CATAPULT END OF SEASON PRESENTATION LUNCH We were back again to the welcome at Noel Inn, Whitwell, Rutland, for another successful end-of-season gathering on Sunday November 17th, again enlivened by Syd Gage's collation of his and George's on-board videos.

Gareth Ede could count four wins from the final 2019 TT event, to be a very convincing winner of the 2019 Jon Montgomery Travelling Trophy. (Leaderboard) John Terry was a comfortable runner-up, and Mike Gough held on to third for the year, and also took the 2019 Handicap prize, ahead of Syd Gage (Handicap Leaderboard)

2019 SEASON ROUNDUP  For a summary of another successful Catapult season, look here

 2020 SAILING PROGRAMME: Stuart is racing ahead with preparing the 2020 Programme  with favourite venues confirmed at Bala, Bassenthwaite, Yorkshire Dales, Rutland, Bridlington, Carsington and Stone Week, and the final event as usual at Grafham Water Cat Open.  The Northerns will be early in the season at Bass, and the Nationals back to Royal Yorkshire YC. A reply from Bewl is expected in January.

He is dangling the possibility of a European Championship in France in summer, through Chris Beckett there, offering to sail alongside club or other visiting fleets. He focussing on 4 clubs: Lac d'Orient (approached last year) Club Nautique de Guiffaumont on Lac du Der in the Ardennes, Sports Nautique de l'Eau d'heure in southern Belgium, and  Moisson-Lavacourt, north of Paris.  Carsington (3-4 October). I won't know about Bewl until their next meeting in January

 NEW TRAMPOLINE DECKS John Peperell can make new decks for members, for 180 pounds (with an additional 50 for dagger-board fairings, which reduce wave impact for racing.) He is making one in the new year for an enthusiastic Catapult sailor who a farms in Kenya and who has one complete boat and has bought parts to make another. John can also do deck repairs. (Prices ex his home in Twickenham.) He can be contacted at john.catapult@dsl.pipex.com

2019 RACING PROGRAMME: FINAL EVENT  Catapult again finished the season with a final TT at Grafham Cat Open, October 19th-20th, making up most of the Slow (!) Handicap fleet with seven boats (rising to eight on Sunday.) The club set their their usual port-rounding trapezoid course, suiting Catapult, with the Sprint 15s starting 4 minutes ahead for three back to back races each day (so each race produced one or other fleet tacking up while the other ran down, with at least one Sprint-on-Catapult incident!)

On Saturday the forecast SW breeze stayed moderate, with periods allowing trapezing for Gareth Ede and John Terry. On Sunday winter arrived with a cold NW breeze under cloud, again moderate, giving two days of excellent (and well-organised) racing. Again, Gareth Ede and John Terry competed for the front, with George Evans consistently chasing (and getting a second in the final race.) (Report)


(Below: Northerns winner John Terry gets a fast start at Carsington.) (Photo CSC Safety Rib with thanks.)

TRAMPOLINE DECKS John Peperell can make up new trampoline decks for members

SPARES AVAILABLE  John Terry has updated the Association spares stocklist, seen here It was established hrough the generosity of past Catapult sailor Admiral Sir Robert Hill and previous Secretary John Peperell, to keep the fleet afloat in cases of breakage or damage. Guidelines on spares availablity are here

DIY CATAPULT HULLS! Germany-based Catapult owner Volker Lehleitner, faced with the challenges of getting new hulls, went ahead and made his own. He was able to get a job lot of Hypalon, and built the hulls to a high standard, as the photos here show. Volker's son has made this video of the boat successfully cruising in Bonn. 

 (Below: Jon Montgomery Travelling Trophy winner Gareth Ede at speed at Yorkshire Dales SC.)

 
HYPALON TUBE REPAIRS Puncture? Leaky tubes? Seams coming unstuck? End caps need replacing? Paul Stubbins offers a high quality professional repair service. Paul, now working as a sole trader (with therefore no VAT to pay!), has many years experience working for RIB manufacturers, and offers a nationwide service from his base in Hull.

Have a word with Class Secretary, Stuart Ede, to see if he can arrange for pick up and delivery through the membership network to save on transport costs. Contact Paul at paulstubbins23@gmail.com or on 07429 754392.

 REPAIR ADVICE Syd Gage has added to his stream of practical advice and detailed instructions with a new article on DIY Puncture-free PU-foam-filled Tyres The article here shows what to buy, and his excellent photos and instructions (and personal setbacks) show how to change the steel roller bearings to nylon ones (more suitable for water immersion).  Many more advice articles are  here, the latest on  Repairing frame bolts  beam repairs, mast buoyancy, and halyard options.  
 
 (Below: Syd Gage's camera mounting, picking up the opposition ahead as he concentrates on catching them.) (Photo Paul Hargreaves with thanks.)

CATAPULT CRUISING  Justin (below) uses Catapult's shroud adjustment to dip the mast and negotiate the New Cut bridge between the Waveney and Yare rivers on the Norfolk Broads: more ) Get in touch with Alastair (at alastairforrest@hotmail.com ) with cruising plans or reports to add to the Cruising write-ups (and see his recent tidal Thames cruise.)

   
Jon Montgomery: Designer of Catapult: 22nd February 1935 - 9th June 2009.

 A tribute to Jon here.