June 2021

Here’s this month’s update from the RYA London and South East team.

With the lockdown easing things are moving quickly and these monthly blogs may be out of date before the month is through, so please, if you don’t already, follow us on Facebook or Twitter

Steve Mitchell, Regional Development Officer, writes:

May has been another exciting month reaching step three of the government road map and the easing of restrictions.  We’re certainly not over the pandemic but as I watch a great many clubs emerge from the winter faced with having to track a variety of Government guide lines it is ‘hats-off’ to all the continued hard work being carried out by the club volunteers, and in some cases paid staff, who continue to maintain a check on the rules to keep us safe when we travel to our clubs.

Guidance can be found in the RYA’s Road Map to reopening and the recently updated FaQs

 Our latest weekly Club Zone videos with suggestions and guidance for clubs, and much more information are posted on our Facebook and Twitter pages, links above.

Affiliated Clubs Conference

We are now starting to plan the content for both the Affiliated Clubs Conference and Club Development Sessions programme and we would really value your help with ideas for how we ensure these events remain useful and relevant to clubs. This is your opportunity to feed in the ideas that you have always wanted to learn more about so that you can improve the offering your club gives to its members or potential members.

There is no such thing as a bad idea at this stage, together we will find the information and ideas that you are looking for. Let us know what you think!

New Racing Rules of Sailing talks

For many clubs the racing rules are a hot topic. Our resident rules advisor Chris Simon has been doing a great job at supporting clubs with talks and courses, offered on line or in person when allowed, the only cost being travel expenses when Chris attends clubs. There’s more information here.

From the Chair

Regional Team Chair Helen Hofmann writes:

Despite a cold and sometimes windy start to the new season, sailors are starting to venture out on the water, with clubs and centres beginning to offer training and racing opportunities. With the further easing of restrictions, indoor hospitality will be possible with increased socialising among club members. The RYA Discover and Rediscover Sailing programmes will make their start, and offer a chance for clubs and centres to publicise locally.

Watersports will continue to play a big part in helping with wellbeing and mental health, as we all cautiously attempt to return to a greater sense of normality.

Share your experience

Please do share your club/centre’s experiences with us: how are you starting boating again, what are your challenges, what are your solutions? 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 for the RYA web site and to share with your local media. Other clubs may benefit from your experience. Please send them to Mike Haigh