Eid From the Crow

Greetings all from the Crows Nest, welcome back to Dubai those who have been away and to all who have been down in the last week, thanks for coming its great to see you all back in the folds of the sailing club.

 Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. This has to do with the communal aspects of the fast, which expresses many of the basic values of the Muslim community; i.e., empathy for the poor, charity, worship, steadfastness, patience etc. Fasting is also believed by some scholars to extol fundamental distinctions, lauding the power of the spiritual realm, while acknowledging the subordination of the physical realm. It also teaches a Muslim to stay away from worldly desires and to focus entirely on the Lord and thank him for his blessings. It is a rejuvenation of the religion and it creates a stronger bond between the Muslim and his Lord. After the end of Ramadan, is a big celebration of Eid.^[14]

The new season is upon us and Brett and Romeo have formulated a new sailing season menu which will start in mid September [Brett has a number of secret recipes he has brought along with him for you all to try]. On this subject please can you use the suggestions book again to let us know about things you would like to see changed or added so we can manage your expectations and answer any questions you may have.

Sailing pursuit race is on and all facilities inside the club house are open and ready for you all, the entry form and the NOR for the Abu Dhabi race are now on the web page, it will be a great race and all are very welcome, take some leave, get your crews together and fill in the entry form.

Enjoy the Eid break and come on down to the club for a cool beverage and a meal.

Warm Regards

Keith

From the Crows nest

Greetings all from an exceptionally quiet club house.. come on where are you all…. If you come down I can promise you dedicated table service and your own barman and at a push I will have the chef cook at your table…

The Tuesday night pursuit race is still up and running as is the  2011 Dom Perignon Heineken Cup [details from David Arggg Stuckey on  davidstuckey48@gmail.com ] throughout the summer but all other organized sailing has ended for the season. Renovations abound across a number of sections within the club grounds and the large trees the surround the grounds will be trimmed to 5 meters and cut back. This will give the club a different look so please don’t be alarmed.

The Winter Test series rugby starts on the 22^nd July and runs every weekend to the 27^th August with Australia, New Zealand England, Ireland, Japan, USA, France, Scotland, Italy, Wales and South Africa all blooding themselves and their new players before the World Cup in September. A full list of games and times will be on the notice board at the club. Come down and support the teams in your colours.. happy hour on all drinks will be from kick off to final whistle.

The first game is on the 22^nd July between NZ and Fiji at 1330 in the club.

For the World Cup rugby I am trying to get all games recorded so that members can come to the club on the evening of the game and watch the game [especially mid week games which start around 1130 in the morning] if I can get a system here that allows me to do this you never have to worry about missing a game. I shall keep you all posted.

Thinking of turning the main club house into a bowling alley unless someone comes down and enjoys the cool of the club and the delights she has to offer.

That’s all from us for now. Enjoy the summer wherever you may be and a sad farewell to Johnathan Guyer who leaves Dubai to go sailing for the rest of his life on Friday. Some dredged up old Naval trivia follows:

TONNAGE (TUNNAGE) - Today tonnage refers to a ship's displacement in the water or the gross pounds of cargo it is capable of carrying. In the days of sail this was not so. Tonnage was spelled "tunnage" and referred to the number of "tuns" a ship could carry. A "tun" was a barrel normally used for transporting wine and tunnage specified the number of barrels that would fit in the ship's hold.

Yankee Americans are known by their nicknames from Hong Kong to Timbuktu; one of the most widely used is "yankee." It's origin is uncertain but one belief is that it was given to us by the early Dutch. Early American sea captains were known but not revered for their ability to drive a hard bargain. Dutchmen, who were also regarded as extremely frugal, jokingly referred to the hard to please Americans as "Yankers" or wranglers. The nom de plume persists to this day.

Warm Regards

Keith

From a cool Crow

A warm hello to you all, a quick note to remind you all that the Tuesday night pursuit race is on tonight along with the accumulator draw which for the DOSC draw is up to AED7500.00. 

Renovations abound and will continue into the summer months, thanks for being so understanding while this is going on. 

Keith Thompsons farewell is on at the club on Friday starting at 1930, all those who know Keith pop in for a chat and a beverage and its Suzie Shaw's goodbye to Dubai tomorrow night at 1830 down in the clubhouse, come and say farewell to them both.  

