COOKHAM REACH SAILING CLUB
A BRIEF HISTORY
1947 – 2007
by Derek Bayley
DRAFT
I have compiled this history from the records and papers that I have found in the archive locker so it is not a complete record.
Many of the papers cover the administration of the Club and there is limited information as to the sailing achievements of members at the Club, at Open Meetings and Championships.
Derek Bayley.
1947 - 1949
The Club was created as an association of friends in 1947.
The Inaugural Meeting was held at “The Quarry” Bourne End on Sunday 25th April 1948 with 16 members in attendance.
The first Executive meeting was also held on Sunday 25th April 1948 at The Quarry.
The first officers were Commodore C.C. Wallace Hon Secretary Mr G. Pearce Hon Treasurer Mr S.A. Tilley Committee: Mr A.W. Weatherall, Mrs Wallace and Mr L.A. Spreechley Executive Committee Miss E.A. Dalton, Mr A. Tavener, Auditors: Mrs Pearce, Mr Hore.
There were 17 members and 6 boats in 1948 of which a number were Snipes. Annual subscription was one guinea for Full members (Gentlemen), half a guinea for Ladies and five shillings for Cadets under 18.
Initially the Club used the premises of Townsend Brothers and in 1950 the Club were asked by Townsend to find alternative premises.
It was agreed with Mr Barnard of the Quarry that the Club should rent a portion of the tea hut at the Quarry for use as a dressing room for the sum of £12 per annum and to use the lawn surrounding the tea hut to store boats at a cost of £3 per boat per season.
The first AGM was held at The George Hotel in Uxbridge on Wednesday 30th March 1949.
A trophy was donated by Mr H.H. Streete for Handicap Racing and racing commenced on Easter Sunday 15th April 1949.
There was an invitation from the Merlin Class to participate in their 1949 championships at Cowes however it was felt that the location of the meeting and the petrol restriction would prevent members from entering.
Handicaps were allocated for the Merlin Class, National 12 & Firefly and the Snipe Class.
Boats were stored at Townsend Brothers.
1950
Early 1950 the Club rented a site from Mr Lillie at River Bungalow on Cookham Reach for a nominal annual rent of £10. There were 70 members and 20 boats.
Guy Pearce presented a trophy for the Merlin Class.
Snipes were stored at Turks boat yard.
The third Sunday of each month was Maintenance Sunday when work entailed in the maintenance of the Club was done.
1951
The first Merlin Rocket Open Meeting was held on 9th September 1951 and there were 12 entries. The winner was Mr Jack Holt, second was Mr Ken Mollart and third was Mr Beecher Moore.
Mr Rodger Hawkes was elected as a Cadet member on Sunday 1st August 1951.
Mr Gerald Burnham was elected a Cadet member on Sunday 5th August 1951 and was Treasurer in 1956 – 1960, Sailing Secretary 1962 – 1963, Rear Commodore 1964.
1952
Ted Clarke presented the Harbour Cup which was for novices. The trophy was raced over six handicap races with the best three results to count. The first winner was Gerry Burnham.
1953
Building bonds were introduced to assist with the cost of the original clubhouse.
Boats were initially launched by the side of the Ferry Hotel in Cookham and a right of way was rented from Mrs Lille across a small triangle of land at the end of Berries Road to the Club. This allowed boats to be unhitched at the end of Berries Road and man-handled across the triangle to the towpath and along to the Club grounds.
Facilities were provided by The Crown, where members got changed and then walked down to the boats and after sailing had to walk back and the Club used the Tea Hut.
Races were started from an open platform as there was no starter’s box.
Gerry Burnham again won the Harbour Cup which resulted in the rules being changed so that it could only be won once by a helm.
The Heron Class was introduced following a request from Ruislip Lido Sailing Club. They could only sail in the winter so they made an approach for a block membership in order that they could sail in the summer months.
1954
Club house construction starts in March.
The clubhouse was opened on the 5th June 1954.
