You’ll all have seen the notice of the AGM come out and we look forward to seeing you on 29th March. There has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes on the plan for the next stage of upgrade and renovation of the Clubhouse. We owe a huge thanks to Patti Crouch for all the time she has spent on this – we couldn’t have done it without her. We hope you will agree that the new plan for the ground floor and the lower lounge gives us what we have been wanting to see for quite a few years now: a seamless flow from one area to the next and a lovely contemporary and welcoming feel to what is now the space that most members use most frequently and feel comfortable inhabiting. The upstairs of the Club is now almost exclusively used for private functions and, as we knew before, but it was reinforced pretty sharply as soon as functions were curtailed because of the pandemic, the Club needs the revenue from outside functions (held by both members and non-members) to supplement membership dues and the spending by members at the Club. As some of you may recall from a number of years ago when we investigated outsourcing our Food & Beverage operations, no-one was prepared to take it on unless they could open the dining to non-members. The expenditure at the Club by members alone is not enough to cover the cost of operating the Club. We need to remember that. This is why it is also important to ensure that members keep coming to the Club to dine: varied menus, interesting specials, and regular “Members’ Nights” with a talk or a film to encourage people to come out. It is a pity that we have been unsuccessful in having a dedicated “social committee” to organize these things, but hopefully this will be rectified in the future and someone will rise to the challenge!
On that subject, the date is not yet definite, but tentatively on Saturday 17th April, we have Commander Marcus Jacques OBE coming to the Club to talk to us about Bermuda’s new coastguard operations. Commander Jacques is the Royal Navy’s lead for the development of the wider UK Overseas Territories Maritime Security Plan and, as such, he has been spending quite a bit of time in Bermuda helping set up the Bermuda Coastguard, as well as performing similar roles in Anguilla, Montserrat, TCI, BVI & the Caymans. From talking to him, it was really interesting to hear about the challenges they are having down south (think drug cartels) and whilst working with all the relevant Government agencies here to get things set up was, I’m sure, not a walk in the park for him, I know he has some stories to tell and it will be worth coming out to listen to him. Commander Jacques is from an island himself (Jersey), so has a great understanding of island life and its challenges. He is a great believer that all of us who work or play out on that expanse of blue stuff have a collective responsibility to look after it and ensure that it is safe for all users. This implies a linkage between all the sailing clubs, other users (powerboating, youth activities – both educational and recreational) of the marine environment, fisheries, port authorities, HM Customs, Marine & Ports etc. With Bermuda’s coastguard operations now under the responsibility of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, it is another example of the opportunities available for our young people to train and quality for a maritime career. Of course, the RBR is part-time, but we can’t have a part-time coastguard (“Sorry you are sinking; call back on Saturday and we’ll send a boat out”), so funding has to be found to have a full-time contingent in the Coastguard as well as vessels that are on standby and permanently operational. It is the intention that this Members’ Night will be a fundraiser for the new Bermuda Coastguard operations and we hope you will come out to support it.
In closing, just in case anyone is interested, I did try the Wagyu burger and it is indeed delicious – much better than some of the $20 burgers available elsewhere!
Elspeth Weisberg
Commodore
March 17, 2020