Dear Member
Further to my message earlier this month, I am now very pleased to send you the Club’s roadmap for returning to sailing after 29 March. This is based on the current guidance from the RYA, which is itself derived from instructions issued by the Government. Hopefully, HMG will not find it necessary to amend or delay the four steps to normality it published last month. The Club’s roadmap is a summary of key dates and the opening-up measures associated with them. More detailed information about the national return to sailing is accessible to all on the RYA’s website: https://www.rya.org.uk. I would strongly suggest that you keep up-to-date with that, so that you have a good understanding of the guidance provided by our organising body, since this underpins the Club’s plans and its measures to restrict the transmission of Covid-19.
From the roadmap, you will see that Sherborne School will actually start sailing on 20 March; this is because schools are a specific exception under the current rules. They intend to sail again on 27 March. Weekend club sailing will initially start on Sundays only, the first session being on 4 April. Saturday sailing will start soon after this on 17 April, when a number of travelling cruisers will be having a ‘shakedown’ event. Before that, many will be delighted to see that the Thursday Evening Series will begin on 8 April.
There is no specified limit on how many people can sail or be on the premises, but those on shore must not gather in group of more than six or two households. The removal of the limit on numbers is with the strong proviso that all must comply with the RYA’s guidance. You will not need to book to go sailing – as was the case before the current lockdown – but you must sign in and out, for track and trace purposes. Note that the RYA ‘s guidance on mixed household crews still applies. The OODs will have the authority to require those attending to observe the rules and to limit the total number present if they are concerned that discipline is breaking down. Please support them in this.
Sadly, we are not yet able to allow access to indoor facilities, other than toilets so, initially, please can you change at home or in your car. We hope to have limited use of the changing rooms from 12 April, when also some form of galley facility may be offered. Let us hope for a warm spring!
Can I remind you again that Dutyman is open for bookings and that we will retain the additional OOD C role until the end of April. We now expect all members to book duties as in ‘normal times’. Insufficient volunteers will mean no sailing.
I am really delighted that the lockdown and fantastic vaccination programme mean that we can get back on the water and I look forward to seeing you at the reservoir soon.
Merv Clark
Commodore