We are not just new boat dealers and can offer an excellent brokerage service with yachts for sale in Windermere and the surrounding area. We also offer a wide range of boat services in Windermere including Launching, Rigging, Commissioning, GRP Repairs & Maintenance, Antifouling, Engineering Services, Spray Painting & Winter Storage.

Our chandlery, located on the shores of Lake Windermere offers all major marine products including marine clothing, ropes, boat paints, boat hardware and spares, boat engineering and spares and Beneteau spares.

Our Windermere lake front location allows us to provide a wealth of services to our customers so we truly are a one stop shop for all your boating requirements!

Despite the unprecidented weather conditions since Thursday 19th November, we are open for business, almost as usual!

We had four feet of water in the lower area of the shop and three inches on the higher shop level and throughout the whole ground floor.  The crane had to be raised on it’s hydraulic legs to prevent the water swamping it’s engine and the jetties were two metres
under the water.   Luckily we saw it coming and were able to move all stock, desks, computers out of the way.  It will however be some time before the ground floor level is dry enough to re-open as a shop.  Meantime we have re-located all stock upstairs.

All staff, friends and family have been working non-stop to ensure the safety of all our customers boats.  In fact Jim, John and Gordon got out of the water at 1am on the morning of Friday 20th.  Returning to the water at 8am that day and every day since – thank goodness for Gill drysuits!  The rise in water levels meant that unless the ropes were loosened, or in some cases cut, the boats would be pulled over and swamped by the sheer volume of water.  Sadly many boats in the Marina Village, have succumbed to the massive rise in levels, with numerous sinkings.

So the clean up operation is under way, with about three tonnes of weed and rubbish on the slipway and large amounts of wet carpet to get rid of, before we can even start to dry out.  Unfortunately at present there isn’t much more we can do and with a “Severe weather warning” in place for tomorrow.  With another 50-100mm of rain forecast, all we can do now, is sit tight and hope the gales don’t cause further damage, to already swamped jetties and over stretched swinging moorings.

Meantime the good news is that despite being up to my ankles in water on Friday, we sold a new First 21.7s to a gentleman whose friend had ordered one last week and he wanted one just the same!  I think they must know something we don’t ……. maybe Beneteau should think about building an Ark!!

If you are at all concerned about your boat, please do call us on the usual number 015394 88050, but as of this afternoon all our customer’s boats (that we have been able to get to) are fine.  All the boats “dry” stored in our Burneside yard are safe, despite the village itself being badly flooded.   Our thoughts are with those whose homes have been destroyed and the family of the Police Officer lost in Workington, when a bridge collapsed underneath him.  Our loss is nothing in comparison to theirs.

Karen, Jim and all the slighty soggy team at Maiden Marine

Once again a wonderfully warm reception, from the WINDERMERE MOTOR BOAT RACING CLUB. Such a  fabulous venue for our event and as always they have looked after us so well, Chris & Kingsley have provided a fantastic spread of food and hospitality and I’m sure you would all like to join me in thanking them for a wonderful weekend.  I would also like to say a special thanks to
Mr Peter White – Especially as a little over a month ago, this event wasn’t going to happen!  Since the decision to go ahead, he managed to arrange the fabulous Jazz band and the fantastic hog roast last night!

We must also say a massive THANK YOU to THE RACE COMMITTEE – Particularly Race officer Neil for setting the courses and calculating the results.  Also Yvonne Crowder, Lin Gooch, and a special thanks to Richard & Kathleen Gregory for stepping up to provide the committee boat. They’ve all done a fantastic job.  And also to the rest of the Team at Maiden, who served Pimms, made canapés, washed glasses,  laid race marks, tidied up after me, fixed boats, put up flags and without whom, this event wouldn’t happen.    Thank you!

The prize table is once again, over laden with a huge variety of prizes.  Thanks to all our sponsors, without whom this event would be very dull!  We received fabulous prizes from the following generous sponsors: -

Beneteau Owner’s Association
OB Sailing
Phil Evans Sailing Services
North Sails
Navigators & General Insurance Company
Dubarry
Harken
Meridian Zero
Gill Clothing
Gul
Holt
Quayside Shoes
Optimum Time
Marinac Yacht Fittings
English Braids
Blakes Paints
International Paints

And now to the prize winners: -

BENETEAU OWNER’S ASSOCIATION – SPIRIT OF THE EVENT TROPHY
James & Rebecca Wright – First 285 “Wind Spirit” – FOR ALL
THEIR HELP BEHIND THE SCENES & THEIR ENTHUSIASM FOR THE EVENT.