1955
The Heron class was adopted at the AGM with a fleet of six boats with a maximum of 12 in the first year and they would have their own class race starting 15 minutes before the others. Their first Open Meeting was held on the 14th & 15th of May.
Division racing was introduced based on a system used by Ranelagh Sailing Club.
In 1955 there were 13 Herons and 12 Merlin Rockets.
The Heron Class presented a trophy to the Merlin Rocket Class which was to be competed for in the Division racing.
1956
Mr P. Flanagan was elected as a member on Monday the 13th August 1956 and was
Vice Commodore 1964.
There were 18 Merlins, 16 Herons, 3 12’ Nationals, a Rambler and an Albacore.
1957
The Enterprise was introduced into the Club in 1957 and the fleet comprised of 21 Merlins, 22 Herons and 6 Enterprises.
Maximum Merlin turnout was 17 and the maximum Heron turnout was 10.
It was agreed that the maximum number of boats in each class for the year would be 20 Herons, 20 Merlins and 20 Enterprises.
D.G. Bayley was elected as a Cadet member on Tuesday 30th April 1957.
1958
The Merlin Rocket Open Meeting was a Silver Tiller Event.
The first Enterprise Open Meeting took place on Saturday 24th May.
Initial discussion on the possibility of purchasing the field which the Club used took place on Tuesday 18th March.
In October the Club agreed a 7 year lease with Mr &Mrs Lillie the owners of River Bungalow with a rent of £30.
1959
Mr R.W.Deacon was elected as a member on 21st April 1959 however no boat berth was available. The Club’s membership was then closed with a waiting list established.
The membership was 164.
1960
There were 20 Merlins, 21 Enterprises and 20 Herons berthed at the Club with the average fleet racing of 24 with the maximum of 34.
There were 46 Starters at the Merlin Open Meeting.
1961
Mr & Mrs H.V. Blake were elected members on the 16th May 1961.
The fleet comprised of 61 boats with average turnout of 24 and a maximum of 37.
There were 55 starters at the Merlin Open Meeting.
1962
In January 1962 discussions took place in respect of the purchase of the land occupied by the Club and the purchase was successfully concluded at a cost of £1500.
The fleet comprised of 61 boats with the maximum turnouts being Merlin 18, Enterprises 16 and Herons 12.
The Merlin Open attracted 57 entries, the Enterprise 39 and Herons 28.
Mr J. Bridges was elected a member on the 26th June 1962.
1963
The OK Class was introduced.
A new river frontage was built by a contractor to replace the original one that was built by members.
1964
Mr R. Cartwright was elected as a member on the 2nd June 1964.
In 1964 the membership was 201 and in 1965 it was 226.
Pat Blake was 6th in the Merlin National Championships.
1965
Racing was started for members of the Club who were under 21.
Saturday afternoon racing was started in the form of a handicap pursuit race and there were 12 starters for the initial race.
The OK Open meeting attracted 42 entries and the Enterprise 30.
1966
The Club was connected to the electric supply. Up to then Calor gas had been used.
The Clubhouse is extended and partly financed members Building Bonds in units of £5 together with a grant of £1350 was received from the Ministry of Education and Science towards the cost of the new Clubhouse which was estimated to be between £2500 and £2700.
The entry for the Merlin Open was 51 boats, the OK open was 21 and it was won by Robert Berk of C.R.S.C.
The membership was 190.
The new clubhouse was opened on the 16th of July by Mr C.C. Wallace the Club’s first Commodore who also presented the Club with a trophy to be called the Founders Trophy.
Mr Roy Reuter and his wife were elected members on the 6th September 1966.
1967
The Club was licensed to sell intoxicating liquor.
Recommendation to purchase the Phillips plantation for a sum not exceeding £1250.The plantation was purchased in March.
There were 8 OK’s, 16 Herons, 25 Enterprises and 22 Merlins.
Membership was 270 including children.
The club hosted the Enterprise Thames Valley Championships.
Robert Berk was selected to represent the U.K. in the OK World Championships in Canada.
