The Charity Regatta for the Sea Scouts
How often do you get to be entertained by Admirals with gold-plated scrambled eggs on their shoulders...?
As those of you who read my account of this year’s charity sail in Portsmouth in the Newsletter may remember, this is an annual event which does great things in raising much needed funds for all the great bunch of kids from all sorts of backgrounds who get so much from the adventure, the exercise and the introduction to self-discipline. Many of them are from backgrounds where they would not be able to afford this if they did not receive the support of the Sea Scouts organisation.
Putting back into the society from which we have all benefited so much in education and opportunities, is a major part of what the Company is here for.
The way in which this event is budgeted is that the Company Trustees contribute around half the £5,250 entry fee and the crew the rest (generally about £320 a head). The Company benefits from the warm glow of doing something to help change young peoples’ lives and the crew gets blisters, a weatherbeaten face, two days sailing competition and a chance to meet jolly jack tars from many of the other Livery Companies. You also get to rub shoulders with the Navy and admire the enormous piles of gold plated scrambled eggs on the shoulders of the sundry Admirals who entertain us to a great meal at the naval base in Portsmouth between the two sailing days.
We need a guaranteed crew for the 8th and 9th of May next year. The boats are all accompanied by an experienced employee of the firm supplying the boats (which they do for free) although we provide our own skipper for the day. Due to the health and safety issues we have to field a crew of no fewer than seven. From previous experiences we know you are all busy people and getting this into your diaries early is essential.
The specification for crew members is very demanding however:
- Relatively sane
- Agile enough to dodge the Captains cat o’ nine tails
- Capable of not taking the rum ration until after the sun is below the yardarm
- Kind to cabin boys and girls
- A good sense of humour
We really welcome the opportunity to introduce anyone who has thought wistfully of putting to sea to their first experience of scurvy and teaching parrots to speak or those who can bring a masterful command of the laws of the sea to helping us win a prize. Don’t be shy please. In the first instance send me an e-mail expressing an interest and I will get back to you.
Guarding my rum ration...
Jeff Cant: Jeff45c@btinternet.com