That's not to say that we can't contribute more to the fund. Maybe the newest boats should pay a bounty on a sliding scale (newest boats pay £5, and so on downwards) - a kind of financial handicap.
If we can raise, says, an average of £10 per race, then we might have £200 or so in the bank to buy stuff for the boats next year. The boats badly need refurbishing, as all the gear is either old or rackety, with a variety of bits of string pressed into service to do jobs they really weren't designed for.
At the minimum all boats should have, besides reasonable sails:
A main halyard, preferably spectra multiplait, rather than wire
A wire jib halyard that can be tensioned to within an inch of its life for rig tension
A kicking strap powerful enough to take out the twist in the leach
A cunningham that can be used in extremis to depower the mainsail
The mainsheets on all the club boats are far too heavy, and the various blocks are also too big. A 10mm mainsheet should be enough, as in the photo above. Most use 8mm. Jib sheets can be 10mm.
Below is the system on Ffly, and it works. Just 8mm rope, two Harken blocks on the boom, one on the bridle and a ratchet block in the boat to give a bit of friction in a blow, but easy to let go in a gust, which is vital to keep the boat upright.
Anyone up for a FF meeting before too long, in the clubhouse around a few beers to discuss the new season? Email or leave a comment below.