Discussions with Copas on purchase of land in exchange for the Phillips land which would form the car park and access to Berries Road instead of access being conditional on agreement from the owners of Riverholm.
1968
An Extraordinary General Meeting was held to consider exchanging the 2 acre plantation bought by the Club in March 1967 for £1250 for approximately half an acre of land behind the clubhouse, connecting the Club compound to the end of Berries Road. The exchange of land would involve no cash payment, except a £1 token payment but the Club would be liable for fencing, gates and legal expenses.
A letter was received from the Thames Conservancy regarding a complaint that had been received of congestion of the river at Cookham caused by sailing boats.
As many as 50 boats were racing on some afternoons.
Individual membership is 300 and there are 11 OK’s, 19 Herons, 29 Enterprises and 24 Merlins. There is a waiting list for members wishing to join in 1969.
The Enterprise Open Meeting had 9 entries on the Saturday for the Cookham Schooner Trophy and 26 entries on the Sunday of which 20 were from the Club.
The Merlin Open Meeting had 37 entrants.
Gerry Burnham was placed 1st overall at Bourne End Week and came 3rd in the Spade Oak Bowl.
1969
The following motion was passed at the AGM “All full members shall hold at least one Building Bond of £5 and can hold up to a maximum figure as the Executive Committee may decide from time to time according to the financial requirements of the Club. The Bonds will normally be redeemed when the member leaves the Club”.
The installation of the telephone was raised and 42 voted for with 17 against.
Negotiations were still ongoing with Copas as to the exchange of the Phillips plantation for a parcel of land which is now the car park and access to Berries Road.
There were 16 entries for the OK Open Meeting and it was won by a Cookham boat.
J. Thompson and A. Edgeson were nominated for the OK World Championships.
Three new trophies were presented from Mr and Mrs Birt, Nat Phillips and Mrs Glenny and Mrs Blake the latter to be known as the “Up and Coming” trophy and to be sailed for on Wednesday afternoons during school and college holidays.
The Merlins won the Top Mast Trophy with a team comprising of Gerry Burnham, Pat Blake and Bob Deacon.
43 Merlins attended the Open Meeting.
12 Merlins regularly attended Silver Tiller Events.
An 8 hour Marathon race was held on Saturday 28th June in celebration of the Club’s 21st Anniversary and was won by Gerry and Deidre Burnham.
Gerry and Deidre Burnham won the Spade Oak Bowl and were outright winners of Bourne End Week. They also won the Merlin Open Meeting at Aldenham S.C.
Graham Broadway won the Enterprise Open Meeting at Reading S.C.
Gerry and Deidre Burnham won the Merlin Class at Salcombe and there were around forty members and sixteen boats attending from the Club.
There were 84 berths comprising 27 Enterprises. 27 Merlins, 15 OK’s and 15 Herons.
21 boats entered the Heron Open Meeting.
19 boats entered the Enterprise Open Meeting.
1970
The land was finally acquired from Copas in exchange for the Phillips plantation.
The Club acquired a new telephone and rescue boat.
The trophy presented by Mr and Mrs Birt was allocated to the Marathon Race.
The trophy presented by Nat Phillps was competed for at the Autumn Bank Holiday and the first winner was Mr G. Burnham.
In the Heron Class Keith Bartley won the Marlow Trophy at the Southern Championships and also the Kingsmead Open meeting. David Bartley won the Southern Junior Championships and he also won all the Sunday events in the Heron Class plus the Coronation Trophy and the Up and Coming Trophy and it was the first time any helmsman had taken all the Class trophies in the same season.
There were 23 entrants for the Heron Open Meeting which was won by Roger Heeley.
Nigel Hodson won the Merlin Open which was attended by 42 boats.
17 boats entered the OK Open Meeting which was won by Alan Edgson who also won the OK Open Meeting at Egham Lake S.C.
There were 18 Herons, 29 Merlins, 10 OK’s and 27 Enterprises berthed at the Club.
Pat Blake won the Merlin Open at the Royal Norfolk Y.C. and was also first in his group at the Two of a Kind event at Porthcawl.
