Bartley SC have kindly offered us an event to fill the gap left by Banbury's enforced cancellation. This will NOT be a Silver Tiller event due to the clash with Cookham, but is a good opportunity for Bartley to show us what they can do and hopefully the local fleets will support them.

It's a relatively large lake, borderline open catergory if it were to carry ST status. They have a fledgling fleet of decent boats and are worthy of encouragement with a view to maybe having a ST event next year.

Further details to follow.

Chris

Only its not an event to fill the gap left by Banbury's misfortune is it?
Its a different weekend going head to head against an established Merlin Silver Tiller venue.
I fully support the idea of either a Midland circuit event or Silver Tiller event at Bartley in the future but to promote this alongside another event is not exactley cricket.
Why not just do it on the 15th? If thats not possible then get it programed in proberly for 2013 without treading on other clubs toes which to run it this year you are going to do.

Because Bartley can't do the 15th.

There are two others MC events that clash with established ST events, Trent with Brightlingsea and Carsington with Parkstone. It's not ideal, but there are only so many weekends free and we have to work with what clubs can give us. What will happen is what always does, that those who do the ST will go to them, those that don't or fancy an easy weekend will stay in the Midlands.

Also we must bear in mind that water could well be a scarce commodity this year, and that Banbury is unlikely to be the only venue affected. If at worst case scenario we lose another three venues from the MC (Four clubs on the MC fixture list more or less stopped sailing at the end of last year, luckily this did not affect us) it becomes a bit of a joke.

Cookham will be fine, they always get a good turn out mostly from the other London clubs. Realistically the boats that go to Bartley would not go to Cookham anyway, which is not the case for the other two clashes!

No decision has been made on this yet as I am concerned with the clash with Cookham which is the closest Thames club to the Midlands. Information on any replacement will be posted here by yours truly. 

The Tideway race on the 15th does provide a replacement (albeit inferior) but at least they have water from the North sea.