Presidents Dit.

Report by the Area President Commodore Paul Sutermeister

RNA Club Sunderland 7th June 2008.

Chairman and Shipomates good afternoon.Since the AGM at York in March,which I was unable to attend,I have little to report.

I was invited to the AGM of the Yorkshire Branch of the Fleet Air Arm Association which was held at the New Headingly Club in Leeds.The Lord Mayor of Leeds,had asked to be involved and was due to attend but cried off sick at the last minute,which was a pity as it was a business like and enjoyable event.Thank you from Sue and me.

I attended a reception onboard HMS IRON DUKE,Hulls affiliated ship,in Hull in April.She had just finished Work Up and had coma out with a VSAT which for FOST is a very good result.This was refreshing to hear as I gather the RN have not been performing as well as some of the foreign navies at FOST.May be that is why Prince William is joining her.

As ever, ship visits are few and far between and with the size of the fleet and our committments,I do not see this getting any better.I was in Portsmouth two weeks ago and there up in Fareham Creek were NEWCASTLE,GLASGOW AND CARDIFF,looking very sad and shabby,INTREPID looking worse and RAME HEAD really looking quite trim,the SBS use her for training.Very few ships were alongside apart from a few Chileans which were our old or not so old type 23's.For those of you who have not been to Portsmouth recently, the former HMS VERNON is almost unbelievable.

The new carrier project continues to roll on and the prospects are promising,however as I have said before,they are not as far advanced as CVO1 AND O2 were in the 60's when theyn were cancelled. Admiral McAnally,our President,has produced some excellent articles on the carriers,
one as a letter to the Sunday Times which was
reproduced in last month's RNA Circular,both of
which are well worth reading.

The Admiral has suggested that it would be a good idea if the Presidents and Chairman of the
RNA Area's meet up on occasions to get to know each other and to discuss future plans.To this end he has arranged a meeting at the Royal Hospital Chelsea,at the beginning of July and at
which the First Sea Lord has agreed to address us.Your Chairman and I are planning to attend.

That Mr Chairman concludes my report,Thank you.