COMPUTER SERVICE The Association is employing a computer service for membership records. In the interests of economy this will involve changes in the format of renewal notices, membership cards, tax deduction certificates and so on. A major administrative change of this kind may inevitably have some teething troubles and we ask for the co-operation of all members in reporting to us promptly any mistakes that come to their notice.

VISIT TO NEWHAVEN On 6th May a party of 17 from the Upper Thames branch visited Newhaven life-boat station. They were met by the coxswain and crew, after which the life-boat was launched and made two trips to sea with the members on board. RALLY AT KINGSTON-ON-THAMES A successful rally was held by the Upper Thames branch at Kingston-on-Thames on 20th May. A seamanship competition was staged as part of the rally and the winner was Mr J. Morgan in his boat Eight Bells. During the afternoon a demonstration was given by the branch honorary secretary and a committee member using an inshore life-boat. The crew showed the manoeuvrability of the boat both inflated and deflated as well as taking an injured man off a cruiser. The rally finished with a buffet dance in the evening.

AUSTRALIA CALLING In enclosing a substantial donation to the Y.L.A. enjoining, Mr. Norman B. Rydge, jnr., of Sydney, Australia, who has many business associations, writes: T have been sailing all my life and in 1963-64 was the Australian Ocean Racing Champion in my yacht Lorita Maria.

In this boat I did the Fastnet Race in 1965, the Bermuda race in 1966, immediately followed by the Trans-Atlantic race from Bermuda to Copenhagen. To date, this has been the only Australian yacht which has competed in the three regularly scheduled major ocean races in the World—the Hobart Race, the Fastnet Race and the Bermuda Race.

'My activities have always centred around racing rather than cruising and so far have completed eight Hobart Races, three Fastnet, one Bermuda, one Trans-Atlantic and a host of shorter events both in Australia and England.

I have sold my last yacht, Koomooloo, on her return to Sydney in September, 1971, and currently am building a motor cruiser which I intend to take to England next year for cruising.

T am a past Commodore, Vice-Commodore and Rear-Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and was responsible for Australia's first challenge for the Admiral's Cup in 1965. Since then, I have been the chairman of all subsequent Australian Admiral's Cup committees.'.