The club now has its very own Food and Beverage Manager ~ Brett Trevethan ~ Brett will be immersed into the kitchen, bar and front of house as part of his induction over the course of the next few weeks and then takes the reins of the F&B functionality of the club in August.  He will come and say hi and meet you all when you pop in for a cold drink in the cool of the club over the next few weeks.  

DOSC summer sizzler specials : From 5^th July to 12^th July only. 

·         New pre launch DOSC golf shirts [the main launch is in September when the official DOSC Captains Locker [shop] opens] are now on sale at less 20% ~ we have both men’s and ladies style cut and the quality is very good, come down and pick one or a few up at this amazing summer price.

 ·         KWV red and white wines @ AED145 for the Cab Sav and AED90 for the Sav Blanc and Chin Blanc.

 ·         Budweiser Beer bottles and Amstel Light Bottles @ AED12 each.

 That’s all for now, have a very relaxing break if you are away and if not lets see you down at the club.

   Remember:        ·          "There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living”

P.S. The date for the next Hercules challenge has been announced, its 23^rd  February 2012 @ the 7’s rugby grounds, join over 100 teams including one from DOSC [Sailing Instructors] and take the challenge. See http://www.biz-events.com/hercules-trophy and join up. DOSC team will challenge anyone !! take the challenge and prove them wrong.

 

Keith

From the Old Crow

Moring all, great to see so many of you coming down for the Tuesday night accumulator and well done to Will Collins for winning the MMI draw. The DOSC amount has now reached AED7000.00 so come down on WEDNESDAY for a chance to win this just before summer holidays.

The Pursuit race will take place this Tuesday with corrected times on the sign on sheet, the bar will however be closed in accordance with the laws of the land which has directed us to call the accumulator on Wednesday the 29^th at 2030. To make Wednesday evening a bigger draw card we will host the DOSC Bingo night with all donations for the bingo cards going to Sailability who have decided to purchase a Laser Stratos Keel dinghy to take the special needs children to another level of sailing within the programme. Your support is invaluable so book a table and join us for the night.

We have had some sad goodbyes over the last two weeks with another two on the horizon, Jono Guyer will be down at the club on the 30^th to say a fond farewell to all as will Keith Thompson on the 8^th July ~ pop in and have a farewell drink with them before they head out into the big world.

Renovations are in full swing with the following in progress:

1. Ladies and Gents change rooms have now been gutted and will start refit within the next week

Your continued patience is greatly appreciated as are the recommendations and suggestions to the renovations, all ideas are most welcome. I do hope that 98% of the renovations will be completed by the start of the 2011/12 sailing season and will drive hard to achieve this.

Well that’s it from this desk for now, Bloomberg TV channel has sailing screened every Sunday morning from 1000 for about an hour, set your recorders and catch the latest from Xtream sailing to international regattas, who would have thought that Bloomberg would screen sailing.

And lastly once again remember: !!Wear sunscreen !!

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Warm Regards

Keith

Where have you all gone?

Hello all, I trust all are well and the exams/travel/heat are not getting too you to much!! The club is very quiet and makes me wonder where have you all gone !! DOSC Summer Sizzle lunch menu is running and guests gate fee is refunded in the lunch bill so bring your office down for a treat in the cool of the club with great food and friendly waiters, just do it !!

What am amazing weekend of sport, Rory Mcllroys brilliant win in the golf, the super 15 rugby build up with the last 6 fighting for a position and the cricket test taking place between England and Sri Lanka, and this week is the famous Wimbledon Tennis which will be screened at the club as its played.

Tuesday night pursuit race is on, start times have been changed [only for the summer] so get down and sign on, the buffet and accumulator draw will follow, all standard bottled beer @ AED10 from 1900 to 2100 and house wine @ AED10 per glass for the same timings. Come down bring your guests and enjoy the night with us.

Over the summer there are a number of functions booked inside the clubhouse, each one has been booked by a fellow member and each booking has been made with the understanding that anyone who is in the club that night is welcome to join in.

The renovations of the change rooms has started and they are out of bounds, the timelines for this are the 4^th September so please bear with us while the changes are being done.

