ASC Annual Rally

Thames Sailing Club

Sunday, 13th September 2009
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ASC Annual Rally

Not all our members enjoy the frenetic adrenaline rush of rac-
ing. For our cruising members we’re running a rally to Thames
Sailing Club near Hampton Court.
The Rally will be an opportunity to meet our new members,
all of whom are desparate to, in the words of Mark Twain, “Throw
off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade
winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” and have fun on
a leisurely cruise along the Thames.
This booklet should, hopefully, contain all the information re-
quired to enjoy your rally, whether novice or a budding Eleen
MacArthur. Stuffed full of useful information like what to do
and see en route, how to moor up in a raft and what to bring.
Like all good sailing excursions, details of a backup, bad-
weather plan are included.

Date, Time etc.

• Date: Sunday, September 13th 2009
• Time: 10:30 BST for an 11:00 BST start

• Cost: Share of mooring fees and BBQ food

• Boats: Suitable for all sloop rigged dinghies with steppable
masts

Please Email Finlaysone2@aol.com to book your boat.

Hampton Court
A Royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
in south west London; it has not been lived in by the British royal
family since the 18th century. The palace is located 11.7 miles
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(18.8 km) south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central

London on the River Thames. It was originally built for Cardinal
Wolsey, a favourite of King Henry VIII, circa 1514; in 1529, as
Wolsey fell from favour, the palace was passed to the King, who
enlarged it.
The following century, William III’s massive rebuilding and
expansion project intended to rival Versailles was begun. Work
halted in 1694, leaving the palace in two distinct contrasting
architectural styles, domestic Tudor and Baroque. While the
palace’s styles are an accident of fate, a unity exists due to the
use of pink bricks and an, albeit vague, symmetrical balancing of
successive low wings.
Today, the palace is open to the public, and is a major tourist
attraction. The palace’s Home Park is the site of the annual
Hampton Court Palace Festival and Hampton Court Palace Flower
Show. Along with St. James’s Palace, it is one of only two surviv-
ing palaces out of the many owned by Henry VIII.

Thames Sailing Club

Thames Sailing Club, the UKs oldest river sailing club. Located
between Surbiton and Kingston on the Surrey bank of the River,
the Victorian clubhouse overlooks one of Londons most beauti-
ful stretches of the river, bordered as it is by Hampton Court
Grounds on the Middlesex bank.
Home to a large fleet of Thames A Raters.
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Getting There
1: To the bridges

Section 1 takes the fleet from the ASC clubhouse south to-
wards Stephen’s Ait (the island). Stephen’s Ait is home to the
Small Boat Club. For safety reasons, dinghies should stay be-
tween Stephen’s Ait and the Middlesex Bank. On the left, as you
pass the island is the (in-)famous Boater’s Inn and a park which,
during summer time often hosts Sunday Concerts.
Wait near the bridges for the safety baot to ferry you through.
DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS YOURSELF!
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2: Rounding the Horn

The next section takes us down through the relatively short

Kingston section and out into the open countryside, with Hamp-
ton Court Palace being off to the right.
The First island of consequence is Raven’s Ait. Thames Sail-
ing Club is located on the left just after we pass the island.
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3: The Final Stretch aka Channel Fever

Following the bend of the river around to the right, we come

across the final stretch to Hampton Court. Exploring this stretch
is dependant on time.
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Reference
Mooring

Mooring in a “raft” is easy. Each boat ties itself to the next one
in using bow and stern breast lines and to the shore to spread the
load. See the diagram!

Life on a long(-ish) trip

Taken from the Island Sailing Club Round the Island Race nu-
trition guide:
If a crew members store of glycogen is low, they will expe-
rience fatigue, light headedness, heavy muscles and a decrease
in exercise intensity. Crew grab bags - small packets of dried
fruit or nuts which can be kept in a pocket - are a good idea.
Quick and easy items can be cereal bars, bananas, raisins, meal
replacement shakes, sandwiches or bread (with honey, jam, ba-
nana), oatmeal biscuits, rice cakes, yoghurt drinks.
Fluids are essential. Do not rely on feeling thirsty as a trig-
ger to replace fluids, as that time may already be too late. Dehy-
dration leads to impaired performance, fatigue, irritability and
finally to delirium. During the race the requirement becomes en-
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ergy plus hydration so isotonic drinks are a solution as they pro-

vide the maximum. Ordinary soft drinks are not recommended
as they need to be diluted with fluid from the body which there-
fore exacerbates dehydration. Carbonated drinks can cause heart-
burn and stomach discomfort. Caffeine, cola, tea, coffee and
sports drinks containing Guarana (Red Bull) are stimulants which
increase alertness but also act as diuretics.
For anyone feeling seasick, bland foods are best: bread, rolls,
unfilled pittas. Keep any sufferers well hydrated. Anyone be-
ing sick will lose nutrients and salts and needs to replace these.
Ginger biscuits, ginger capsules or active ingredient oils (not to
be taken if on blood thinning tablets or cancer treatment) might
also help.

Alternative Bad Weather Plans

No BBQ, No Sailing. Movie night comes to ASC. Disney’s Morn-
ing Light screening with a takeaway from the Bombay Bicycle
Club or similar.