FOC members have been keen supporters of the Cowes Classic Powerboat Rally and 2019 was always going to be a hard act to follow, with fabulous venues, incredible weather and a big screen showing of Ride the White Horses before dinner. 

This years event would have been the tenth but it didn’t happen, and now as this Fairey News goes to press, its late 2020, 

Rest assured, Ben Curtis and Paul Hooper are as keen as they ever were, hopefully 2021 will see the tenth rally and it will be even better than the last. See you there! 

You will read in the Commodore’s introduction and AGM Repor t that we had to call off the Summer Rally in Dartmouth. So much planning had gone into this event, it was most disappointing, but like the phoenix it will rise from the ashes.This concept was to encourage Fairey owners to be more adventurous and cruise together, but of course you could make your own way, and we might encourage a few of the Western Ports fleet to come back with us to spend a week or so in the Solent – we would make you welcome… 

The idea of the opportunity of “cruising in company” from The Solent to Dartmouth was enticing, with a series of events organised in the south west, along with the opportunity to press on to the Channel Islands or further west. We had a committed fleet of 32 boats wanting to join in. 

Well, its not cancelled, we hope to run the event in 2021, and what better way to self- isolate than taking a Fairey motorboat out to sea. (All other motorboats welcome!) Please watch out for news and updates in the New Year… 

We proposed, as par t of the AGM process, a list of Officers that sought re-election.

The list was proposed and seconded by proxy and the Officers of the Club for 2020 – 2021 are as follows: 

Commodore – Paul Patenall
Secretary – Jonathan Turner
Treasurer – Chris Davey
Archivist – Charles Lawrence
Webmaster – Rich Miller
Committee member – Mark Wilton
Committee member – Pete Bonsall

We believe that the AGM is an essential part of the running and success of the Fairey Owners Club, we always have a really good dinner afterwards but the turnout is often lower than hoped. This year the process was threatened by Covid. So we have circulated all the AGM details by email (and a few by post) so everybody had the opportunity to engage, make suggestions and ask questions. Thank you to those who did. 

The key activity was receiving the minutes and the accounts, the annual report and electing the committee. All done electronically and without a hitch! 

The committee have implemented a strategy of meeting virtually, that might be here to stay as previously the committee had to travel to the Hamble from the Midlands, London, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight…we have all now become comfort table with virtual meetings! So life carries on.