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20th Annual Sparkman & Stephens Association Annual General Meeting, London, April 12-14, 2013 - updated March 30, 2013  
   

March 30, 2013 LAST CALL!! Here is Kerry Costello's email for last minute decision makers. Dolphin 24 owners/past owners are invited. The invitation is below.

Hi. Its me again....and oh my goodness this little bit of sunshine has really brought a joyous smile to my face. Maybe the winter is finally coming to an end.....maybe we will have real spring weather for our time together in a few weeks!!

Thinking about it though, even if it is going to be bright sunshine (as it was this morning), it could still be truly chilly (as it was this morning). How fortunate are those of us who have a Sparkman and Stephens bodywarmer!! So if you are thinking about something to just keep at bay those spring shivers these are still available to order to pick up at the AGM event. Even if you are not coming to the AGM you can order one for delivery to your home - but I do have to admit the postage is quite hefty. Here is a link to order one: http://www.sparkmanstephensuk.info/bodywarmer.html

Guys, I wanted to tell you that we have moved the venue for the welcome reception.  With the closing of access to Saint Katherine Docks for bridge repairs, our original plan became impractical. But we were so not daunted. We sought out and found a really special English pub. The Barrowboy and Banker which is just a short walk from the Premier Inn hotel. The Barrowboy and Banker occupies an adapted former National Westminster Bank, one of its first Victorian branches. And I reckon that a pub is a much better use for the building! I was gobsmacked by the elaborate central chandelier dangling from the high ceiling, the marble-topped bar area, and the Hogarth-esque murals displaying scenes of Georgian-era barrowboys and bankers. For Steen however, it was a done deal because of the six handpumps which provide excellent coverage of the Fuller’s range including: Chiswick, Discovery, London Pride and ESB. I kind of had to roll him home after our visit. 

Although we have finalised numbers to all three venues we are using, we can still welcome a few more attendees so feel free to enrol. For online enrolment or to access the enrolment form for downloading, click here.

For a reminder of the details of the event visit the UK Sparkman and Stephens website here.

By the way, I decided not to dedupe my mailing list to take out those of you who have told me you can't make it. I thought it was fun for you to hear what we're up to anyway!!

My very best regards,
Kerry Costello.
AGM Organiser for 2013.

 

 

We have the following invitation from the Sparkman & Stephens Association. Your webmaster is a member - last year his Marionette received their Global Challenge Award for her performance at the Off Soundings Club Spring Series in 2011 at Block Island. While I don't think we have any Dolphin 24's in the UK that's not a good reason to go. Please let me know if you are interested.

Their progam is listed below, and the official invitation brochure is below that.

Invitation

Hi Ron.

I am writing to you (Steen Riisberg suggested I do so) about the upcoming Sparkman & Stephens Association AGM event. We would be really happy to extend an invitation to members of the Dolphin 24 Association to join us at our London AGM event. 

We are very excited to be hosting the next S&S Association AGM in London because, as its the 20th anniversary of our Association, it is quite special that the AGM comes home to the UK and especially to London which was where our very first was held! So, in just three months it will be spring! The snowdrops and daffodils will have been and gone and London will be prettily coloured in other spring flowers and the soft, clear greens of fresh leaves as the bushes and trees are putting on their new clothes. Pub-goers will begin to spill out of the cosy bars to enjoy their beers sitting alongside the Thames, which will be lively with water buses, tour boats and rowing boats. Looking down from the Tower bridge you might even spot a couple of Sparkman & Stephens yachts entering the St. Katharine Docks. Yes, it is the time for the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Sparkman & Stephens Association and time for the London 2013 Annual General Meeting from 12 to 14 April.

You can find details of what we plan for the weekend on our website, click here. We have a full agenda starting with a welcome reception on Friday evening, to a Thames cruise and Greenwich tour and of course our traditional black-tie Gala Dinner - and we would be truly delighted to see any of you at these activities. The business part of the event is our AGM on Sunday morning which is for S&S Association members only. But we hope to reconvene with as many as possible for lunch!

And you can register now! For online enrolment or to access the enrolment form for download, click here. The preferred method is using the online form, but you can download, print and complete the form mail it to me, Kerry Costello if you prefer (The Old School, Church Street, Upton Grey, HANTS RG25 2RA). If you or any of your members to think they may join us, I urge you to book your hotel right now. There is no risk. You can cancel it without any penalty the day before, but when the hotel rooms are gone they are gone. And there are a big demand for reasonably priced hotel rooms in London. Get there first. Details about the hotel are on the website - click here.

