The Association

Formation

In 1990, Victoria Marine sent out a questionnaire to 223 possible members of a 'Victoria Boat Owners Association'. On the 4th December 1990, a further letter was sent to the same people with the results of the survey and this letter is the oldest surviving document in our records.

Over 100 owners had taken part in the survey and some of the results have helped to shape the association we have today. Examples are: Several requested an 'Owners List' which forms the basis of our Handbook; 88% were in favour of a combined AGM and Dinner to be held in London, which has become our Annual Luncheon and General Meeting at the Corinthian Sailing Club in Hammersmith; 94% in favour of 'Cruising Events' that have became our rallies; several responses requested an 'Owners Manual' and that was the beginning of our Technical Manuals.

The response was sufficiently encouraging that potential members were asked to sign up, and pay up, at the London Boat Show in 1991. The annual subscription was initially set at £25 p.a!

The Inaugural Meeting was held on the 10th March 1991 at the Warsash Sailing Club. 41 members were in attendance out of 73, who had paid their subscriptions. Peter Gregory took the Chair temporarily to welcome everyone before handing over to Olive Hathaway, who took the Chair with the agreement of all members attending.

The following elections were made unanimously:
Mr Roger Thorpe, owner of Victoria 34, 'C.C. Venturer' was elected as Joint Chairman;
Mr Geoff Tarr, owner of Shadow 26, 'Tschiffeley's Shadow' was elected as Joint Chairman;
Mrs Olive Hathaway, owner of Victoria 26, 'Shikara' was elected as Honorary Secretary;
Mr John Cade, owner of Victoria 34, 'Natterjack' was elected as Honorary Treasurer.

Aims

The aims of the Association are:

To establish a permanent link of friendship and to promote mutual benefit amongst all owners of Victoria yachts and Shadow motor yachts and any other craft built by Victoria Marine or its successors.
To hold meetings to permit the proper functioning of the Association and to produce periodical publications for exchange of information.
To encourage the exchange of ideas and information by and between owners concerning the building, fitting out, modification and performance of our boats and the current activities of the members of the Association.
To encourage yacht sailing and motor yachting by amateurs, to promote the holding of rallies and regattas and the giving of prizes and to organise such other activities as the Association may determine.

Constitution

The Association operated under a set of rules for many years. In November 2004, the Committee decided to embark on a revision of these rules. This revision was very thorough with the majority of the work being undertaken by Barrie Marson but with the whole Committee being actively involved.

To emphasis the extent of the changes and the aims of the document, the name was changed from 'Rules' to the 'Constitution of The Victoria Shadow Association'. The new constitution was approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting on the 18th November 2007.

The Committee

The Committee consists of the Officers and up to two other Members.

Committee Members are elected by Members at a General Meeting to serve for one year only or until the next Annual General Meeting, when they retire, but may offer themselves for re-election.

The Committee may appoint a Member to fill a vacancy for a Committee Member during the course of a year to serve until the next Annual General Meeting.

Three Committee Members constitute a quorum.

