Postponement of all sailing activities

​Good evening Risdon Brook Radio Yacht Club Members, past members and associates,
 
Hasn’t the world been thrown upside down in the last few weeks. Something akin to what is spoken about the Great Depression in the late ‘20’s and ‘30’s is on us, where many generations down the line will also talk about the virus and its impact on an already struggling world economy.
 
Your committee were hoping on continuing to host sail days into the future, but it is with much sadness that the committee resolved earlier today to cancel all sailing activities until the end of April, for reassessment at that point in time for the coming winter. We had hoped to provide an outlet for those who needed one and were comfortable with the safety measures we had planned to have in place, but with the social distancing being possible on the river bank, we could not possibly guarantee the same for any rescue boat personnel and the floating pontoon used as a control area on Wednesdays was also a real issue.
 
On top of this, the very recently broadcast government announcement also made it impossible to abide by recommendations, so the decision was also made for us there. The decision on activities come the end of April can also only be considered if the government advice has changed for the better.
 
This will have a massive effect on the club, as it will with so many clubs across Australia. It is a pain that we are all burdened with. There are some things that can be done while we are in a “recess” though.
 
Our AGM is normally coming up soon. Our “year” closes 31st March and we have three months in which to have our AGM, so the committee has resolved to have the AGM, at this stage, on the last Sunday of June. Should things not improve by then, the committee will work through whatever we need to in order to push the AGM back until it is reasonable to come together as a group in a room.
 
Once a fortnight, I hope to be able to put out a communication to everybody, just to keep everybody in touch. Many of our members are either starting yacht builds, or are mid-build as we speak. It would be fantastic if any of these people wanted to share some information in how their build was progressing, especially with some pictures. Furthermore, if there were any people with questions on how to do certain things, please pass them on to me. We have a real wealth of knowledge in the club, and I am keen on leaning on that (as well as google) to find answers to questions and pass them on to the greater audience. Anything that anyone thinks could be useful for such a publication is welcome to send what they have to me and I’ll try to get something together to distribute to the wider membership.
 
We are hoping something like this might keep our interest alive and well, and in turn, maximise the returning sailors when we are able to return to the riverside for some sailing.
 
Lastly, and most importantly, be safe and try to keep in tune with your own wellbeing. This is an unheard of time for the current generations, and is sure to be horribly stressful. Please seek help if you feel you are struggling. We all do at times, and someone to talk to can make a huge difference.
 
Your committee is very keen to see all of you as soon as the sailing is safe and allowed to continue. This club is a great one, and will thrive again once we can venture out again.
 
Kyle Stewart
 
On behalf of
Michael Hickman 
Commodore               
Risdon Brook Radio Yacht Cub