May the coming year be full of grand adventures and opportunities.
It’s perhaps an understatement to say that 2021 has been a difficult one but let’s not dwell on the past but to look to the future to planning some wonderful times on the river or further afar
OK, some of the things planned for last year, didn’t happen, others were adapted to suit the conditions at the time. Highlights included a fabulous Barbecue at the dock in July with a free bar provided by the club. The Laying Up Supper at Fairhaven Golf Club was a resounding success and enjoyed by all. Possibly the highlight of the sailing calendar was the Xmas Cruise with more boats than ever taking part. A quickly reorganised party for the sailors and shore crew took place outside the Dock Cabin with other members joining us to enjoy food and refreshments provided by RCC. Another great day!
All but the newest members may know that RCC operates as a self-help club, and it is pleasing to see members working together for the benefit of all. Be it work parties at the dock or the club, everyone, be they young or not so young, with a variety of interests, motor, and sail cruising, racing yachts and dinghies and simply those who like messing about in or around boats. This mix requires mutual expressions of tolerance, co-operation, and collaboration to succeed and to continue to listen to each other and then to work together for the benefit of all. For me there is an overriding obligation to ensure we introduce boating to new audiences, particularly local young people, for without new blood in the sport, there is an impoverished and unsustainable future for boating in general and RCC in particular. We all have our roles, as members and ambassadors, in our mission to keep the club vibrant and growing in stature.
Life is an adventure that’s full of beautiful destinations. Wishing you many wonderful memories made in 2022.
With the news that HM Government are planning to lift the Covid-19 restrictions from the 19th of July we are at last able to make some more positive plans.
This means that the planned return to the clubhouse and the Regatta weekend can definitely go ahead.
Picnic and Barbeque 24th July
We told you about the plans for the Regatta Picnic and Barbeque in the June Newsletter, we are now able to confirm more of the detail.
Further details for the BBQ on the Saturday afternoon/evening at the dock: –
We will be based on the grass area at the dock, making use of the ‘beach bar’.
It is open to all club members as well as guests sailing on the day in the regatta.
It will commence following sailing on the Saturday, but the formal start will be at 4.00pm
Please bring a picnic.
The club BBQ will be lit for you to use, although reasonably large, space will still be limited.
Drinks and light snacks will also be available.
Chairs and space on the BBQ will be limited so feel free to bring your own.
If you haven’t got a key fob to access the dock ring one of these numbers 07793839305, 07793839306 to let you in
If the weather is really, really bad we will move to the clubhouse and post a note on the gate and keep your eye on the Facebook group.
Don’t forget that the ‘Grand Re-opening’ of the club bar is on Friday evening the 23rd of July.
Looking forward to later in the year, we are pleased to be able to announce that the planned ‘Laying-up’ Supper will go ahead this year. The date for your diaries, as noted in the handbook, is Saturday evening the 16th of October at Fairhaven Golf Club. Further details regarding how to obtain tickets will be released nearer the time, places will be limited once the tickets are released so, please keep an eye out in the newsletters, Facebook and on posters in the clubhouse and at the dock.
Sailing
On Saturday the 10th of July we are running the first tidal training session of the season. Martin Knott is offering on-the-water coaching to those who are keen to improve their dinghy racing skills. Please let Martin know, if you haven’t already done so, if you’re going to join in his session. Otherwise, there will be an additional safety boat on the water for those who might just want to potter.
As previously advised, there are races on the Regatta weekend, 24th and 25th of July (see poster) for both cruisers and dinghies. The Regatta is really an opportunity for everyone to get out sailing in company. We are keen to see as many boats as possible, of all sizes on the start line, even if you’re not intending to race.
To paraphrase Martin Knott on the Facebook Group; “RCC Club racing, is not at all serious, but is really sailing with a bit more purpose in ‘going somewhere’”.
Fairhaven
Fylde Borough Council’s works at Fairhaven are still ongoing. Again, as previously advised additional works and the works to the café have meant a significant delay to the contract. The completion of the new boat storage compound which we had hoped to be using by now doesn’t look as though it will complete until August. However, in the meantime we plan to make a start on the water on Wednesday the 21st of July, at 6.00pm, for member’s own boats. Please let us know if you are intending to sail.
Optimistically we now hope to have some youth sailing back in early August and are targeting Wednesday evening the 4th of August as a start. Places will be restricted (8) until we can get the full complement of club boats to the new boat compound at the lake and so it will be important for parents to book the Wednesday evening slots for their children well in advance.
Dinghy Racing
As noted above we are keen to re-introduce dinghy racing, but its success will depend greatly on a commitment from club members, of all ages and abilities, to both join the racing and help organise it by undertaking some of the supporting tasks. The racing can be as expansive or local as the experience of the competitors requires, it is possible on the one hand to have short races, out of the tide, in the vicinity of the clubhouse, using mobile race marks. On the other hand, for the faster handicap dinghies, we can use the vast expanse of water seen at high tide. Members of the training team are keen to offer on-the-water coaching before and during the races to help novice sailors improve.
But we need to know what you want and hear from the sailing members. A simple reply to this email will do.
The team have been out at the bottom of the river repairing the race marks.
Tidal training will continue in the autumn as per the handbook dates.
Cruising in Company
A number of cruisers have ventured out of the dock on longer trips recently. If there is a wish to sail in company to some of the local destinations, such as Piel Island and perhaps towards the North Wales Coast please let us know.
Captain Barnacle
Captain Barnacle
Captain Barnacle
Captain Barnacle
Captain Barnacle