Announcement of new Chairman : Chris Barnes.

Chris Barnes has stepped forward to take over the role of chairman from Rick Perkins. For those that do not know Chris, he has sailed Tasars on and off since the mid-1980s, first competing in the 1984 Nationals at Hayling Island, and then returned to the class in 2022. Originally based at Whitstable, Chris now sails at Hythe and Saltwood Sailing Club on the south Kent coast, in a fleet that has grown to 10 Tasars in the last few years and hosted its first Tasar Open in 2023. Chris currently owns 2835 and has a half share in 2516.

Chris says “My experience since returning to the fleet at Hythe makes me believe in the continuing appeal of the boat. I believe it has a distinct niche as a boat that delivers exciting performance, at massive bang for buck value, while being relatively easy and comfortable to sail. It is rewarding for experienced sailors while being suitable for beginners and is also a great option for older sailors.”

“Like many others I’d like to thank Rick for his efforts in the chair and the committee members for all their continuing hard work. I would also like to thank Jeremy Hawkins and Porthpean Sailing Club for providing us with a great venue for next year’s nationals. I look forward to taking on the challenge of the chair role and supporting the class, the club fleets and individual sailors going forward. I have a couple of initiatives in the pipeline that I will circulate to the fleet in the next few weeks. In the meantime, happy Tasaring!”

Chis will take over the chairman’s role with immediate effect and Rick will be assisting with the handover and Chris’s introduction to the World Tasar Council (WTC).

I’m sure we’d all like to thank Chris for taking on this role and wish him and the committee continued success.