The sailing section officers are elected individually each year by the membership to run each of the four main offices within the section: Commodore, Vice Commodore, Honorary Secretary & Treasurer.
Ruth Ivory
Ruth Ivory
Ruth Ivory : Commodore
Ruth is a former Vice Commodore of the sailing section from 2005 – 2007 and took over from Graham Shrimpton in February 2008. In addition to her Commodore duties, Ruth is responsible for the organization of the section’s Social Events.
Boats sailed: RS200
Club Email Address: commodore@swsc.org.uk
Email: ruth.ivory@swsc.org.uk
Telephone: (01525) 716995
Karl Pountney
Karl Pountney
Karl Pountney : Vice Commodore
Karl has been the Sailing Section Racing Coodinator since 2006 responsible for the organisation of all the club’s racing series, championships and Open meetings. He coordinates the Sailing Section Diary each year and has been the Solo Class Captain until his new Phantom arrived in October 2007.
Having been an Assistant Dinghy Instructor for 25 years, Karl was finally persuaded to become a fully-fledged Dinghy Instructor in 2009 and join the Sailing School Staff.
Boats Sailed: National Solo & Phantom
Club Email Address: vice.commodore@swsc.org.uk
Email: karl.pountney@swsc.org.uk
Telephone: (07725) 852891
Steve Ivory
Steve Ivory
Steve Ivory : Secretary
Steve was formerly the Section Bosun (2006 – 2007). He now takes over from Jim Leydon as the Sailing Section Secretary.
Steve also holds a Commercial Yacht Master qualification and is frequently sailing ‘big-boats’ all over Europe.
In August 2009 Steve took over the role of Sailing School Principle from Fred Morris. Steve has been working hard all summer getting a number of schemes with schools and adults returning to sailing off the ground as well as qualifying as Senior Dinghy Instructor.
Boats sailed: RS200
Club Email Address: secretary@swsc.org.uk
Email: steve.ivory@swsc.org.uk
Telephone: (01525) 716995
Fiona Denchfield
Fiona Denchfield
Fiona Denchfield : Treasurer
Fiona is a long-standing member of the sailing section crewing for her husband Nigel in their Lark. Fiona took on the role of Treasurer for the second time from retiring committee member Julian Chritchlow in 2009. Fiona will also often be seen in the committee boat along side Nigel at some of the club’s largest events.
Boats sailed: Lark, Scorpion from time-to-time.
Club Email Address: treasurer@swsc.org.uk
Email: fiona.denchfield@swsc.org.uk
Telephone: (01354) 657098
The Sailing Section Members Committee are elected en-bloc at each AGM. As a group they assist in the decision making process on behalf of the membership. Individually, they take on ‘portfolios’ and have important roles in the smooth running of the club.
Gerry Howcroft: Dinghy Park Manager
Gerry Howcroft
Gerry is part of the 2008 intake onto the section committee. In a relatively short period of time Gerry has turned the dinghy park around from being a graveyard for abandoned boats into a well managed, tidy resource to the benefit of both new and exisiting members.
Along with his wife, Sue, Gerry is a keen racer and, in their Xenon, they won the inaugural Silver Fleet Championship beating fellow committee member Karl Pountney by a very close margin. In 2009 Gerry and Sue moved to the Tasar class.
Boats Sailed: Tasar (Rosie Dancer)
Email: gerrard.howcroft@swsc.org.uk
Telephone: (01767) 312221
Fred Morris: Chief Instructor
Fred Morris
Fred Morris started the sailing school from scratch and over the years has provided training for many hundreds of people, both young and old. In 2009 Fred stepped down as Sailing School Principle to take up the role of chief instructor to support Steve Ivory who becomes the new Principle.
In addition to his sailing school work, Fred also runs a successful light transport company and a mobile chandlery.
Email: fred.morris@swsc.org.uk
Telephone: (01582) 599316 or (07794) 958600
Kevin Edwins: Sailing Membership Secretary
Kevin Edwins
Kevin took on the role of section membership secretary in 2008 from John Nye.
A very active member of the Kestrel Class Association, Kevin with his best mate Kevin Jones travel throughout the summer competing in open meeting and national events the length and breath of the country. The Kestrel Class is enjoying a resurgence in interest at the club in part due to Kevin’s enthusiasm in ensuring that our two major Kestrel Open Meetings are highlights in the Kestrel Class calendar.
Kevin’s other interests include Rugby and Running.
Boats Sailed: Kestrel
Email: kevin.edwins@swsc.org.uk
Telephone: (07749) 891406
John Williamson: Bosun
John Williamson
John is a former member of the sailing section committee who has returned in 2009 to undertake the role of Bosun. The Bosun’s role is to ensure that the club’s safety-boat, workboat and committee boat are fully serviced and operational and to look after just about anything afloat.
John is often seen sailing his Solo on Sundays and is one of several members who meet every Wednesday during the winter to take part in organised walks in Herts, Beds and Bucks. During the summer John is a stalwart of the Wednesday evening racing group where he runs the racing for the first 3 weeks of each summer.
Boats sailed: Solo, Albacore
Club Email Address: bosun@swsc.org.uk
Tim Robins
Tim Robins
Tim joined the club in 2008 and sails a Tasar with his family. Tim was co-opted onto the committee in 2009.
Tim, a graphic designer by profession, was responsible for the design of the new publicity leaflets and club promotional banners used at the 2009 open day.
Boats sailed: Tasar
Email: tim.robins@swsc.org.uk
Andrew Gregory
Andrew Gregory
Andrew is part of the 2009 co-opted intake on to the committee. Andrew joined the club in spring ‘09 having been a active member of a number of clubs in the area in the past. Having missed out on places in the Houghton Cup due to not being a full member, he went on to compete in the Caulcott and Blackaby cups and become 2009 Club Champion.
Boats Sailed: Phantom and (occaisionally) B14
Email: andrew.gregory@swsc.org.uk
Telephone: 07714 521525
Other committee members whose details will be added shortly:
- Harry Fiddler
- Karen Lindley: Social & Recreational Sailing