Sailing club prepares for Easter re-launch!

The sailing club committee met last week to discuss our own roadmap for coming out of lockdown and returning to club activites both on and off the water.

We have continued to follow guidance from both the Government and the Royal Yachting Association throughout. And now, due to the fall in the number of COVID infections and the ongoing rollout of the national vaccination programme, we anticipate being able to slowly return to organised club activities over the next few months.

We will still have to comply with some COVID-related restrictions and we also acknowledge that some people may be cautious about returning to the club. However, we are equally aware that others are desperate to get back out on the water. So we are currently undertaking a risk assessment to ensure that we can return to using the water and facilities safely and will need to continue with some restrictions on use of the club facilities for the time being. You are strongly advised to read the current RYA guidance for the very latest updates.

However, with all that in mind, we are delighted to announce that organised activities, with rescue boat cover, will re-commence on Easter Sunday 4th April and initially run through until Sunday 27th June. There will be two pursuit races on Sunday afternoons at 2pm and 3.45pm. Other races and recreational sailing may be arranged by members on the day .

We are putting together a revised duty roster to cover this period and the committee will meet again during May to decide what we can do next.

Club members wishing to sail or use the water at other times (for example Wednesday evenings) must, in compliance with our club rules, arrange their own safety cover.

The clubhouse will need to remain closed until mid-May but the toilets will be available. Until April 12th, the showers and changing rooms will also not be available except for emergency use or for disabled persons. So members are advised to come to the club "ready to sail" for now.

Further, we hope that training can begin again during April and that a 3-day junior training course can be provided during May. We will provide further details in due course.

If you do come to the club, please make sure you observe the COVID restrictions, which will be posted outside the clubhouse and the rescue boat sheds, and this includes a compulsory signing-on sheet for all water users, whether racing or recreational.

However, at last we can look forward to the summer and to going sailing again.

Bob Suggitt (Commodore)
Richard Seal (Honorary Secretary)

on behalf of the Sailing Club Committee