................ ...A Message from the Training Centre Principal.......
Richard Coleman..............
I would like to introduce myself as the new training Principal at BHYC responsible for all training activities at BHYC this year. I am sure many you are aware that BHYC already has a wide range of training activities throughout the year. The Club has run our flagship 'Sail Training Week' in August each year and provides a full range of other training activities throughout the year from April to December. My task is to ensure that we can provide these courses to our members, with the correct level of support and that it should integrate with our other sailing activities. The Sail Training Week has been successfully organised by Richard and Heather Overton, John Whitehead and Annabella Rogers for the last 13 years. I join Gordon Osborne's messages thanking Richard, Heather and John for their sterling efforts over the years to make The Sail Training Week an event 'the club can be proud of'.
For reference, this years Sail Training Week (August 3rd to 9th inclusive) is oversubscribed with about 89 people now registered, with Annabella Rogers at the helm 'master minding' this major event again. There is now a waiting list. We have an excellent range of trainers and volunteers helping again this year - but if you want to help in any way give Annabella, Sara or me a call.
I am pleased to announce that Garry Smart has been appointed Chief Instructor for BHYC. Garry, who was previously Chairman of Training, has been a keen contributor supporting the Sail Training Week and the provision of training throughout the year with Sara Smith and Chris Wilkinson, to name a few, supporting these activities. These efforts over the last few years have provided a 'solid platform' of training and support for the new and existing members who join our club. In 2007, 251 taken training places at BHYC, which was in addition to the 80 who participated in Sail Training Week. So we have an excellent track record of success in sail training at the Club. These efforts allow us to maintain our status as an RTC (RYA Training Centre) and as a Volvo RYA Champion Club.
I was nine years old when I started sailing (an old GP14 with my father) and over the last 41 years have been a member of a number of sailing clubs, at home and abroad. The clubs at which I have been a member have experienced the same challenges as we do at BHYC - how to maintain a good balanced sailing fraternity that can enjoy good sailing, racing and enjoyment for all the members of the club. No sooner have we got a good fleet of children sailing and racing, they are off to University, work or to newer pastures. At the same time our older members are moving on from high speed 'flying machines' to the more sedate cruisers or supporting the bar more. Either way we lose sailing members from the racing circuit.
So the onward challenge, which is not new or different for BHYC, is to invest in the future and try to give a good encouraging start to any new or existing members that would like to experience the life at a sailing club.
So on to the current season and I have been thrilled that the training sessions so far this year have taken off! To date we have had over 57 (39 different people) taken training places for either a leisurely sail, Oppie classes or the Hot Shot flyers. Last weekend was excellent, on Saturday we saw 6 Hot Shots and 11 Come Sail with Us (Garry Smart as Senior Instructor), and on Sunday 10 children learning in the Optimists with David Mitchell Senior Instructor and 10 Hot Shot older children learning how to sail a course in timed relays under the auspices of Chris Wilkinson.
There is a lot more information I would like to update you with including the new training room and the new extended training team that is now developing. I will provide this information in next week's newsletter.
Happy sailing
Richard Coleman |
