Susie's Scoop July 2019

 

HiEveryone,

Wow,half way through the year already! There’s been so much going on already at the clubs around the south andon the sailing scene.Onceagain we have plenty of information for you to help with all your club planningand to make your membership levels and events as successful as they can be. Plus news of some great events and opportunities. 

Could one of your club’syoungsters win a dinghy?


Applications for the 2019 John Merricks SailingTrust competition are now open!  TheTrust (JMST) helps young sailors and youth sailing organisations to achievetheir goals and was set up in the memory of 1996 Olympic silver medallist JohnMerricks.

As the official charity partnerof OnBoard, the JMST will donate at least 80 single-handed junior pathway boatsand boards (Optimist, Topper, Laser 4.7, RS Tera and Bic Techno 293OD) topromising sailors over eight years old, providing them with theopportunity to progress their skills and continue to participate in the sport.

Therewill be at least one winner in each of the seven English regions and three HomeCounties so that means there will be a winner in your region, the South. Itwould be great if you could encourage your club or centre to share this linkwith eligible families.

The declaration of eligibility form can be found here.  Applications will close at the end ofSeptember.

The boats will be gifted topromising youngsters who display enthusiasm, drive, talent and commitment tothe sport and who may not ordinarily have the opportunity or financial backingto achieve their goals.

There’s more information on the JMST page on the OnBoard website. 

Push the Boat Out – areyour visitors coming back for more?


It’snot much more than a month since more than 50 Push the Boat Out open dayswelcomed new sailors to come and try sailing and otherwatersports across the south.    

Butwhere are those visitors now? You’vesigned some up as new members, but they might still need some encouragement toget more involved, and most importantly you want to keep them as members.  What about the ones who said they might join…but are still thinking about it? 

It’sworth keeping in touch.  Perhaps aninvitation to a club event, a chance to crew for someone, or another taster session. Let me know if you need any help.

Find out more about Push theBoat Out.

 

Club Membership Census –help us to help you

The 2019 Club Membership Census is open and we’ve had returns from 30% ofclubs. If you are one of theclubs that have returned your information, a big thank you for being soprompt.

This is an important source of information on club membership data in the UK. The quicker this information comes in the sooner we can move in to the analyse stage. Which will enable an deeper look and more detailed feedback when we meet up at the Affiliated Clubs Conference later in theyear.

For thoseof you who haven’t returned the completed census yet we really really need itby the 15th August mid-day. We absolutely must have a 85% return rate in order to close thecensus so we'd be very grateful for your support in enabling us to meet thistarget.   

If you’ve got any queries just give me a ringon 07748 806733.

Youngsters are having funat this summer’s OnBoard Festivals


Thefirst of the summer’s OnBoard Festivals was a great success in Seaview on theIsle of Wight.  No less than 78 childrenenjoyed a great day filled with games and sessions on the water getting a chanceto sail all types of boats.

There’sstill plenty of opportunities to get your club’s kids signed up for one of thefour remaining OnBoard Festivals happening this summer in the south. 

The next ones will be held at:

Southampton Water Activity Centre 13th July, 

Andrew Simpson Watersports Centre, Portsmouth 21st July

CYE Sailing Centre, Chichester Harbour  31stAugust

Choosethe one that’s nearest you and book for your club’s kids now.   The fun-filled on-the-water festivals areopen to all children aged 8 upwards who are already being taught sailingthrough the RYA supported OnBoard programme.  

If you know anyone who should be taking part, get them to join in.

 Watch the spectacle of theSailGP championship


Witnessthe world’s fastest on-water sail racing when the most technologically advancedcatamarans hit UK waters for the first time when they come to Cowes on 10 and11 August.Launchedat the end of 2018, SailGP is a revolutionary new global sports championship,combining cutting edge technology with awe-inspiring athleticism. 

The Great Britain SailGP Team, skippered byOlympian Dylan Fletcher, will take on five rival nations –Australia, China, France,Japan, and United States – as they take centre-stage in the Solent.  Racing head-to-head just metres from the shorein identical 50-foot foiling catamarans, the supercharged F50s are capable ofbreaking sailing’s elusive 50-knot (60 mph) speed barrier.   

