Dear BOTTLE boat sailors.
It was really disappointing not to be able to run the 2020 BOTTLE boat Championship this year when the event had to be cancelled, as my email in July. However, there was much fun being had with youngsters having a good time racing their BOTTLE boats on the river and even in the picture attached, the 7 year old Race Officer tried to make sure sure that racing was fun and this created a lot of noise! It was also fun for the spectators.
Who is to say whether the championship can be held in 2021 in Waldringfield Sailing Club’s Centenary year, but whatever happens every effort will be made to create some fun for these kids as well as the grown-up kids. At this time of year it was traditional before 2014 to hold the BOTTLE boat championship. This year there is a different event at the end of the month for the launch of a new book by the Waldringfield History Group that may involve models taking to the water. The idea of large gatherings for speeches etc that was planned has been scuppered by the Government Regulations limiting groups to 6.
So I have come up with a mad idea to actually launch a book into the river. I have made a wingsail, the A4 size of the book cover and mounted it on one of my Footy models. In fact, I have made two and tested them this week and they actually sail pretty well as they would with a normal swing wing sails, which are basically like BOTTLE boat rig sails but smaller and lighter. Please find attached some pictures of the wingsail ‘book covers’ taken on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Whilst many of the BOTTLE boat sailors are local and know all about Waldringfield, hopefully this will reach other BOTTLE boat owners, who might like to know a little bit about this amazing village, which is small and beautiful and has a fantastic history. A clue about the quality and the beauty of the place can be seen from the photographs at the front of the online shop website and if ordered before the launch date of 29th of September it is available at a discounted price of £20, which is very good value for a book with over 300 pages and 600 photographs with a lot about boats, but this is a coffee table book with something for everyone. https://waldringfieldhistorygroup.fws.store
It has just received a really good review by Peter Wiles, which will appear in next month’s Yachting Monthly magazine.
As you are aware Guildford Model Yacht Club run an open event, the BRASS MONKEY to include BOTTLE boat racing and we are hoping to be able to do this again this year on Saturday 12th of December, so please wait for another email to check whether this will be on or not, if further restricted by the pandemic.
Cheers, Roger
