The event will officially start at 1200 on Saturday at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. A few people have already indicated that they will be staying down on Friday night and starting festivities in advance on Saturday morning. The outline schedule for the two days is shown below.

Saturday 11th	1200	Meet for lunch and a catch up at the (free to enter) Mary Rose Café (click the link for details), PO1 3PY. The cafe is accessible without Dockard tickets.
	1300	Set off to explore Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. We will suggest 3-4 core activities from the 11 available – Perhaps starting at the (free to enter)  Boathouse 4 boatbuilding exhibition, the Mary Rose and HMS Victory.
	1830	Meet in the bar Still and West pub, which is on the water’s edge, with a great view.
	1900	Group dinner in the Still and West Pub – Vanguard Room.
Sunday 12th	AM	Set off to continue exploring Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
	1430	AGM at The Royal Maritime Hotel, PO1 3HS, followed by prize giving
		Depart as required

The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard comprises the following exhibits (read more at https://historicdockyard.co.uk):

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard offer a range of ticket options. These are summarised below and can be seen here. ( Note that there are discounts for many groups including Armed Forces Veterans, Museums Association members, but these are available only at one of the Visitor Centres, not online.)

• ULTIMATE EXPLORER – unlimited, 12 months access to all eleven attractions above
  • £44 (£43 for seniors) booked in advance, £49 (£48) on the day
• THREE ATTRACTION – 12 months access to three chosed attractions
  • £44 (£43 for seniors) regardless of when booked
• ONE ATTRACTION
  • £34 (£33 for seniors) regardless of when booked

There are also Group discounts are available, but are only valid for one day. Ultimate Explorer tickets cost £36 pp for a group of 12+. The group leader gets free entry. This might suit some who only have one day. Please let Richard know if you want to join a one-day group and for which day. 

If you live in PO or SO postcodes, you get a 30% discount on your ticket if bought before the 11th February, but you have to prove your address. More details here: https://historicdockyard.co.uk/

During Saturday lunch we will decide on 3-4 core attractions depending on the weather. If it’s blowing a gale and raining heavily, the waterbus will cancel so there will be no access to the Museum of Naval Firepower and Submarine Museum. 

Please book your own accommodation according to your own requirements. Below are some possible places to stay. Please be aware that investigations through sites such as Booking.com demonstrates increased interest which can drive up the prices due to their pricing algorithms.

A group of the Committee are staying at The Royal Maritime Hotel, Queen Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3HS.  This is where the AGM will be held on Sunday. The hotel is half a mile from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with private parking and breakfast included in the room rate.  They have offered rooms at special prices for the AOA, and are providing a room free of charge for the AGM on Sunday.  When you call mention the AOA and Richard James to get the discounts. Please don’t delay booking as room occupancy is already high.

Further details can seen at the Royal Maritime Hotel website.

There are also many Ibis, Holiday Inns, Travelodges, Premier Inns and Guest Houses to choose from, some of which have off street parking and some also provide breakfast for additional payments. Generally the closer accommodation is to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the more expensive it is. Examples include:

• Lady Hamilton Pub – around £50 per adult per night plus breakfast extra.
• A flat in city centre via AirBnB – £40 upwards per night for 1 adult. 
• Holiday Inn at Gunwharf Quay, rates include breakfast and parking.

The dinner on Saturday night will be at the Still & West pub, Bath Square, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2JL.  We have booked the table for 7pm and we will select from the menu on the night. Many of us will meet before that for a drink. 

Please tell us how many places you need for dinner so that we can make sure we have enough!

The AGM will be held in The Royal Maritime Hotel, half a mile from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with private parking. 

The AGM will include the usual Officer reports and appointment of Officers. Please use this form for Officer Nominations and suggested Agenda Items.

The main topic for discussion will be ideas about changes to AOA activities to strengthen it for the coming years and protect the remaining boats. These topics have been outlined in the 2023-24 Annual Bulletin and ideas will be circulated before the AGM to promote the discussion. We would like to grow the number of boats in use and attract new owners. The AOA also need funds to actively help owners sail and maintain their boats. To achieve these requirements we must ‘spread the word’ that Atalantas exist, why they are great boats to own and sail, that we can help buy and maintain one and how people can support our work. Currently, the AOA is focused mainly on talking to existing members, with some public exposure through the AOA website and to a small extent the boating press. We are proposing to strenghthen our communication to the wider boating public through social media and the press.

Return Form – please complete the simple online form below, or email sec@atalantaowners.org directly. (You can use the form in the PDF download of these details and email or post it to Richard.)