The winner of the Marathon race was from U.T.S.C.
There were 23 entries for the Heron Open meeting that was won by Roger Heeley.
Peter Flanagan is elected as an Honorary Life Member.
The outboard motor was stolen.
In view of the poor turnouts in some classes for Sunday morning racing a minimum of two boats allowed for a race.
1971
The Clubhouse extension was under construction which would provide a new bar and meeting room and was to cost £1450.
A meeting took place between the Flag Officers of the following Clubs, Cookham, Upper Thames, Minima ,Tamesis and Thames with the intention that members of these Clubs should all enjoy some form of social membership of each others Clubs.
Keith Bartley wins the Senior Southern Ares Heron Championships.
Cookham Merlins had six boats in the prizes at the Championships.
Chris McAllen wins the Merlin Open Meeting. 38 boats participated.
Pat Bake wins the Silver Tiller Series with Gerry Burnham 3rd.
Berth allocations were Herons 17 Enterprises 19 OK’s 9 and Merlins 28.
The Enterprise Fleet was suffering a bad patch with an average of one or two boats on Sunday mornings and 8 in the afternoons.
Guy Pearce won the Heron Open Meeting which was attended by 23 boats but was subsequently disqualified for not being a member of the Heron Association with Alan Edgeson being awarded the trophy.
1972
Clubhouse extension opened on the 19th March.
The Merlin Open Meeting had 46 entrants and was won by Bob Deacon.
Bob Deacon wins the Oxford Frostbite Series.
Pat Blake was 4th in the Merlin Championships.
David Bartley won the Winter Heron Series at Kingsmead.
The Mirror Class was adopted.
There was concern at the number of boats left unused during the year.
30 boats entered the Heron Open Meeting.
The Cookham Schooner Trophy was the prize for the winner of the Saturday race at the Enterprise Open Meeting.
1973
Dorothy Hartfied was welcomed as the first lady member of the Executive Committee since the Club was formed.
There were 226 members, 153 family units; of these units 55 do not own boats.
The Club celebrated its Silver Jubilee.
The Secretary would write to the following clubs to elect their flag officers as Honorary Members, Aldenham, Oxford, Kingsmead, Maidenhead and Ranelagh.
All members of the following Clubs would be Honorary Members under the terms of the agreement with U.T.S.C., Thames, Thamesis and Minima.
Princess Alexandra landed in a helicopter on the Club car park prior to opening Cookham House the adjacent nursing home on the 7th June.
The Marathon Race only had 11 entries and was won by Bob Deacon and Colin Humphrey.
David Bartley won the Heron Open Meeting. 42 boats entered. He also won the Heron Class in the Cadet week at Croydon Sailing Club and also the Open Meeting at Papercourt Sailing Club.
Pat Blake won the Merlin Open Meetings at Banbury, Bognor, Chase, Gratham Water, Littlehampton, Lowestoft and came second at the Merlin Championships
and in the Silver Tiller Series.
The Cookham B Merlin Team won the Aldenham Anchor Team Trophy.
There were 38 entries for the Merlin Open Meeting and 26 for the Enterprise Open Meeting.
First Winter Series was held and the winner was Gerry Burnham.
Gilly Henderson won the Minima Cup at the Merlin Championships.
Graham Broadway won the Spade Oak Bowl at U.T.S.C.
David Bartley won the Heron Open meeting at Ruislip.
Alan Edgeson won the OK Open meeting.
David Phillips was elected as a cadet member on the 15th May.
Clive Church was elected a member on the 29th November.
1974
There were 40 entries for the Merlin Open Meeting.
Roy Reuter wins the Aldenham OK Open Meeting and Cookham Merlins win the Aldenham Anchor Team Trophy.
The OK Open Meeting had 21 entries and was won by Clive Evison.
There were 26 entries for the Heron Open Meeting and it was won by David Bartley
who also won the Heron Class in the Cadet Week at Croydon S.C. and the Heron Open meeting at Papercourt S.C. He also crewed in the Endeavour Trophy representing the Heron Class.