Current Officers of the Association

Chairman (Yachts) JON SPENCER MBE - T: 01489 581622, E: jon.fairwinds@btinternet.com Jon started sailing in the 1960s at Snettisham Beach Sailing Club in North West Norfolk, in a National, before joining the Royal Marines in 1967. Jon’s service lasted for 31 years during which time he sailed numerous boats from the Bosun dinghy to various keel boats including the Corps’ Contessa 38 “Per Mare”. He served on the Central Committee of the Royal Naval Sailing Association, was the Vice Commodore of the Royal Marines Sailing Club, and qualified as an RYA Coastal Skipper. He was awarded the MBE following military operations in Northern Iraq. His first job on retirement was as the Secretary of Sea View Yacht Club where he served for four years, followed by four as a civil servant with the Ministry of Defence, until taking up an appointment with Costain, currently as their Group Training Manger. Jon, and his wife Lynda, sail their Victoria 34 Pilot House "Albertine" and use her extensively, in the Solent, for race management duties with Warsash Sailing Club, where he was Rear Commodore Sailing, and keep her moored in the River Hamble. He is a RYA Regional Race Officer. Their cruising areas include the South Coast, the West Country, Normandy and Brittany. Jon remains a member of the RNSA, the RMSC, and Sea View Yacht Club. Jon and Lynda have three sons and five grandchildren all of whom enjoy the sea. Previous holders of the Office of Chairman (Yachts): Roger Thorpe (10th March 1991 to 27th October 1991), Ted Moss (27th October 1991 to 17th May 2003), Brian Smith (17th May 2003 to 31st December 2008), Anne Grubb (2009 to 2011)
Chairman (Motor-Boats) JOHN WALKER - T: 01189 782317, E: johntwalker@talktalk.net John developed an interest in boating whilst a schoolboy on the Isle of Wight and sailed dinghies off Ventnor for a couple of years. He then hired yachts on the Norfolk Broads with groups of friends on holidays, before going to work in London. In later years, on moving to Berkshire, he 'found' the river Thames and owned several small motor cruisers, buying the current Shadow 26 'Heavenly Daze' in the year 2000. After meeting Dave Probert, then Chairman (Motor Boats), he joined the Victoria Shadow Association and has been an active member over the past few years, attending all Shadow Rallies. As the position of Chairman (Motor Boats) had been vacant for a couple of years, he agreed at the recent AGM to offer his services. Previous holders of the Office of Chairman (Motor-Boats): Geoff Tarr (10th March 1991 to 31st October 1993), Dave Probert (31st October 1993 to 16th November 2008)
Honorary Secretary PETER COSKER - T: 01444 414162, E: peter.cosker@rya-online.net or info@victoriashadow.co.uk Peter is a self taught yachtsman after buying his first yacht, a Beneteau First 26 when he was in his mid-thirties. He eventually decided this was too much of a lightweight affair and ordered a Frances 26 cutter in 1993, which he has sailed ever since. Not only is he a self taught yachtsman but he is also a self taught Website Editor with no qualifications in that field either! Peter started the present website in 2003 when he was serving as Honorary Secretary. Previous holders of the Office of Honorary Secretary: Olive Hathaway (10th March 1991 to 16th November 2003)
Honorary Treasurer JOHN CADE - T: 01707 323619, E: ahoy@cadeho.eclipse.co.uk John has been a member of the Association since it was founded when he was acting Treasurer before being appointed Honorary Treasurer at the first Annual General Meeting on the 10th March 1991; a post he has held ever since! John once owned a Victoria 34, "Natterjack" but now sails a Morris Yachts Victoria 34, "Cadenza", which is based at the Swanwick Marina on the River Hamble.
Journal Editor PETER ALLEN - T: 01268 753630, E: allenpeterj@btinternet.com Whilst at school I sailed dinghies on a local sand pit before crewing racing dinghies on the Blackwater and crewing on the Crouch. As I have always had a fascination with maps and charts I quickly graduated to cruising. I have owned a number of dinghies and small cruisers. Prior to having my Victoria 800 built in 1996 I owned a Bangor S class double ender for more than 20 years. I am an RYA Yachtmaster and have cruised between the Isles of Scilly and Holland although my main cruising area remains the Thames Estuary and the East Coast.
Website Editor BEVERLEY DEWATH - T: 07799 113505, E: bev@topsail.co.uk or web@victoriashadow.co.uk Bev and her partner, Rob, joined the Association in February 2010. They have owned various boats on the Norfolk Broads (including a 23ft steel narrowboat named "James"!) and they now own a Victoria 30, "Victoria", currently kept at Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex. The Office of Website Editor was created at the Annual General Meeting in 2007. Previous holders of the Office of Website Editor: Peter Cosker (2007 to 5th February 2011)
East Coast Regional Organiser ANNE GRUBB - T: 01480 472524, E: anne.grubb1@ntlworld.com Those of you on the East coast are familiar with my boat, Louise, a Frances 26, which I generally sail single handed. Sailing has been a large part of my life for the last forty years, first racing a GP14 dinghy and then a Flying Fifteen at Grafham Water Sailing Club, before moving into cruisers and becoming a RYA Yachtmaster. I bought Louise in 1997 and have enjoyed some great sailing with her, taking her to the Netherlands, France and the South West of England. I am based at Brightlingsea now and sail mainly on the East coast. (Editorial note: Anne would like you to know she has now sold 'Louise' but her interest in sailing and Victoria Yachts remains.)
South Coast Regional Organiser JOHN TYER - T: 02380 843733, E: jttyer2000@yahoo.co.uk