It is lots of fun running the Association.  We need volunteers to fill roles and support the General Committee.

If you would like to find out more, please email the Commodore

commodore@moodyowners.org

If you have a specialist skill, for example public relations, why not offer us a little of your expertise?

It is lots of fun and you make friends.

Following our successful AGM weekend in Belfast, I have very recently taken on the role of MOA Commodore. Huge thanks to my immediate predecessor Roger Coppock for his leadership over the past two years. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible during my period at the helm of our association.

 As our Membership Registrar reported at the AGM, the Association is in great shape with over 2,200 members across the globe. There are, though, still other Moody owners who are not members. So please check your online Membership Handbook when you are out and see another yacht. If it is not listed, have a chat with the crew and see if you can recruit them. At worst you may have a good discussion or make a new sailing acquaintance.

The Handbook, it is now available (members only) online at

www.moodyowners.info/resources/members-handbook-2023.1737/.

 We had an excellent AGM in Belfast in February.  My thanks to our colleagues in the Ireland Chapter for agreeing to host an interesting and very enjoyable event in a great location. I would like to welcome Frank Lloyd-Murray onto the Executive Committee as our new Honorary Secretary.

 You will have noticed that your renewal notice for both last year and this year asked you to use direct debit in future for making your subscription payments. This method saves us considerable time and money in collecting subscriptions, particularly if they are increased, as they have been this year. While we recognise that this is not possible for our overseas members, we now ask all UK members to pay by direct debit and cancel their existing standing orders. New UK members will only be able pay by this method.

 Neil Eccles, our long time Website Editor sadly passed away in October last year.  We decided to retire the Website Editor role and instead created a website team consisting of David Longhurst, Matt Stibbs and Dan Withey. I am enormously grateful for all the work they put in to managing and maintaining the site which is absolutely at the heart of the value the association provides to a very large number of our members.

 Our previous Hon. Secretary, Chris Allcock, retired last year after 4 years in the role.  I would like to wish both Chris and Roger Coppock the very best for the future and thank them for the unstinting work they have done to support the MOA over many years.

 Without members like this, the MOA would be unable to function.  We still need an Advertising Manager to help minimise the cost of subsidising production and distribution of our outstanding magazine, Compass.

 Compass is a superb publication envied by other yachting associations. To keep it like this Ruth, our Editor, needs copy.  I know it can be daunting to write something for publication, but the editorial team can help, but only if they have something to work with. You all have experiences on your Moodys, good, bad, exciting, frightening, enlightening. Share them with the rest of us so we can learn, marvel and enjoy what you have done.

 Paul Woodward

Commodore