Member Login

5 Minutes in the Bar

 
Bob Alexander initiated "5 minutes at the bar" in 2019 to find out what brings people to our fleet, what makes them tick, and what are their likes and dislikes – the fleet’s answer to Desert Island Discs if you will.  We are re-launching this initiative as a great way for members new and old to get to know each other better.  Bob will still be out with his pen but we also want to start a chain reaction – with interviewees becoming interviewers so that we can collect stories and pictures of the whole fleet as quickly as possible.  Bob has provided the following guidance to help in conducting interviews:
  • The questions asked in the past provide an excellent start point but feel free to modify
  • The interviews generally do not take part at the bar, distributing questions by email is easier
  • Questions should be linked to sailing and the Club.  Avoid personal questions about family, politics or religion, or any other contentious issues
  • You’ll need to get a picture of your subject (ideally at the bar)
  • Be careful not to included anything that may embarrass or offend at any time in the future

September 11, 2024

5 minutes in the bar... with John Lyons

John is a relatively new member of the fleet - sailing with fellow ILCA sailor Roberta in 4016 - but is having a big impact as he is extending the skills he has brought to the ILCA website to enhance our website.  He also has some amazing sailing stories to tell which are hinted at in a very understated way in what he had to say to Mervyn...

September 11, 2024

5 minutes in the bar... with Fi Linford

Fi is the principal member of the race management team that allows us to race on Wednesday afternoons through the year and on Saturdays in the Autumn when we have the harbour to ourselves.  Fi and the rest of the race management team are key members of the fleet so we'll be grabbing all of them for 5 minutes in the bar interviews.  This is what Fi had to say to Mervyn...

September 07, 2024

5 minutes in the bar... with Edith Fernandez

Edith, together with husband Tim, is the newest member of the fleet, sailing the newest boat HKG 4119.  As their sail number suggests, they moved to Parkstone from Hong Kong (in 2024) but they are already very well established in the fleet and there can’t be many members of the fleet who don’t know Edith by now.  Nonetheless, Mervyn thought it would be interesting to learn a little more by subjecting Edith to the ‘5 minutes’ grilling.  This is what she had to say…

September 07, 2024

5 minutes in the bar... with Simon Flack

Simon is relatively new to the fleet (joining last year with Andy Currell in 4054) but his certainly not new to the club.  As you will learn, Simon sailed an AB at the club 20 years ago (as an adult – not a child) and is a key member of both the General Council and Sailing Committee.  Simon was John Keates’ first ‘5 minutes’ interviewee and John brought in some tried and tested questions from BBC Radio 4’s “Desert Island Discs” to learn more about him…

September 07, 2024

5 minutes in the bar... with Richard Ledger

Richard must have one of the most frequent turnout records in the fleet since he moved to Parkstone in 2018.  He has provided us with many high quality (and highly entertaining) photos and videos of our sailing action in the last few years and was the instigator of the fleet Virtual Regatta series which kept the many of the fleet in touch during the Covid lockdown.  Mervyn wanted to interview him early in the ‘5 minutes’ reboot as a past recipient of the Captain’s Trophy for his contribution to the fleet.  This is what he had to say…

September 07, 2024

5 minutes in the bar... with Bob Alexander

Bob is the fleet’s answer to Roy Plomley, having introduced the ‘5 minutes in the bar’ series in 2019.  He (with Huw) sails the oldest boat in the fleet but is more often than not at the front when crossing the finish line (most recently winning Poole Week 2024).  Mervyn wanted to turn the tables on Bob when the ‘5 minutes’ series was rebooted and this is what Bob had to say (which goes some way to explaining why he is such a successful sailor)…