GILBERT BROWN MEMORIAL TROPHY
Patrick & Sheila McKnight – Oceanis 31 – Eveline II

Page 3

BEST JUNIOR  – Jamie Wilson – Oceanis 343 – Killara

BEST SHORT HANDED AWARD
Steve Shaw – for sailing all weekend with his arm in a sling!

BEST IMPROVED BOAT –
Jack Jackson & Ian Pickles – First 211 – Free Spirit – They went from 31st place in the first race to 8th place in the last race!

RACE RESULTS

RACE 1 – NORTH SAILS TROPHY

1ST   DAVID WATKINS – FIRST 260 – DIAMOND EDGE
2ND  TONY BRINDLE – FIRST 211 – BEN O II
3RD  SARAH & DEREK BEDDOWS – FIRST 21.7 – MINNIE ME
4TH  DAVID WILSON & FAMILY – OCEANIS 343 – KILLARA
5TH   ROD BULLOUGHS – BENETEAU  25 – RIDICULOUS
6TH   PAUL & MANDY HIBBERT – FIRST 21.7 – OWASIPPE

RACE 2 – NAVIGATORS & GENERAL TROPHY

1ST   ROD BULLOUGHS – BENETEAU 25 – RIDICULOUS
2ND   DAVID WATKINS – FIRST 260 – DIAMOND EDGE
3RD  TONY BRINDLE – FIRST 211 – BEN O II
4TH   ROB & JULIE ANTROBUS – 0CEANIS 31 – TINK
5TH   PAUL & MANDY HIBBERT – FIRST 21.7 – OWASIPPE
6TH   NICK BAILEY – 0CEANIS 323 – HUNCA MUNCA

RACE 3 – OB SAILING CHALLENGE TROPHY

1ST     STEVE & ELISE WATSON – FIRST 210 – BIG MAUDE
2ND   TONY BRINDLE – FIRST 211 – BEN O II
3RD   NEVILLE HIGGINBOTHAM – FIRST 211 – MELLOW YELLOW
4TH    ANDREW & SHEILA RELTON – FIRST 21.7 – EMERALD
5TH   ANDREW SAWYER – FIRST 21.7 – FIRST FLING
6TH   SARAH & DEREK BEDDOWS – FIRST 21.7 – MINNIE ME

Page 4

OCEANIS 323/311 FLEET OVERALL – BOATS.COM TROPHY
1ST ROB & JULIE ANTROBUS -  OCEANIS 31 – TINK
2ND ADRIAN & MAGGIE CONBOY – 0CEANIS 323 – CARRICK

OCEANIS 343/331 FLEET OVERALL – CAPITAL BANK TROPHY
1ST DAVID WILSON & FAMILY – 0CEANIS 343  – KILLARA
2ND PAUL HELSBY & GANG -  0CEANIS 34 – SOLITAIRE

OVERALL BEST NOVICE BOAT OF THE EVENT –
AFTER ONLY 3HOURS INSTRUCTION!
BILL ENTWISTLE – FIRST 21.7 -  SEONE

BENETEAU CUP – OVERALL WINNING BOAT OF THE EVENT

TONY BRINDLE & his Last of the Summer Wine Team!!
-    FIRST 211 – BEN O II

MANY THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR COMING, WE HAVE REALLY ENJOYED RUNNING THIS EVENT – WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN, SAME TIME NEXT YEAR!

KAREN, JIM & ALL THE TEAM AT MAIDEN MARINE.

Photographs of the event can be seen on www.kenettphoto.co.uk

View/Download the final results document HERE

Following the election of the Oceanis 37 as Yacht of the Year 2008, this new award confirms Beneteau’s capacity to develop yachts that continue to be innovative, comfortable and high performing. It is also the second yacht to be designed by the FINOT-CONQ Group and associates of the Italian Nauta office to recieve such an award.