RDO Blog July 2021

Hi everyone,

As we continue through the season, it’s been brilliant to see so much activity on the water in the East Region – and I’ve really enjoyed getting out and about visiting Clubs.

There are a few updates this month:

Club Membership Census

As you will hopefully be aware, the Club Membership Census is now live, and it will be important this year to see how the club data compares with the challenges of last year. Lots of clubs are reporting membership growth, which is extremely positive, and we thank you all for your efforts in getting activity back up and running. Where possible, please complete the Census at the same time as last year, or before 12 August latest. This really does provide a valuable insight into what is happening in clubs and enables us to shape support over the winter. We will feed back the insight gained on an individual club basis and at the Affiliated Club Conference in the Autumn.

Regional Senior Instructor Course

By the time you see this blog the Regional Senior Dinghy Instructor course will have just finished, and it’s fantastic to see eleven candidates from eleven different clubs and training centres completing the regional course, enabling them to go back to their venues ready to support instructors and volunteers with developing activity. If you are an experienced instructor and would like to learn more about becoming a Senior Instructor please get in touch - we will plan another course in the autumn if there is demand.

RYA Affiliated Club Conference 

The RYA East Affiliated Club Conference will be back in person on Saturday 27 November at the Royal Hospital School. Many thanks to all those who have responded to requests for content ideas, we’re aiming to make the day slightly shorter and more interactive - please save the date and we’ll keep you posted with updates over the coming weeks and months.

RYA British Youth Sailing Regional Junior Championships

Entries for the RYA British Youth Sailing Regional Junior Championships will shortly be going live. Taking place at Grafham Water on 25/26 September, there will be a OnBoard fleet for newcomers which will be led by experienced instructors and focus on games with aims and developing basic skills, a coached Regatta Fleet for those developing their racing skills and a Championship Fleet for experienced racers – you can find out more here.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics 

With the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics starting at the end of July 2021, it’s a great opportunity to spread the word about sailing and to get people enthused about it. Have you thought about how you can mark the occasion? Perhaps hosting TV Medal Race ‘watch parties’, or using this as an opportunity to promote sailing in the community? Let us know what you’re planning to do!

I look forward to seeing more Clubs and Centres over the coming weeks, so please do get in touch if you would like to have a catch-up.

Robbie