Talks

This page shows all Talks at the Club

Upcoming events

    • 07/01/2026
    • 20:15 - 21:30
    • Ashtead Cricket Club
    Register

    Rob McCaffrey

    Sailing to the races - Alderney, Canna, Tiree and the Scillies

    When the running race that you want to enter is on an island, what’s the best way to arrive?

    Clearly by sea! Rob relates tales from some adventurous sailing approaches to 10k, half marathon and ultra-marathon running races around the British Isles.

    Organiser:  Dick Beddoe
    • 28/01/2026
    • 20:15 - 21:30
    • Ashtead Cricket Club

    DIY Chart plotter

    Ken Fifield


    Organiser:  Bill Rawle
    • 04/02/2026
    • 20:15 - 21:30
    • Ashtead Cricket Club

     Description: Oleg - Racing


    Organiser:  Dick Beddoe
    • 25/02/2026
    • 20:30 - 21:30
    • Ashtead Cricket Club

    Quiz Night - Details to follow


    Organiser:  Dick Beddoe
    • 11/03/2026
    • 20:15 - 21:30
    • Ashtead Cricket Club

    Mark Ashley Miller - A technical talk on passage planning at Southampton

    In 2019 Mark Ashley-Miller set off in his 34ft yacht on a 5 year, 9,000NM odyssey around the British Isles, visiting 310 harbours and interviewing 256 Harbour Masters.  As part of this campaign he has raised  £40,000 for The Seafarer's Charity which supports sailors with mental health issues. 

    "Cruising with a mission" into hundreds of harbours, up dozens of rivers and around nearly every tidal gate in the British Isles, has given Mark a good understanding of the importance of passage planning. 

    In this talk he will go through every part of his well tested written template. He will discuss which charts, books and apps to use; his golden rules; how to involve and brief crew and how to avoid 'rough weather' sailing. 

    Illustrated with many photos and real life examples, Mark enjoys giving a lively Q and A style talk, and as ever is keen to learn from others. 

    His book "Harbours And Their Masters" is now out, with all proceeds going to the Seafarers' Charity. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harbours-Their-Masters-Sailing-Harbour/dp/1912621800



    Organiser:  Dick Beddoe
    • 25/03/2026
    • 20:30 - 21:30
    • Ashtead Cricket Club

     Chris Phillips of the Maritime Volunteer Service

    Chris will be talking about sailing speed records from the very first one, set in the 1850's, through to the present day 

     

    Hear about the diverse range of craft that have set records over the years, from Tea Clippers through to modern-day catamarans, trimarans, yachts, windsurfers and kite surfers, along with some very odd and downright eccentric designs some of which were record breakers and others that didn't come close

    The sailing world doesn't have just one record, there are quite a few to hear about !

    The Greatest distance sailed in 24 hours 

    The fastest time around the world non-stop

    The outright world speed record - one way over  500 metres

    Some great pictures and some great videos thrown in too !


    Organiser:  Dick Beddoe
    • 14/10/2026
    • 20:30 - 21:30
    • Ashtead Cricket Club
    Register

    On your yacht - One pot cooking

    By popular demand Jane Beddoe is returning with another three spectacular dishes for your consumption

    More details to follow...


