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[Chris Shelton]

Following Weymouth, the next event on the Southern Travelers circuit is Downs SC at Deal, Kent on 14th & 15th July. We offer a very friendly welcome and some excellent open water racing - great practice before the Nationals in September.
The first start on Saturday is scheduled for 1300hrs with 3 races back-to-back. On Sunday it is first start at 1000hrs with a further 3 races back-to-back.

Bacon butties etc. will be available on Saturday morning, and a full meal on Saturday evening is included in the entry fee.  Plenty of beer, plus live music should make Saturday evening a night to remember. Breakfast will be available again on Sunday morning, plus more food after sailing.

Further information is available at www.downssailingclub.co.uk including a link that enables you to pre-enter (with no commitment). The NOR and Sailing Instructions are available via the "Open Meetings" button on the left hand side.

Camper vans are welcome to park on the road by the club, but unfortunately there is no camping at the club (unless you fancy lying on a shingle beach between the boats). However if you really want to camp there is plenty of room in my back garden which is slightly less than a mile from the club. There are also plenty of B&B's in Deal if you want to go upmarket.

This will be the fourth Phantom Open Meeting that Downs have hosted and each one has been better and better. Everyone really enjoyed it last year and have promised to return, so we should have a good entry this year.  Deal is just north of Dover on the East Kent coast, and I will post detailed directions to the club in a week or so, but if you have any questions in the meantime post them on the Forum and I will do my best to answer them.

I look forward to seeing you all at Downs on the 14th July.

Chris   1211

[stevepopple]

I'm going
Steve

[Clive]

I was hoping to attend, but can't make it now, have a good one.

[Chris Shelton]

Last year's Open at Downs was claimed to be the best sailing of the Southern Series, so I hope to see plenty of boats for this coming weekend.
If you want to arrive on Friday afternoon that is no problem. If you have been to Downs before you will know how to access the club by driving onto the grass by the Lifeboat station. (Look up "Walmer Lifeboat Station" on Google maps if you have not been before). The local council have now erected a removable barrier, and currently the padlock has gone missing. However if a new padlock appears before the weekend it is not a problem as there is a key safe on the wall on the first column of the lifeboat station. The code is 4475. Please do not forget to replace the barrier when you leave. There should be someone at the club to let you through the gate, but if not just leave the boat on the grass and I will put it onto the boat park when I get to the club after I finish work.
There is some general sailing planned for Friday evening at the club, and I will be there for some of the time, but the club will probably not be open late that evening. However there are plenty of local pubs if liquid refreshment is required.
On the Saturday and Sunday we will again be parking cars on the grass in front of the clubhouse, but they will need to be removed from the grass in the evening. Please be aware that on Sunday the Band of the Royal Marines will be playing at the Bandstand just to the North of the Lifeboat station. This is a major event in Deal and there will be 1000's of people on the seafront to see the band in the afternoon. We will try to reserve as much parking space by the club as possible on Sunday morning, and you should be arriving before most of the other visitors, but please be aware that there will be a lot of other cars parked on the grass that day. The band usually march from the old barracks to the bandstand, and the road is closed for a short period while the march is taking place. This will probably be about 2.00pm, so should not really affect us, but in the worst case you may have to wait until the road is re-opened before you can leave. Looking on the bright side it is a great advert for the Phantom dinghy and there is extra entertainment for the PWAGs.
I look forward to seeing you at the weekend.

Chris   1211

[Captain Slow]

Hi Chris

I'm really sorry but as much as I like Downs I'm unable to make it this weekend. Have a great weekend hopefully will make it next year.

Kind Regards

Nick