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London and South East blog May 2020

Here�s this month�s update from the RYA London and South East team. Please keep up to date with all the latest news by following us on�Facebook�and�Twitter, and visit our�regional website�

Steve Mitchell, Regional Development Officer, writes:

I hope you are all keep busy during this stay at home period which for myself has included the opportunity to master the Virtual Regatta sailing app. Looking at the number of LSE clubs who either signed up to the App via the RYA promotion, or have paid the small subscription fee, the concept of moving club racing online is growing in popularity, enabling clubs to run a sailing league while also providing the all-important online social activities.

For those clubs who are hosting a club championship competition with the intention of entering the regional championships please remember that your result must be returned by Sunday 3 May to secure your slot at the LSE regional championship. Once we have the club details submitted I will be hosting a round of qualifying races before the regional final which will all take place qualifiers on 13 May and finals 15 May.

More on e-sailing and Virtual Regatta can be found here New material is being added to these web pages on a daily basis. Some of this is specific to club committees, but there is much of it that your members will enjoy, so please bookmark the pages and share them as widely as possible with your committee and your membership. We are also posting about them on our Facebook and Twitter feeds � feel free to share these on your own social media.

#SailFromHome

While we are unable to get out on the water, you can still get your sailing fix with #SailFromHome There is something for everyone including expert advice from boat maintenance and cruising to coaching sessions on Virtual Regatta to racing rules webinars.

  • For racing sailors Motivation Mondays and Knowledge Thursdays
  • For juniors and OnBoard sailors #SailSmart sessions on Wednesdays and #KnotOnTheWater on Thursdays
  • For clubs Marketing Mondays, #FundingFriday
  • All things #esailing on Saturdays

Visit #SailFromHome for more information, scroll to the bottom of the link for a full schedule.

Financial support for affiliated clubs and recognised training centres

The RYA is asking every club to�complete a survey�that has been designed to help you identify some of the help and support currently available. This information will help us to target the most-needed support and guidance and influence major stakeholders including the UK Government, so it�s really important that you fill it in and share your experiences and needs at this crucial time. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Steve Mitchell

The RYA�financial planning club guidance�includes advice on reviewing income and expenditure, how to utilise savings, plus ideas to help generate revenue. You can also access an interactive�COVID-19 Financial Toolkit�which has been created to support your work on emergency planning and budgeting processes.

Other information is available at this link including:

Online Club Development Forums

We are organising a series of weekly Club Development Forums using software that creates online meeting spaces, so that together we can discuss the most pressing issues that arise. These forums will allow us all to stay in touch and learn from each other. They will last for approximately an hour and will be at 2pm on Thursdays, May 7, 14 and 21. The first one on 7 May will focus on�how you can stay engaged with your members. We will be sending out sign-in details very shortly and hope you will join us.

Racing rules webinars

This is a series of free webinars for racing sailors and aspiring race officials to introduce and explain the racing rules of sailing. Whether you are your club�s rules expert, a squad sailor or just want to know a bit more, the six-week�series will guide you through the racing rules to give you the best advantage on the race course. 8 pm every Wednesday for 6 weeks from April 29. Find out more and sign up

Panerai Challenger Trophy

The�Panerai�Challenger Trophy recognises outstanding individuals who have embraced the power of sailing or windsurfing to achieve a personal triumph that inspires us all and to recognise and reward the OnBoard clubs or centres which have made this possible.�There�s a first prize of up to �10000 for the nominating OnBoard venue and up to �5000 for the nominated person. Nominations close May 15. More info and nominate here

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme up and running

The government�s scheme sees businesses able to claim up to �2,500 a month towards staff wages. Employers can now apply for direct cash grants through HMRC�s new online portal � with the money expected to land in their bank accounts within six working days. So if your club or centre has employees then please take a look

Visit our hub for Coronavirus news and guidance.

This hosts advice including:

The �Future of Sailing� webinar series with can be viewed�here. Lots of help and ideas for clubs once we�re virus free.

Share your experience

Please do to share your club/centres experiences with us � have you received funding, how are you keeping members engaged, what are your challenges?

These could be anything from a two or three lines we can share on social media to short case studies, say three of four paragraphs, and good news stories to share with the local media; journalists are looking for positive stories away from coronavirus. Please send to Mike Haigh

From the Chair

Regional Team Chair Helen Hofmann writes: The Great Lockdown is making us batten down the hatches to weather the Covid-19 storm. Many of us are busying ourselves below decks, but wondering what it will be like when the storm is weathered. Will our clubs and centres still be ship-shape?

While many club communities are busy online supporting each other, others including centres may be struggling and wondering how we will eventually emerge. The RYA is lobbying heavily on behalf of the boating community, so do contact RYA HQ if you have any particular need for help or advice.

The RYA website also holds a wealth of information to help at this difficult time including info on how to access funding sources. While we wait for the lockdown to ease, now is also the time to plan ahead and work out how club/centre sailing can be managed if social distancing is to remain for a while.�

Association of Thames Yacht Clubs (ATYC)

Here�s the latest ATYC newsletter

And finally�..

Please do follow our region�s Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates and ideas. If you have any info or posts they would like to suggest or share, please contact Mike Haigh

Wishing you all the very best in these unusual times.