerly rally held on the Island. Between the 24th and 26th May 2008 it is intended to hold a Westerly Rally at Port St. Mary in the Isle of Man.

The Isle of Man Yacht Club (believed to be the oldest on the Island) have kindly offered to host an event over the Spring Bank holiday.

Further details will be released in due course but we are aiming to:

• Provide discounted moorings
• Host a welcome dinner / possibly a BBQ weather permitting
• Trips around the island
• Visit to historic sights

This weekend coincides with practice week for the TT races so motorcycle enthusiasts will be able to take advantage of this spectacle. Over the following weekend 31st - 1st June several IOM boats intend to travel across to Strangford Lough and participants in the rally are more than welcome to sail across with them and enjoy their hospitality.

National Cruise - June 2008 - Rocking around the Channel Islands

This is the early notification of plans for the WOA 2008 National Cruise around the Channel Islands. Instead of staying in just the two main marinas at St.Peter Port and St.Helier, the cruise will also attempt to take in Gorey, the islands of Sark and Herm and the fascinating and much more rarely visited outlying rocky outcrops of Les Ecrehous, the Plateau Des Minquiers and Iles Chausey.

We are promised delightfully quiet anchorages and moorings amongst dramatic rocky scenery, and visits to some remote hostelries. However, many of these destinations are only tenable in settled weather, so we must be prepared to miss some parts if necessary. George Gaudin and our Jersey area group will lead the cruise and give local advice but, as ever, the navigation and safety of your craft remains your responsibility.

The cruise will gather in St Peter Port, Guernsey on Weds 18th June, ready for departure the following morning. We do not anticipate publishing a fixed itinerary, but if the weather allows it, we expect to finish the cruise at the Iles Chausey around Friday 27th June. We anticipate that members from the South Coast and South West will want to depart a few days before the cruise begins, and for those wishing to cross the Channel in company we will endeavour to put them in touch with others leaving from similar departure points. Any WOA Member can apply to join the cruise. Further details and application forms will be published with the Spring Magazine.

For those of you unfamiliar with this area the fully revised second edition pilotage book of The Channel Islands by Peter Carnegie published by Imray and the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation ISBN 0 85288 790 6 would make an excellent Christmas present for the navigator.