On August 31^st and September 1^st I visited, accompanied by Mike Till (GBR 55), the Pwllheli Sailing Club, who is a candidate for our Finn World Masters Championship in 2012.

We both flew to Manchester and drove together to the coast of Pwllheli through a magnificent landscape.

What we found was a very beautiful venue. We met Bob Lowe and Gareth Roberts from Pwllheli Sailing Club and we
discussed the "Master’s Guidelines" with them. They showed a lot of experience in organizing major sailing events and
we had agreement about these Guidelines. Besides that they had some good comments on the Guidelines, which will
gratefully be used to improve them.

We noticed that they are used to host major sailing events with a large amount of competitors.

There’s enough room inside and outside the club’s premises and the boat park can be locked during the night.

Launching the boats is on the beach. Because of the tide this beach will be smaller or wider, but the racing area is
right around the corner. So no long sailing to the course.

On the beach we will need each other’s help, but knowing most of the Masters, this will surely be no problem.

Campers will be placed inside a parking place close to the club house and electric power will be available.

Catering is done by the Pwllheli Sailing Club itself and has a good quality. At least: we had a very good meal form the
club’s kitchen.

Accommodations are mostly on "Bed & Breakfast" basis and there are of enough of these in a reasonable distance.
We stayed in a nice guesthouse called: The Old Rectory and this was very pleasant.

A camping place lies about 1.5 miles from the club.

For our ladies and for those Masters who want to stay a bit longer after the Championship: North Wales is a very beautiful
area with a lot of castles. Mike and I enjoyed travelling from and back to Manchester. Beautiful mountains and sea sights.

Being a Dutchman in Pwllheli I noticed one uncertain factor I know very well from Holland: the weather, which is rather unpredictable. But: I saw pictures and video’s with beautiful sailing conditions, also for Masters. So like in Schwerin in 2006 and Medemblik in 2008 we must be a bit lucky with the weather.

Last weekend I spoke to Bob Heineke, who won the Europeans in the Flash Class in Pwllheli last August (he tried a Finn and
did well) and he told me it is a good sailing venue.

I think it is worth to consider voting for Pwllheli for 2012, however: I do not know, at this moment, if other venues will
candidate their selves. I hope they will, because I think it is always good to be able to make choices.

But: also without a second candidate I think it is worth sailing in Pwllheli in 2012.

Fons van Gent

NED 748

(Vice-) President Master’s Fleet