TheCowes SailGP race village will be the best place to watch the racing. The racevillage is a free-to-access public event and there will be something foreveryone to enjoy – large screens, live commentary, exhibits, food and bars tosuit all tastes. 

There is a special 20% ticketdiscount for RYA members to the exclusive Grandstand and to premiumall-inclusive spectator boat experiences with spectacular views of thethrilling racing.  Just use the codeRYACOSGP at the checkout.  And be quick –it’s for the first 100 tickets only! Go to the bookings page

Havea look at the video of the sailing in action.  Photo credit Lloyd Images. 

Get ready to celebrate theOlympic Games – one year to go!

 

Amazinglythere is only one year to go to the 2020 Olympic Games.  Sailing stars will be hoping for a haul ofGold Medals once again.  At the same timethe thrills and triumphs will be a huge inspiration once again to newgenerations of aspiring sailors. 

TheGames will start on 24 July 2020 in Tokyo. It’s not too early for your club to start thinking about how you couldcelebrate our top sailors and use this great opportunity to raise the level ofinterest in sailing around your club and locality. 

Feel free to give me a call for help with ideas. 

Try Sailing this summer


TrySailing days are being held through the summer at clubs in the south.  The most recent was at Great Moor Sailing Clubnear Milton Keynes at the end of June. 

The club’s Training Manager Tony Green described it as “One of our besttraining days ever.”  The record breakinghot weather helped but with a large fleet of dinghies and keelboats includingKestrels, Wayfarers, Oppies and RS Teras, along with a Drascomb Lugger, tenkayaks and a dragon boat, it was a hugely memorable occasion with more than 200 people took to the water.    

There were quite a few membership sign ups onthe day and a lot of interest.

For more information on running a try sailingday visit our web page

We’re here to support yourtraining to shape up for 2020/21


Giveme a shout to talk about the resources you are looking for to plan your clubcourses including race team management training, dinghy instructor courses and otherways to develop your club volunteers into valuable coaches and managers. 

We are ready to talk to you about setting upcourses from September onwards to get ready for the 2020/2021 seasons.  We can get some coaches and dates booked in foryou.

Are you sailing in cleanwater?

 Youmay have heard that Southern Water was recently hit with a £126m penalty forwhat the press described as ‘serious failures’ for breaching its statutoryduties on sewage treatment, including the “deliberate misreporting” of data,and the dumping of untreated effluent into beaches, rivers and streams.

TheRYA has been in consultation with the southern clubs to check on any issuesthat they might have been having with excessive output into nearby sewerageoutlets.  Richard Brown, the South Region’sChair, is calling on clubs to keep an eye out for any apparent excessivesewerage in their areas and to report any findings to him.  Contact Richard.     

Do you know someone whocan fill Richard’s shoes?

RichardBrown will be stepping down from his post of Chair of the South RegionCommittee at Octobers’s RYA South AGM. That meansthat there is now an exciting opportunity for an inspirational and experiencedleader to undertake the role. The successful candidate will lead the regionalongside the Regional Development Officer (RDO) to support and deliver anagreed action plan which aligns to the RYA’s strategic objectives within alocal context, this being outlined currently in the RYA South Regional Plan2017 – 2021.

The job description can be found on the job section of the RYA Website.  

Don't forget that who becomes the new Chair is down to you as the regions affiliated clubs. Clubs in attendance will vote for the candidate they would like to see in this leading role in the region. So pop the 19th October at 2.30pm in your calendar and ensure your club gets it's voice heard by sending a representative along to the Holiday Inn in Southampton.

Keep in touch!  

Don’t forget tofollow us on Twitter and Facebook, and keep sending us your stories ofachievements, new membership initiatives, and events through which you haveencouraged newcomers into sailing.   

Please don'thesitate to contact me, Susie Moore, I’m the Regional DevelopmentOfficer for the South.   

All other contactsin the region can be found here on the RYA south webpages.