24 Stella sailors representing 11 Stellas met at The Lightship on Friday 28th March
The boats represented were: La Vie en Rose *1, Star Shell *2, Stella Peacock *3, Persephone *6, Starfox *32, Stella Maia *58, Lodestar *64, Lyra *75, Stardust *89, Timoa *91 and Polaris *99
AGM report
Secretaries Report
The Stella on Stella racing in 2024 comprised the 3 races put on by SYH at the Classic Regatta. Friday night, Saturday and Sunday race. It was a very windy weekend, the same weekend as the RTI race, which was largely cancelled.
Three Stellas competed, Persphone, Acamar and Lodestar. They all did very well, surviving largely intact despite some spectacular gusts.
Lys of Slaughden
On 3rd September 2024, Andrew Gilmour flagged up an advert on a facebook site, Lonely Boats. The boat was not named but was clearly Lys of Slaughden, Stella* 96
They were asking £100, as apparently, she had been advertised for two years with no takers and the marina fees in Southsea Marina were such that the owner was considering scrapping her.
Andrew and I both contacted the owner. On 12th sept the then owner, Chris Dewdney, agreed to let her go to The Stella Association for £100.
Serge and I took advantage of a few days of Southerlies at the end of September to sail her from Southsea to SYH. Once at SYH, Jonathan took over and advertised her locally, and has successfully found a new owner Ed Harvey, who runs East Anglian Sailing School. I wanted to sail her back rather than use a trailer, partly because I don’t have a trailer! But really because I felt that it would prove that Lys was a live boat rather than a project and hopefully avoid her sitting ashore potentially drying out and deteriorating. There was an element of chance, but I knew that when she left the East Coast, in 2018, she was in really exceptionally good condition, having been looked after by John Sparks for 30 years, all documented in the Stella Manual which can be found on the website. We had a fantastic trip, which was briefly written up on the Stella facebook page at the time, with some photos. It was spectacularly wet at times, with rollers coming over from France and splashing aboard. We found a baby crab in Serge’s shoe one morning!
Proceeds
Proceeds from the sale of Lys have been used to buy covers to protect the various rescued Stellas being stored at SYH. Also to have the Stella website professionally re-vamped.
West Buxey Trophy
Helen and Mark Montgomery-Smith took great pleasure in presenting the West Buxey Trophy to each other.
Racing Programme 2025
The SYH Classic Regatta will be in the programme. 20th to 22nd June
There was a lot of encouragement for Aldeburgh Week to be on the programme.
There is interest from Acamar, Star Shell is hoping to make a debut there, Polaris likewise. It was said that 6 Stellas might attend. We put it on the Calender. 17th to 22nd Aug TBC I got those dates from Aldeburgh YC website
Cruising Programme 2025
The most popular ideas were a visit to Walton Pond, and Aldeburgh
Discussion to be continued!
Bruce and Claire Johnson told us some of their plans for cruising the west coast of Scotland. Which sounds fantastic. Looking forward to some photos.
Talk on the Proposed New Web Site
Andrew Gilmore demonstrated the new website, not yet live at that point, on a tv screen. It already looks much fresher and more up to date. It includes all the photos that Andrew got digitalised last year.

AOB
Andrew and Jonathan had a go at counting the number of Stellas that have been rescued over the last three years and came to Ten boats. Although they are not all in sailing condition yet!
There was some talk of other Stellas that have been seen languishing around the country.
Claire Scott and her team, with Peter the chef, made us really welcome.
Claire made a point of thanking us for using The Lightship as the base for the Stella AGM, but really it is us who thank them for making us so welcome.
Mark and Helen, Lodestar, *64