RAFMSC
Doesnt appear to be a thread yet for the sailing club Dave and myself were members of. Dave was a member thru 1973 and was constantly badgering me to join. I kept relenting but eventually joined..... at about the time Dave got posted away... so we were never really in the club at the same time. I joined and began crewing Albacore boat 1703 .My mentor at first was Russ Mcdermott although I often went out with others. I became the Capsize King of the club in my first few weeks, including one sail with Geoff Hall when we went over 7 times. On the last upturn I actually was under the boat and my lifejacket somehow became tangled in the rigging and the panic set in. Apparently the coastguard or someone similar on Delimara cliffs saw the boat go over and were about to launch a rescue dinghy but we managed to right it and I am still here today. My skills slowly improved and I did manage to get my B class helmsmanship certificate. Went back to where the club was last year. The club building is still there and the old ramp but it all looks a bit delapidated now. Massive power station on the Delamara side now which ruins the view somewhat.
Anyone else with any memories to share?? Bruce
Good thinking Bruce, happy days eh!
There's some photos of the sailing club on the Photo Gallery, including one or two of 'Pop' the bar bloke. Bugsie is now also on the forum, I'm sure you will remember him and there's a photo of him next to the Blue Albacore that I sailed (1705 I think it was).
I do remember when I was teaching 'Tank' Ashford to sail. It was terrific if there was a gale blowing, we would be the only flat boat in the fleet, but if it was less than a gale we did tend to wallow around a bit with his weight in the boat. I wouldn't have changed anything though, he was a great bloke and I often wonder if he's still around as he came from Cinderford, Gloucestershire, in the Forest of Dean.
I was a social rather than a sailing member. I do recall those wonderful hot toddies after a cold sail though!
As I was working in the Luqa Torpedo bay I do recall going out on the marine craft boat to tow a target then recover a dummy drop mk 44 from a Nimrod. I have photos too.
Hi Richard, photos would be good. I went out once on the pretence of checking the radio out as we used to lose the VHF once out of the harbour and always had to revert to CW, there was some truth in it but it was mostly a jolly.
It would have been 1973 and the RTTL was dragging a target sled, it threw up a plume of water that looked like a conning tower to a Nimrod radar. There was a TV Documentary crew on board (Anglia I think it was) and one of the TV crew and I were sick as dogs when we stopped to bring in the sled. I have never been able to find out if the documentary was screened but it must have been 1973 - have you heard anything of it?
No but as i live in Norfolk I may be able to find out as i work in local media!
Anyone any idea why the large boat was called FLYPAST OF COWLEY. Does this refer to the Cowley in Southampton or Cowley in Oxford where the motor works are.
I'm pretty sure it was the Southampton Cowley because of the RAF Sailing Association at Hamble. It was fondly known as the 'Cowpat of Flyley' !
No but as i live in Norfolk I may be able to find out as i work in local media!
-treefamily
Thanks Richard, I did get in touch with the Archivist of Anglia TV but he couldn't find anything and it didn't ring any bells. There was another documentary about Gan, which I've got a copy of, but cannot find any trace of the Malta one at all.
The mention of the power station on the other side at Delimara Point reminded me that Stanley Matthews lived on that hill. Never came across him in Malta but he is still a legend to people of my age even those, like me, who are not very interested in football.
