71 members and guests gathered at Lowestoft for our annual dinner and prize giving.  As usual for this event, the weather was atrocious, with gale force winds blowing all day and some heavy downpours.  The chef at the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk produced another excellent meal for us, after which the Commodore, Joe Farrow, rose and spoke as follows:

"Good Evening.

  Firstly, welcome to the 2014 YSC dinner & prizegiving.  I’m going to start by offering a heartfelt thanks to Anthony Knights and his staff here at the RN&SYC.  Their excellent hosting reflects a continued long standing association between the clubs, and I invite you to show your appreciation.

  Now.  Firstly I have to say I’m astonished I’m stood here, as your Commodore.  I truly never thought that would happen!  (Although it was foretold with surprising accuracy by a member who's here tonight)

  Not expecting to be stood here has meant I haven’t really ever considered what I’d need to say here.  Also I’m not sure which particular anecdotes are ‘safe’ to pull from the YSC annals (!) to assist me.  So I think it’s best if I explain the aim of my words tonight.

  I’d like tonight, to say a few things about the club, about what it’s given me, and how passionately I support the YSC and believe my role here is to give something back to an organisation which has given me so much.

  I do so in the hope that in a few years time, I’ll be sat in this room, hearing someone else making this speech who otherwise wouldn’t have.

  For those of you who don’t know, I first sailed with the YSC about 11 years ago.  In that time, I’ve gained the following impressions of the club.

  Firstly, we’re quite a calculating bunch!  When I started, I hadn’t a river cruiser.  I didn’t know anyone, and I certainly knew nothing of racing (some would argue I still don’t on the evidence of my courses!)  I’d say, it’s entirely due to the aforethought of certain people that I’m here now.  Certainly it was at least three people’s fault (who are here) who got me into owning ‘Corsair’.  No names.  Julia…

  Let this be a warning to those of you who think you’ll escape unscathed.

  Secondly.  I have never met such a friendly and welcoming group.  It amazes me when I look around, we share one common bond, sailing. 

  This dinner, and from the few fixtures we hold each year,  I see some amazing and entertaining friendships being formed.  For example, it pleases me that when new members approach the club, it’s a collective reaction from everyone to ensure they are welcomed, and supported.  It’s something which I think we shouldn’t underestimate as one of our strengths. 

  Certainly for me, my personal experience of how welcoming everyone is comes from many years ago.  I arrived at Cantley, in my half decker with a defunct outboard.  Eager to assist, The Dowsetts, Denis, Margaret and Bob all gathered round, and we set to.  Within seconds, many crucial and fundamental components had been disabled.

  About three hours later, we’d fixed it.

  I think it was at that moment, I realised how strongly, and how readily people in the YSC support each other.  And, how nice some of you are…  [Much laughter]

  There are countless other examples.  Puck’s sinking at Cantley, retrieving ‘May’ from here during the Diamond Jubilee weekend, just how many people come and watch the Three Rivers Race and shout encouragement to the YSC boats in the fleet, Nick Wiggin’s injury at the Autumn Open Regatta last year (and how so many members stepped forward with kind offers of help)

  Finally. 

  I like to think, that despite us taking our racing very seriously, we maintain a principle that what we do should be fun and enjoyable.  From our ‘Miss Frolic’ competition back in 2010, which I have to say I was never a cross dresser until I joined the YSC.  Or our inaugural treasure hunt, which I have to thank Kelvin Halifax for.  Those of you who think you might attend this coming season, we’re already coming up with lots of good ideas as how to make it interesting! Or perhaps finally, the best evidence I can offer is how if you stand back at any regatta, you’ll see a group of people stood about, laughing, talking and smiling.  That demonstrates the effect of the YSC far better than I can.

  That’s why I believe strongly in being stood here, and also putting anything I can back into the club because I’ve been lucky enough to experience those things I’ve mentioned, friendships, memories and laughs.

  So I’m going to finish.  I want to say thank you to not just those of you here, but all the members.  The YSC has truly given me some fantastic experiences to look back on.  I hope that I can make sure in some way that others benefit how I have.

  So from me, to all of you.  Thank you."

Tony Knights then announced the winner of the Gordon Winterton photographic competition, singling out a number of entries for special mentions.  Simon Miles, David Stone and Joe Farrow all had commended entries, with David's floating Special Brew can being particularly admired by members.   Highly commended were entries from Bob Soutar and Margaret Kilner, with the latter also taking 3rd place with a photo of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland and 2nd place for her photograph of the sugar factory at dawn.  The clear winner though, was Joe Farrow with a wintery scene which the judges described as a sublime and perfect picture and enigmatically baroque themed.

This was followed by the presentation of club trophies for the 2013 season and the announcement of the series winners.  Anna won the Luna Barometer, with Pandora III taking the Hiawatha Prize for the slow boats championship and May proving a popular overall winner to take the Wherry Trophy.

Of course, there was also the inevitable raffle, with Andrew Miles and Julia Kilner doing sterling work to sell nearly £300 worth of tickets.  The latter's reward was to win the hamper.  Some frantic gambling on the tombola saw that take over £140 too, making a successful and enjoyable evening for the club.