Page 76 - Mercian Eagle 2013

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C Coy Exercise Dummersee Lake – to the British Forces Dummersee Sailing Training Centre 22–28 April 13 by Lt Christopher Bermingham
During April 13 C Coy took a group of 38 to the British Forces Dummersee Sailing Training Centre (BFDSTC) for a week of challenging and physically demanding activities. The activities were split into two, with half the group doing the water based sports and half doing the non water based sports. The water based
great and we couldn’t have asked for more. It had all the equipment and instructors required. It had its own kitchen with chefs and a dining room, a leisure room with a pool table, table tennis and table football.
It had a large flat screen TV with Sky and
people’s choice. On the Thursday evening after a long hard week there was a smoker. It started with a boat ride around the lake and as we got off the boat we were served a bbq on the terrace. After food the music and refreshments began.
The week was a major success with a
lot of fun and good training. Some had to overcome discomforts of heights and water, Pte Hilliard, who wasn’t the keenest when it comes to water, ended up just missing out on the overall best water based participant and won the overall best improved whilst others found new talents that they didn’t know they had, including Pte Brooks who won the best water based participant for his skill with the dinghy sail boat. Everyone took something away from the week with the majority gaining a water based qualification and for those that didn’t quite complete
the course they had their log book so they could start again where they left off. The week also gained 3 Mercian a year’s annual membership to BFDSTC, so if you fancy taking up a water sport or you just want to get away to some lake side accommodation for the weekend give them a call.
sports were; dinghy
sailing (a one man
crew), windsurfing and
canoeing (instructed
by Sgt Murray). The
non water based
sports were; cycling,
hill walking and rock
climbing (instructed by
Capt Coutts). The week worked with a half week rotation swapping from a water based sport to a non water based sport and vice versa. Some may say this was done so
that everyone could have a go at the water based sports, others could say it was done to make sure no one escaped not having done a water based sport, how ever much they argued that God gave them two feet and not a fin for a reason. The centre was
small bar with a sound system. Outside it had a small beach with a volley ball court close by and the local football pitches were five minutes walk away.
The morning would start with equipment checks, classroom lessons and then hands
on teaching with the afternoon being used to put into practice the mornings training with tweaking by the instructor. After a day’s lessons and activities it was time to have food and relax. The evenings would start with some sports either beach volleyball or football, after getting back and washing it was over to the individual to do what they wanted. It was a week full of European and English football finals so that was most
a DVD player and a
After a day’s lessons and activities it was time to have food and relax.
C Coy Sail outing
THE MERCIAN EAGLE