The official opening of the Cruising Association’s new library brought Britain’s most famous yachtsman together with some of CA’s most esteemed and respected servants – to recognise their hard work and look forward to the future for the century-old establishment.

From the start of the CA in 1908, the library was stocked by its members thanks to the rule that all new members had to donate a book.

Then 10 years ago, when a move from St Katherine’s Dock to Limehouse Basin was proposed, the CA sold just 300 of its 10,000 volumes and raised approximately £1m – enough to pay for most of the new building.

Now the world-famous library has been moved to the first floor and renamed ‘Information centre’, since it contains as much electronic information as it does books, and at the official ceremony, three long-standing members were recognised and awarded with engraved glass trophies as a token of the Association’s appreciation of their work.

Tony Brett-Jones C.B.E.
Tony trained as a navigator in the RAF but was a late convert to sailing, buying his first boat at the age of 49. He made up for this by joining the Cruising Association 37 years ago, cruising extensively in NW Europe, and developing a particular fondness for the Western Isles of Scotland. He has an eye for detail and accuracy which is unsurpassed. He took over as Honorary Editor of the CA Handbook in time to prepare an entirely new edition in 1990 and went on to edit four editions of the Handbook and two editions of the CA Almanac. Tony was a Vice-President of the Association from 1985 to 1988, and President from 1994 to 1997. He was appointed as an Honorary member in 2007.

Dr. Ray Glaister
Ray has been an active member of the Association for 25 years, as a member of the Cruising Committee and the Library Committee, and also a member of Council. In 2000, he joined the Millennium Rally in St. Petersburg and led a flotilla of CA boats to Lake Onega, and on to the White Sea and Murmansk. He then rounded the North Cape, returning down the west coast of Norway. That was no mean feat in a 32ft motor-sailer. Ray made a major contribution to the CA by establishing and developing the first Association website, and becoming the first webmaster. He pioneered this work and laid the foundations for the website as we know it today. He is currently the Honorary Librarian, so it was particularly appropriate that he was able to receive this award on the day the new Information Centre was officially opened.

Ted Osborn
Ted has served the Association in many capacities during the last 27 years. He was once the Honorary Computer Officer, at a time when office computers were just being introduced. He was also a member of Council, and Vice-President from 1998 to 2001. In all three of those years, the CA made a surplus! He is perhaps better known for the work he has more recently done for the Regulations and Technical Services Group, for representing the Association in discussions with Government and other regulatory bodies, and for his many articles in CRUISING.