    Organiser:  Dick Beddoe

Past events

10/12/2025 Rupert Holloway - South Devon Solo Kayak Part2
26/11/2025 An overview of Satellite Navigation
12/11/2025 Tom Cunliffe entertains
05/11/2025 Maintaining Singapore Sling
22/10/2025 Josh Goodwin - Submarine
15/10/2025 Travelling solo - Australia, Asia and the America's
08/10/2025 The Orkneys - Nigel Barraclough
02/04/2025 Andy Beharrell - A trip to the Antarctic
19/03/2025 Rupert - Solo Kayak trip
05/03/2025 Catch the Tide 2025
26/02/2025 Francis Chichester - Part 1
12/02/2025 Superyacht design - A talk
05/02/2025 Sailing in the Baltic
08/01/2025 "Tomorrow, the office!” - Sailing and mountaineering races of the British Isles
04/12/2024 Steve Morris - Equinox travels - 2024
20/11/2024 Yacht design - James Ainsworth
13/11/2024 Tom Cunliffe - Living Through the Gale
06/11/2024 Seatalk? NMEA? Your instruments, chart plotter and GPS. How do they talk?
30/10/2024 Philip Beale FRGS - My 15 Year Journey to Prove that the Phoenicians reached the Americas 2000 Years before Columbus
01/05/2024 Try Sailing - Information Evening for Upcoming Day Events
03/04/2024 Clipper talk
13/03/2024 CSC Film for a fiver (members)
06/03/2024 Blood on your yacht? - No more!!! - Your first aid list
21/02/2024 Catch the Tide
14/02/2024 Service your winch and the like... 30 mins of your time
07/02/2024 From Frank Spencer to Francis Chichester
31/01/2024 Sally Kettle - Atlantic rower
10/01/2024 Platforms, Pirates and Pornography - An extraordinary talk by Andy Beharrell
29/11/2023 Now two in an hour - 2023
22/11/2023 Biscay - My favourite cruising ground? - Jeremy John
08/11/2023 Tom Cunliffe at the CSC - "Why do we bother?"
31/05/2023 Meteorology Talk - Cold Fronts - re-scheduled - Register now!
12/04/2023 Marine Surveying
29/03/2023 Trinity House talk
22/03/2023 The FastNet Race - Oleg
08/03/2023 HMCG - Tom Barnett - What actually happens when I activate my EPIRB?
22/02/2023 Secrets of the Mary Rose
15/02/2023 Catch the Tide
11/01/2023 The Sailmaker's Whipping - How to prevent frayed rope ends.
18/10/2022 Tom Cunliffe at the Leatherhead Theatre
23/03/2022 Swimming a Course to Steer
09/03/2022 CANCELLED DUE TO COVID Meteorology
12/01/2022 Sails - Construction and Manufacturing
18/11/2021 An Evening with Tom Cunliffe - At the Leatherhead Theatre
10/03/2021 Inspirational cruising destinations of the world
03/03/2021 A chat with Bill
01/04/2020 A Fastnet Experience
11/03/2020 From the Land of Fire to The Land of Ice
04/03/2020 Sail design, Materials & Trim - Cancelled due to Illness - Will be rescheduled
12/02/2020 Weather Systems
05/02/2020 David Sandeman 1976 OSTAR Transatlantic Yacht Race
15/01/2020 Chinese Medicine
04/12/2019 Electronic Navigation Aids
13/11/2019 RNLI Talk & Christmas Cards Sale
06/11/2019 An Evening with Tom Cunliffe
03/04/2019 Stress Free Sailing & Navigation - Duncan Wells
27/03/2019 CSC Sailing Fundamentals - Session 2
13/03/2019 The Commodore goes to the bottom of the World
27/02/2019 North West Passage
13/02/2019 Making Sailing Pay - Ken Fifield
16/01/2019 Singapore Sling goes Scandanavian
12/12/2018 'Confessions of a Yachtmaster Examiner'
07/03/2018 Sailing Around Britain- Ken Endean
28/02/2018 The Trinity House Story- David Whitehead
17/01/2018 Singapore Sling goes to the Baltic
08/11/2017 'HW Tilman's Maritime Experience- Bob Comlay
01/11/2017 The Boats That Made Britain- Tom Cunliffe
01/03/2017 Marine Accident Investigation Board
15/02/2017 National Coastwatch Institution
11/01/2017 Scottish Adventures
23/11/2016 'Man is not Lost'- Tom Cunliffe
16/11/2016 Emergency Response and Turn to Starboard
09/11/2016 The Green Blue- Kate Fortnam
02/03/2016 'Sand, seals and surf - cruising around Norfolk to the Wash'.
24/02/2016 Operation Neptune - National Trust Coast
10/02/2016 Ropes and Knots
20/01/2016 Walking with Lions
13/01/2016 QHM at Portsmouth
16/12/2015 Frosted Earth - Clouds
18/11/2015 Racing and the North West Passage 2013
04/11/2015 The How and Why of Tides
28/10/2015 1st Cuddington (Warspite) Sea Scouts
07/10/2015 Jubilee Sailing Trust
11/02/2015 RYA Handicap System Talk
28/05/2014 Talk about the Gwennili Trust
14/01/2014 Coastwatch Talk
17/12/2013 Marine Accident Investigation Branch Talk
16/04/2013 Talk by Jubilee Sailing Trust
26/03/2013 Talk on a real life Man Over Board situation
19/03/2013 Harken and Ocean Safety Talk
05/02/2013 Talk - Farnborough Aircraft Museum
15/01/2013 Talk - Round Britain in a 17 footer
04/12/2012 Talk and presentation - Solent Sea Rescue Organisation
06/11/2012 Clipper Round the World Race by Tricia Morris
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