Don't hesitate to let me know if you would like any additional information. Email kerry.costello@btopenworld.com

Go on, you know you want to - see you in London!!

My very best regards,
Kerry Costello.
AGM Organiser for 2013 (and loving it...although starting to get stressed :-)) 

Tower Bridge and St Katherine Docks Marina

Programme

We are an Association of S&S sailors and the programme for the AGM is therefore concentrating on some aspects of English marine history.

Friday 12 April 16:00 until much later
We hope many of you will come sailing in your own S&S yacht, so we have secured a number of moorings in the centre of London, Saint Katharine Dock. This is an exceptionally picturesque location adjacent to Tower Bridge and represents a tribute to the history of London’s central position in connecting to the world by marine trade. The opening event will be a get-together in the former sailing club premises, now Riverlounge Italian Restaurant, overlooking Saint Katharina Dock and hopefully the show of a number of S&S yachts moored.

We are lucky that Derek Morland of the S&S UK Association, apart from being an outstanding sailor, has an in-depth knowledge of the sailing area. He is able to provide a guide to get to Saint Katharine Dock on time with details on possible moorings as you are on your way.

Saturday 13 April 10:00
Saturday morning we board a Thames river tourist boat and enjoy a sail stretching from the Parliment all the way to the Thames barrier. We all disembark at Greenwich, a World Heritage Site and the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Meridian Line. The famous landmarks include Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, and Sir Christopher Wren’s Old Royal Naval College.

Secret Greenwich
We start the visit with a traditional English lunch in the the old Naval College and then we have a guided tour including access to areas normally not open to the public. After this you will be left on you own to pursue your own interests. It could be a visit to the Observatory, the Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark, or a trip on the new Emirates Cable Car with it’s fantastic views.

Getting back
There are several options: Thames Clipper services if you want to enjoy the views of the Thames again. It is a fast service and takes only about 30 minutes back to Bank Side Pier close to the hotel. You can also try the London Underground (the Tube), which incorporates the oldest section of underground in the world, opened in 1863. An alternative for those who want to stay “overground” is the Docklands Light Railway, DLR, which can take you to Tower of London, 5 minutes walk from Saint Katharine Dock and 20 minutes from the hotel

Gala dinner 13 April 19:30
The HMS President is moored a 15 minutes walk from the suggested hotel for your stay. HMS President (1918) was an Anchusa class corvette of the Royal Navy, completed in 1918. She was originally named HMS Saxifrage, from the Saxifrage genus of plants which includes the variety London Pride and has been permanently moored at Victoria Embankment for over 80 years. She will be the spectacular backdrop for our traditional, black tie Gala Dinner.

We do recommend that you walk to the venue. Going by taxi will take longer in the London evening traffic. Walk in practical footwear and bring your fine shoes along.

This venue is really special and one of the most sought after in London. Come early, enjoy the spectacular views from the President, explore the ship (click here for a photo gallery), and treat yourself to welcome drink(s) from the cash bar. We have hired the Ballroom and Gunroom on the Upper Deck and also have exclusive access to the outside deck.

Sunday 12 April 10:00
The serious business takes place at the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Pub, 10 minutes walk from the suggested hotel. This pub has that special English charm, is right on the Thames and is famous for its support of an amateur rowing race from London Bridge to Chelsea that has taken place for almost 300 years.

After the AGM we have reached the end of the fixed, prepaid programme. But we suggest that we all go for a proper English pub lunch at the same location. The lunch room offers brilliant views of the Thames and the buzzing life along the river.

Weather permitting, and if we have a sufficient number of S&S yachts moored in Saint Katharine Docks, we all go there and enjoy bubbly and canapés on the boats.

And then…
We recommend you make a real short-break holiday out of this visit. There is so much to see and do in London. Visit Tate Modern, one of the best museums of modern art, 5 minutes from the hotel; explore the Natural History Museum, one of the best in the world; see a West end show; visit old English pubs; shop till you drop; or take a look at Buckingham Palace and say hello to the Queen. It’s up to you to make this visit unforgettable.

See you all in London

Kerry Costello, Anne Marie Poulsen & Steen Riisberg


 

 
   
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