Susies Scoop January 2022
Hi everyone,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year break. I’m sure it feels like a while ago now, and I know from going around and meeting with clubs that everyone has started 2022 with much enthusiasm.
I know, right now, that clubs are particularly busy. A lot of work is taking place on club development plans, along with organising activity for 2022 and beyond, to of course our busy time with re-newels, which I hope are going well - if you would like any support then please contact me .
Let me please remind you that the RYA website has lots of resources which can help with all of these areas.
Club planning and resources are available in ClubZone, which can be found here, and if you are not able to attend this month’s online RYA Club Development Workshops, you can watch them online here.
I know many clubs are also keen to build on the trend of families staying in the UK and participating in outdoor activities. RYA Discover Sailing provides some great resources for clubs to help capitalise on this, especially with the planning of and running events, such as Open Days, which will help attract these newcomers to our sport and to your club. Find out more about Discover Sailing here. The closing date for the first print to order materials and resources is 7 February.
Club of the Year
Read more about our two regional finalists in the 2022 RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award, Brading Haven Yacht Club here and Lymington Town Sailing Club here.
Sport England Queen’s Jubilee fund
The Sport England Queen’s Jubilee fund has announced that grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available for not-for-profit community organisations. This may be of interest to Sailability venues, clubs and charities which are looking for support to help develop activity where the main goal is to enable inactive people to become active, for example Discover Sailing events. Find out more information here. We also hope to run a Funding Friday video soon.
Youth and Junior racing
I warmly congratulate Spinnaker Sailing Club on achieving BYS Recognised Club status. BYS recognition helps clubs establish or further develop junior and youth racing and race training, and Spinnaker will now be able to access additional resources to support young sailors to develop their sailing and racing skills. If your club is committed to helping young people progress into racing and would like to find out more about joining this world class programme then please email Regional Performance Manager, Duncan West.
It is also fantastic that the British Youth Sailing (BYS) Regional Training Groups have started again for this year, with lots of youngsters enjoying getting out on the water, most recently at Burghfield Sailing Club.
Sailability Conference
The RYA Sailability Conference takes place next month (Saturday 12th February) at Wybston Lakes, with online alternatives if you can't make it on the day. This is a great opportunity for clubs to come together to re-connect, re-build, refresh skills, and provide support. Book here.
Sailability Resources
Leon Ward, the South’s Disability Development Officer will be holding an online session all about the RYA Sailability Accessibility tool on Tuesday 1st February. If you would like to discuss how your club can use the tool further then please do email Leon.
Upcoming Race Coach Level 2 courses
Booking is now open for an upcoming RCL2 course at Chichester Yacht Club on Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th May 2022. The course costs £125 and you can book here
Booking is also open for a RCL2 course taking place at Gurnard Sailing Club on the Isle of Wight on 5th and 6th March. More details can be found here.
The aim of the RCL2 is to provide candidates with techniques to safely coach racing to youth and adult sailors – a must for many clubs.
RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show
As I’m sure you have all heard by now, the all new RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, presented by Suzuki Marine UK, is moving to a new location, which for us is great as it is in our patch - Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre.Taking place over the weekend of 26-27 February 2022, it will showcase a range of watersports along with the traditional and much-loved dinghy sailing exhibitors, talks and features.
It will be a fantastic weekend and I am really looking forward to seeing what the new show has to offer for clubs and wider watersport activities - see you there! Read more here.
RYA eSailing Winter Club Championship
Is the next eSailing Champion at your club? We have some of the best eSailors from the world based here in the South region, and if someone at your club would like to join them and represent your club in the Winter Championships then don’t hang around as the deadline to submit your club’s champion is on 7th February. The eSailor will represent your club in the national heats with 19 racers the progressing to the final – which will be replayed on the Suzuki Main Stage during the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show. Sign up here
Steering The Course
Sailing clubs, class associations and centres are once again invited to celebrate women in boating as part of World Sailing’s international Steering the Course campaign, which runs during 20th-29th May. During the campaign, we’ll be running a ‘takeover’ on the RYA social channels highlighting women and their roles in the sport on social media, whether as commodores or committee members, helms or trimmers, race officials or mark layers, instructors or coaches, to raise the profile of women in boating.
I hope that all our RYA clubs from across the country, and not just in the South region, will get involved. This could be as simple as running a ‘women at the helm’ club race, using a female race management team, running a specific taster session, linking a celebration to your ‘women on water’ group, providing opportunities for aspirant female instructors or coaches to shadow your current team.
So save the date in your club calendar and I’d love to hear from you if your club has activity taking place or if you want to join in on social media by celebrating women in your club. Please email me to get involved.
Regional planning help needed
The RYA Regional Planning, Environment and Coastal Navigation Support Network (RPECN) is looking for a volunteer to help support the RYA with local knowledge in relation to planning, environmental and coastal navigational issues within the South Region.
The Representative will help with planning issues, particularly obtaining views from clubs on local planning applications and Marine Licence Applications which are received at RYA HQ. Importantly, they are also a first point of contact for clubs impacted by a planning issue or wanting help with their own development plans. Recently, the Network helped establish liaison groups to address Marine Management Organisation proposals at Studland Bay.
Richard Hill, the RYA Planning and Environment Officer will provide any necessary training and support. Please note the role does not deal directly with developers or statutory agencies. For more information please email Richard.
Stolen equipment
Sadly, over the Christmas holiday four outboard engines were stolen from safety boats at Spinnaker SC. Please contact James at the club if you are able to help. I would like to remind everyone that there are various measures you can take to help combat outboard motor theft including locks and branded engine covers; to secondary locks and heightened vigilance. Although this article is a few years old now it still contains some great info and top tips.
Help and support
Please remember that the RYA South team are here to help and support you. As ever, please don’t hesitate to contact me if your club has any concerns, questions or would like advice.
Until next time,
Susie