Twelves at West Riding before the war

[Chadders]

Nice photo of National Twelves sailing at West Riding Sailing Club before the war and spotted by Neil McInnes, just follow the link
http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/161330/Double-Diamond-Jubilee-Year
I remember all two well frostbiting atWest Riding in Raunchy N1595 circa 1966 and in particular one day when as we approached the club we heard a cannon shot!   Presuming this to be the ten minute gun we entered the club at speed and my crew who was driving used his five trumpet colonal bogie air horns as one gentleman was standing in the middle of the driveway.    Having shot round onto the grass in front of the club we leapt out and started to untie the boat.  It was at this point that we realised how quiet everyone else was!  To our utter embarrasment we realised that this was rememberance Sunday and the cannon was to signify the start of the two minute silence.  OOPS.  Name and address withheld due to still being embarrassed my crew (Stuart MacDonald) has since left the country. 

[icecreamman]

On the subject of sailing on Remembrance Sunday, are there any other folk out there who can remember sailing at Rotherham for their Christmas Pudding Meeting traditionally held on Remembrance Sunday and standing in freezing water for the two minutes silence; and after the racing walking into the club to be greeted by a wall of heat that came out of the coal fire?

[MikeDay]

I don't go back that far but I did sail at WRSC's Wintersett Reservoir in the early 1970s as the Leeds Uni sailing club was based there.  The water was pretty black due to the local colliery workings at that time.  That winter trying to thaw out boats before sailing while clothed in a kit wetsuit which kept on coming apart was an especially miserable sailing experience. 
 
Mike D
N3533 

[Roly Mo]

and if/when you capsized your sails came up with a black film on them.  It always paid to keep your mouth shut to avoid that nice carbon taste . . . .  Oh happy days!
Mrs RM

[angus]

I also have fond memories of sailing at Wintersett in the early 70s in a kit wet suit while at school. The wet suit sort of expanded as I grew by splitting along the seams. I don't remember the black film though!

[icecreamman]

That's because you were as high as a kite on the glue from your home made wetsuit and getting out of school Angus. I remember the black coal dust that got absolutely everywhere a bit like the mud at Kings Lynn.

[Roly Mo]

North Lincs was another coaly sail
Mrs RM

[angus]

Aaaaahhh memory is a wonderful thing, Wintersett was about the only place I sailed in them days so it is quite possible I just excepted the blackening as normal so it didd not stick in my memory not much does these days. I do remeber when righting a boat after a capsize it was pretty difficult to see the bottom of the boat so the water must have been pretty turbid.......seems to back up the coaly water. 

[nigelf]

Although not strictly the subject of this thread, the worst coal dust/slime I ever encountered was around 1965 in a 505 at Pennington Flash which I think was known in those days as Lowton S.C. Worse than that,  we arrived from Scotland, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, only to be met with a carpet of white stuff in the dinghy park. On closer inspection and checking with the club members, we discovered that the club had just been visited by vandals who had burned about four or five 505s, the polyester resin going up in flames leaving the fibreglass cloth behind. This was a very sad start to our visit and after a capsize and putting our mast in the bottom, we went home with the top of the mainsail looking the worse for wear and virtually impossible to clean when we got home. I have read much happier reports from Pennington Flash recently and I am sure it is a very nice club! N3535 (ex-505).