4 January – Bar talk at Rowfant House

This will be the first social event and bar chat evening of 2012. Because this evening is very close to the Christmas and New Year celebrations the evening will be spent having a quiet drink in the Great Hall bar. This will be an opportunity to discuss and reflect on next summers sailing plans.

1 February – Eamon Furlong - Quiz night with Eamonn Furlong

Eamon has kindly offered to organise a quiz night. This will be a lighthearted and friendly quiz for everybody to enjoy and take part.

7 March – Roger Brydges Investigating marine accidents and lessons learnt

The Marine Investigation Branch has employed Roger for 14 years. He also has considerable sailing experience since he has sailed all his life.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigates accidents involving ships fishing boats and leisure craft on behalf of the UK government. Roger has been personally involved in several investigations into sailing boat accidents, and some of these will be described in detail, together with the lessons learned.

Roger will also describe the wider context of the MAIB’s work including the increasing use of voyage data recorders (marine “black boxes”), which has revolutionised the way in which investigations are conducted.

Information about the Marine Investigation Branch can be found on their web site: http://www.maib.gov.uk/home/index.cfm

4 April – Steve Hobbs – Gosport and Fareham Rescue Service

Steve will be describing the rescue work and activities of GAFIR, a uniquely independent Lifeboat & Inshore Rescue Service that was founded in 1969. As a Declared Facility for HM Coastguard, GAFIRS provides emergency lifeboat services in the Solent and Portsmouth Harbour.

GAFIRS crews are on pager emergency call-out 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and in all weathers. Moreover, GAFIRS also offers a range of safety services and expertise to Hampshire's emergency services to aid marine rescue inland and medical response during County & National states of emergency.

On average GAFIRS responds to some 140 emergency lifesaving calls per year and its members give freely of many hundreds of hours per year supporting other emergency services and the local community.

On the 22^nd October 2011 Steve’s 30 years voluntary service was recognised by the Royal Lifesaving Society.

At the end of the evening ASC will be making a donation to GAFIRS funds.

More information about GAFIRS can be found on their web site: http://www.gafirs.org.uk

2 May – Malcolm Harman – Rally Portugal

Malcolm will be talking about his experiences sailing with Rally Portugal. The rally has been an annual event since 1995 and is organised by the World Cruising Club, with sponsorship from both Yachting Monthly and Marina Lagos on the Algarve.

The three-week cruise offers a level of safety and support, which puts it well within the scope of any reasonably, experienced sailor. The fleet also has participating yachts using the trip as a “feeder” to start the World Cruising Club’s better-known Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, or ARC.

The first part of the talk is about what the rally is and what it’s not and covers eligibility, briefings, safety checks, routing, crewing and weather. Every leg is a friendly race, so we see how the boats are divided and how they are handicapped.

Part two is an entertaining film edited down from many hours of material about the five day Biscay crossing from Plymouth to Bayona. It features several encounters with dolphins.

The last part is an illustrated log of the lovely places visited, both along the coast and some inland attractions too, all arranged by the Spanish and Portuguese tourist boards

More information about rally Portugal can be found on the following web page: http://www.worldcruising.com/rallyportugal/event_info.aspx

20 June – BBQ by the Lake

The ASC 2012 summer BBQ will be held by the lake at Rowfant House on the 20^th June. July.

It will be a great opportunity to enjoy a fine English summer’s evening with a BBQ near the lake in the grounds of Rowfant House and celebrate the start of the summer holiday sailing season.

The menu will comprise a selection of tasty BBQ meat, a variety of summer salads followed by a choice of sweets. A vegetarian option will be available.

The Locker Lampson Room will be used with tables outside, on the grass terrace overlooking the lake and beautiful surroundings.

If you wish to stay overnight you can reserve a B&B by contacting Rowfant House direct.

In the unlikely event of bad weather the evening will be spent in the dry comfortable surroundings of the Great Hall.

July and August summer bar chats in the Great Hall at Rowfant House

On the 4^thand 18^th July, and 1^st and 15^th August will be summer bar chat evenings in the Great Hall at Rowfant House.

Nigel Barraclough - 5 September– String and Knots

Nigel will be organising a knots night. This will be an opportunity for everybody to practise their knots making skills.

3^rd October – Tristan Gooley - ‘The wonderful world of natural navigation’

Tristan’s talk starts with his solo crossings of the Atlantic in a light aircraft and then a small yacht, before plunging into the very rare art of natural navigation. He describes how his love of the subject grew from realising that electronics were getting in the way of a good journey.

Tristan explains how he learnt to find his way using the sun, moon, stars, weather and animals. He describes the extraordinary techniques that have been used by the Pacific Islanders for centuries to find their way, the same methods that left Captain James Cook deeply impressed, and how natural awareness can enrich all nautical journeys to this day.

Tristan Gooley is the founder of a natural navigation school, author of 'The Natural Navigator' and 'The Natural Explorer' books and the only living person to have both flown and sailed solo across the Atlantic. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Royal Geographical Society and the Vice Chairman of Trailfinders.

More information about natural navigation can be found on Tristan’s web site: www.naturalnavigator.com

A contribution of £5.00 for each members and guest attending will be used towards covering the cost of Tristan’s talk.

October - ASC walk in Oakham and Wisley Common and Chatley Heath Semaphore tower

This year’s walk will be in an area of over 323 hectares (800 acres) of heath land and woodland located at the M25 junction with the A3. The lowland heath land area is a very scarce habitat and supports a specific and unusual range of wildlife. The three areas have been designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature in recognition of their importance for nature conservation. They are also part of a European Special Protection Area.

The walk will be followed by a visit to Chatley Heath semaphore tower. The tower was once part of a chain, which was used to pass messages between the Admiralty in Whitehall and the Royal Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth. It was built in 1822 and is now the only restored surviving tower in a line of signaling stations that stretched from London to Portsmouth.

Chatley Heath semaphore tower

More information about Chatley Heath semaphore tower can be found at: http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/GetRecChatley Heathord/SHHER_502

7 November – 12^th Annual General Meeting

This year’s AGM will be held in the Locker Lampson room starting at 20.00.