Bolton Sailing Club

Hi……….Info re:

Spillway/Berm
New initiatives for 2010
Newbie’s boat setup day
Working Parties

A quick update following last Wednesday’s meeting with United Utilities:

Geoff Benson and I met with the United Utilities / Eric Wright’s representatives having been promised an update from the United Utilities Project manager so that a comprehensive report could be provided at the AGM. Having had a meeting with United Utilities yesterday 17th February 2010, I can confirm that both projects ie the Spillway rebuild and the removal of the Berm are on programme. The reduction in the outflow has been reduced from 11 megalitres a day to 9 megalitres a day which means that when we are back to normal the lake will remain at the maximum level for the more of the season with water going over the spillway for an extended period. Geoff Benson accompanied the United Utilities representatives and myself onto the berm and reviewed the progress so far. Several problems have had to be overcome with the nature of peaty ground (bog) via the use of Bog mats and huge numbers of wood sleepers to create supports for the heavy excavation machinery. The channel is being excavated between the areas at the top of Farm mark through to Naze. The revised plan indicates that the channel will be approximately 32 metres wide at the top, 12 metres wide at the base and 3 metres deep ensuring that there will be enough water in the channel to create an island during the continuing works on the spillway. United Utilities advised that the work should be completed late February/Early March 2010 in time for when the gulls return to start breeding in the spring. As this is at no cost to the sailing club, whilst not as wide as we had originally hoped, it will mean that we will have a navigable channel under normal seasons water levels and enable us to utilise the passage between the road and the island for racing.

New initiatives for 2010

Following comments from some of the new and not so new members it has been decided to provide details of when racing series commence/finish and also which fleets have trophy days and when. This info will be displayed prominently in the club entrance. Additionally we are asking record keepers to keep on top of the results so members can see if they are near to qualification, have qualified and when the discards start to take effect.

Newbie’s boat setup day

Having had a number of requests to help members prepare boats for racing, it is intended to have a dedicated session on the 1st day of racing ie 28th March 2010 with the GP 14 captain coming along to set up GP14’s and I will be there in my Race coach guide (armed with a tape measure and tension gauge) to help out and assist any other members.

Working Parties

Lastly the working parties will commence at the club on the 28th February 2010 and I am assured by the Bosun that he has a long list of outstanding jobs to be completed before the commencement of the season.

Cheers

Keith Roberts
Vice Commodore

This morning the contractors from Clive Hurt began setting out the channel markers on the berm and the heavy plant which includes 4 long arm diggers and 2 tracked dumper trucks have been unloaded ready to commence the removal of the soil. This will create a channel 26 metres wide and 3 metres deep between the road and the island and will be navigable for most of the season when the water level is back to normal. The work is estimated to last 3-4 weeks so you should be able to see how the work is progressing when you come up to the AGM.

Also the United Utilities Forestry team have taken down the old fence and started the replacement by putting in the new posts and a gate with the rails to be fitted in the next couple of weeks.

See you all at the AGM on the 21st February

Keith