The new sail like shade over the front of the club house is due to be fitted in the next 10 days, we are waiting for the cladding to be completed prior to the fitting of this shade, this will be a big improvement from the wooden structure that was old and falling to bits.

Alison is now open for revalidation of IRC certificates, please send your data to her and she will get you the 2011/12 certification.

The 29^th is the Bingo night, book a table and join Loraine and her girls for the BINGO night, as the Tuesday before is a dry night at DOSC the Accumulator will be called on the 29^th at 2030 so that you all have a fair chance of winning just before holiday time.

The NOR and SI’s for the Dom Perignon Trophy 2011 & The Heineken Cup are below : it’s a great way to spend July on the water so challenge your rivals in the Heineken Cup for a chance to race off in the Dom Perignon race.

Notice of Race & Sailing Instructions

For those who are unaware, the Dom Perignon Trophy was initially contested on a Saturday in August (the inaugural race was held on 08/08/08) between Kernowek & Jabulani. The trophy itself & some photographs from previous years can be seen in the trophy cabinet.

Last year the event was opened to all boats & was won by Insatiable. Insatiable has since been sold & the new owner is unable to defend the trophy. The right to defend the trophy will therefore revert to the previous holder, Kernowek. Thus David Stuckey is the current Defender.

The fore-runner to this prestigious event is the Heineken Cup and is open to all boats & contested, as a summer fun event and sailed without spinnakers, under the following rules:

1. The Heineken Cup will be a series of 3 Saturday pursuit races conducted during the month of July. The first pursuit race will be on 16^th July, starting at 15:00 hours.
2. Any boat wishing to challenge for the Heineken Cup must present a challenge to the Defender by 1^st July 2011.
3. Each boat competing in the Heineken Cup races must provide 6 cans of Heineken to the bar staff before the start of each Heineken Cup pursuit race as an entry fee, which will be matched by DOSC at the conclusion of the race at the Outer Reef.
4. The winner of the Heineken Cup will become the Challenger for the Dom Perignon Trophy.
5. The Defender may also take part in the Heineken Cup. If the Defender wins the series, the boat placed 2^nd will become the Challenger.
6. The Challenge Race for the Dom Perignon Trophy 2011 will take place in August, on a date agreed by the Defender & the Challenger..
7. The Challenger must provide a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon to the bar staff before the race to be drunk by both crews at the trophy presentation, after the Challenge Race at the Outer Reef.
8. The format of both the Challenge Race & the Heineken Cup races are at the sole discretion of the Defender.
9. The Defender must inform the Challenger of the race format at least 48 hours before the race.
10. There will be no spitting, biting or swearing! All other rules for the race will be decided by the Defender. The principles of the Rules of Sailing will apply.

That’s all from me for now, have a brilliant week, John and Sue are back in Malaysia and their blog is updated, pop into the DOSC web page and have a look at their adventures. Matt Grimley is also now ensconced in Vanuatu after his +8000 nm trip on Skye Rose and will be with us soon for a visit.

50 Completely Useless Facts!
The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed. Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms  like fried bacon. Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions! What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France. "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order. "Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel. In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off! Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath There is a city called Rome on every continent. It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland! Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day! Horatio Nelson, one of England's most illustrious admirals was throughout his life, never able to find a cure for his sea-sickness. The skeleton of Jeremy Bentham is present at all important meetings of the University of London Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, everytime you breathe! The elephant is the only mammal  that can't jump! One quarter of the bones in your body, are in your feet! Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different! The first known transfusion of blood was performed as early as 1667, when Jean-Baptiste, transfused two pints of blood from a sheep to a young man Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails! Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin! The present population of 5 billion plus people of the world is predicted to become 15 billion by 2080. Women blink nearly twice as much as men. Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only ONE testicle.		Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible. Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th." Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it. On average a hedgehog's  heart beats 300 times a minute. More people are killed each year from bees than from snakes. The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words. More people are allergic to cow's milk than any other food. Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand. The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times! The six official languages of the United Nations are: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish. Earth is the only planet not named after a god. It's against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church in Nebraska, USA. You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206. Some worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food! Dolphins sleep with one eye open! It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old! The longest recorded flight  of a chicken is 13 seconds Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not Slugs have 4 noses. Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue. A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years! A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue! The average person laughs 10 times a day! An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

So there you have it !!

Keith