Dear Members:
I have to say this is somewhat of an unexpected turn of events, I never really expected to find myself “in the big chair” again and felt I could slink off to the shadows to play a supporting role in The Club like so many before me. But here we are and in peculiar times too.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks. Like many of you, I was saddened to learn on Friday of the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. On behalf of our members, Flag Officers and staff, I will be sending a letter of condolence to Her Majesty the Queen. As a Duke of Edinburgh “Awardee”, like countless others, I felt a personal connection.
On Saturday morning, we learned of the passing of Past Commodore Don Jolliffe after a long and brave fight. Don was an outstanding “Club Man”, his contribution over many years at RHADC was significant as was his impact and influence across the Island. He revelled in the history of our Club and was passionate and proud of our traditions. Our thoughts are with Rachel and the rest of the family at this time. Don will be remembered with great affection.
I would like to continue the regular missive to the membership, although I doubt I can match the frequency of Elspeth’s elegant prose and erudite musings but I will do my best. In the heady days of 2016-2017, I used to write to the membership a handful of times a year, Easter, May 24th, Cup Match, The Anniversary Weekend, Cup Match and so on. Weekly is a much bigger proposition.
I have also considered what to call this rambling and I don’t want to hijack “Commodore’s Corner”. “The View from the Bridge” is sufficiently nautical and was a front runner but somewhat ordinary and might be something you see before you jump. “The View from the Pulpit” also has nautical connotations if you’re a sailor, and has the advantage of appealing to my inner demagogue but I thought better of that too for obvious reasons. Some of you will remember The Bermudian Magazine and “From the Crow’s Nest”, so I can’t use that either. There were several other ideas, quickly dreamt up and just as quickly discarded – “At the Helm”, “In the Cockpit”, “Captain’s Log” – to name but a few.
I finally landed on the choice of “The Rhumb Line”. It’s nautical, implies steering a straight course, and is the working name for the bar in the proposed for Clubhouse renovations.
The Clubhouse Renovation Proposal was circulated as part of the AGM materials pack. In the interests of brevity, we elected to postpone this conversation until we can get together at an SGM, date to be determined. In the interim, please forward any comments or questions directly to me. It’s important we appeal to all of our diverse membership demographic and that we offer a welcoming environment and continue to remain relevant. If we are to realise our goal of longevity by increasing usage of our Club, we have to make it a place people want to be, the first choice for after work drinks, casual dining, water activities and a Club for the entire family. Please reach out to me for more detail on the thought processes behind the proposal.
Where are we now? For those of you who were able to join the AGM you will know that The Club is in reasonably good health despite the challenges of 2020, but we continue to face an uncertain 2021, especially as our outside function business has all but dried up. Our employees have worked hard and sacrificed much and still strive to provide exemplary service. We continue to coach and run racing when conditions permit, and our food seems to me to be better than ever. Our ongoing success, and our ability to adapt, change and grow depends entirely on our membership, their usage of the facility and I would urge all of you to continue to support your Club.
As you are no doubt aware, the RS21’s have arrived, and while the “taster days” have been postponed due to the COVID situation, much work has been completed on charter documents, management and maintenance protocols, and test sails to ensure these valuable Club assets are kept in the best possible condition. Interest is significant, and we have some boats already chartered for when we can go race again. Perhaps allied to this, we are seeing a significant uptick in Adult Sailing Lesson interest, with classes being booked as far ahead as June. The Junior and Youth Programs are navigating COVID restrictions quite well, there’s a growing Laser and High Performance Group and Optimist Sailing is as ever popular. We have had over 200 applications for the July-August programs already!
The last couple of months have seen significant effort around The Club by both staff and volunteers as we see anticipate warmer weather and perhaps a relaxation of restrictions. Hurricane damage that has been delayed on the marina is being tackled, and floating docks repaired. The dinghy shed has been cleaned by the Elizabeth crew, and the Orchard has been tidied by sailors. The “Boat Park” ramp is complete, and the “Boat Park” is ready to accept members boats. As we retire our old fleet of J24’s, swing moorings are being released into the rental pool. If you have any questions or wish to make enquiries about any of this, renting space or a mooring, please reach out to your Flag Officers, Dockmaster, Sailing Team or the Office as appropriate.
I won’t regurgitate communications from Club Management but as we slide into another, hopefully relatively brief, period of lockdown I encourage you all to stay safe and we’ll see you at RHADC “on the other side”.
The things you do for a parking space.
Fair winds,
Neil Redburn
Commodore
12 April, 2021