Force 7 Easterlies blowing into the normally sheltered Falmouth waters delayed the start of the weekend's racing until early evening on Saturday 22 July. As the number of vessels adrift or dragging moorings slowly reduced the harbour authorities allowed Race Officer Tony Ayers to set his course and three exciting races were run back to back to back completing the first day's racing by 8 pm. 20 boats with service and civilian representatives from across the country took part in this event sailed from the RN Air Station Culdrose Sailing Centre and sponsored by RNSA(Air) Branch. The Brain Tumour Association also supported the event.

Good start discipline ensured competitive beats to windward in 20 plus knots of wind with defending champion Keith McQuillan setting the pace with an early win. He was hotly contested by Richard Shingleton-Smith who took the second race with a classic display of upwind sailing. Except where Roger Irvine broke through, without spinnaker, it was always a battle between the two leading contenders. Derrick Page was always a threat on the downwind sections until a capsize and broken rudder slowed him down and David Peerless, with a special 'Gucci' bend to his mast improved positions throughout to take 4th place overall.

The second day again had winds between 18 and 24 knots and there were fine displays of hulls surfing under spinnakers followed by surging reaches to the leeward mark. Any trimming faults were penalised by capsizes although gear breakage was minimal. All hinged on the result of the last race. This produced a textbook tacking duel right up to the final leg with Mc Quillan powering down the lay line and, with one further short tack, crossing the line just 2 boat lengths ahead of Shingleton-Smith to take the race, the subsequent tie break and the title.

Overall Results: 1st Keith McQuillan and Brian Quant (RAF) 6pts;

2nd Richard Shingleton-Smith and John Cogdell (RN) 6pts;

3rd Roger and Alexander Irvine (RN) 27.7pts;

4th David and Edward Peerless (Army) 37.4;

5th Derrick Page and Thomas Davis (Bowmoor SC) 52.7pts;

6th Alan Pitt and Peter Stacy (RNSA Plymouth) 59.4 pts.

Thanks to Richard Jenkins for the report

The AGM Present:
36 members including Committee members attended. Apologies for absence were received from the Secretary and the RN Sailing Coach.1. Introduction.
The Chairman welcomed members to the meeting which was held while awaiting improving weather for the racing. He thanked the RNSA Air Branch and RNAS Culdrose Sailing Centre for hosting the 2000 Nationals especially Richard Shingleton-Smith, the main organizer and sponsor, Rick Pharoah and the sailing centre team, Mike Lynch and the Race Officer Tony Ayers. He also drew attention to the Bosun Internet Website which had been set up by Derrick Page after last year's AGM and now provided a central point for information and news.

2. Minutes of the 1999 AGM
These were accepted as a true record.

3. Bosun Association Fund Accounts
These had been prepared by the Deputy General Secretary RNSA and showed a balance creditor of £26.18 although this was due to the £100 contribution from RNSA towards the Bosun Nationals. For the future it was intended that the fund would be included with the RNSA Dinghy Fund.

4. Written Reports on Past Fixtures
The Hoo Freezer representation had been reported on the web page and the Medway Regatta and the Sheppey Island Race were also mentioned as ones involving Bosuns over the past 12 months.

5. Future Events
The suggestion from the 1999 AGM for the Nationals routinely to rotate between the larger southern based centres at Portsmouth, Plymouth and Netley was confirmed. However it was noted that other attractive venues were also welcome where the local infrastructure was available and willing to host the event on an occasional basis. The current Nationals at Falmouth provided an excellent example of the latter.

6. The Future Management of the Association
The Committee had discussed various options including the possibility of the Bosun becoming a commercial off the shelf (COTS) equipment with the boat builder maintaining the design and for private owners to sponsor the class association. This would bring it into line with the arrangements for other dinghies but it was not felt that the Bosun Class Association could be left purely to private owners when the overwhelming number of hulls were Service owned. The Bosun remains primarily an MOD boat with the Service Sailing Centres as the key users. It was also noted that for future procurement the MOD would wish to consider technical issues and changes in other boats that it purchases such as the Laser, Pico, Topper, RS200 and RS400. The Committee's preferred option, which has been endorsed by RNSA, is in 2 parts. Firstly a new technical dinghy committee would be set up sponsored by the Defence Procurement Agency which could consider the procurement and support issues for all sailing dinghies and include input from the Service Sailing Centres. Secondly the Class Association Committee would be reshaped retaining most of its current sailing membership but reducing meetings to once a year (in addition to the AGM). This Committee would then be a sub committee of the RNSA dinghy committee. These arrangements would provide the sailing centres with a key input to both the technical and class association committees and ensure that any changes required to the Bosun could be processed through the official system with the necessary stores support. The Secretary for the revised Class Association Committee would be chosen from within its membership and the Chairman would become a member of the RNSA Dinghy Committee.

7. Any Other Business
a. Changes to the Class Specification. Currently there were no more in train and David Peerless was keen to retain the basic simplicity and one design nature of the Bosun rather than have "Gucci" additions. However the need for incremental change was recognised to keep the Bosun up to date and Derrick Page pointed out that the Class endorsed changes and rules were now on the web pages. There was lively discussion and a general acceptance of the current policy. b. Arty Shaw, among others, raised the question of the disposal or recycling of MOD owned Bosuns and the possibility of these being bought for private use rather than being destroyed when judged by MOD as beyond economic repair. It was generally felt that as the MOD disposed of the boats they should be available to private buyers and it was not understood why this appeared not to be the case. The Chairman undertook to establish current policy and publish details of the disposal auction procedures on the website.