Posted by The Ancient Mariner on July 06, 1998 at 22:44:20:
Before I try to bring you up to date with the recent happenings of the Nancy Blackett Trust may I take this opportunity to say, on behalf of the Trust and myself, how sorry we all are to hear the sad news of the passing of Titty Altounyan. A very special link with AR is no longer with us and we offer our condolences.
The first AGM of the Nancy Blackett Trust took place on July 4 at Royal Harwich Yacht Club with more than sixty members in attendance. An excellent day with over forty having the chance to sail aboard Nancy. A more detailed report will appear on the Nancy page.
Early on the 5 July ( 0200 in fact!!) Nancy departed on the first leg of her "Southern Tour". She arrived in Ramsgate Royal Harbour at 1115 after a pretty exciting voyage which included dollops of sea not quite coming into the cockpit!! Oh - and the roller reefing works a lot better this year following the winter refit so even John could have managed it. Nancy is sailing much better this year following a re-trimming exercise during which ballast was moved around and the mast setting adjusted - so well balanced she'll sail "hands off".
For those of you in the area of Thanet who'd like to see her in the flesh (perhaps that should be "in the timber") she'll be in the inner harbour at Ramsgate for at least the next seven days so do please visit. After that she will leave for either Eastbourne or Chichester depending on winds.
NBT is running a Nancy Blackett Summer Raffle with really good prizes including a weeks holiday on the Broads, a week in the Lake District, a Sanyo digital camera, two airline tickets to Amsterdam, a full set of hardback Ransomes plus lots of other excellent items. Tickets are 20p each or £1 per book - all proceeds go to Nancy. Selling tickets to everyone you can bully into buying a book is a super way of helping to support the "best little boat". If you would like to help please contact Peter Willis on 01252 328187 and he will send you as many books as you want - similarly if you would just like to buy some tickets for yourself - phone Peter. There is a prize, donated by the Ancient Mariner, of a framed picture of Nancy for the person who sells the most books - Good Luck!!